dfull

Hey Folks, my name is Dane. Not sure if this should go in the Clydesdale/Athena forum or this one. I'll start by saying until the age of 35, I was a very athletic 6'1" 190 pounder, avoiding the long story of why and how, this past August, I weighed 305lbs. Now I'm down to a svelt 275.

Up until about 3 weeks ago, I was losing weight by a complete overhaul of my diet. Then I added cycling into the mix. Right now, I'm just on a stationary trainer. After 3 weeks, it's easy for me to see that I'm hooked. Last night I did 20 miles in 1:12. I wake up planning the days workout. Such a slippery slope...

As a reward for when I hit 250lbs, I will be getting something I can hit the streets on, with a goal of doing a century ride next August.

My question is: Have any of you started at zero (like me) and trained for a goal such as mine? If so, do you have any tips or suggestions? Keep in mind, I am less than ignorant when it comes to the cycline lingo/world.

Thanks in advance,
Dane

rumrunn6

be patient. 1 day at a time, 1 week at a time, 1 month at a time, 1 year at a time, etc. you will improve

do no harm. if something feels tweaked, give it a rest. there will always be setbacks, but you want to avoid an injury that stalls the process entirely. you will be surprised by an unexpectedly great day & a new personal best. can't plan those, they just happen

MRT2

Congrats on starting something new. If you really want to do a century, you will probably want a bike with drop bars. Just FYI. Huge difference between riding stationary trainer and riding outdoors. I can fly along at 18 to 20 mph on a stationary bike. I have a hard time averaging more than 15, and depending on the weather, and the route my average is often even slower. No way I can do 18 of 20 mph outside.

It can be done, and you have enough time to train, but you need to start training outside soon, so you have an idea of what you need to do. It isn't so much distance, but time on the bike. Can you stand riding for 7 or 8 hours straight? Because that is likely what you will need to do. What is the most you can do now? For example, I can do 3 hours straight almost any day of the week. But more than 4 hours and I am running on fumes. But that is me. You need to get outside and start riding so you know how much you can do.

caloso

Congratulations! That's awesome.

dfull

Thank you.
Last night was only the 11th time on the trainer. So far, I've limited my time to an hour with last night being the first time I went to 1:12. If time permitted, I believe I could go 2 hours easily if I didn't push too hard. So far, it's been cardio improvement that's the highest on my list.

Last night's average was 16.7 mph. I knew that it would be way different in the real world but had no idea it would be that much of a speed killer.

BTW, the century my sights are set on is the Hotter 'N Hell 100. Live just over an hour away.

jeromeoneil

Just keep swimming....

DiabloScott

Your first century will be an exersize in pain management and fatigue management. You need to spend a lot of time on the bike getting used to sore neck and sore butt, and you need to learn how to pace yourself so that you'll have plenty in the tank to finish.

The mileage isn't really that hard, but it will be a big accomplishment.

You should probably plan on about 6-1/2 hours ride time, and 8 hours total time.

MRT2

Until OP gets a bike and rides outside, we are all just guessing how long he will take to do 100 miles.

Iride01 

I hope this isn't an attempt to limit who may contribute... it doesn't work with me anyway. I'll always but in even if not wanted.

I had a long hiatus from cycling due to work, kids, and a plethora of other sad excuses. Other than very short trips in the neighborhood I'd say from mid-twenties to about fifty-two, I didn't bike. Certainly not for fitness as I do now.

But if you are considering getting another bike, then I wouldn't spend a lot on one until you get to the weight and general fitness level you want. Things changed in the way my bikes felt as I got fitter and lighter. So any I may have bought would have been wasted money. New bikes loose their value quicker than new cars, IMO.

dfull

Not at all. Thanks for the input!

caloso

OP:

What Iride01 said makes sense regarding the bike you'll want to ride next year. But do you have a bike you can ride outside now? I'm guessing you still have a month of decent riding weather and it would be good to get some actual miles while you can.

elocs

I've never had either a sore neck or sore butt on the bike I ride, but if I did I'd probably get another bike.
Why would anyone want to get used to having a sore neck and butt just to ride a hundred miles?

DiabloScott

Because recumbents aren't for everybody?

Seriously, if you aren't in pain at the end of a century, you didn't do it right; the trick is to make it just the right amount of pain.

elocs

No, only for those who don't want sore necks or sore butts. They're great for viewing the scenery on a century unless you're not into that sort of thing.

