Advice for novice biker who wants to improve his ride home commute time on cheap, steel "run-of-mill" bike

Question

Recently started riding bike home from work 2x/wk, approx 25km. My commute time has fluctuated from 62 min to 77 min. I want to get under an hour, but feel I am not making progress. I did the 62 min. ride last wk on a nice day with little wind after resting for over a wk while on vacation. Previously was only running 3-4 times per week, but wanted to mix in some biking to save money, add variety, etc. So now I am biking 2x/wk and running 1-2x/wk. Want to determine from some experienced bikers what among these may be the most important factors for improved performance: 1) Wind (todays 77 min. ride was against 15mph westerly winds for 60% of the ride, lateral winds the rest of way). 2) Tire pressure (inflated to ~80 lbs but didn't seem to help), 3) Rest- Been feeling tired 40 min. into the ride, which is bad because near end is uphill for about 2-3km. 4) Will pedal clips help/How much? 5) Start out fast, or ease into it 6) Rear brakes may be rubbing 7) Bought from Toys R US $130!

Answer 1

Definitely get your rims trued and make sure your brakes aren't dragging. The others are spot-on giving you that advice!

Probably the best bang for the buck upgrade you can do is new tires. From your 80psi tires, I'm guessing you have a mountain bike. Find a shop to order you a pair of 26x1.25 Primo Racers. They are about $20 each: cheap! They are racing tires, though; so you won't be able to ride in junk and debris.

Answer 2

1.  Seat height?  Excuse me if this is too basic, but make sure that the saddle is as high as you can get it without rocking your hips as you ride.    Net result should be a slight knee bend when you're at the bottom of your pedal stroke.

2.   Gearing:  Shift to keep your cadence at least in the high 80's to low 90's (rotations per minute).   That's where your maximum horsepower is.

3.   Aerodynamics.    Baggy sleeves and/or pant legs act as sails.  You don't generate enough power to waste it pushing air.   If you have drop bars, stay in the lower position as much as possible.    You might  consider aerobars, even on an MTB.  Positioned correctly, they can give you 1-2mph at the same level of effort.  

4.  Power transfer.    Yes, clipless pedals and shoes will help you transfer your power to the bike, and hence the road more efficiently.   If you don't want to go that far, or if they won't fit on your Toys-R-Us steed (they may not!), get toe clips (basket and strap thingys).   They're not quite as good, but they do help.  

5.  fuel and fluid.   Make sure you're properly hydrated before you start, and maybe have a bottle of Gatorade or Cytomax with you, and take some on maybe halfway.  I suggest those rather than plain water because they absorb faster, and the bit of carbohydrate should give you a little boost for the finish.

Answer 3

NEVER NEVER buy department store bikes---I suggest you trash your bike----a $250 bike from a certified decent BIKE SHOP will make you a BETTER rider---look for brands with even simple Shimano or SRAM gears, and you won't regret it! ( www.ebay.com-Sporting goods--CYCLING) Bid or BUY ---check ALL the features and learn to repair (www.bicycling.com-you'll see a book there about it!).

Answer 4

Given that you are always riding the same route, wind is the biggest factor. A strong headwind can reduce your speed by half, or more.

Always inflate your tires to the max pressure indicated on the sidewall. Check them often because bicycle tires lose pressure much more rapidly than cars.

If you have a cheap bike, then don't make an investment in clipless pedals. Anyway, it's very likely that you have 9/16 crank arms that won't work with clipless pedals in the first place. Do get toe clips and straps, a total investment of about $10-$15. They can help increase power transfer by about 10%, if I had to guess a number.

One way to improve your times is to do a better job of fuel management. Eat something like a Clif bar about 45 min before you start cycling. Drink a sports drink like Gatorade while you are riding. Munch another Clif bar early into the ride, about 30 min before you hit the hills.

Another technique is to watch your cadence. Try using lower gears and spinning faster. Keep your cadence about 80 RPM, especially up the hills. Use the little gears up front and the big ones in back to keep your pedal speed up. That will help you keep going longer.

HTH

Answer 5

You seem to know many of the factors to improve time/efficiency already. I'd say the most important are Wind Resistance and pacing yourself.

1 - Wind - The cyclists main enemy which you'll never defeat. The only thing I can suggest is to keep as tucked in as possible. If you have a road bike, use the drop position, keep your knees in (close to the top tube) and your head down.

2 - Always keep your tyres properly inflated. A pressure gauge on your pump may help, but I always pump until I literally cant push any more, inner tubes can take a lot more than they suggest (done for legal reasons). Consider getting some slicker tyres.

3 - Tiring - Don't go slogging it out, spin at a decent speed and try and keep the pace. A cheap speedometer might help here. I normally try and keep over 20Mph on the flats, regardless of the wind resistance - it only makes you stronger.

4 - Clipless pedals are a must-buy for an avid cyclist. They improve your efficiency dramatically. You can just about exert force into every part of the pedal stroke. I don't usually think of it as a pedal stroke anymore, but just a continuing rotation. (god that sounds really cheesy)

You can get a decent pair of shoes for £40 ($80) I'd say and pedals for about £20-25 ($40-50). The pedals come with the attachment which bolts onto the sole.

5 - I'd start out at 60-75% to warm your legs up, consider stretching beforehand

6 - All it takes us a slight rotation of the cable adjuster where the brake cable enters the brake calliper.

7 - I assume the bike may be a bit heavy if it cost $130 - But as you say it's rideable.

You could go out and get the upgrades I mentioned above, but TBH, I think you'll be better off saving some money up and getting yourself a Hybrid bike, or even a entry level/2nd hand road bike

Answer 6

If this is a road bike (skinny 700C wheels and tires), 80 pounds of pressure might not be enough.  Some road bike tires need pressure upwards of 100 PSI.

You also want to make sure your wheels are true and your brakes are in proper working order so you are not constantly pedaling against stuck brakes.

Try a different route if possible, see if you can find one with less hills or with windbreaks (if there are a lot of buildings along a particular street that can block the wind for you).

Make sure you stay well-hydrated, maybe bring along a power bar or something.

Good luck.

Answer 7

There is some good advice from the contributors above.

However . . . . . . . stretching before exercise is pointless and you shouldn't need supplements on an hours ride!!!! But you will need to chomp on some carbs' when you get home.( to aid recovery.  - This is THE most important and overlooked aspect of strong cycling).

Start easy, it takes me 20-30 mins to get warmed up (even then, I have periods of feeling wasted or like superman on a 4-6 hour ride. - just the way it is!)

Upgrade to a decent bike and you will fly.

Best of luck mate.

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