Why so slow?

[Invictus1984]

Hi,
As the post title says I’m a bit disheartened and confused as to why I’m currently so slow on the bike.

Some background information, I’m 34 years old in good shape, not overweight,although I’m fairly stocky and muscular which may not be ideal for cycling. most of my life has been spent doing sports, I used to play rugby until age 20 and was then a semi pro MMA fighter for 5 years since stopping that I attend the gym 3-4 times a week to do weights/circuit training and also run 2-3 times a week to a reasonable standard- 5k in 22 minutes.

I fancied taking up a new sporting hobby and so decided to to get a bike, have only been cycling for around 2 months 3 times a week, now regardless of my athletic background I know I’m new to cycling so don’t expect to be super fast and and prepared to put the work in. However at the minute I cycle around 10 mph and about half a mile in my legs will be starting to burn and this continues throughout the whole distance I have to keep slowing down to a crawl just to rest my legs I am only cycling around 10 miles per ride but even that at 10mph is a huge effort on my legs and they are burning, but I’m not even breathing heavy during the ride, I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong or is this normal for a reasonably fit beginner? Thanks.

 

[Heigue'r]

How is your saddle height?you would expect some amount of muscle pain but not as much as you describe.Im thinking your saddle may be too low

 

[Slick]

Hi,
As the post title says I’m a bit disheartened and confused as to why I’m currently so slow on the bike.

Some background information, I’m 34 years old in good shape, not overweight,although I’m fairly stocky and muscular which may not be ideal for cycling. most of my life has been spent doing sports, I used to play rugby until age 20 and was then a semi pro MMA fighter for 5 years since stopping that I attend the gym 3-4 times a week to do weights/circuit training and also run 2-3 times a week to a reasonable standard- 5k in 22 minutes.

I fancied taking up a new sporting hobby and so decided to to get a bike, have only been cycling for around 2 months 3 times a week, now regardless of my athletic background I know I’m new to cycling so don’t expect to be super fast and and prepared to put the work in. However at the minute I cycle around 10 mph and about half a mile in my legs will be starting to burn and this continues throughout the whole distance I have to keep slowing down to a crawl just to rest my legs I am only cycling around 10 miles per ride but even that at 10mph is a huge effort on my legs and they are burning, but I’m not even breathing heavy during the ride, I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong or is this normal for a reasonably fit beginner? Thanks.

Your obviously strong and fit so im not sure why your quite so slow as it could depend on loads of different factors like terrain, bike type, tyre type and even as already mentioned saddle height and bike fit. Starting point would be to google bike fit to see if you can see anything yourself.

 

[smutchin]

Are your gym sessions full body workouts? I used to have a colleague who spent lots of time in the gym but only working on his top half. He had amazingly well developed arms and shoulders but his legs were like chopsticks. I expect he would struggle on a bike.

5k in 22 mins suggests you have good cardio fitness, so we can rule that out at least. However, good running fitness rarely equates to good cycling fitness, and vice versa. I’ve not been under 25 mins on a 5k run for a couple of years but I can still do a 10-mile TT at over 20mph.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What happens when you try and cycle faster, what limits you?

 

[Slick]

Might be a silly question, but do you know and understand about your gearing?

 

[sheddy]

What bike, what tyres and what pressure ?

 

[nickyboy]

I doubt it's anything to do with your physiology. You're similar build to me and are fitter than when I started cycling

Even on a clunky hybrid at the start I was at about 11mph and that quickly became 12mph, even on a hilly ride

My money's on it being some issue with the bike and/or some issue with the way you've set it up (saddle height, that sort of thing)

1) What sort of bike is it?

2) When you sit on the saddle, how easy is it to touch the ground with your toes?

 

[screenman]

I doubt it's anything to do with your physiology. You're similar build to me and are fitter than when I started cycling

Even on a clunky hybrid at the start I was at about 11mph and that quickly became 12mph, even on a hilly ride

My money's on it being some issue with the bike and/or some issue with the way you've set it up (saddle height, that sort of thing)

1) What sort of bike is it?

2) When you sit on the saddle, how easy is it to touch the ground with your toes?

Out of interest, why the last question?

 

[nickyboy]

Out of interest, why the last question?

Cos you see so many people on things like Boris bikes with the saddle right down at the lowest possible

They do it cos it makes them feel safe; when they stop both feet, flat on the floor. But it's a really inefficient way to ride a bike as most regular cyclists know

I'm just trying to find something causing someone who seems to be in good shape to ride so slowly

 

[HLaB]

Out of interest, why the last question?

I might be wrong but I assume if its too easy, then the saddle is too low.

To echo the other question I'd ask the OP what type of bike and what type of terrain? A heavy nobble tyred mtb on rough paths, hills, urban environment may make 10mph good.

 

[The_Weekend_Report_Guy]

As everyone else says... Check the saddle. Check the breaks as well (they might be slightly rubbing) Check the tire pressure.

Let us know what was it when you find the issue.

 

[boydj]

Given your running fitness, it sounds like there might be an issue with your bike. Lift each wheel off the ground and give it a spin to make sure the wheels are running freely. Spin the cranks backward by hand to make sure they are moving freely. Make sure your tyres are inflated to somewhere between the min and max pressures marked on the tyre.

Once you've checked your saddle height as above, run a gear that seems relatively easy and turn your legs over at a similar cadence to your normal running pace - probably somewhere between 60 to 80 rpm. You should be able to achieve 12mph fairly easily, unless you have a dual suspension mountain bike with knobbly tyres, in which case the suspension will soak up an inordinate amount of your power.

 

[Invictus1984]

Thanks for all the responses. I will try and answer some questions. With regards to gym workouts I do train my legs and they are strong, leg endurance is quite poor as I’ve trained for strength.

I have a specialised sirrus hybrid bike, the saddle height is roughly so I can touch maybe half both feet on the ground but not my whole foot.

I ride on mostly fairly smooth ground-cycle tracks or road and generally isn’t too hilly for example last 10 mile ride was 330ft elevation.

with regards to gears I think I have a basic understanding of them it’s 21 gears I have been using second cog and mostly sticking to 3 or 4 gears.

With regards to the question about what happens when I try and cycle faster..I feel like my legs are on fire with lactic acid to the point that I have to slow down or stop.

I am unsure of tire pressure, but they feel very firm and well pumped up.

I will try and check the tire pressure and breaks aswell to make sure there not rubbing.

 

[Edgy Dee]

Some bikes are faster than others. So yes, do check all the things that tend to slow bikes down: drivetrain friction, tyre pressures, wheel bearings. Then there's air resistance (especially if you're big or wear loose clothing). But it sounds to me like it's unfamiliar exercise for your leg muscle groups. When I first started cycling bigger distances I used to get leg cramps after about 15 miles. I don't any more. There's plenty of good advice here, but I think the good news is it will get easier.