Ahhh, so experiencing pain is what it's all about. But I'm very sure that many people have ridden a century without pain. I remember doing it maybe 35 years ago when I hopped on my clunky Schwinn 5 speed (upright handebars, regular seat, and not all the speeds worked) and decided I wanted to ride a hundred miles in one long stretch. So I tied a 6 pack of diet creme soda on my rack and took off for the next city down the Mississippi highway that was 54 miles away. I got there, grabbed something to eat at McDonald's and headed back. The Mississippi does seem to run downhill because I felt like I was going uphill the whole, long way. I remember being one tired duffer when I got home but I don't remember pain. I did it once and never felt the point in doing it again. Plus, being older and wiser about my safety and won't ride next to a highway where vehicles are passing me at 50 or 60 miles an hour.
But I'm pretty sure the point of completing a century is to finish the ride and not necessarily to experience pain unless you are kinky that way.

CliffordK

What kind of bicycle are you considering?

As mentioned above, it may not hurt to start hunting for a solid used bike, but your goals could change over time too.

Road bikes are popular for long distance rides. But, even with that, there is a huge variety available.
Something like hybrids are popular for mostly road riding, and there are some nice ones that muddy the gap between hybrids and flat bar road bikes.

There are many good deals for used bikes, or this is also a good time to start hunting for model year end closeouts.

dfull

[QUOTE=caloso;19937865]OP:

What Iride01 said makes sense regarding the bike you'll want to ride next year. But do you have a bike you can ride outside now? I'm guessing you still have a month of decent riding weather and it would be good to get some actual miles while you can.[/QUOTE

I've got a line on a used Specialized Sirrus SL4. I don't mind the thought of getting something to fill in the gap but don't want to get a clunker. Since I have no idea what to even look for, that's a reasonable chance of happening

Carbonfiberboy 

I started over from scratch at 50, though I had ridden a lot, 30 years previously. I had it in mind to do a double century. Basically, I rode away from home until I was tired, then rode back, mostly on the flattest terrain available. I got up to ~75 mile rides just doing that. Then I started trying to ride up hills, the more hills the better. That increased my strength and allowed me to do longer, more interesting rides. My second summer of riding, I did that double century. I did all this on a couple of old used 10-speeds costing less than $200. After riding the double, I knew about what I wanted in a bike and bought my first (and last) new bike, a Trek with the same frame Lance rode on his 1st TdF win. That was in '99. That's still my favorite single ride. I also have a rain bike and a tandem for riding with my wife.

Maelochs

Having a goal of a century is fine, but not important except as a goal ...

Once you get on a bike and ht the wind, when you have to keep looking around to see the world around you, and when the bike moves as much as you do, you will see that there is not a lot in common between riding an exercise bike and a road bike.

I did something similar with being in excellent shape and throwing it all away and deciding to come back (and I have to say, Congrats, because you are doing a lot better than I.) I planned a tour, and mostly rode a spin bike to prepare. My max outdoor ride was 30 miles in two hours and my usual outdoor ride was an hour.

I didn't think I'd have any trouble with hills. I didn't ride any on the road, but I could really attack high tension on the trainer.

Turns out ....

Anyway, spinning /riding an exercise bike is great fun. I miss it but my work hours increased by 50 percent so ... It is a great way to work on cadence, breathing, smooth pedaling, intervals ... all stuff which is harder outdoors, where the bike moves, the road moves and cars, people and animals also move. Outdoors ... you practice riding a bicycle.

Ignore both the recumbent nuts and the people suggesting pain is normal.

Recumbent bikes and trikes are wonderful, if that is what you want. Check them out of you are the slightest bit interested. They Tend to be quicker on the flats and struggle a little up hills, but there are people who have ridden rebumbents on any road where a diamond-frame bike can go.

However ... most people who want to "ride bicycles" are thinking about diamond-frame bikes. It is good to know there are options, but most people have ridden bikes at some point in their lives and that is what they want. if you have ridden a diamond-frame bike and never a recumbent, it is probably safer to start with a normal bike and check about recumbents later.

Also ... the only time when you will feel pain is when you push your limits or don't have your bike set up right.

There will be some discomfort as you adapt to the very unnatural activity of road cycling. But your body Will adapt. The same is true of any physical activity ... even lying around. Lie around too long and you will get stiff and get kinks in your muscles. Better off riding.

Beyond that ... My current Comfortable limit (depending on which bike I ride) is 25-55 miles. (All of my bikes have different set-ups---some have really low bars and unpadded saddles for good aero and low weight for short, quick rides; others have higher bars and more supportive seats for longer jaunts.)

My limit is my lower back. After 50-60 miles my legs are still alright, but my lower back (and depending on which bike, my neck and trap muscles) will be screaming at me. This is because I rarely ride those distances (see work hours comment above) and I don't do my regular dumbbell/calisthenics exercises often enough. If I did, who knows how far I might be able to ride?

