Hi all, I'm in big trouble

[Bowsa]

Hi all,

I hope your all ok, right here is the dilemma......my mum recently passed away after suffering from pancreatic cancer. During this time she stayed at a local hospice, they were amazing and looked after all of us, right until the very end. They were absolutely brilliant!!!!

Me and my brother were now wanting to pay them back for all there help and support.....,.so we agreed to do a 65k bike ride to raise money as this is the case I am looking to train some what and be able to make sure we were able to complete it lol.

So looking for hints and tips from the best excercises and training to best bike type to use and everything in between......O and the ride is in august so while we have time it's not unlimited and we need to get a shift on.

Also I have a just giving page and would like to put this up, this is for the charity bike ride. If an admin can let me know if this would be ok that would be great

Thanks all

Bowsa

 

[biglad]

Sorry to hear about your mam Bowsa. I'm a new guy as well, just thought I'd stop by and say hey! Where are you riding from and to?

 

[buggi]

65k??? is that all??

Well, i presume you haven't ridden much so here goes.

First you need to decide what terrain you are doing.

If you are sticking to roads, then you need a road bike or what we call a hybrid/commuter/city bike (which is basically a bike with road wheels but straight handlebars rather than the curly drop ones)

If you are doing off road you will need a mountain type bike (MTB)

If you are doing road and tow paths/bridle paths then you will need a cyclocross type bike (which is like a road bike but with fatter tyres and better mud clearance through the forks), or hybrid/commuter/city bike with good tyres.

As for the training, don't do any. That way it will be really hard work and you'll be earning your sponsorship.

ok, i was only joking. Presuming you get your bike by end March/beginning April, then August is 4 to 5 months away, so you need to get out there doing 10 mile rides to begin with during March/beginning of April then up it to 15 in April, 20 in May, 30 miles in June and 40 mile in July. Then your good to go. If you get your bike in the next couple of weeks you will find this training easy and will prob find you can do more than 65k by the time August comes.

Top Tip: Road bike (or hybrid/commuter/city bike with road tyres) will be an easier ride.

Sorry to hear about your mum.

 

[BrumJim]

If you are looking to do 65 miles, you want a road bike, although look for one with a more relaxed geometry rather than a pure race type.

Have a look around a few bike shops, get lots of advice, and see what you want.

65 miles is very do-able, but you will need to get fit. Find some 20-30 mile rides to join at the start, and when you get confident, push this up to 40+. You will pick up advice as you go along, as you will need water and food to complete this distance, but all in good time. First get a bike, and secondly, get out there cycling.

 

[Bowsa]

Right I currently have a dual suspension bike which I think is the wrong type for this kind of ride.

I appreciate this may not be a big ride for some of you but my biggest ride is like 5 miles so 40 is a significant step up lol

I have asked about the route although they have not got back to me as of yet and so I think it will be mainly road based. Hope this helps you to help me ????

 

[Norm]

65km or 65 miles?

I'm 47 years old and I was very unfit when I bought my first bike in 20 years in June 2009, and did 65 miles off road in September 2009 without any real training, just a 10-mile local loop and suddenly I had a day off work so I went for a ride.

I did a 40-mile organised ride last year and there were plenty of peeps on dual-sussers who did no preparation at all, they borrowed bikes from mates and just rode the things.

So you've got no problems, your target is very easily achievable.

If your route is on tarmac, then the best option would be something with no suspension but don't kill yourself getting the perfect bike, most will manage 40 miles without too many problems, it's just a matter of slow and steady rather than going for any course records.

 

[slowmotion]

I was pretty much in the same boat as Norm above^^^ except I was eight years further down the track and had not been on a bike for thirty years. I got a hybrid in June 2009 and set off to commute five miles to work. I really thought I was going to die after four miles, but it got a lot easier surprising quickly as the days went by. Just take it easy to start with, and don't turn it into a job that needs you to grit your teeth to get on the bike. Just enjoy the buzz of cycling.

