Longer distances and recovery time

[sydney]

I've not really ridden a bike since I was a kid thirty years ago. For the past five weeks commuting six miles per day - three each way - and want to add some longer rides at weekends.
I'm overweight and pretty unfit. I'm 5' 10" and weigh 16 st 5 lbs (104kg) though I've lost 5lbs in the past five weeks mainly due to my increased activity and the fact I have been paying more attention to what I eat.
Three weeks ago I rode 16 miles in just under two hours and was pretty tired the next day but OK the rest of the week. On Sunday I rode 32 miles with just over 2000 feet of climbing and my legs were very tired Monday and Tuesday. I rode to work Tuesday and struggled slightly on the hill on the way home, I made it all the way but definitely felt it. I'm in a different office today and yesterday so I'm in the car but still feel it a little in my thighs.
My question is how far should I be aiming for? I want to progressively get further but I need to be able to ride to work on Monday morning. Am I better off selecting flatter routes before adding climbing or will the climbing help push me on faster and be worth the pain on a Monday? The last thing I want to do is injure myself and end up unable to ride for fun or for work. Would it be a good idea to get a bus on Mondays if I'm sore or should I push on?

 

[Alex321]

Three miles twice a day is not all that much.

Jumping straight from that to doing 16-30 mile rides is rather a large step up.

I got back into cycling in 2020, during the first lockdown, having hardly ridden at all for 20 years, I was 5'9" and weight 16st1lb at the time. I found it hard at first to do more than about 8 miles, but with riding 5-6 days a week, just pushing the distances up by a couple of miles once a week or so, it didn't take all that long until I was happily cycling 15+ miles.

Once you can do 15 miles without feeling it in your legs the day after, then you can start pushing it out to 20-30 miles, but it might be a few months before you are regularly doing 30 miles without feeling it the day after.

Would it be possible for you to extend your homeward commute, so that you are doing a longer route then? If you can get that up to 5-8 miles, it will make a big difference to how quickly you can progress in your longer weekend rides.

As for the climbing, that depends a lot on you. More climbing does make it harder work of course.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I've not really ridden a bike since I was a kid thirty years ago. For the past five weeks commuting six miles per day - three each way - and want to add some longer rides at weekends.
I'm overweight and pretty unfit. I'm 5' 10" and weigh 16 st 5 lbs (104kg) though I've lost 5lbs in the past five weeks mainly due to my increased activity and the fact I have been paying more attention to what I eat.
Three weeks ago I rode 16 miles in just under two hours and was pretty tired the next day but OK the rest of the week. On Sunday I rode 32 miles with just over 2000 feet of climbing and my legs were very tired Monday and Tuesday. I rode to work Tuesday and struggled slightly on the hill on the way home, I made it all the way but definitely felt it. I'm in a different office today and yesterday so I'm in the car but still feel it a little in my thighs.
My question is how far should I be aiming for? I want to progressively get further but I need to be able to ride to work on Monday morning. Am I better off selecting flatter routes before adding climbing or will the climbing help push me on faster and be worth the pain on a Monday? The last thing I want to do is injure myself and end up unable to ride for fun or for work. Would it be a good idea to get a bus on Mondays if I'm sore or should I push on?

32 miles and 2000 feet climbing is a fairly chunky ride, no wonder you felt tired especially (no offence) hauling all that weight around - good effort though.

Slow your rate of mileage down and try a few short rides of 10 miles or so each week for a couple of months and then steadily increase distance.

If you carry on as you are you will burn out and get demotivated.

Little and often is a good way to go when starting out.

 

[gavroche]

How old are you? I am 72 and my rides are between 20 and 40 miles usually but I give myself usually 3 days between rides to recover, also weather depending so sometimes I don't ride for a week. Listen to your body and act accordingly.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Three miles twice a day is not all that much.

While I agree 100% with the rest of your post I'd encourage anyone not to think in those terms. After decades of not being on a bike 6 miles a day is significant progress!

Would it be possible for you to extend your homeward commute

That's excellent advice! Or depending on your route, leave earlier in the morning and enjoy the scenic route to work.
Also, consider what else, other than the commute, can be done on the bike. Errands, socialising or family activities can all be done. All exercise and all experience.

32 miles and 2000 feet climbing is a fairly chunky ride, no wonder you felt tired especially (no offence) hauling all that weight around - good effort though.

I'd agree.

If you carry on as you are you will burn out and get demotivated.

Little and often is a good way to go when starting out.

Very good advice.

My question is how far should I be aiming for?

I'd encourage you to think less about what you "should" be doing and more about what you want to do.

Am I better off selecting flatter routes before adding climbing or will the climbing help push me on faster and be worth the pain on a Monday?

