Beginner distances

[smutchin]

Proper hills round London?

Don't worry, I know what proper hills are - I've ridden my bike in the Alps. But it's not a willy-waving competition. We have to make do with what we've got and I don't care where you live, you can't tell me Shooters Hill isn't a proper hill. It may not be the Grand St Bernard, but it'll do.

d.

 

[smutchin]

Yeah, I would have to ride from Beckenham up either Anerley Hill or the northeast side of Crystal Palace Park, that is one hell of a climb for a beginner - about a 65m climb in perhaps a third of a mile. It's a much steeper climb doing the route in reverse. Still, I could give it a pop, perhaps.

I go up Crystal Palace Park Rd (the NE side of Crystal Palace Park) on my occasional morning ride. It's gentle enough that you can get up it quite quickly if you get a steady rhythm going. The trick is not to overdo it like the chap who came steaming past me at the bottom of the climb this morning. He'd blown a gasket by halfway up and by the time I reached the top, I was about 100m ahead of him again.

Yes, of course BrumJim is right, climbs like that are barely deserving of the name to a strong, experienced cyclist, but to someone in your position, they're a good workout and will help you build up fitness quickly.

d.

 

[wiggydiggy]

<SNIP>

I do around 35miles.... A week but then I step up and complete 50-70 miles in a day. My (no so) secret is I'm in no hurry whatsoever and quite often take breaks, as low as every 5 miles sometimes (I do like looking at stuff though). I do them every 2 weeks or so so that coupled with a relatively low average speed of 12-15mph means I'm ok.

So..... Get some idea from your friend of the pace they will be looking at, and if its a little high then perhaps ask him if you can set off earlier with him - I know many cyclists like to train all the time, and others (like me) are purely leisure and everything in between.

Get some practice in and get on your bike

 

[ricechrisb]

You've given me the snip there, sounds painful.

Thanks, I will do that and bulk myself up.

 

[Glenn]

2 years ago after not being on a bike for 10 - 20 years, I agreed to ride the C2C Whitehaven - Tynemouth over 3 days, it was only the 1 in 5 climbs that I had to push the bike up. The only training I did for that was a commute to/from work approx 15 miles each way approximately twice a week from March - July. If you can start with short trips and build up from there.

 

[ricechrisb]

That's promising, thank you.