I’ve got the right bike for me, a Giant Rapid 3, but I’m new to long distance cycling with weight loss and cardiovascular fitness as the goals. Perhaps there’s not much more to it than getting out there and racking up the miles, but I thought I’d ask.
I will say that I’m having a great time so far. I’ve spent the last year indoors on stationary bikes and ellipticals in order to rehab my knee. So the scenery alone is fantastic. Also, prior to buying this hybrid bike, I’ve only ever had department store mountain bikes. Man, what a difference! I’m flying on this thing, and instead of a heavy frame and fat wheels slowing me down, I’m clearly the weak link.
Keep this up and good things will happen. Also think about getting a heart rate monitor so you can keep your heart rate in your target zone. If you don’t have a cheap cycle computer, get one. I am constantly going just a little bit faster just to try and up my numbers on the computer.
I actually keep a spreadsheet so I can see which days I’ve ridden, and how far. Some days there’s rain or bike problems, or I may just be feeling lazy, but looking at that string of 9 or 10 days in a row makes me want to keep it going. And I record my weight and average speed for each day’s ride, so I can see the effect it’s having.
I was slacking off way too much earlier in the summer, but I just passed 500 miles for the year. I’d like to hit 1500 before the weather turns cold.
The biggest improvement in riding will be from clipless pedals, if you don’t already have them. They do take a bit getting used to but they will undoubtedly make your riding more efficient. I find them second nature and don’t even notice getting in or out anymore.
Good cycling shorts and gloves will go a long way to make you more comfortable in the saddle. Getting your bike fitted to your body properly is also a huge win if the bike shop didn’t do so already.
Get a floor pump with a pressure gauge and refill your tires every time you ride.
I took the OP as asking for fitness tips more than bike riding tips - so I’ll say that riding hard for 30 minutes can be more beneficial than riding all day really easily. Well, maybe 30 minutes is pushing it, but 15 minute warm up, 30 minutes as hard as you can, and then 15 minute cool down will be much better than 2 hours easy.
I do this, too, on an old hybrid. Last night I went 12 miles at about 13 to 14 mph. I wouldn’t say I’ve lost weight, but I’m much stronger than I used to be. It’s certainly not my only exercise–I work out quite a bit, including weight training–but cycling’s my favorite thing to do, and because I live in Florida I can do it year-round, except not in afternoons this time of year. The sun is just too strong.
Always carry at least one bottle of water and take your phone with you. I only recently started taking my phone along and can’t believe I rode so many miles without it. I don’t use it, but it’s nice to know it’s there in case I get a flat or end up crashed in a ditch somewhere.
I second the heart-rate monitor. Also, a bike computer with cadence. For fitness especially, focus on improving your cadence instead of your speed. This will keep your exercise in the aerobic zone instead of the anaerobic.
And as with any type of exercise: prioritize your enjoyment over everything else. If you find yourself worrying too much about the exercise details – relax and just enjoy the ride.
Missed the edit window: finding group rides. It’s really easy. Start by asking around at bike shops about the local group rides. If they know their stuff they will point you in the right direction (experienced riders can show up in a strange town, and with a couple of days they’ll know where and when the group rides are). If nothing else you’ll meet people out on the road and discover the groups yourself.
I’m liking Map My Ride. As a bonus, my parents live in the middle of an incredibly popular and scenic loop (Bedford-Carlisle-Concord in Massachusetts) but this allows me to vary the route a little.
Related to this, but resist the temptation to push high gears. It’d only hurt your knees. The gear should be low enough that you can pedal at 60 rpm or higher, preferably around 90 rpm (that’s 1.5 pedal rotations per second - or 3 “steps” per second, if you count pushing down on each foot as one step.)
I’m starting to do some outdoor riding and find that my hands start tingling after about 30 minutes or so into a 45 minute ride. Its an old fashion road bike w/down turned handle bars. I normally ride with my hands on the brakes (actually where they attach to the handle bar) or just above them where the bar curves toward the front. Are the bars too low or what?
This is pretty normal. A set of riding gloves may help as they have gel padding to protect your hands from falling asleep and will also protect your hands if you fall. http://www.rei.com/category/4500110/q/Cycling+Gloves
You may also try varying your hand position during the ride. The hand position you described would be “riding on the hoods”, try “riding in the drops,” which is the lowest part of the bar where it points back towards you. One of the reasons for the strange shape of road bike handlebars is to give you lots of options for hand placement.
This is so important, and something I wish I’d known three weeks ago. I figured that, because my legs were getting stronger, the best way to continue to increase their strength was to raise the gears as high as I could. After a number of rides, I ended up with so much knee pain I could barely walk, especially up stairs. I’ve lowered the gears during the past week and the pain has disappeared.
I had/have the same experience. At the end of an hour ride, I couldn’t get my hands to move enough to squeeze the brakes, which is a problem, as I’m sure you can imagine. Padded cycling gloves helped, but what’s made the most difference is raising the handlebars.
Sounds like you keep your hands in a similar position that I usually do. Make sure you’re not putting much weight on your hands (especially make sure you’re not sliding off the front of your saddle). For any weight that is on your hands, make sure it’s concentrated on the bony areas. When I’m riding, my first two knuckles (of the pointer and middle finger) are resting on the brake hood, and the bony part of my wrist below my pinky resting on the bar.
Is it an “old fashioned” bike, or an old bike? IMO, modern brake hoods are much more comfortable than old-fashioned ones.