Returning to Cycling after 16 Years

kncowans
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Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by kncowans »

Hello all

I hope you are well.

I am returning to Cycling, for Leisure, after having to stop due to Poor Health, 16 Years ago.

I received my New Bike, a Trek Dual Sport 3, a Week ago and was just wondering if anyone had any advice for returning to Cycling after an extended time away?

Thanks in advance

Kevin
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simonineaston
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by simonineaston »

I recognize your situation, broadly speaking. What worked for me was not rushing, not expecting too much, getting out as often as I could - and above all, enjoying every trip!
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
Nearholmer
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by Nearholmer »

I didn’t completely cease to cycle, but it gradually got close to that over a c15 year period due to work and family commitments, plus eighteen months of a mysterious illness that eventually turned out to be something that was cured in six months with a simple course of tablets.

When I restarted I followed a very simple protocol: I got on my new bike and rode as far as felt ‘tiring, but not exhausting’, and continued doing the same. In fact, I still do pretty much the same six years on, but by some magic process I now go further, and more often, than I could at the start. In short, no fancy plan, just enjoy it.

But, the question is really: what is your motivation?

Some people ride to get/stay fit, some people are naturally competitive, even if they only compete against their previous personal best, some, and I count myself in this one, like exploring and rambling about in the fresh air.

Behind that is also where you live, what the terrain is like, whether you have a choice of road and not-road routes etc.

And, some people fare better cycling with others, and some get on best in solitary mode. If you are in the former camp, then finding a club/group is possibly a priority.

Good bike choice for a re-start BTW, very versatile.
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freiston
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by freiston »

If you've been into cycling before, then a lot of what I'm going to say might come across as patronising or teaching a granny to suck eggs but it isn't meant to be and I'm writing more in mind of an absolute beginner. My advice is little and often at first, with emphasis on often. Don't overdo it/get over-ambitious (easy to do if you've been a strong cyclist when younger). If you get bad saddle-sore, take a break from it until things are good again (and try to work out why - saddle position etc.). When it starts to feel "routine", up the mileage a bit. It's arbitrary but I would think a 4 or 5 mile circuit for starters and up it in increments of about 4 or 5 miles. This will not only improve your biking fitness and core strength (something often overlooked by beginners) but also let you build a relationship with your saddle and your set-up. You'll soon get to gauge your ability better and decide if bigger increments are realistic.

Don't forget nutrition and hydration too - make sure you're not going to bonk or dehydrate. A high-carbohydrate snack before you go out and maybe a snack bar in the pocket as well as a water bottle. This won't be so much of a factor on the short rides but as distance increases, could well be. Don't forget the spare tube and something to inflate it with (unless you're going tubeless). I won't go into clothing & weather but choices need to be made there too.

From the bike, it looks like you're planning on some off-road stuff - all that I wrote above was with road/path cycling in mind.

Happy cycling and all the best :D
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
PH
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by PH »

Plenty of good advice already, I'd repeat that idea of little and often.
Also, keep a record - for the first few months the improvements are astounding, speed, distance perceived effort. A record can be amusing to look back on and also motivate you to continue - I used a spreadsheet, but now I'd use one of the apps, it needn't be public. Tied in with that. a goal to aim for can also be motivating, doesn't really mater what it is, nothing too big or that will take too long to build up to, just something you can't do now but feel it would be nice to do in the not too distant future .
Then, once you're reasonably confident, find others to ride with. OK, that's not for everyone, but there's plenty of cycling groups and clubs around, for all sorts of cyclists and cycling with others is a different thing to doing it alone.
gbnz
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by gbnz »

freiston wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 12:38am
Don't forget nutrition and hydration too - make sure you're not going to bonk or dehydrate.
And ensure you've got an adequate protein intake. Makes a huge difference having developed leg muscles and obviously, muscle development is dependent on protein intake. Whilst I've ensured 1.8g protein/kg of body weight for years, it was notable how ensuring it was all from high IAA sources (meat/fish/dairy) two years back, made a notable difference

Feels great when you can jump on the bike and do +250 miles without really noticing, other than enjoying the ride! (This weeks spin on the bike 253miles, though yesterdays 90+ spin across the Pennines, was a bit too hot!)
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al_yrpal
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by al_yrpal »

Take it easy, extend rides bit by bit. If you can go for a short 5 day tour somewhere nice. A tour with 4 or 5 hours riding a day can dramatically improve your fitness.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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Cugel
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by Cugel »

Nearholmer wrote: 11 Aug 2022, 10:45pm
But, the question is really: what is your motivation?

And, some people fare better cycling with others, and some get on best in solitary mode. If you are in the former camp, then finding a club/group is possibly a priority.
These two points are the core of the process of getting back into cycling without the intent being undermined by the various initial aches, road incidents or other factors that can combine to put one off at the begining.

In respect of motivation, two examples might illustrate the fact that there can be a wide range of such inner drives.

Even if you're overall intent is to be that "leisure cyclist" it can be motivating to measure some basic parameters of "improvement" such as distance travelled and average speed. You have to be careful, though, not to allow an apparent slippage to demotivate. Instead, add the fact of a slower performance to your drive to (eventually) get much better at the physicals of cycling.

But if you're uninterested in aspects such as speed and distance per ride, your motivation might lie in discovering new routes or the interesting things found along them. This has the advantage of avoiding the performance improvement inner psychodramas, such as a crisis of confidence but can also be, overall, less of an inner pressure to do another ride.

