Optimal Training to Ride Faster/Longer/Efficiently?

[itaa]

My Goal is to be able to ride 20miles a day most days of the week rain or shine at a reasonable pace,
I'm a weak skinny-fat 27y old office worker with no endurance/power whatsoever, currently after riding 20miles in one go I feel knackered and out for 2days. I can maybe sustain riding 6-7miles in good weather every 2days with no effects at the moment.

How do I get there and train my body in the most efficient way to achieve this without overdoing it and messing myself up?
How often/ in what way/ at what speed and for how long /with what kind of increases the training should be done?

I realise this is a lot like weight lifting and most of the gains comes from hitting it the right amount and having a good rest.

Has anyone been in my shoes? How did you got there? What was your experience?

 

[ColinJ]

What do you call a 'reasonable' pace and are hills involved?

If you are thinking (say) 15 mph on roads that are not too hilly then you should easily be able to build up to that in a few months just by pushing yourself a bit on each ride, gradually doing longer rides, and getting enough rest in between rides. Perhaps start by doing 15 miles on alternate days. Once that becomes easy do a couple of miles extra, and also up the pace a little.

If you are thinking 20+ mph on hilly roads then it would be a LOT harder!

 

[MrGrumpy]

My Goal is to be able to ride 20miles a day most days of the week rain or shine at a reasonable pace,
I'm a weak skinny-fat 27y old office worker with no endurance/power whatsoever, currently after riding 20miles in one go I feel knackered and out for 2days. I can maybe sustain riding 6-7miles in good weather every 2days with no effects at the moment.

How do I get there and train my body in the most efficient way to achieve this without overdoing it and messing myself up?
How often/ in what way/ at what speed and for how long /with what kind of increases the training should be done?

I realise this is a lot like weight lifting and most of the gains comes from hitting it the right amount and having a good rest.

Has anyone been in my shoes? How did you got there? What was your experience?

Ride alternate days to start with, there is no short cut other than to ride more, your legs become stronger and more efficient. Remember and fuel yourself properly.

 

[boydj]

You need a combination of longer runs at a fairly easy pace to build up endurance, and some short sharp intervals to improve your basic speed. Build up both types of training slowly and have plenty of rest/recovery time in your training plan. Remember that it's a long-term project requiring consistent efforts to succeed. Building your training routine into your normal life, such as cycling part or all of the way to work, will make it easier to achieve.

 

[MichaelW2]

How long have you been riding?
If you have just started, then take 3 months to let your body adapt to cycling, just riding around comfortably. If you were an athlete you could start off more athletically. 6-7 mile rides every day are fine for building the kind of deep fitness you need as a base for further training. By deep fitness I mean fitness that won't just melt away after a couple of weeks of not riding. Commuter riders typically are not super athletes but after a couple of years of 6-7 miles rides twice daily, can up their riding substantially without too much pain.

 

[marzjennings]

Sounds like you’re pushing yourself a bit hard on those 20 miles. Slow down a bit and focus on the distance before focusing on how fast you cover that distance. Maybe give yourself 2 hours to complete 20 miles, it’ll feel slow, but you’ll complete the distance without knackering yourself for 2 days. Learn how to use your gears to maintain a consistent effort, don’t try and maintain the same speed up hill compared to riding on the flat. It’s ok to ride a lot slower when you hit the hills. Warm up for the first few miles, riding at an easy pace, allowing the body to get into a cycling mode, and cool down at the end, taking it real easy again for the last mile or so. Stretch those legs when you finish the ride. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water, for a warm day that can be a liter an hour.
Once you get used to the distance start to increase the pace.

 

[itaa]

How long have you been riding?
If you have just started, then take 3 months to let your body adapt to cycling, just riding around comfortably. If you were an athlete you could start off more athletically. 6-7 mile rides every day are fine for building the kind of deep fitness you need as a base for further training. By deep fitness I mean fitness that won't just melt away after a couple of weeks of not riding. Commuter riders typically are not super athletes but after a couple of years of 6-7 miles rides twice daily, can up their riding substantially without too much pain.

I have taken up the cycling a bit more seriously for past 2 months but still only 1-2x per week, Now with weather improving I hope I can get out for more and longer.
Between ages of 8-15 I was out all day everyday on my bike and could cycle just about all day ,never got enough of it..

Than..I started working at young age and somehow cycling got left behind.. Now 10+years later the $hit stationary unactive job is messing up my health and I find myself weak as f with barely any stamina, I want to get back in to cycling (Not competitive or any of that stuff- Just spending time outside cycling for a few hours a few times a week and enjoying myself). So the goal is just to be able to do more of it without taking it too fast too soon .

 

[ColinJ]

You are doing the right thing!

I was like you - fairly fit when young, but then let it myself go. I was a mature student, not graduating until I was 30. When I left university I looked like Chris Froome - a very scrawny build - 6' 1" tall and weighing just 10 st 10 lbs. After 3 years in a stressful office job I had ballooned up to over 16 stone!

I started cycling again aged 33 and it was a struggle at first. 29 years later (aged 62) I weigh just over 13 stone and I was able to do a very hilly 85 mile ride on Sunday without feeling like death at the end.

Keep doing what you are doing and in a year or two you will be amazed at how much fitter you are, and how much better you feel (and look).

 

[Racing roadkill]

You’ve asked this on 3 or 4 forums that I’m aware of, haven’t you got enough answers now ?

 

[mikeymustard]

No advice but like @ColinJ - just well done for getting out there! You may feel like it's an uphill struggle (see what I did there?) now but it won't take long to get where you want to be.
I took up cycling again in my mid 50s after a long, long interval and it seemed to take forever to build up any fitness level, but even after best part of 2 months lay off this winter due to various stuff, including the weather I was still able to ride 25 miles two days on the trot without too much effort (actually the 2nd day was a bit of an effort ), when I look back to how I was only a couple of years ago I'm amazed.
Cycling seems to help my breathing and flexibility, and my body really misses it when I don't ride for a few days