My 1st cycle on my neeeeew bike !!

elvis jones

Hi all,

I got my Giant Defy 3 last weekend and with work i only got out on it properly yesterday.

I haven't rode a bike any distance in years and have never really had a proper road bike before.

So off i headed and with a few long steep hills and a head wind for the majority of the second half of the cycle i managed to do 19.5 miles in 73 mins.

Legs were a little stiff for a few minutes when i finished by i stretched etc and not a bother afterwards.

So i'm wondering what was my time like for that distance and how quickly should i increase my mileage. I'm looking to eventually to 60 miles ( Portarlington to Longford ) at some stage in the summer.

Any advice or feedback would be great.

niceonetom

First off, well done for getting a bike and getting out there. Fun, isn't it?

So you did about 30km in 73mins? That's something like 25kph avg. I think, so not at all bad for your first time out there. Wind and hills just add to the fun. It is crucial that you only use the metric system for road cycling btw. Crucial.

There's a general rule of thumb bandied about that you should raise your mileage kilometreage by ~10% per week until you reach your target. I doubt 30km is your limit right now though so I'd say try for 50km or more over varied terrain over the weekend and see how you feel. Once you start to be out there for more than, say, 90 mins you need to start thinking of fuelling too, so get some sports-drink or whatever you fancy and stick a muesli bar in your pocket. You'll be grand. In a few weeks 100km will be no bother to ya.

ROK ON

Best of luck.

In Portarlington you are only about 30km fron the Cut and the Wolftrap in the SlieveBlooms.

A gang of us went down there last summer. A very nice place to go for a cycle.
Try the 30km up to The Cut and then turnaround and downhill all the way back to Clonaslee.

elvis jones

Niceonetom.....eh right:D

I used meteric because i run and i am going to use the bike to get the distance on some long runs !!

Anyway i made my own lovely sports drink with orange, water, sugar and salt !!

I was thinking of bringing a banana, would the bar or a gel be better ??

I'll aim for 40 to 50 KM this sunday and report back !!

is there an average km/hr for a beginner ??

DirkVoodoo

ROK ON wrote: »

Best of luck.

In Portarlington you are only about 30km fron the Cut and the Wolftrap in the SlieveBlooms.

A gang of us went down there last summer. A very nice place to go for a cycle.
Try the 30km up to The Cut and then turnaround and downhill all the way back to Clonaslee.

That was a great day out alright, very memorable!

elvis jones

ROK ON wrote: »

Best of luck.

In Portarlington you are only about 30km fron the Cut and the Wolftrap in the SlieveBlooms.

A gang of us went down there last summer. A very nice place to go for a cycle.
Try the 30km up to The Cut and then turnaround and downhill all the way back to Clonaslee.

Great,

I'll ask my wife, she is the local !!

thebouldwhacker

Firstly congrats on buying and using your bike (one more of us, one less of them), good to hear you enjoyed it and your looking to up your game.

I think this is what your looking for

25kmh is a very respectable pace, esp for a newbie:).

As Tom said you'll hit the 100km mark before you know it. If you have fitness from running the battle is half won already. Just get your bike muscles in shape and off you go!

+1 on the home made drink, thats what i use and its rocket fuel. I try to stay away from gels, no real need unless your going for high performance. Its only my own personal view but I prefer fruit, cereal bars, fig rolls and if in real need of a boost Turkish delight (the big jelly one) can not be beaten. I just think I feel better after the cycle if the food I have eaten is some way wholesome. Prob just my imagination but thats just me.

Lumen

elvis jones wrote: »

is there an average km/hr for a beginner ??

No, and it doesn't really matter anyway. Cycling is too much fun to be spoiled with numbers.

It felt good, right? That's the important thing.

thebouldwhacker

Lumen wrote: »

Cycling is too much fun to be spoiled with numbers.

I agree with this whole heartedly, I have cycle computers still in the box that I bought for my a2b bike and my mtb but am resisting putting them on as I feel it will ruin my enjoyment cycling them... I do have one on the roadie but am really trying to concentrate on cadence rather that just kph.

LastGasp

elvis jones wrote: »

I used meteric because i run

Miles are Imperial, KMs are Metric .....

elvis jones wrote: »

I was thinking of bringing a banana, would the bar or a gel be better

I'm a banana fan, but I've been told they take several hours to get into your system and start taking effect, so I have them for breakfast, and halfway through a long ride. Anyone know if that's true ??

elvis jones wrote: »

I'll aim for 40 to 50 KM this sunday and report back !!

no problem to you

elvis jones wrote: »

is there an average km/hr for a beginner ??

