thechoux

Since proper cycling seems to be fairly technical, I don't want to start with any bad habits (training, technique, etc.) What are your top 3 recommended things for Mr. Average trying to become Mr. Average Cyclist?

milchad

Start eating and drinking right.
Ride.
Ride some more.

BeeDee

1. Ride your bike
2. Ride your bike
3. Ride your bike

It really is THAT simple. I have gone from being FAT to being fat for a cyclist in 12 months. 60+lbs lighter, and never happier.

bdcheung

1) Ride your bike.
2) Get your friends to ride bikes.
3) Ride bikes together.

cyccommute 

The only bicycle quote you'll ever need:

"Ride lots." -- Eddy Merckx

bbgobie

Ok. Besides the obvious which is to ride.
And diet which has been mentioned.
Get comfortable and have fun.
Enjoy what your doing and you'll notice the health benefits!

NW NJ Biker

Try to keep your cadence (the RPM of your pedals) between 90 to 100 RPM.
If you live in a hilly area, do not be afraid of hills.
Ride a lot.

merlinextraligh

+1 on ride and have fun.

If you want to focus on getting better, a couple of things:

1) get a good LBS to get you fitted right.

2) buy a cycle computer with cadence. Work on keeping your cadence above 90 on the flats, and above 75 climbing.

3) mix up hard days with easy days.

CaseLawZ28

+1

Along with: "It never gets easier. You just go faster." -- Greg LeMond (or some quote to that effect)

thechoux

So can I still drink 4 or 5 beers on a Friday night?

And what is the advantage of keeping cadence around 100 on flats and 75 on hills?

sonnyred

Besides the good suggestions here about improving your diet and riding, I might recommend a heart rate monitor. I lost 20lbs already this year my first season road biking, but initially I thought my exertion levels were a lot more than they actually were. With the HRM I can vary my workouts....some days I will push to 170-175 bpm ( I,m 49 yoa) and on distance rides I;ll keep it 150 or below. Besides the weight loss I've improved my avg speed from 14mph to 17.5mph....keep at it and good luck...
Sonny Red

AEO

saves your knees from severe wear and tear so you won't feel it later on in life.

HenryL

I consider beer a carbohydrate energy drink to be used for recovery as needed. 2 or 3 for me but if you follow the advice above the weight will begin to fall off.

JMT114

Yes, you will still be able to drink some beers. You might even find yourself eating more than normal. I know that during the summer when I am on the bike more I seem to be hungry all the time, but I still lose weight.

As for the cadence. Higher cadence will improve your endurance. Your legs moving faster, but they are not working as hard as when you are in a really high gear pedaling at a low cadence.

milchad

I don't see anything wrong with 4-5 beers but try and chug some water afterwards before you go to bed. Your bladder will wake you up a couple times, but go ahead a drink more water while your up.

recursive

1. Eat breakfast.
2. Eat after rides. And during long rides.
3. Get enough sleep.

alanfleisig

Make sure your saddle height and fore and aft position are more or less correct and comfortable for you.

Get (if you don't have already) old-fashioned toe clips or clipless pedals, and use them. It is very important to proper pedaling technique to have a full circle pedaling motion, and not just push down on the pedals.

Don't try to overdo it on any one outing, but keep at it. Building cycling skills and fitness is a cumulative thing. It is probably much better to ride 20 miles 3 times a week than 60 miles once a week.

If you are inclined, get an inexpensive cycling computer that shows pedaling cadence as well as speed and distance. If you are a real beginner, aim to always keep your cadence above 70. As you get more acclimated to cycling, aim for cadences in the 90-100 rpm range, as noted above.

On a related note. Use your gears. Too many newbies are afraid of shifting, and end up "mashing" or "over-spinning" in the wrong gears.

Don't get upset if your fitness progress is slow at first. If you keep at it, it will begin to improve noticeably.

Find a local club with a "newbie" group and ride with them. Or find new acquaintances through your local bike shop ("LBS" in BF speak) or the Internet and ride with them.

elemental

Like everyone else said, ride ride ride. I would also recommend getting in with a group that rides at your level and riding with them as much as possible. My local club has 4+ categories so that everyone has someone to ride with. Riding with people at or slightly above your fitness level really pushes you to go harder.

bostongarden

1. You are at the beginning; the only way that you will
move away from the beginning is to start riding; get riding
2. Keep riding.
3. Don't let questions that you may have stop you from
riding; ride and ask at the same time; get riding.

dark13star

It is all about burning more than you consume. The more you ride/run/whatever, the more you can consume. One of the reasons that I do so much exercise (other than liking it) is that I eat and drink anything I want. Just make sure to get some quality calories too.

Then you can laugh at people when they see you eating a cheeseburger and drinking heavy microbrews and say "you are so lucky to have a high metabolism..."

Just remember, you set your own metabolism.

Kotts

In addition to all the fitting comments, let me add:
If something starts to hurt, check your fit. (Fit problems aren't always appearant right away.)
If you start to feel "limited" check your fit. (As you get better/stronger, the best fit will change.)
Ride where you like to ride. You'll stay with it longer if it's fun.

bac

As stated - ride you bike. However, do some research in terms of proper bike fit, proper nutrition, etc. If you have any specific questions, please shoot away.

... Brad

grolby

Ride, ride, ride.

As for cadence, I think that "90-100" is a bit too specific. 100 is a bit high, I tend pedal at 100-105 when I'm really hammering. 90 is pretty good for just cruising along. I think the best advice about cadence is to keep it above 80 RPM on the flats and find whatever exact number of RPM is most comfortable for you at any given time. Different riders have different styles. There are certainly riders who cruise at 100 RPM and hammer at 90, exactly inverted from my preferences. As for hills, definitely keep it above 60, and up around 70-80 or higher if you can do so comfortably. Really, don't worry about numbers too much. Focus on spinning, just spin at whatever rate feels best.

As for why, spinning keeps you working your aerobic muscles (heart!), which gets you fit faster and is better on your body, and it reduces strain on your joints. Which is not say that putting the hammer down at 100 RPM does not put strain on your joints, but it's a lot better than doing it at 50 RPM!

grail29er

1. make sure your bike is comfortable. you are not an elite cyclist and do not need race geometry. one is much more apt to ride if their neck, shoulders, and low back do not hurt.

2. ditto on diet. dropping 20lbs frees up movement around your waist, makes you faster, and makes climbing way easier.

3. lots of water when riding

Bird

Isn't that above target zones for your age?