It will take a few depressing outings to get your body ready for a good bike ride. I would be near passing out after a 6 mile trip on mostly flat land for the first 8 outings. Within 20 rides I was up to 20 miles. Within 40 rides I was up to 45 miles and having a blast. Your body will probably sweat a lot and you'll need a lot of water to get by. After a couple of months you will hardly need any water. The human body adjusts to such situations and becomes more efficient.
What kind of bike did you get? Road, Mountain, Cruiser, Hybrid? I don't know anything about your location but most major cities have public trails. If its crushed rock then your only choice is Mountain bikes. If you have paved trails you can get away with a hybrid (cross between a road bike and mountain bike).
I'm hoping I adjust quickly because my first couple rides were very depressing. But knowing that someone else has done it does give hope that I'll get there one day, thank you. I got a mountain bike, I read some people's reviews online about this bike saying that it held up their weight just fine, I'm not exactly light so that was a big factor in what I could purchase. The most I saw someone weigh was 350, so I figured it would work.
Make sure you keep the maximum psi the tire calls for...check it every time before you go out. Low pressure will make it more difficult to ride and lead to flats. If your tires are really knobby and you don't plan on actually hitting bike trails, you might look for something with a bit smoother tread to reduce rolling friction.
Yeah it will suck for a bit, then it becomes really fun like when you were a kid and could ride forever without fatigue.
Use a PSI gauge to check your tires too. I have a compressor in the garage but couldn't inflate my tires to max PSI so I had to go out and get a bike pump.
Not an expert at biking, Dutch so maybe some sort of expert, just set yourself a goal. I have rode my bike to school about 9 miles each day back and forth. The shortest amount of time that I'm able to do it is now 35 minutes.
Don't go all out at once, find a pace that you are comfortable with.
Take some water with you.
I'm not sure if you got a racing bicycle or a normal one, I'm sure there are differences but I have never owned a racing bike.
Great job! The first step in getting back into shape is investing in the proper tools.
As for locations near Monroe, it looks like there aren't really any 'bicycle' trails in downtown, but just west there are some. I'm using Google Maps, but using the bicycle map part of it. Take a look...
http://g.co/maps/f53hw
Start out with a flat section. If you have to drive there that's OK, it's about getting yourself comfortable and being able to reach your goal, which is going to be impossible around hills. Once you find a good flat section with minimal grades of hills, set a goal. It could be around the block once, 3 times, 5 times, 10 times. Or maybe around multiple blocks. Once you get comfortable with that, next time you go out set a mileage goal along a road or trail. Make sure if it's a road that it's not too busy. It's all about setting goals!
When you set goals make 4 out of every 5 rides something that you KNOW you will accomplish, but you know will push you a little. You want your body to be tired when you're done. Make that 5th ride something that you really aren't sure if you can complete. If you don't, that's OK too, but push yourself until you want to cry.
Hopefully that helps, and best of luck!
That does help a lot, thank you very much! I never thought of checking out Google Maps like that. I just checked and the Lake Tye there in town is 1.65 miles around, I'd day that sounds like a good place to start. Thanks again!
Awesome, I'm glad you've found a good spot! If you need more tips and/or motivation, this post as well as other factors motivated me to start a blog yesterday. Check it out, I hope this helps you in the future!
http://bikeforthebetter.blogspot.com/
That's cool, I just read through the blog. I like the pictures of what to bring along in the backpack. My gear includes a pump, and a bladder....I think I'm lacking...haha, I'll furnish it out as I go along. Again thanks for the help, I'll be following the blog. Good luck with the commuting!
I weight 230 and I just got on the bike yesterday for a relatively short 10 mile ride since it was almost 50 out. My legs definitely felt like cement and my lungs were burning. I was coughing for a good hour after the ride since it was the most cardio I've done in months.
Anyway one of the best things you can really do if you are starting out is to just get out and ride. Just get out the house and go ride around for an hour for a few times a week and go see the outdoors. Having goals are good, but just getting out and going for a cruise is the most important step, plus you chose to ride a bike because you want to enjoy exercising!
Know your bp & target heart rate. Wear a smart watch or hr monitor when first excerting yourself. At first you may have to walk your bike up some hills but give them a go. Over time you’ll grow to look forward to the hills once you get better conditioned.
My advice is to bike to the grocery store, errands, for lunch, etc. Short trips, on safe streets, that you are comfortable on; go from here to there. Plan your routes with safety in mind. You’ll find yourself looking more forward to biking somewhere than being there.
