Training tips for a newbie

smacl

Hi all, newbie alert. I've started cycling just before Chirstmas last year, and after really enjoying the Wicklow 100 earlier in the summer plan on doing a few more similar events, with the hope of getting into shape for the Wicklow 200 next year (and maybe even every year after that). I'm mid forties, 6ft/13.5 stone, ok fitness, and riding a reasonably decent hybrid. Next event i've signed up for is the etape hibernia in Clare, and I'm wondering how much and what type of preparation to put in. Riding to complete, home before the pubs close is fine. A few questions so;

- I did 85k (Killakee, Sallygap, Laragh, Enniskerry) last weekend and found it challenging enough. Sore knees around the sugarloaf on the home stretch, sore erse. Planning on extending it to at least 110k before the event, which realistically gives me 4-5 big weekend spins. Should I add the extra distance sooner or later?

- How many days rest do people take before an event, and do you watch your diet, cut out the beers, etc... weeks beforehand?

- Do good cycling shorts provide a significant difference from cheaper ones on longer rides, and do cycling creams make any differency from say sudocream?

- By pushing to do longer distances too soon, am I liable to banjax my knees for later on? What I'm finding at the moment is that energy wise I'm still ok after 4-5 hours, but the erse and the knees are getting sore. I'm thinking stopping and stretching for 2-3 mins every hour might be a plan.

- Stupid question next. Which is a better gear for going up hill 2-2/2-3 (mid ring at front) or say 1-5 / 1-6. Would it be much easier on the knees to say drop back to 1-3/1-4 and pedal like a madman? Are the certain combinations to be avoided for fear of breaking the bike (e.g. 3-1, 1-9). Changing the back gears going up hill seems clunky, whereas the front is not a problem. I like to keep the small ring at the front for special and/or desperate occasions like that effer of a hill passing lough bray to the sallygap.

- Any recommendations for energy bars or gels. I bought a few gels when I got the bike and they seem fine, but some friends said the freebies on the W100 could be difficult to stomach.

Apologies if this has all been covered before ad nauseum,

Shane

seamus

I can only really help with a couple of points here.

smacl wrote: »

- I did 85k (Killakee, Sallygap, Laragh, Enniskerry) last weekend and found it challenging enough. Sore knees around the sugarloaf on the home stretch, sore erse. Planning on extending it to at least 110k before the event, which realistically gives me 4-5 big weekend spins. Should I add the extra distance sooner or later?

Everyone here suggests adding around 10% per week to your distance - assuming that your body is up to it.

- How many days rest do people take before an event, and do you watch your diet, cut out the beers, etc... weeks beforehand?

You would generally take whatever rest days you need. I imagine you're at a similar fitness level to me, so anywhere between 5 and 7 rest days should give you optimal strength on the day of the event. Go out for a few short easy spins if you wish but don't push yourself between your last long ride and the event a week later. I could be way off, but that's the kind of mileage I get.
Dunno about food or diet. For a sportive you don't have to do much except make sure that you've got adequate fuel. Alcohol and stretching muscles don't go together, so best to avoid alcohol for 24-36 hours before the start, and avoiding heavy boozing for 3 or 4 days.

Do good cycling shorts provide a significant difference from cheaper ones on longer rides

Yes.

Stupid question next. Which is a better gear for going up hill 2-2/2-3 (mid ring at front) or say 1-5 / 1-6. Would it be much easier on the knees to say drop back to 1-3/1-4 and pedal like a madman? Are the certain combinations to be avoided for fear of breaking the bike (e.g. 3-1, 1-9). Changing the back gears going up hill seems clunky, whereas the front is not a problem. I like to keep the small ring at the front for special and/or desperate occasions like that effer of a hill passing lough bray to the sallygap.

All the basics about gearing are here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears.html

In general, you should aim to to pedal so that your legs are spinning comfortably, without you really straining to push every revolution. If you're having problems with your knees, then you may be riding in too high a gear. You do tend to get comfortable with a particular cadence and anything higher than that feels too fast, but you can adjust to a more efficient natrual cadence.
A bike computer with cadence is actually a good bit more useful than it appears at first. In some instances, you can actually get a couple of km/h more (or no speed change) out of a lower gear at 90rpm than a higher gear at 70 rpm. Before I got the cadence computer, I would have stuck with the higher gear at 70rpm and wasted more energy than necessary.

On your bike, there may not be much difference between 2-2 and 1-5, it's all about finding the gear that's right. I would say that if you can comfortably spin up a hill in the middle ring, then do so, as when reach a flat section it will allow you to change up the gears more quickly than if you were in the granny ring. Gears will always "clunk" more if you change under heavy load. If you think about when you're changing gear, you can reduce the load on the pedals for a split second while the chain slips to the next cog, in order to reduce the wear on the chain & cassette.

smacl

Thanks for the reply

All the basics about gearing are here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears.html

Great site for gear basics, and all sorts of other basics I wasn't aware of either.

thebouldwhacker

smacl wrote: »

,
do cycling creams make any differency from say sudocream?

I never tried sudocream, I'm thinking it could be messy. Many use different stuff, this is what I use. It pretty much does everything from cuts, sunburn, friction burns, sores etc

blorg

You can get better cycling shorts for more money which are more comfortable, but you could well be fine with what you have unless it is giving you specific problems. I did my first Wicklow 200 on a €20 pair of shorts. I also think it is a better idea to get used to fit etc. with cheap kit before splashing out on the more expensive stuff.

smacl

The shorts I've got are padded and seem fine. With a bit of haggling, the place I bought the bike from threw them in along with a few other bits and bobs I needed. I decided to look up some prices to get a spare pair and was shocked how much you could pay. Just curious what these could possibly do for you for that type of money. Ended up ordering a pair of these, as the spare pair is rapidly becoming a necessity.

keane=cock

smacl wrote: »

Thanks for the reply



Great site for gear basics, and all sorts of other basics I wasn't aware of either.

this was a question i wanted answered too!! thanks for the site.....:D

mfdc

smacl wrote: »

The shorts I've got are padded and seem fine. With a bit of haggling, the place I bought the bike from threw them in along with a few other bits and bobs I needed. I decided to look up some prices to get a spare pair and was shocked how much you could pay. Just curious what these could possibly do for you for that type of money. Ended up ordering a pair of these, as the spare pair is rapidly becoming a necessity.

I have both of these shorts (started with the dhb, treated myself to the Assos at christmas) and for short rides, say less than 3-4 hours, I don't notice any difference. I was kind of underwhelmed actually, from people's descriptions I was expecting the Assos to be worlds apart. I use them now for long rides and have no problems at all... I seem to remember getting some pain in the dhb's last year on really long rides, but that could just be my brain trying to justify the Assos

Basically imo for shorter rides the shorts don't matter all that much, but I reckon that the longer the spin the more important it gets.

ipodrocker

i ave padded shorts too, at first they felt weird but once i got on the bike i reaped the benefits of the padding after a while

blorg

smacl wrote: »

The shorts I've got are padded and seem fine. With a bit of haggling, the place I bought the bike from threw them in along with a few other bits and bobs I needed. I decided to look up some prices to get a spare pair and was shocked how much you could pay. Just curious what these could possibly do for you for that type of money. Ended up ordering a pair of these, as the spare pair is rapidly becoming a necessity.

I have the dhb Earnley in 3/4 tight form myself and I like them. As mfdc says the longer the ride the more difference more expensive shorts can make. One thing I would advise whether going for cheap or expensive is to get the bib type with suspenders; these are certainly more comfortable as there is nothing to dig into your waist. Having said that the €20 shorts I did my first Wicklow 200 in were not bibs and I was fine.