Get cycling fit: it’s far easier than you think

[@dondonner1095]

&2 years old, Two hip replacements since August 24. I cant wait to get back on the bike shooting for May.

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@dondonner1095 Hope you are back in the bike soon.

[@FredFox-m9v]

I broke my neck of femur at 40. At 61, I was the third fastest first claim member in our club's evening series TT's ( scratch ). It did take a long time to get back to ( very nearly ) 100 % again ( about 5 years ) but i was riding my bike after 5 months. It will probably be less time for you, having new spare parts put in. I had to wait for the healing process. It is never the same as what nature gave you ( just look at Chris Froome and Beloki, i was the same) but pretty close. My right leg is 17 mm shorter than my left, because of the difficulty of fitting the attachment accurately, i think because there was none missing ? At first my brain thought i was walking down a hole every second step but your brain re-evaluates the datum after about 10 days of walking. I was told at the time, that if this had happened about 40 years ago, i would probably died because of the immobility and the circulation problems that causes. It is a very serious injury. Thank goodness canular hip screws were invented as well as a hip prothesis. Good luck.

[@scottsheridan278]

Some people radiate niceness. You are one of those people.

[@clp91009]

My new year’s resolution is to cycle easier and just enjoy myself. I’m fed up with cycling long hard rides taking up all my free time at the weekends. It had stopped being fun and started to become a drag by the end of 2024.

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@clp91009 It’s easily done. It’s important to enjoy it.

[@funofflying15]

Excellent advice Leonard, couldn't agree more 🙂Basically I've started doing exactly what you've suggested with smaller rides of around 22kms, but more of them and frankly I feel far more comfortable and confident in doing so. I'm knocking on 70 years of age and weight around 16st 7lb, but already I can feel the benefits of going out on my bike. Having a dry January also helps lol! Keep up the good work my friend 🙂

[@jollygoodvelo]

Great to hear that it’s working well for you. Ride on!

[@artistglyn]

At 74 I've decided a rowing machine for the winter is my go to. I'm more motivated to do it every day, I don't have to think about the weather and it keeps my base fitness up. I'm lucky enough to be spending a month is Spain next month so so should be in reasonable condition for that. Can't wait for those smooth roads and sunshine.

[@jollygoodvelo]

Enjoy Spain. Sounds fantastic

[@davidbee9563]

Just signed up. I find your honesty and attitude encouraging. This year finds me rebuilding my fitness. I need to be patient and persistent but the legs are feeling better despite the cold and dark. We had 60cm of snow one day this week and I had to shovel the driveway 3 times! I am enjoying riding the fixed gear winter bike with 2.2 semi knobby tires. And have figured out how to dress so far. But we have not had days of -10 to -15C yet that come in February.

[@crazycrochetlady8900]

Great video as always. I've managed a ride a day for 10 days so far. The shortest one was twice round the block lasting 10 minutes but in my defence, it was absolutely pouring with rain and bitterly cold but it still counts in my mind. Amazingly I felt so exhilarated afterwards and really enjoyed it, although I spent more time preparing for it than actually riding!!

[@dermotsheane826]

Words of wisdom for a good beginning to the new year Leonard.

[@jollygoodvelo]

Let’s hope is a great year for all of us.

[@DavidMolloy-x1m]

Great advice, Leonard. I am currently recovering from emergency heart surgery followed by some respitory problems so haven't been on the bike for four months. Was advised to stay off for a while to allow my sternum to heal. Looking forward to getting back on my bike now. Consistency is key!

[@davehollingworth5537]

Yes, that was a Bruce Lee quote - "Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity." And hands-up here if we actually do have any pro-cyclists following Leonardo! 🙋‍♂ Great commentary Leonardo and perfect for early January - time to get back into good habits. Your trip to Cape Town sounds awesome and the perfect motivation to start getting fit (fitter) - I hope you get enough sign-ups! Cheers.

[@Bazza1968]

Winters are tough, I migrated south (Fife!) this week and have escaped minus 10 to minus 20c back home in the Highlands for a positively balmy 0c.... freezing, but I've motivated myself to go out for one night ride and a day ride in this temperature because the clear skies make all the difference- starry moonlit nights and blue sky days and a route through Tentsmuir forest of around 50km (flattish Z2) each day. Zwift tonight and been walking the days in between. My strategy is to do something, ANYTHING, each day, as I know if i take the foot off the pedal this time of year I'll end up making more and more excuses not to go out.... I can accept the inevitable winter weight gain but realise that the rides I enjoy now are in that 45-70 km range, so this year I may just aim for that more frequently. 100km+ rides mess you up for days. Zwift is a lifesaver though. I thought of a night ride tonight but then thought....wise up you old fool, get on the turbo, it's below freezing! Off to a good start though, since the 1st done 25km walking and 252km on the bike...and gained 2kg(....At my elderly mums who is on the verge of residential care, and my diet has gone to hell, I know it sounds like an excuse but stress manifests in this way for me. The bike and walking is me clinging on to sanity right now....and 34 months sober I'd rather pig out on chocolate than get pissed.....)