If there is an average speed for a beginner it's probably well below 25kph ! That's a good pace.

gaffmaster

I use my speedo for motivaiton. I don't cycle as often or as far as many posters on here, but I find the speedo good for distracting me from tiredness. I average around 24kmph.

lyders

niceonetom wrote: »

It is crucial that you only use the metric system for road cycling btw. Crucial.

The clubs/riders in London all use miles...it's so frustrating to convert all the time. Still...I will never change my computer to miles!

elvis jones

lyders wrote: »

The clubs/riders in London all use miles...it's so frustrating to convert all the time. Still...I will never change my computer to miles!

I just use an app on my phone:)

As someone above mentioned i use the computer for motivation and to remain at a certain pace ( i use my polar for running to do the same )

Thanks for all the advice so for !

Lumen

elvis jones wrote: »

As someone above mentioned i use the computer for motivation and to remain at a certain pace ( i use my polar for running to do the same )

The problem with using speed for cycling is that it is massively wind direction and terrain dependent (far more than running) so you'll end up hating cycling up hills or into a headwind, when in actual fact both just extend your cycling time so should be appreciated.

If you really need to judge effort with numbers use a heart rate monitor, there are some quite cheap ones available.

It's also fairly easy to judge how hard you are working using perceived effort, which take account of how hard you are breathing. Ignore the power stuff on the following table and focus on the descriptions of leg sensation and breathing effort. There's probably a simpler version kicking around in t'internet (maybe from Joe Friel).

elvis jones

Lumen wrote: »

The problem with using speed for cycling is that it is massively wind direction and terrain dependent (far more than running) so you'll end up hating cycling up hills or into a headwind, when in actual fact both just extend your cycling time so should be appreciated.

If you really need to judge effort with numbers use a heart rate monitor, there are some quite cheap ones available.

It's also fairly easy to judge how hard you are working using perceived effort, which take account of how hard you are breathing. Ignore the power stuff on the following table and focus on the descriptions of leg sensation and breathing effort. There's probably a simpler version kicking around in t'internet (maybe from Joe Friel).

Thanks the wind & hills will drop my speed and that i know so its built into my cycle. The pressure on the legs when i get to a hill i actually enjoy:D

I have a heart monitor ( polar ) and my breathing is normally good apart from the hills !!

After 30k the legs were a little stiff but i shuck them out coming down a hill and they were good again.

For now i want to build stamina as i want to do duathlons and triathlons in the future.

But the silence on a quiet road at a nice pace is something to smile about !!!

mike12

gaffmaster wrote: »

I use my speedo for motivaiton. I don't cycle as often or as far as many posters on here, but I find the speedo good for distracting me from tiredness. I average around 24kmph.

So do i when that little arrow is pointing down saying you are below your average speed it motivates you to pust a bit harder been averaging 25kmph around the flat roads of swords for my 30 km spins in the evenings, Might attempt Howth at the weekend how hard is it of a climb or is it just a little hill drove up it once but cant really remember.
Mike

Raam

mike12 wrote: »

Might attempt Howth at the weekend how hard is it of a climb or is it just a little hill drove up it once but cant really remember.
Mike

It's about 4km from the long side and 2km from the short side

cdaly_

2km straight up mind you...

Raam

cdaly_ wrote: »

2km straight up mind you...

shhhhhh

mike12

Raam wrote: »

shhhhhh

That sounds hard which is the hard side coming from the village or the other way how would that compare with the hills of wicklow, so its 4km at a reasonable or 2km straight up.
Mike

blorg

mike12 wrote: »

That sounds hard which is the hard side coming from the village or the other way how would that compare with the hills of wicklow, so its 4km at a reasonable or 2km straight up.
Mike

Well there are certainly hills as steep and more in Wicklow as well as less so so difficult to say really. What Howth is, is a hell of a lot shorter.

There are two ways up from the village, one is reasonably steep but nothing crazy and the other one (right at the church) is reputably very steep but I have never been up it.

The way up from the other side is not steep at all.

Raam

mike12 wrote: »

That sounds hard which is the hard side coming from the village or the other way how would that compare with the hills of wicklow, so its 4km at a reasonable or 2km straight up.
Mike

From village to top is 2km, steep at the start, levels off. The other way is longer but less steep at the start.

As for Wicklow, hard to compare, so many hills in Wicklow. It's steeper than some, shorter than others, longer than some and not as steep as others.

The thing about Wicklow is that if you are heading that way, it's probably going to be a long day in the saddle of constant up and down so you will tire out. Howth is the only hill out this way so it's flat-flat-flat, hill, flat-flat-flat.

anoble66

talking of wicklow, anyone doing WAR on Sat? I am doing the war-sport option, just not too sure how difficult the cycling part will be!