Only you can really answer that.
You can measure your progress in terms of distance or ascent. You can also measure your progress in going to places that you want to go - and getting there and the intangible enjoyment from doing that.
From my own personal experience my lovely commute was nearly ruined when I got a gps and started measuring my "performance". It reverted back to being lovely when I stopped paying any attention to it.

Would it be a good idea to get a bus on Mondays if I'm sore or should I push on?

Again, only you can answer that. As @gavroche suggests, you should listen to your body. In fact, a pleasant bike ride is a great way to get better acquainted with body and mind.

Hang around here long enough (or look through old posts) and you'll see lots of enthusiastic folk who start out gung-ho then suddenly disappear. I'm very much in the "If I enjoy doing something I'll keep doing it" camp so I'd encourage you to cycle in a way that you enjoy.

Oh, also no harm to spend a bit of that recovery time learning how your bike works! Nothing worse than being able to cycle a long, long way from home and having a breakdown!

Good luck to you!

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

How old are you? I am 72 and my rides are between 20 and 40 miles usually but I give myself usually 3 days between rides to recover, also weather depending so sometimes I don't ride for a week. Listen to your body and act accordingly.

Exactly
I am coming up to seventy and i do between 30 to 40 mile rides except on longer sportives and as the same as you give it about three days in resting.
This is not the same for everyone obviously but for two old boys

 

[teeonethousand]

I restarted cycling early last year as part of a get/keep fitter plan. Started small and now do about 12 - 25 miles 3 or 4 times a week depending on route, weather and mood. The longer distances get easier as does getting up some previously impossible hills. My measure of progress has largely been which gear I normally ride what type of road in. Initially I was in bottom bottom even for railway bridges…don’t even change down now And bottom bottom is reserved for serious hills. Initially middle two for flattish and now middle six. It happens naturally if you take your time. I occasionally use Strava to track my ride and usually end up around 13 ave speed so still not fast. I have lost weight ..but that battle mainly takes place in the kitchen and I am generally fitter. No meters, no charts, no tracking though…I have had enough of being competitive and measuring stuff from my work days. Days out on cycle paths/tow paths are the most fun for me and I usually do that with others so very social too.

i hope you find the right balance for you.

 

[sydney]

Thanks for the replies guys, lots to think about.
As an update I'd planned to repeat the 16 miler yesterday but I could still feel a little tiredness in my thighs so decided to give it a miss.
More info and answers to some of the questions:
I knew 32 miles was going to be hard but the 2000+ft of climbing was a surprise as the tourist information leaflet didn't mention it!
I'm unfit but have been walking long distances - up to 16 miles - since the pandemic which has seen me lose almost 3 stone in weight.
Climbing is hard but I like it so I'll try to fit some in.
I'm 46 years old.
I think adding a few miles at the end of my return work journey is something that I could manage quite easily. Cycle route 72 is about a mile from my home and passes close to my new office so should fit perfectly.
What I want to do eventually is some multi day bikepacking. I'd planned to walk Hadrian's Wall and still do but a toe injury had stopped me walking for a while. Cycling a similar route is my first big target though I don't expect to be able to do it this year. I also really enjoyed the 32 mile route. It was a nice day out riding through beautiful countryside with a couple of friends. We were very slow though. VERY slow.
I tend to set myself difficult to hit targets then push myself to hit them, everything is a competition.
I made a point of not recording my commutes so that I don't get annoyed by being 13 seconds slower than yesterday.
I'm pretty handy with fixing simple things on bikes. YouTube is a wonderful learning tool and my wife is already sick of me watching cycling content.

The initial 16 miler wasn't too bad and I felt fine that day just tired legs and a little tightness in my arms the following day so I think I'm going to try the same route again this weekend and see how I feel after that.
I'm also pretty keen to do a lap of Kielder Reservoir which is I believe 27 miles. Does anyone know how much climbing would be on that route?

 

[T4tomo]

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/299301

its quite hilly in places, for comparison twice as much climbing as cycling Newcastle to Amble on NCN 72 & NCN1 in half the distance!

and a significant chunk in on unpaved road, not sure what type of bike / tyres you have?

cycle travel is a good resource for comparing routes and climbing etc ahead of riding them.

 

[sydney]

My initial reaction was: Bloody hell! A 230 meter climb! Then I saw the baseline is around 185 meters so it's only approximately 45 meters.
Kielder can wait for a while!

 

[sydney]

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/299301

its quite hilly in places, for comparison twice as much climbing as cycling Newcastle to Amble on NCN 72 & NCN1 in half the distance!

and a significant chunk in on unpaved road, not sure what type of bike / tyres you have?

cycle travel is a good resource for comparing routes and climbing etc ahead of riding them.

My 32 miler was from Haltwhistle to Alston and back along the South Tyne trail, most of which was off road, and most of the climbing was in the first half of the ride.
I'm riding an old Carrera Subway and the tyres are good for my commute but not great off road. Thanks for the link, my graph was found online just googling for 'Cycling around Kielder strava data' in case anyone expects to find it on the site you linked.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

A few thoughts....

