How often and how many miles !

[hondated]

I am sure this question has been asked many many times before but as I cannot find it with a search I need to ask it again, sorry.
As I struggled around one of my routes today I got to wondering why it never seems to get any easier given that it still takes me the same amount of time so my first question to you all is how often should I be going out on the bike during a week and when I do what sort of mileage should I be doing.
The other question I have is how on earth do you make the hills easier.I have 27 gears and a gear setting that I like ie 7th rear 27 front middle ring 42 approx but after a while its still a struggle and my legs are ready to drop off. Now I know at 15st I need to also lose some weight but it would be great to know in the process of doing that the magic formula to make my life easier.Or rather than the info I have given you is it just a matter of adopting a different mid set.

 

[black'n'yellow]

My take on it - I'll try and address the points as I read them:

If all you ever do is ride around the same routes at the same effort then it is wrong to expect much in the way of improvement beyond a certain level - which you are probably now at, by the sound of it.

Without knowing the reasons why you ride - or how far you ride now, suggesting how often you should be riding will be guesswork, plain and simple.

Your fitness will improve your ability to go up hills, not your gearing - so work on your fitness.

If you have already been cycling for some time, then further weight loss is best achieved through changes in your diet. Weight loss will improve your riding anyway.

If you want to get fitter/faster - mix up your riding, push yourself a bit more. Ride short and hard, long and slow, go out with other riders who you know are stronger/faster than you, but don't keep doing the same thing, or nothing will change.

 

[defy-one]

You gotta mix it up and find more challenging rides,be it solo or in a group

 

[bobcat]

Hill climbing is not so much about how many gears but how you use the ones you have, technique. Find more hills and ride them more often, that way you will improve your fitness and find a method for tackling hills that works for you.

 

[hondated]

Thanks for your replies Clearly I just need to get out the more

 

[black'n'yellow]

Thanks for your replies Clearly I just need to get out the more

Not exactly - for all we know, you might be doing enough hours already, because you haven't actually said how often you ride. What you seem not to be doing is making the most of the hours you are doing now...

 

[Berties]

Who can answer your questions? It's down to you ,if you commute you will constant push to better your time ,if you ride in a group you will have no let up ,so need a moderate fitness and riding alone you need to use a tracker,track your speed and splits,
Gears is up to you lower the gear you will low spin,and higher more power ,
Every ride is different ,hills slow most riders down and I can view them on my endamondo,don't worry about them get used to your gears you don't necessary need to use the granny's gear,only when you have to,every hill you do the next one will get easier

 

[defy-one]

Do you track your rides OP?
If not - it might be worth buying a simple computer so you can see some stats like average speed.