Number of base miles for the first year of riding???

[RookieRider]

Good afternoon to all. I have a question based on my reading of Joe Friel's book The Cyclist's Training Bible.

There are a number of times that he mentions that the majority of the suggestions he makes in his book (which I am truly enjoying) are not meant for a rider that is in their first year of riding. But rather for the rider who has put in a good or strong base of miles over at least one full year of riding.

My general conditioning is based on years of running and I have recently hung up my running shoes for now and putting all of my time and efforts into my road bike.

So what would most of you consider a good or strong "base" when it comes to your first full year of riding?

I am currently striving to get 4 rides in per week averaging between 10 and 30 miles per ride. Many of my routes are between 15-17 miles, and at least once a week I'm getting in a good 25-30 mile ride. So that would put me around 60 miles on the average.

So would a good "base" for someone that wants to start taking riding seriously be 60, 100, 150 or more per week? My local group usually will head out on fairly hilling rides, and their weekly rides seem to range from 40-80 miles. Still out of my league, but I'll like to be able to join them come next spring. What would you recommend?

Thanks!

David - RookieRider
Stillwater, MN

 

[the delgados]

Hiya RR.
I'm sure those with more knowledge will chime in; but in the meantime, I'll throw in my two cents.
I'd recommend riding in an easy gear for around 1000 km's before introducing things like intervals.
Don't push yourself thinking riding in the big ring is going to make you better quicker. It won't.
Spin in a gear that allows you to maintain a cadence between 90--100 rpm's for 60-90 minutes each time you're riding.
That should provide enough base mileage for you to pick it up a notch.
Ride safe.

 

[JayKosta]

It's going to depend on your ability to train your 'cycling' muscles, and whether you can become comfortable (or at least tolerate) on the bike for additional hours per ride. For me (at age 66 and having cycled for several years), doing a training (not social) ride of 30+ miles several times per week was what I felt to be minimum adequate TRAINING. But for longer rides, it's necessary to develop the base strength from training, and then adapt to spending more time on the bike at a lower intensity.
The amount of time you need for recovery and rest between training days is important to learn.
If you find that your performance is declining, it is probably due to lack of recovery, rather than not enough training!

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[RookieRider]

Thank you gentleman for the replies. I see cycling as something that I will be doing for a long time, just as I had been running for over 30 years. So thank you again for your input, and I'll keep focusing on those miles and REST

David - RookieRider
Stillwater, MN

 

[fatandfast]

Dear rookie, you started with a good book. Also Dr.Arnie Baker has a couple of good things to read . I personally know a couple of people who developed as outstanding bike racers despite some pretty silly winter riding conditions. Training4cyclists.com also has a few base programs for people with a very small training time window.
If I was to advise you of a few things that could help first would be preparation. Keep you body fat low and your body rested before you start your plan. Even with a short amount of time you can do high intensity workouts that can get you ready for cat5 age grade races and club rides in your area.
Don't worry so much about the mileage totals but focus on what you have and super high quality.
If you don't have health issues that hold you back you can do interval workouts that will help in being ready to complete if you want.
The thing about base mileage is that it can improve your comfort on the bike and can give you a good mechanical base were your pedal stroke is comfortable and fluid. If you have only a short time to work out do some agility training.
Go to a parking lot and pick a couple of poles and race around them.... really race around them. Set some barrier were the turns start and stop don't turn what should be an oval and turn it into a circle that you can pedal through. Learn to turn,use your brakes, and be set up gearing and position wise to enter and exit corners. Being alone is harder but one of the most critical racing skills is learning what being on top of the gear feels like and how to get back on top after losing speed in a corner or other situations. Getting out of the saddle and returning to the same or greater RPM before a corner will make you a good bike racer.
Balls out time trial work can also help. Warm up 20 mins and have a low to no traffic route were you can learn to push yourself for between 20-30 minutes. Learning to ride fast is as important as riding far.
Finally because of your location, a bike set up to ride a stationary work out can help. You need little to no, prep. Just jump on and warm-up do some 1 to 2 minute high intensity in the saddle jumps,ask if dinner is almost ready, or watch the news or listen to music. Having an easy option at your fingertips is really really helpful.
This is were I will get lots of chit.if you don't have daylight and you missed a two wheeled day of training. Run. Even if you go to a park or highschool you can get a crossover workout that will have some cycling benefits. I have ridden w professional athletes and others from other disciplines, motor crossers,triathlon, and crossfire folks. Yes there are many cycle specific skills but fitness is key.
This is my own piece, ride your bike, racing or buttbike to get groceries, coffee,dinner,dry cleaners, ect. Try and just get basic comfort and balance issues to be second nature. Feeling good on your bike is a big component of base miles and if you can't get them traditionally go unconventional.
A thing I learned from European bike racers. A gallon jug of water, some rubbing alcohol and a few rags..they are not as good as a shower for sure but you can look good enough to work or go out after a pretty intense work out in 3 to five minutes if you have the right stuff.

 

[RookieRider]

So last week included 4 rides for 84 miles with an average of around 17 mph and around 300-600 elevation per ride.

 

[Irondan]

Re:

So last week included 4 rides for 84 miles with an average of around 17 mph and around 300-600 elevation per ride.

It's kind of tough to accumulate elevation riding in MN, that's a bummer.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

As a former runner I must ask - what kind of shape are your knees in, RookieRider? I mean, damage-wise?

(That may, or may not, determine some stuff.)