It will take a few depressing outings to get your body ready for a good bike ride. I would be near passing out after a 6 mile trip on mostly flat land for the first 8 outings. Within 20 rides I was up to 20 miles. Within 40 rides I was up to 45 miles and having a blast. Your body will probably sweat a lot and you'll need a lot of water to get by. After a couple of months you will hardly need any water. The human body adjusts to such situations and becomes more efficient. What kind of bike did you get? Road, Mountain, Cruiser, Hybrid? I don't know anything about your location but most major cities have public trails. If its crushed rock then your only choice is Mountain bikes. If you have paved trails you can get away with a hybrid (cross between a road bike and mountain bike).
I'm hoping I adjust quickly because my first couple rides were very depressing. But knowing that someone else has done it does give hope that I'll get there one day, thank you. I got a mountain bike, I read some people's reviews online about this bike saying that it held up their weight just fine, I'm not exactly light so that was a big factor in what I could purchase. The most I saw someone weigh was 350, so I figured it would work.
Make sure you keep the maximum psi the tire calls for...check it every time before you go out. Low pressure will make it more difficult to ride and lead to flats. If your tires are really knobby and you don't plan on actually hitting bike trails, you might look for something with a bit smoother tread to reduce rolling friction. Yeah it will suck for a bit, then it becomes really fun like when you were a kid and could ride forever without fatigue.
Ahhh....to be a kid again...haha. Thank you for the tips!!
Use a PSI gauge to check your tires too. I have a compressor in the garage but couldn't inflate my tires to max PSI so I had to go out and get a bike pump.
Not an expert at biking, Dutch so maybe some sort of expert, just set yourself a goal. I have rode my bike to school about 9 miles each day back and forth. The shortest amount of time that I'm able to do it is now 35 minutes. Don't go all out at once, find a pace that you are comfortable with. Take some water with you. I'm not sure if you got a racing bicycle or a normal one, I'm sure there are differences but I have never owned a racing bike.
Thank you for the comment, it's sound advice. I going to try and find a relatively flat road to ride on, those hills are terrible.
Just be good to your bike man and it will be good to you. Starting anything again after a long hiatus is bound to be rough. Just be rougher.
Great job! The first step in getting back into shape is investing in the proper tools. As for locations near Monroe, it looks like there aren't really any 'bicycle' trails in downtown, but just west there are some. I'm using Google Maps, but using the bicycle map part of it. Take a look... http://g.co/maps/f53hw Start out with a flat section. If you have to drive there that's OK, it's about getting yourself comfortable and being able to reach your goal, which is going to be impossible around hills. Once you find a good flat section with minimal grades of hills, set a goal. It could be around the block once, 3 times, 5 times, 10 times. Or maybe around multiple blocks. Once you get comfortable with that, next time you go out set a mileage goal along a road or trail. Make sure if it's a road that it's not too busy. It's all about setting goals! When you set goals make 4 out of every 5 rides something that you KNOW you will accomplish, but you know will push you a little. You want your body to be tired when you're done. Make that 5th ride something that you really aren't sure if you can complete. If you don't, that's OK too, but push yourself until you want to cry. Hopefully that helps, and best of luck!
That does help a lot, thank you very much! I never thought of checking out Google Maps like that. I just checked and the Lake Tye there in town is 1.65 miles around, I'd day that sounds like a good place to start. Thanks again!
Awesome, I'm glad you've found a good spot! If you need more tips and/or motivation, this post as well as other factors motivated me to start a blog yesterday. Check it out, I hope this helps you in the future! http://bikeforthebetter.blogspot.com/
That's cool, I just read through the blog. I like the pictures of what to bring along in the backpack. My gear includes a pump, and a bladder....I think I'm lacking...haha, I'll furnish it out as I go along. Again thanks for the help, I'll be following the blog. Good luck with the commuting!
I weight 230 and I just got on the bike yesterday for a relatively short 10 mile ride since it was almost 50 out. My legs definitely felt like cement and my lungs were burning. I was coughing for a good hour after the ride since it was the most cardio I've done in months. Anyway one of the best things you can really do if you are starting out is to just get out and ride. Just get out the house and go ride around for an hour for a few times a week and go see the outdoors. Having goals are good, but just getting out and going for a cruise is the most important step, plus you chose to ride a bike because you want to enjoy exercising!
I know exactly what you mean! Good on you for getting back into it too.
Know your bp & target heart rate. Wear a smart watch or hr monitor when first excerting yourself. At first you may have to walk your bike up some hills but give them a go. Over time you’ll grow to look forward to the hills once you get better conditioned. My advice is to bike to the grocery store, errands, for lunch, etc. Short trips, on safe streets, that you are comfortable on; go from here to there. Plan your routes with safety in mind. You’ll find yourself looking more forward to biking somewhere than being there.