For the past five weeks commuting six miles per day

Assuming 5 days a week that's 30 miles a week.

I think adding a few miles at the end of my return work journey is something that I could manage quite easily

A few more will bump up your weekly average.

I've seen it written that most cyclists can do in a day what they usually do in a week without too much bother. Excluding the extremists of course
The key word, I think, is usually. Regular cycling, even if short distances, will pay off in the long term.

What I want to do eventually is some multi day bikepacking.

Without going down the slippery slope of what bikepacking is, that kind of travel is as much about being comfortable on the bike as it is being "fit". There's the physical comfort such as ass on saddle and the like, but there's the psychological comfort too of knowing your bike, how to fix it and understanding your route. Tired, cold, wet and hitting a dead end as night falls can be pretty demoralising as can that unexpected climb. Experience on the bike and a good route planner are your friends. I recommend Cycle.Travel

I tend to set myself difficult to hit targets then push myself to hit them, everything is a competition.

I did things backwards. I went on a couple of "tours" before I ever thought about commuting. When I started commuting I brought my "touring head" with me. My commute was less about getting there and more about enjoying the journey. That's how I like to do my bike adventures.

a little tightness in my arms the following day

I can understand sore legs or a sore ass but tightness in the arms suggests that you might want to look at your posture or position on the bike. Of course, it could just be from a bumpy surface. In any case, an advantage of slowly building up is that you get to notice these things, pay attention to them and try different things, gently, to solve them. All the while you're perfecting your route planning skills, and getting fitter.

Good luck!

 

[Jameshow]

My 32 miler was from Haltwhistle to Alston and back along the South Tyne trail, most of which was off road, and most of the climbing was in the first half of the ride.
I'm riding an old Carrera Subway and the tyres are good for my commute but not great off road. Thanks for the link, my graph was found online just googling for 'Cycling around Kielder strava data' in case anyone expects to find it on the site you linked.

A Carrera subway is a heavy old bike so going to be hard work esp up hill.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I tend to set myself difficult to hit targets then push myself to hit them, everything is a competition.
I made a point of not recording my commutes so that I don't get annoyed by being 13 seconds slower than yesterday.

Good idea not recording your commutes.

Re "Everything is a competition." To paraphrase an old AC/DC track you're on the Highway to Hell with that approach imho.

I have a friend who is desperate to do everything as fast as he can, faster than anyone else he knows, has to win at everything etc. Drives me nuts. Especially as I've got older I find that any competitive streak in me has been left well and truly behind, hiking and biking are exercise tools for me although the former is also a social thing too. I couldn't give a fig how long things take these days although I do keep records (not obsessively) to estimate what size of a laugh Old Father Time is having at my expense.

Chill out, and just go and do.

 

[presta]

I tend to set myself difficult to hit targets then push myself to hit them, everything is a competition.

Yup, that's what I did because I didn't know any better, every ride I was like Wiggins sprinting for the finish line, and every ride had to be a personal best. Everyone from cyclists to doctors were telling me to exercise more though, and it ruined my health, so now I'm unable to exercise at all.

I think you need a training program designed for a starter by someone who knows how to train safely and effectively like I didn't, and not compare yourself against people who are already fit like I did. Various professional cyclists have written books which often have training advice, Cycle for Life by Nicole Cooke for example.

Cooke's schedule starts with three sessions a week of 35, 35 & 45mins, with rest days in between, at an intensity of 60-75% of your maximum heart rate, and the session durations (but not the intensity) then increment by about 10-12% per week. Maximum HR is calculated as 220-age, it's an estimate, but the NHS use it, and the alternatives involve measuring on a ride, which might be beyond the reach of a beginner. Training is organised in blocks of 8 weeks with a rest week at the end of each block, and intensity doesn't increase until the second block.

Session durations for the first 8 week block increment as follows:
35,35,45
40,40,50
45,45,55
50,50,60
50,50,60 (sic)
55,55,70
60,60,75
Rest week 8: 30,30, followed by a timed test ride.

There are another three 8 week blocks in the program, totalling 32 weeks.

The important thing here is that mileage and speed are irrelevant, what you're interested in is the duration, and intensity, there's no point in completing an arbitrary mileage if it takes too long, and no point flogging yourself at too high a heart rate. The other vital point is if you're not improving, do not progress to the next increment, on the contrary, go back and wait until you have recovered. Incrementing slowly is important, because overtraining appears to give huge improvements at first, followed by a decline when the fatigue sets in. If you react to that decline with more exercise you're caught in the same trap I was.

Wait until you feel as well as you did before you started (however long that takes), and then try a program something like Cooke's, and see how you get on.