The point is ... if you ride a century after you have been riding 50-mile training rides, you will feel the last 20 miles. If you ride 80-mile training rides, the century might leave you with a little soreness. if you do 30-mile training rides, you will suffer at the end of the century. Has nothing to do with the kind of bike, it has to do with preparation.

I checked out the Sirrus ... carbon flat-bar road bike, right? Looked great. A good bike for fun and for rides (in my opinion and experience Only) upto 30 or so miles.

I like a drop bar for longer rides because I can more easily get lower (more aerodynamic) and have more hand positions. Otherwise the Sirrus seems to have all the good gear you would find on any good road bike.

It is possible if you bought the Sirrus it would suit you perfectly now (I don't mean to be unkind, but I assume you, like myself, have some excess padding around the midsection?) A flat-bar bike Generally offers a more upright riding position. It is equally possible you would want to get a drop-bar bike later on.

When I started back riding I was about where you are now, and I started with a drop-bar bike. With a lot of spacers and a sharply uptilted stem i was able to get the bike set up to accommodate my commodious belly and still offer me some different riding positions. I still have that bike ... with a different stem and few less spacers.

I don't know what the Sirrus would cost---it looks like a Really nice bike, if it is what I am looking at online---but I would suggest starting with something inexpensive for a new bike. For all you know, you will ride on the road five times and decide you'd rather work twice as hard in the gym and forget road-cycling.

Even if you love cycling ... it is probable that the bike you like when you weigh an eighth of a ton will not be the same bike you want later. You will find out what suits you as you put in the hours and the miles ... probably.

On another hand, it is entirely possible that you will ride the Sirrus for the next 17 years and never want anything else.

Who knows?

You might even buy a recumbent.

taz777

Hi Dane, like you I started from zero a couple of years ago. The key for me was to enjoy being healthy so I set myself very long-term goals of a year at a time with very easily manageable goals. I started off just steps per day.

What I found after the first 8 or so months was that I hit a plateau and the weight loss became more difficult.

I then added cycling into the mix and this helped a lot. As the weight came down I started jogging very slowly -almost walking pace.

Finally I added weight training into the mix. All of this ensured that I never got bored, gained new wallet-emptying hobbies in terms of cycling, weight-training and running gear, and that my body never became accustomed to the same routine.

The weight training was the best activity and made the cycling easier.

In summary, variety worked for me, together with not being too hard on my body in terms of exercise intensity.

CliffordK

I don't consider "pain" as part of riding or century rides. Yes, perhaps a bit of wiggling on the seat needed.

The big thing is cumulative fatigue... and one can really start dragging near the end.

Oh, here is the ride:
https://www.strava.com/segments/735818
Hotter'N Hell

The total climbing doesn't look too bad, although there is that segment named Only Real Hill

I think the big thing will be riding in the heat. Hopefully you'll be used to it. Drink lots of water.

I might suggest a two year plan. Try the 2018 Metric Century. Sign up early... just so you'll have a goal. Then ride the 2019 full Century.

CliffordK

Depending on the actual bike, I don't think I'd call any brand name Carbon Fiber bike a "Clunker". If you're 6'1", make sure you find a pretty tall bike. And, then try it out.

Does it have disc brakes?

Do you have complete specs? Photos?

I'd almost encourage you to get a Clunker. Or, maybe snag the Sirrus, but put it in the back of the closet until you hit your 250 lb goal.

If you haven't ridden a bike in 20 years, then expect a bit of a re-learning curve, and I wouldn't do that on a $2000 bicycle. Start with the clunker around the neighborhood, and a few paths and trails. Then once you get 1000 or so miles under your belt, drag out the Sirrus.

Lots of people like flat bar bikes. But, lots of long-distance riders also prefer drop bar bikes. Every little bit of reduced effort helps. Personally I don't believe that there is anything you can do on a flat bar bike that I can't also do on my drop bar bike.

Oh, I see the Sirrus came with 25mm tires. I'd encourage you to mount either 28mm or 32mm tires, more or less. So, make sure it has a little extra clearance. Notes I'm seeing indicate that probably 28mm, and maybe larger. Maybe.

Stormsedge

You can do it. Don't get frustrated. Ride your own ride/pace. Pick the bike that fits and makes you want to ride. I'm 61yo, ~200lb. I started riding serious in January. I rode a Metric century in May and Aug, a century in Sep, and another Metric a couple of weeks ago. For my first century, I picked one that was fairly flat with support every 10-12 miles...I think that really helped me...I get off at every stop to at least shake things out. Plan your rides, ride your plan.

