questions questions questions

[hebe]

I would recommend getting your dh to mind the children whilst you have a session or two with a cycling instructor to get to grips with gears and any other concerns you have.

Good luck!

[Cynedra]

My suggestion is ride, ride, and ride. The more you ride the more you will start understanding the gears etc. I have no idea how old your children are. I get out for one good training ride without my little ones but other than that, I am generally pulling one or both of them. It is amazing how well I feel I am going on that ride sans children. Speaking of children, thing 2 is trying to climb into the cabinets.

[Jiffer]

If you are trying to do a two day 180 mile event in five months, you REALLY need to ride more than once or twice a week. At the very least, get a trainer and ride at home (I hate riding on trainers, but do it if I can't get out and really want to/need to ride).

You can also take a spin class and put the kids in the gym's daycare thingy. Or pull them in a trailer.

Regarding clips, as someone said, they help you make the most of "all" of your muscles if you are pedaling properly. If you don't have clips, you'll burn out your upper thighs from pushing down only. I got used to mine pretty quickly. Do your research and find clips that people say are easy to get used to. I have Speedplay and love them. They have "float", so I can move my heels a little left and right and not be completely "stiff". I can't even imagine doing 180 miles without clips.

As for shifting, one thing to keep in mind is that the harder the gear you are in, which you might think you like, the harder it is on your muscles. If you watch the pros on TV doing 100+ miles daily, you'll see they "spin" there pedals relatively quickly. It's the inexperienced or unkowledgeable riders who are "grinding" in a slow gear. However, spin too fast and you'll be working your cardio more and breathing harder, so finding that fine line for you is what you need to do. The more you can "practice" using a faster cadence on some training rides, the more it will become natural and you'll realize you can rider longer without wearing yourself out as easily. So while some people "like" to grind in a harder gear and might feel they get more power and can ride faster, it will only last so long, especially on a 180 mile ride.

The most efficient riders shift often, even on little "whoop dee doos", like going under a freeway overpass on a bike trail, or even more mild than that. The goal is to stay in your cadence, whatever gear that means. If you are riding along a flat path at 15 and spinning at a comfortable cadence, and you see a mini hill coming up . . . it might only be 20 feet, the most efficient way to get up those 20 feet is to shift to an easier gear or two just as you begin the climb, then shift right back when you level out again. As a beginner, don't get yourself all worried about that right now, but it's something to keep in mind and work toward. I mainly mention it because doing 180 miles is no small deal and the more you know the little tricks to extend your energy and muscle strength, the better.

I've done a lot of centuries and some with a heck of a lot of climbing, but the furthest I've ever done is 150 in a two day period (75 each day). I was stressing about this even after having done several centuries. I just couldn't imagine getting on that bike a second day after after riding 75 miles. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't that difficult at all. I say that with the reminder that I had a whole lot of "base miles" in me and had been riding for at least two years, maybe three at the time.

Base miles is what you need, why you need to ride more than once or twice a week. The more miles you ride, even the shorter rides which add up, the more your body gets used to riding and the easier the longer rides are.

As for speed, what others have said about 15-ish being "average" is probably the best guess anyone can give. It really depends on the group. Typically, depending on how many riders there are and their levels, group rides will split up between different paced riders, but they may regroup at various places and take breaks together.

Don't underestimate the power of drafting. This is something best to be taught by experienced riders, but if you can practice this technique before your big event, you can use that skill to save your energy and muscle strength. If your husband or another rider (or several riders) are "pulling" you (not actual pulling, of course), they are breaking the wind for you (even if it doesn't feel like there is any), and it makes it easier for you to go faster and farther. Lance Armstrong didn't win all those Tour de France races by riding alone. He had all his team mates pulling him throughout most of the rides and he used all his energy to take of at the end of the stages and win.

Hope all this helps. Good luck! RIDE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!!!

[hebe]

Jiffer - that's such a helpful post - thank you!

[murielalex]

Jiffer - that's such a helpful post - thank you!

X2 Thanks.

[lovelygamer]

I'm gonna vote no on a 180 miler with your husband, who is not a good coach. lol That's just my two cents. That sounds like it could be painful for both of you.

