Cycling training?? PLEASE..I NEED YOUR HELP!?

Question

I am a junior (15) and want to seriously get into cycling. I have a road bike but was wondering if anyone knows of or can post a structured training program.

Also...any links to stuff on riding alone (i am not fast enough to ride in groups yet) and when i should join a team (how fast should i be able to go)

THANKYOU in advance!!!!!

Answer 1

Join a group as son as you can. If you can't take a turn on the front yet. Don't worry everyone starts out that way. Just try to hold on the wheel of the guy in front of you. Besides riding with other people always makes you better aned stronger.

Answer 2

A good 80% of my riding is performed alone, but that is because I am into distance riding. Now don't confuse that with touring. I enjoy a casual tour once in a while, but over the years I have found that my biggest competitor is myself.

At 15 years old you have energy abound. The toughest aspect of riding is building your mental toughness. You will find many a wanna-be who look great in spandex, and they have the latest high tech bikes, but they don't have the heart or the will to go the distance.

Just ride my friend, and don't worry about being left behind. I rode close to 5,000 mile last year. The majority of my riding was performed alone. I had my **** handed to me on occasion, and I took the lead on many an occasion.

The important thing is that you ride not just for today, but for a lifetime of fun and fitness. I will be teaching 3 spinning classes this week, and I will hammer out a few hundred miles or so on my bike. Not bad concidering I am 55 years old. As I recall, I started my distance adventure when I was 15 years old. Ride my friend....

Answer 3

Joining a group is the best way to start out especially if you feel you might want to compete in the future. There is a big bike culture out there and lots of different groups with different levels. Some will fit with you better than others but once you get some miles under your belt you'll know who you'll want to stick with. There are social groups who are good to start out with because they usually have fast, medium, and slow groups who start and end together.  Most run a safe ride, will work with you and give you good advice. If you can ride 20 miles and not be wasted your probably fit enough for some of these groups. There are some training groups you can go over to when your more comfortable but expect everyone to be a bit more serious when they are riding. You can ask around at a few local bike shops for a group that works for you, just be as honest with them as you have been here.

I have many many miles on the road by myself.  Riding alone is centering(mentally) as well as great exercise. Expect to ride by yourself alot of the time. You can think about techniques and do intervals and sprints when you ride on your own. Hey, if people around me knew how many times I thought about beating guys like Thor Hushovd, Tom Boonen, and Robbie McCewen in my imaginary sprints to the finishline, they would fall over laughing. You also might find out you love adventure cycling and in the future be riding farther than you ever thought possible.

There are a dizzying number of good training programs you can get into. If you feel you have the self motivation you can look for a book that can get you started. Check out Trainright.com for free articles and advice and iTunes downloads for something to start with. They also have online programs and coaching that will increase with your abilities but unfortunately can get expensive for the more personalized training.

Answer 4

Just keep on riding

i ride alone all the time and when im in the bike lane i be right behind the person in front of me for a minute or so and then dash them

Answer 5

Check with Richardson Bike Mart - all stores have training rides each weekend - also, "google" stuff like Carmichael program - or there are a couple of really good books out - I can't remember the names - you may want to check with the area bike stores

Answer 6

join a club and participate.  your local club will hold training rides and club races that give you experience.  clubs typically have riders of all abilities, so you can ride with guys on your own level.

training is harder to adress here in detail because developing a program that works is hard to break down into a few paragraphs.  a good place to start is by riding a lot, but in the correct way.  spin, dont push heavy gears.

if you like drop me an email.  i would be happy to help you with training and the like, but it isnt something i can break down in a short post here.

Answer 7

just practice, alternate long and short rides, heavy and light, intense and relax, climb and flat.