The former motivation might see you "practicing cycling" over the same route or two for a month or so, gradually getting good at the harder parts and feeling "I'm much better at this now than I was a month ago". The latter motivation might be enhanced by a camera to take pics of the interesting things you discover, along with a bit of route planning and perhaps even a review of the cafe you select as your latest "turn for home" point. You bolster the intent to cycle with an intent to do several other pleasurable things whilst riding about.

Riding alone can be .... lonely; you notice yourself more, including the various aches and pains. Riding with others takes you mind of your self and those aches so you magically become able to go twice as far before becoming unmotivated to go on. You may feel the ride is "nice when it stops" but you also get a tremendous boost at having successfully completed it.

Some groups are welcoming and adaptive to your needs, including having to wait for you now and then on the hard bits at first, as you improve. Other groups are the opposite, full of egomaniacs and little hitlers! It can be difficult to find the right group for you. If you're immune to snarks and sneers, even the latter groups with their nastymen can be motivating, though. "I'll show 'em".

Overall, I'd add one other significant fator - you need to cultivate a habit of persistence, to overcome the inevitable early aches, pains, bad weather, traffic hooligans and all the other potentially demotivating factors. Resilient persistence, even! It's not a modern habit to be persistent. But you can sometimes substitute "obsessive-compulsive". :-)

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
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Nearholmer
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by Nearholmer »

Resilient persistence, even! It's not a modern habit to be persistent.
Spot-on.

Most of the effort of cycling takes place between the ears, not in the legs.
Eyebrox
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by Eyebrox »

Welcome back. I enjoy a few 20-30 mile rides each week on a mix of planned routes or random trips depending on mood. I also do what I call a fitness ride of 10 miles after dinner. I follow the same route on traffic free cycle path with a couple of spurs off it along the way. I don't need to worry about traffic and I can cycle at whatever pace suits how I feel (I'm 65). It gives me a chance to stretch my legs with a disciplined daily outing and measure my speed/ability. For some reason I feel stronger on the bike as the day goes on. Other people tell me they prefer an early morning ride. I suppose the familiarity of the route and my goal of maintaining regular, enjoyable exercise keeps me going in all weathers. It's akin to people doing a minimum of 10,000 steps every day to get their exercise fix in. I log my rides with a Garmin watch. Nothing too taxing but rides that only take up an hour of your day. Best of luck!
kncowans
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by kncowans »

Hello all

Thanks for all the Advice thus far.

A bit more information about me and my Bike.

I had to leave Work in 2006 due to a Nervous Breakdown, I have since been Diagnosed as being Autistic which has answered a lot of Questions but has raised even more.

Due to my Autism, I do not like being around People as I do not understand them, so, Joining a Club is not for me, unfortunately.

I see Cycling as a solitary pursuit where I can just go for a Ride, by myself and enjoy the freedom, and peace.

When I got the Bike, I opted for Bontrager H2 Hardcase Ultimate Tyres in 700c x 40mm as I will be Riding Woodland Trails when I get more comfortable on the Bike, hopefully.

I have also got a Garmin Edge Explore 2 on Order with the LBS from where I purchased my Bike, so, that should help with finding Routes etc.

Thankfully, the Saddle is very comfortable so there is no issue there, the Seat Height is also correct as I adjusted the Height on my first Ride.

I just need to get comfortable with my Foot Position on the Pedals (Shimano PD-EF202).

Thanks

Kevin
Carlton green
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by Carlton green »

My advice to someone cycling by themselves has multiple points.
# Make yourself familiar with how your bike works and how to fix it, carry some tools and a mobile phone.
# Take food a drink with you, make sure to stop to have a rest break and recovery break.
# It’s easy to exert yourself much more than you realise, make a conscious effort to take things easy … My path was temporarily blocked today so I had to stop for a few minutes, I was rather surprised to find that my heart was racing along - I really hadn’t thought I was pushing things.
# Always be ready to walk up hills and never flog anywhere, change down a gear - or more - or get off and walk.
# Cycle for pleasure, that includes both achievement and stopping to admire the view.
# Try to cycle a little, or at least a little, each day.

Edit.
# Start small, say five or ten minutes here and there, and build up to bigger things over however long you need to do so - that includes road craft, generally handling your bike and fitness.

Good luck.
Last edited by Carlton green on 13 Aug 2022, 2:22pm, edited 2 times in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
kncowans
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by kncowans »

Hello

Thanks for the Reply and the Advice.

I am still a bit unsure on the Bike which makes navigating the gap between Two Bollards interesting :(

At the moment I am having to slow right down and push the Bike through the Gap.

I keep forgetting to see how much space there actually is when I push the Bike through, I am sure there is plenty of space but because I am still a bit unsure on the Bike, at slower speeds, I keep thinking that I am going to hit a Bollard :)

I am sure I will get more confident in time.

I am not impatient, I just want it now :)

Thanks

Kevin
rogerzilla
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by rogerzilla »

Wear two pairs of cycling shorts for the first few rides
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Cowsham
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Re: Advice for returning to Cycling after 16 Years

Post by Cowsham »

kncowans wrote: 13 Aug 2022, 1:48pm Hello

Thanks for the Reply and the Advice.

I am still a bit unsure on the Bike which makes navigating the gap between Two Bollards interesting :(

At the moment I am having to slow right down and push the Bike through the Gap.

I keep forgetting to see how much space there actually is when I push the Bike through, I am sure there is plenty of space but because I am still a bit unsure on the Bike, at slower speeds, I keep thinking that I am going to hit a Bollard :)

I am sure I will get more confident in time.
A lot of autistic people have spacial awareness problems so yes take your time with unfamiliar routes and places. I have no doubt the regular routes will become easy for you in time.
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