In late August, two months later, I managed a twenty-two mile charity ride, and three weeks later, a 62 mile ride in Holland. I had no training at all apart from ten mile round-trip commutes nearly every day, and I am in no way some kind of athlete....far from it. Just do a few miles a day and you will be fine. No probs

 

[Bowsa]

See I live just a mile away from work so want to start riding to work and back.

There are too other problems to throw into the mix. In feb 2008 I broke my tin and fib in my left leg. The "professionals" are telling me that excercise is great and want cause any problems......I know this to be massively incorrect but need to do this for my charity and for myself to be quite honest.

I have a compression sock and Knee and ankle supports, I will be dosing up on anti inflammatorys and pain killers prior to and during the ride. Any one else any ideas on what else I can do to help reduce any pain and swelling on the ride ???

 

[Bowsa]

O and to be clear the ride is:-

40 miles which is about 65k

Thanks guys

 

[gavintc]

O and to be clear the ride is:-

40 miles which is about 65k

Thanks guys

Are you cycling back as well?

No, seriously do some training find a flattish route and just spend some time each day riding getting used to the miles. If you do some decent training, 40 miles will be easy.

 

[Banjo]

You dont need a new bike. 40 miles on a mountainbike is perfectly doable.

If you want to make it a bit easy get slick road tyres for the bike, make sure they are pumped up fully,get a pump with a gauge on it knobbly tyres make it hard work on roads.

If you get the bug and want to do more road cycling then obviously a road bike is better but for training and doing one event your bike is ok.


You have plenty of time. Start with rides about 5 miles dont ride everyday or you will just tire yourself out.

When you are comfortable with 5 do 10 and so on.Dont ride on an empty stomach and drink plenty of water.

Good Luck

 

[kevcampbell]

basically what Banjo said, get some slick or semi slick tyres for sure, i am guessing it will just be on road?

oh and pack loads of nutritional supplies, like raisins, loads of water, apples, bananas, any good power foods should do the trick

take care

 

[fimm]

See I live just a mile away from work so want to start riding to work and back.

There are too other problems to throw into the mix. In feb 2008 I broke my tin and fib in my left leg. The "professionals" are telling me that excercise is great and want cause any problems......I know this to be massively incorrect but need to do this for my charity and for myself to be quite honest.

I'm not sure what your question is here. Does the leg that you broke give you any problems? Was it a clean break? Do you have pins in it? 2008 is quite a long time ago, and I would have thought that you shouldn't have any issues with a well-healed broken leg now.

I have a compression sock and Knee and ankle supports, I will be dosing up on anti inflammatorys and pain killers prior to and during the ride. Any one else any ideas on what else I can do to help reduce any pain and swelling on the ride ???

I'm not a doctor or in any way medically qualified, but my feeling is that you are being over cautious about this, especially with cycling which is low impact, and especially if you build up your distances gradually.

 

[Bowsa]

I'm not sure what your question is here. Does the leg that you broke give you any problems? Was it a clean break? Do you have pins in it? 2008 is quite a long time ago, and I would have thought that you shouldn't have any issues with a well-healed broken leg now.

I'm not a doctor or in any way medically qualified, but my feeling is that you are being over cautious about this, especially with cycling which is low impact, and especially if you build up your distances gradually.

Sorry I didn't make this clear in the slightest did I.

I still have pins in it and I am still having problems with this......aches, pains, swelling, stiffness.
This is throughout my leg and knee.

 

[addictfreak]

I think Banjo has probably given the best advice so far. You certainly don't need a new bike, although if you could borrow one it would help.

Fitness wise 40 miles is very doable without a vast amount of training. Being a charity ride you don't have to be fast, break the ride up into 4x10 miles stretches. Have a break inbetween each section, take on plenty to eat and drink and you will be fine.

As for your previous injury, have a trip to your GP and take a little advice.