how can i improve?

[batsheva]

hi,

i wonder if all you ladies can advise me?

i recently started cycling 6 weeks ago-- and i want to get better-- but how?

is the key to it long long rides or short and hard uphill rides?

which will improve my capacity for distance and my speed most do you think?

i have pushed myself to do longer distances up to 25/30 miles in a day with a break between, but dont feel like i am improving any--

is time in the saddle-long rides the way to go or short, tough ones?

all advice gratefully received-

batsheva

[mimitabby]

my dear hubby; who has done over 4700 miles this year says hills hills hills.
he also says saddle time.
the saddle time tunes your butt but the hill climbing makes you faster on the flats(and the hills)

does that help?

[stacie]

Wow Batsheva, it sounds like you are already off to a great start. I think with time, you will naturally improve. It's important to vary your rides. If you continue to ride the same pace, you won't get faster. Try doing some intervals. Ride with groups that are faster than you. Be okay with getting dropped. Each week, try to hang on a little longer. If you can't ride with groups, have a goal for each ride. I do a long slow distance, a tempo and an interval ride each week. I'm in FL also, so there isn't much in the way of real hills. I'll ride bridges to work on my climbing, but it really is very different than riding flats. I haven't found it to be especially beneficial to my overall riding.

[smilingcat]

Great question. Have you been exercising regularly before you took up cycling 6 weeks ago?
If not, you should concentrate on getting your stamina and energy level up. Don't spend too much time worrying about going up a "killer" hill or anything like that.

The training you should concentrate most is what we call base miles. two to three thousand miles of just riding. Ride at moderate level, get your HR up, but not so much that you can't talk. Keep up at the elevated level for half an hour and gradually increase with each week. By the time you finish with the base miles, you will have gained enough stamina and your strength would be much improved. You may not realize it but it will be there. Once the base miles are covered, you can start mixing your training ride with hill reps, sprints and other thing to improve your strength and anaerobic "burst" energy level.

During this initial stage of training, you can mix hills if you want; but, its only to break the monotony of training. The thing to remember is try to have fun.

Wish you lots of luck and just ride for the fun of it.
Smilingcat

[redrhodie]

Just ride.

[batsheva]

okay-- well some slightly gentle slopes, but they kill me all the same...
i do the I4 pedestrian overpass bridge which is the steepest thing around here also--

and no, i have done zilch exercise at all ever before the bike and i smoke ** per day so am carbon monoxided up which dont help any-- it's like all you nonsmokers cycling half way up Everest - literally--
yeah - my own fault...

i am going out with a group of twice a week bikers on the west orange trail this week- i passed the 'bike police inspection' this week when i met them by accident on the trail and was invited along :-) i have warned them i am a beginner and wont keep up but i will turn around early after i am dropped so we all get back to the car park around the same time-- maybe i will work towards going further each time before i turn around to mark my progress - it feels like i am going backwards right now--

of course the best thing i could do to improve would be to stop smoking, huh?

batsheva

[jobob]

of course the best thing i could do to improve would be to stop smoking, huh?

That could help.

And think of all the money you'd free up for bike stuff.

[batsheva]

just worked out how to get a small sized pic that is not too big in megabytes to upload here--

it is a pic of my hot red bike which i bought six weeks ago--
isn;t it so gorgeous?
i love riding it already.

it is a 47cm cannondale synapse fem triple - alloy with some carbon bits and pieces around it-- ultegra small-reach shifters (although they are still a huge reach for me) and 105 front and rear derailleurs- fairly ordinary cranks and wheels-- will have to stalk ebay for some improvements to those :-)

i know it;s not a $5000 bike, but i love it and it was the best i could afford (well, more than actually!)-- and i think it is limited by its engine (ie. me!) not its components right now!!

[jobob]

It's lovely.

And no fear, many of us get by just fine with sub $5000 bikes.

[missymaya]

Hey bat,
I was like you not too long ago (minus the smoking part). It takes time in the saddle to build your stamina and strength. Even though your riding the flats more than the hills around here, it helps build that base endurance so when you do hit the hills, you can last.Also, remember to take the hills at your pace to where you pushing it, but just enough to where it works you.
West Orange is cool, but if you want hill training, go to Clermont (which I think west orange runs into) but get some miles in first.

[batsheva]

maybe i should check out clermont sometime-- the I4 ped/cycle overpass at lake mary by the seminole/wekiva trail is the biggest 'hill' i have tackled so far... think the flats of the west orange are generally challenging enough though-- but cant get out as much as i want here in orlando cos of the horrid hotness and humidity right now despite being off work always during the day..

however, it has enabled me to lurk on ebay at home in the aircon and get some cool cycle clothing :-)

[margo49]

Glad you have posted pic and on the Getting to Know You thread, Batsheva. You look fabulous and the bike too.
You still thinking of doing that Ride in Israel. Maybe 2009?

[smilingcat]

Hi,

Its a very nice bike with triple crank. 105 group is pretty good. Nothing to sneeze and Ultegra short reach is also very nice. You got a good deal. Enjoy your ride. And don't feel less cause bike isn't worht $5,000. Think of the money saved or money wasted by the pretenders.

Smilingcat

[Torrilin]

What's helping me is just ride. I don't have a super expensive bike (under $400), but it gets me places and I can carry it up and down stairs to my building's indoor parking. For me, it's easier to be motivated if I have a place to go, so I go all sorts of useful places, like grocery shopping. The more weekly miles I get in, the better I do

[SouthernBelle]

I've been riding a year & a half now. Every once in a while I'll take a route that I haven't ridden in a while, usually because of the 'ugly' hills. It's amazing how often what was once an ugly hill now passes unnoticed.

Of course, I then find another ugly hill.