thespacecowboy

This is a kinda general question, and perhaps isn't specific enough. But here goes.

I've been into cycling now for about 9 months. I started on a hybrid cheapo bike, and swapped that out a few months ago for a carbon Look 566 from my LBS. Couldn't be happier with the bike.

Currently I mainly use it for commuting, but not all the time. I usually do 2x cycles a week to work, whcih is a 25 mile round trip. Its at the point where its easy for me and not too much effort (unless I'm really tired from work or have been slacking). I try and get a cycle in at the weekends but with a busy home life and lots of excuses it doesn't happen as often as I like. My wife is also training for a marathon so time is precious with two kids!

Anyhoo, my real question is a transition one. Any advice on how to start moving up to longer rides? I'm volunteered to do a part-tri (Malibu) later in the year, so that will be olympic distance (cycling only) which is OK for me.

I don't see myself getting into actual racing or anything like that. I've got a buddy that I need to pair up with and do some longer weekend rides, but he is training my wife for the marathon at the moment so is otherwise engaged.

Any other tips on people who've moved up from a commuter to something a little more serious?

Thanks

Robert

RonH

Holy Cow!!! You paid $2000-3000 for a commuter bike??? How big is your bank account?


To get more miles:
-- ride 5 days a week and take the long way to work or the long way home after work
-- ride during your lunch hour
-- if your weekends are full limiting your riding time, ride early (5 a.m.) on Saturday and Sunday

thespacecowboy

lol thanks, it was never intended as "just" a commuter bike but something that would last me well (yeah, i'm SURE I'll never get the upgrade bug right ) It cost me $1800 btw

I can just about muster 3 days a week of riding to work, but come friday night I'm exhausted!

big chainring 

Space cowboy, you sound like me. I've got two boys, a very physical job and a wife that works full time. Finding time to ride is difficult, and so much of the time I am just too tired. As the days get longer I try to ride in the early evenings, even if its just a few miles, taking it sort of easy. My long ride comes on Sunday morning when I'm out the door at 7am, and do a 40 miler. Thats about all the riding I can fit in as my kids playing baseball, family stuff, etc.

Its a lot easier as my kids have gotten older. When they were youmg I didnt ride much at all.

Another thing you can do when you cant get out on the bike is regular calisthenics. Knee bends/squats with weights really builds the quads for when you hit the road.

cruisintx

I vote for the early morning ride on a weekend morning. I like to do things with my wife on weekends but she does not ride and likes to sleep in a bit on Sat. and Sun. That's when I do my longer rides of 30 to 40 miles. The rest of my shorter 'conditioning rides' happen after work and vary from 15 to 25 miles depending on wind conditions and which set of hills I choose for the day. If I hit one or two of the boat ramps on the lake, my rides will be shortened to 7 to 10 miles. The ramps are not long but the incline is great enough that they are very exhausting.

thespacecowboy

Thanks for the reply. I have two boys also. And one of them was in the principals office for saying something innaprppriate to another kid...prize for guessing what.

I hope I can get some early Sunday rides in when my wife's marathon finishes next week! She took up my Sunday am's, and I need a lie in at least once a week!

Physically, what's the transition from 10-15 miles up to 25+? Any tips?

StephenH

How you move up to longer rides is just go ride farther. You don't really do anything different except you don't get off the bike after 45 minutes.

cruisintx

what he said; just add a mile or two with each successive ride and before long you will be up to 40.

thespacecowboy

Just a short update for anyone interested. I finally managed to do a longer ride with a more experience friend of mine. We ended up doing 35 miles on a dull but cool southern California morning. It was surprisingly easy, what I mean is I didn't flake or stop apart from stretching our legs. My hill work commuting seems to have paid off, as those were less of an issue for me.

All in all, a very enjoyable session with another to come this weekend. Bring on the half century lol

cehowardGS

Easy one...

"My papa can whip/out-ride your papa"....

Another poster mentioned doing exercises when you are not/or can't get on the bike..

That is just the reason I started this thread...

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...er-than-biking)

thespacecowboy

lol not yet, but I think that'll come soon. My boys still have the misguided impression that their dad can beat anyone at anything. No idea where they got that notion from

Keith99

See if yuo can find a local social cycling club. SFVBC starts from the front parking lot of CSUN (or at least it used to) if you are in the San Fernando valley. There is a LAB (LAW when I knew them) chapter somewhere in the Santa Monica area, or perhaps hte chapter is wider, but there are ride starts in or near Santa Monica.

For me the huge jump was from 40 to 50 miles. The distance was actually not the issue, it was that I was riding with SFVBC and the in valley rides maxed out at about 40 and the shortest out of valley were about 50. But there was a huge difference in climbing.

If you can find a local club an dalso get advance ideas about the routes used yuo can ride to teh start and then ride with them and cut off to go home. That means some riding alone, but a lot of the miles with a group. And you can adjust the pre formal start miles depending on when you get up. (But if you try this be sure to get to the start by the listed starting time, my experience is cycling groups are one of the few things that start on time, and it can be very difficult to make up even just one minute).

thespacecowboy

Thanks, that's good advice. I'd been thinking about some of the meets at my LBS where I bought it but I guess a little cautious that I'll do something wrong with more experienced riders. I guess I have to talk with them to figure out a smaller / slower group. I can't see myself riding in one of those big packs. You know, the ones that overtake me all the time

They also do some hill climbing classes which I do need.

I'm down in Orange County btw (Irvine / Lake Forest area).