Back on a bike after 18yrs :)

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Datura

New Member
Hiya

Im from Warrington, Cheshire and due to a medical condition i had to give up my driving license :sad: I remembered that when i was 15 i used to cycle everywhere (back when i lived in Cornwall, which equals some massive hills! lol) and used to clock up an average of 40 miles a day easily, on my old Raleigh Lizard :laugh:

So i bought myself a Viking Urban Track, probably not the best value for money...but i thought it will do for now and i took my first ride out into town yesterday. OMG! I am so unfit! My legs turned to jelly and i am currently very saddle sore :blush: I even had to stop to push at one point as i was that knackered!! (I do have asthma which doesnt help at the mo although im hoping as i get fitter this will ease a bit). I feel very ashamed as it was all flat :sad:

I dont remember it being this much hard work! I only did a grand total of 2 miles ..Someone please tell me it gets alot easier very quickly? I currently need to lose 1.5 stone and havent really done any exercise since being a teenager, which probably accounts for me feeling like death while riding :rolleyes:

BTW my OH informed me that being stuck in lower gears and peddling fast (like i was yesterday) will wear me out quicker, even tho it feels easier on the legs...Is this correct?

Thanks xx
 

Paulus

Started young, and still going.
Location
Barnet,
Good morning Datura, and welcome to the forum. :welcome: It does get easier the more you cycle. After 18 years you are working muscles that have not worked properly since you left Cornwall. Your OH is correct to a point, spinning the pedals in a low gear is easier on the legs and knees than pushing a big gear. But, depending on your cadence(RPM of the pedals) you may be able to quite far, but at a slower speed. You should aim for between 60-80 RPM, and depending on what gear you are in determins the speed you will go at. Plan yourself a route nearby where you live of say 2 miles. Do this for a week or so, it could in a park, to the shops, wherever, and then add a mile or two and do that for a week or so, and then repeat adding a mile or so for the next few weeks. Very soon you will find that you can easily cycle 10 miles without any problems.

Remember to drink fluids and eat before, during and after the ride.
 

coffeejo

Ælfrēd
Location
West Somerset
Welcome to the forum!
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Datura

New Member
Thanks for the warm :welcome:

You're definitley correct Paulus, about me working muscles that havent been used in 18yrs! :eek:

but im going to follow your advice and keep at it as i used to love my bike. Id love to be able to do a similar amount of miles a day again (doubt i'll ever be that fit) and maybe progress to a road bike maybe in a year or two's time :bicycle:
 

Norm

Guest
If you get the bug like I did, Datura, I'll give it a month or two, rather than a year or two before the Siren of N+1 lures you. :biggrin:
 

Cyclox

Active Member
Location
Route 62
Welcome neighbour.....

I have to say tho' sometimes I feel like walking with the bike sometimes on my way home after a hard day.......I feel knackered too!

I cycle to + from work every day.......so don't feel so bad about it! After a few weeks your fitness levels will improve I'm sure.

Enjoy CC !
 

al-fresco

Growing older but not up...
Location
Shropshire
Welcome back - I remember how much it hurt when I got back on a bike after many, many years but taking it steady, building up speed and distances gradually brings it all back. I reckon that I'm fitter at 56 than I was at 22
 

Cyclox

Active Member
Location
Route 62
Welcome back - I remember how much it hurt when I got back on a bike after many, many years but taking it steady, building up speed and distances gradually brings it all back. I reckon that I'm fitter at 56 than I was at 22


I'm the same as you al-fresco. I'm only a bit younger than you but I too feel fitter now than I did when I was in my early teens. Incidently, recently had lungs x-rayed just routine and the the doc said I have 'big lungs' for my size, (I'm 5' and a tealeaf), and he was very impressed. This is due to my cycling......hey, hey, it's all good!
 

Scotmitchy

Senior Member
Location
Scotland
In April 2010 I bought a second hand mountain bike and tried to cycle along a shore path to the next village. I was pushing after just one mile.

I persevered and bought a hybrid bike, which is much lighter, and my fitness levels have gradually improved.

Last weekend I did 35 (fairly flat) miles and it was a doddle.

I wish you every luck and happiness, and hope you are soon enjoying your cycling again - and welcome!
 

E11a

New Member
Welcome, Datura. Take things easy and you'll find that your fitness increases in no time. The main thing is to enjoy yourself! There are quite a few people in the Warrington area. I'm a bit further away in sunny Southport.
 

arallsopp

Post of The Year 2009 winner
Location
Bromley, Kent
Welcome Datura.

Don't fret about time spent away from the saddle, mate. Almost all of the cyclists I know stopped for a good 10 years after they got cars, and most are only 3 or 4 years back into it. It soon comes back.

Get out into the countryside. Pick some nice lanes on a Saturday morning and count the times you get scalped by a man at least 20 years older than you. You can be that man. And you probably won't have to wait 20 years. :smile:
 
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Datura

New Member
All these stories make me feel so much better! Thank you :thumbsup:

Ive noticed a few proper cyclists( not pavement riders lol) about during my quick jaunts out over the week and did wonder if it was any of you off here :laugh:

Im off into town and back again this morning so will see how that goes, but i still expect to walk a bit (although i do dismount for busy junctions as im still not confident with traffic)

So if you see a girl walking with a silver Viking bike, give us a wave! ...Its probably me :hugs:
 
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