WNCGoater

Okay I'll weigh-in FWIW.
I didn't start riding at all until my mid-50's & after two knee surgeries. I have a hesitancy toward your "goal" at this point, of riding a Century by next August. Nothing wrong with goals per-se but I (and this is dependent on the individual) believe your "goal" at this point should be finding a bike that fits, getting some riding gear and clothing that you will tweak over time for your individual style, losing the weight, and slowly gaining the miles. After you reach a point, then set the goal for a Century. Pushing too hard from the start can cause burn-out or coming to the realization you're not going to meet your "goal".

So bottom line, IMO, just go ride. Get comfortable riding. Find the right bike. Tweak until you get the right gear and comfortable clothing. Lose the weight & slowly build the miles. When you can comfortably ride 60-70 miles without exhaustion and cramping, then set the goal of a Century. That point will come when it comes. don't try to force it.
Maybe one day when you're at 70 miles and feeling strong, just keep going and you'll have your Century.

The first 70-80 miles of a Century is not the problem, but you have to be able to comfortably get there first.

MRT2

You won't know if you can do 2 hours until you do 2 hours. More importantly, what sort of watts are you pushing for those 2 hours?

Pretty much agree. Setting a goal is fine, but don't get discouraged if it turns out the goal is harder to achieve than you anticipated. Or if your goals change. Setting a goal is one thing. Doing what it takes to achieve the goal is another. I have thought about doing an imperial century, but so far and even after years, find myself hitting a wall at around 50 or 60 miles. On some days, my limit is 30 miles. I can do more, but I don't really enjoy it. So I am happier riding 75 to 100 miles per week, every week, for 4 or 5 months, than burning out trying to do something I wouldn't enjoy. But that is me.

As others have said, A person who can ride 70 miles can probably train to ride 100 without too much effort. The person starting from scratch maybe has a lot more work to do to get there. And as I said before, there is a huge difference between riding on a trainer and riding outside. Wind, hills, weather. Even situational awareness, keeping your head on a swivel, balancing. Slowing down for traffic or stoplights. All of those make riding outside a whole different challenge than spinning away in a gym or at home.

Which means you need to train. How many hours a week are you prepared to devote to training for a century? Especially in the winter? I find it hard to put in enough hours outside through the winter, but I live in the Midwest, where cold, shorts days, snow, and ice make it hard to get the kind of hours in on the bike I put in through the spring and summer. But maybe I am just too soft. I know of people who ride almost every day through the winter. But that is not me. Can you get yourself in shape where you can ride 50 or 60 miles without stopping by spring? Try as I might, I cannot do that. Every spring, despite my best efforts, I find myself having to get back into bike shape every March and April, and eventually somewhere around early to mid May, I am feeling more myself on the bike again. You will find out if you can do better with your training. If you can, then you might be on track to do 100 miles by August.

dfull

Thanks, guys.
I think it might be time for me to go into that long story that I didn’t tell in my first post so you know sort of what’s going on.

I am former Navy, stationed at an elite unit, ran a minimum of 6 miles a day, 5 days a week, lifted weights, played court and field sports anywhere from racquet ball to soccer, could swim long distances, and dived. I wasn’t a marathon runner but would not hesitate to say that I was in top physical shape for what was required of me or anything I required of myself.

At age 27, I had a pretty bad fall that resulted in a herniated disc at L5-S1. Because I was in such good shape, I was able to stay off the operating table for years. By the time I was 35 however, the pain took over and all physical activity had stopped, but my athlete’s appetite had not. Soon, I was fat. Not long after that, the back became unbearable and, 12 years ago, I had disc replacement surgery. The hip and leg pain went away but the back still aches 24-7 due to spinal stenosis and permanent nerve damage.

This past August 17th I weighed in at 305. My doc told me that I was pre-diabetic and needed to consider bariatric surgery. He and I grew up together so I was able to talk my friend/doctor into giving me a year to see what I could do about the weight. He wants to monitor my progress so I have an appointment to see him at the end of this month. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I walk in.

Anyway, I’m no stranger to training. I understand the ins and outs. In the short while I’ve been back, I’ve figured out that sometimes I need a little extra recovery time than what I used to. I've got 10 months to get ready for this ride. I know I can do it. What I don’t know much about is cycle training. I think, due to my back issues, I should probably start off with a flat bar bike, hence looking at the Sirrus. I’m the type of guy that wants to know as much about a situation as I can before I go off into the deep end. That’s why I’m on here asking questions. I truly appreciate everything you all are telling me. Keep it coming!