 

[fatandfast]

Sounds like you are off to a good start.
Listen and answer the question by trike. Knees,back,shoulder issues can all pop up so be aware of what your body is saying. Normal sore vs injury sore.
Look for a group ride if possible. You can get lots of subconscious training by riding in groups. You can learn to look through wheels and corners. Basically learn to naturally slow your bike without brakes just by eyesight and modulation of pedaling (soft-pedal, or not pedaling at all)
Elevation change may not be a big component of your training. You can stimulate climbs using gearing and intervals.
Look for area TTs. Great way to have a safe start in bike racing

www.mcf.net

These guys had early season clinics, it's almost never too late to find like minded people.
Other ways to increase your weekly miles. Have bike in the car. Do plyometric and other core before breakfast or a few early wake up days before work or school.
Jump rope. 10 minutes may really surprise you.
Planks and body weight squats using chairs to limit your range of motion. A chair to hold onto and one to control your downward motion. Going greater than parallel can give extra unwanted stress . you don't need daylight for any of these

 

[RookieRider]

As a former runner I must ask - what kind of shape are your knees in, RookieRider? I mean, damage-wise?

(That may, or may not, determine some stuff.)

Left knee is fine when I'm walking or running, but very soar or stiff when I get up after sitting for long periods of time. One may reason for moving over to the bike verses running is due to it being easier on my feet. I've had them taken apart and put back together (full of metal at this point), and pedaling feels A LOT better than adding more pounding to them

 

[RookieRider]

So being the new to cycling this was I believe my 5th or 6th week of cycling. Ended up loggin' just over 90 miles. Felt good, but I'm certainly feeling all of them

 

[JayKosta]

Be sure to remember about 'rest and recovery' - it's easy to dig yourself into a fatigue hole.
And when you're in that hole - STOP DIGGING.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[RookieRider]

Re:

Be sure to remember about 'rest and recovery' - it's easy to dig yourself into a fatigue hole.
And when you're in that hole - STOP DIGGING.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

Always a good reminder. I road 40 yesterday (about 80 in Friday through Sunday this week), and then work up and jumped rope and ran a few miles, and was then going to go for a ride tonight...
But I have reconsidered and will take tonight off and maybe do 17-24 tomorrow night. I can feel that I could really use a night off. So again, yes, always a good suggestion and reminder. Easy to get carried away

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

I thought someone would have sent you "The Rules" by now.....

Oh well, http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re: Re:

Easy to get carried away

It is, isn't it?

At first it feels real good and you don't feel the pain. (The endorphin kick in, which as a runner you would recognize as a "runner's high".)

But the next day, oh my word - don't even wake me up!

No one here can tell the kind of pain/soreness you experience when/after you ride, so, you have to be your own judge of that.

 

[RookieRider]

Re:

I thought someone would have sent you "The Rules" by now.....

Oh well, http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

That was awesome Thanks.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Another thing you might want to get ahold of at some point is Bike Snob: Systematically & Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling. I found it an extremely amusing read.

https://www.amazon.com/Bike-Snob-Systematically-Mercilessly-Realigning/dp/0811869989


(And in case you are interested in the doping aspect of cycling the best book I have read is Breaking the Chain, by Willy Voet. It's actually really quite disturbing. https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Chain-Drugs-Cycling-Story-ebook/dp/B004OEIDN4.)

 

[CheckMyPecs]

A friendly tip. When I started competitive cycling, I pushed ridiculously big gears at low cadences. Actually, I still do it, but it was a mistake to do it at the beginning. I suffered from tendinitis a few times back in 2006 and early 2007 until I listened to my DS's advice to use somewhat smaller gears.

After a few years of training and getting my body used to high-level amateur cycling, I was able to push very big gears without hurting my knees and now I look like a big, dumb Ullrich on the flat, although I do go for a higher cadence on climbs.

Long story short: pushing really big gears should be off the table for the first couple of years.

 

[King Boonen]

My measure of base would be what you are able to comfortably go out and do for a long ride after a year training, week in week out. This is obviously going to depend where and what you ride, but I'd think being able to go out every weekend and do a ride of 130km with 2000m climbing (80 miles and 6500 feet) would be a reasonable goal.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re:

A friendly tip. When I started competitive cycling, I pushed ridiculously big gears at low cadences. Actually, I still do it, but it was a mistake to do it at the beginning. I suffered from tendinitis...

This.

I get frustrated when I feel like I'm not going fast enough, so naturally I end up kicking it into a big gear. But then I have to remind myself that my knees can't take that kind of punishment anymore, so then (with much sadness) I end up shifting it down.

Personally, I think it takes more discipline to force yourself to go slower than to go faster (whether it be in running or cycling), but then, in the long run, your body ends up thanking you for it.

 

[RookieRider]

You guys are all awesome. Thanks. I've been getting between 70-90 miles per week in, and that is feeling good, and also feeling like my current max. So in other words, just about right

I started in the biggest gears I could the first month or so, and it's amazing how consistent you hear the advice to get in to an easier gear and increase your cadence. So that has been my focus. Most of my rides now are between 20-40 miles.

Simply loving it.

 

[the delgados]

Re:

You guys are all awesome. Thanks. I've been getting between 70-90 miles per week in, and that is feeling good, and also feeling like my current max. So in other words, just about right

I started in the biggest gears I could the first month or so, and it's amazing how consistent you hear the advice to get in to an easier gear and increase your cadence. So that has been my focus. Most of my rides now are between 20-40 miles.

Simply loving it.

I don't want to say I told you so, but I told you so (!)