[OakLeaf]

Lots of good advice already in this thread.

The general rule is that you need to do something three days a week to get stronger at it, whatever it is. On the other end, you need at least one recovery day a week as well - activity is what stimulates your body to rebuild itself stronger, but it's during the down time that the rebuilding actually happens. The older you are, the more recovery you will need between long and/or hard efforts.

Since you're planning an event with consecutive long rides, you'll want to do at least some of your riding on consecutive days. That will accustom you to going long when your muscles are already tired.

While you're training your muscles, you'll also be learning what works for you as far as nutrition and hydration. On a long day you need to take in water, electrolytes and food, but you may or may not feel thirsty or hungry. Learn to recognize the symptoms of dehydration and "bonking" and head them off before they happen.

I personally can't imagine riding so long without toe clips or clipless pedals (clipless are much safer IMO since you don't need your hands to get out of them) ... but lots of people do it. It's whatever works for you. Don't let peer pressure dictate your choice of equipment.

There is no "average speed." That's dependent on terrain, equipment, and most of all on the riders involved. Some groups are happy to tool along at a sub-10 mph pace. Other groups average 25. Most groups are somewhere in between, but that's a BIG range. Find out what your group plans to do and aim for that. Train with them sometimes to get used to not only their pace, but their individual riding habits.

I very much disagree with the idea of drafting at your level. Drafting is an ADVANCED skill that requires razor-sharp bike handling. It's very efficient, but it can also be extremely dangerous. If you want to learn (and if your group practices pacelining, you probably should), take a bike-handling class such as the League of American Bicyclists offers; practice handling skills on your own as much as you train for strength and endurance; and NEVER draft someone closely whose riding habits you don't know.


Good luck and enjoy.

[laura*]

I personally can't imagine riding so long without toe clips or clipless pedals (clipless are much safer IMO since you don't need your hands to get out of them) ... but lots of people do it.

Huh? Hands are required to get out of toe clips? Why?

For me, toe clips are a set once and never readjust sort of thing. I set the straps loose enough so my shoes fit nicely and yet tight enough to not have any extra space. At that the toe clips work just like slippers, clogs, Crocs, and etc.

Cinching down the straps is probably an old school (track) racing thing.

[sookiesue]

If hubby wants you to do this ride, then hubby can certainly look after the kids 2-3 times a week so you can train!

You have 5 months, that's great. I started riding last year and had about 3 months to prepare for a 150-mile, 2-day event. With support from my husband so that I could get out and ride short rides 2-3 evenings a week and a long ride on the weekend, it was manageable. And I fell in love with the sport!

If the ride you are doing is a supported ride and they happen to have a massage therapist around for treatments in the evenings, I strongly recommend splurging on a 15-30 minute session each of the two days. I was stiffening up pretty quickly after my second day (84 miles) of riding, and after the massage session - she was specifically trained in sports massage - I felt immediate relief. The session itself was a little brutal, but she helped work out a lot of the acid that would have otherwise left me likely unable to move much the next day! If the ride doesn't have one as part of the support team, you could look into whether or not there is one who works locally wherever your ride stops for the first and second nights.

I was terrified of clipless pedals but my bike fitter recommended that I give them a try. He put me on Speedplay Frogs, which are kind of spendy but REALLY easy to use. I got them on 3 days before the ride and was able to use them pretty comfortably. I agree with what others have said about getting comfortable on your bike before worrying about clipless. I did all of my training without them and was fine, so if the thought of them stresses you out, just do what works best for you. They can't help you increase your efficiency if they make you too nervous to ride!

Is there a 'sag wagon' that goes along with this ride? If so, you could always plan on doing 60 miles a day instead of 90 and then take the wagon. That way you can participate with your husband but it might alleviate the pressure of doing the whole (huge!) ride.

Another TE gal recommended Selene Yeager's book "Every Woman's Guide to Cycling" to me when I was getting started, and I enjoyed reading that.

Best of luck to you! I hope this challenge leads you to a love of the sport!

[malkin]

If the big ride is an organized ride with a SAG wagon, there's no shame in getting a lift for part of the route.

If they haven't got a SAG wagon, you might volunteer to drive for them!