New to cycling need help!?

Question

I am new to cycling I have a fairly old bike my dad fixed up for me (my dad is an avid rider). I would like to eventually ride competitively but need training tips (work outs to do on bike and off, foods to eat, etc.).

Answer 1

lftr67 hit the nail on the head and gets a thumbs up from me. There are a lot of really good books out there, including the previously mentioned Friel's Training Bible. Everyone is going to have their own opinion as to how training should be approached and you'll get 10 different answers out of 10 different riders. Educate yourself and ride...with knowledge and experience on the bike, the more you will get a feeling as to how your body responds to training stress and in turn decide what works best for you. Good luck and welcome to the family ;)

Answer 2

That's a big question with thousands of answers and millions of arguments. The shortest answer is each person will require their own workouts. The good news is there are loads of good books to help you figure that out. If you really want to work towards competitive riding/racing you'll need one to help you build your personal plan. A good start would be The Cyclist's Training Bible by Joe Friel. It's pretty technical and may be more than you need as a beginner. But you will definitely find all the information you need in it.

Answer 3

Well, if your dad's into cycling, why not ask him 1st?

Answer 4

I concur; no better way to train than on the bike.

Lifting weights will also help as you do use your upper body while biking.  Keep the weights light and go for higher reps.  I also like to do back extensions and ab crunches to work the core area.   And mix in the one (I cant remember the name right now) where you stand with a bar or barbells, then bend at the waist with a straight back until the weights hit the floor(or get close anyway), then back up.  This really works the back, glutes and hammies.

Nutrition is also very important.  Pasta is best for filling your muscles with energy the day before a long ride.  Complex carbs are the key; avoid the white breads, etc.  Yams over white potatoes, too.   Waffles or a bagel for breakfast the day of a ride.   Plenty of fluids/gatorade type stuff during a ride, and some carbs/protein after.   Check out the link for a good place to start researching....

Answer 5

Someone once asked this question to Fausto Coppi.

His reply:-  ''ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike''

Read any great rider's life story & without exception you'll see they rode everywhere - Coppi, Mercx, Pantanni, Armstrong to name a few.    All of the best riders just rode & rode until they had a natural base fitness.

You just can't beat putting the miles in.

Before you know it you will be flying.........

Answer 6

First, just get out and ride - that's 90 percent of it, when you get a little more time in you can work on hills, overgearing (going up a hill in a higher gear than normal), sprinting (going all out for 30-60 seconds, with equal time at recovery for multiple reps), practice going in and out of the seat, cadence work (spinning the pedals at different RPM's).  Check into a local bike club they are always willing to give advice, or better yet spend some quality time with your dad, he will really appreciate it ! !

Answer 7

Eddy Merckx - "Ride Lots"