[@christyfox862]

Good to see you are well Leonard nice to see you

[@jollygoodvelo]

Thanks. I’m almost recovered from my bout of flu.

[@davesimmons8640]

When rebuilding (and I've got a LOT of it to do), I tell myself, "Ride like a kid." As a child, didn't we sometimes hop on our bikes just for something to do? We didn't race, we simply rode because it was more fun than doing our homework. We rode to the street corner (or local store, or whatever) simply because it was fun. No hurry, no time trials, no reason other than to enjoy the act of riding our bikes. That's what I tell myself to do: Just go for a ride to see what's changed, what's new, etc.. No rush, just to 20-30 minutes and have fun in the act of riding. Then rinse and repeat, maybes 5 minutes longer the next day, etc., until you feel strong/fit enough for a workout ride. Anyway, that's what works for me. Continue to heal, Leonardo. See you on the road!

[@grahambowes756]

Good advice. Another three weeks for me to go post op, before I’m allowed to ride again. Looking forward to it, but will ease back in. Chapeau.

[@craigcarr2202]

Great advice little and often is a lot better than one big ride your body gets used to it.

[@jollygoodvelo]

Absolutely!

[@joannelouiserodriguez5966]

Fab video lee ❤ and yes I was doing 16 miles each day Monday to Thursday then club ride Saturday 37 miles sadly Dec 16th 2024 was my last ride aiming to get out training again soon but weather on East Sussex coast horrible atm 🥺

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@joannelouiserodriguez5966 Hey Joanne, yes, sadly I know how bad the weather is at the moment: I’m just along the coast from you!

[@Raymond-Farts]

I have learned some lessons about cycling and my fitness over the last decade. I love riding and I always rode my hardest logging thousands of miles every year. but the last few years I have developed some problems with my health. A pain in my chest seeming to be coming from my heart starts when I first start riding. It goes away after about 15 minutes or so but has been strong enough to scare me and sometimes forcing me to stop for a few minutes. I decided to get it checked out and it seems there may be something serious going on there but I haven't learned yet what's going to happen. Then during the process of the examinations and tests they said I am Pre-Diabetic. I am nowhere near over my ideal weight and I eat pretty good, I may enjoy my cinnamon rolls a bit too much. I think the energy drinks and supplements I use for fueling may have been a large contributor to this because the treatment is just going to be to lower my sugar intake for now. Everyone I know has been shocked when I told them about my issues. The doctor even told me not to ride for a while until we get this resolved. I thought I was fit. I never thought I would develop problems that would require me to take medications but it's looking like I my life and fitness are going to get more complicating.

[@shaddapforever]

Glad to see that you decided to go and get it checked out. Too many people wait too long or just ignore the signals. In some way we are all secret eaters and likely will be shocked when we see the real amount of sodium and sugars we eat in our daily life. Lastly I recon going hard each time is not the way to go. Got to give your body a break. If you follow some of the pro's on Strava, you will notice that a lot of their rides are long and "easy". Give your body a break, it is a great tool and has an amazing function that it can repair itself. I recon you could ride if you do calm rides. Its hard for me too, just seeing a plastic bag fly by me carried by the wind is sometimes enough to trigger me. :D Good luck.

[@matthiasleven5605]

That`s so true.

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@matthiasleven5605 Thanks.

[@Twisi55]

Whenever Leonard says to click on the link below to do this or that,nothing ever appears on my screen! Can anyone advise as to what may be going wrong? Thank you.

[@spyrop.8428]

I'm 51 years old 1.95m and just bought a carbon gravel bike to celebrate the fact that I am 130kgs (down from 150). After 2 years of cycling on an ebike I feel strong enough to ditch the electricity. Problem is I'm too scared to stand on the pedals and really push down hard because I'm probably still a little over the weight limit, I have broken spokes and even a pedal before (which ended up very painfully). I should probably take it easy until I lose another 10kgs or so, right? Or should I just push it? The guy at the bike shop swears I'll be fine but how strong are those carbon bikes really?

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@spyrop.8428 That’s not an easy question to answer as different bikes have different weight limits.

[@spyrop.8428]

@@jollygoodvelo It's a Jamis Renegade C2 for what it's worth. They don't actually give a weight limit in the specs, but that was the whole point of getting a gravel bike because they're supposed to be built a little stronger, more spokes etc. When it came down to the frame it became complicated because the same bike was available in steel and carbon frame in a similar price, but a couple of people told me that modern carbon frames might actually be just as strong as steel and I would enjoy the extra stiffness. I don't know. One way to find out I guess, wish me luck :)

[@jollygoodvelo]

@ Good luck! All I will say is that I personally have never had any issues with a carbon frame.

[@CountryB4Party]

All carbon frames that I’m aware of can handle your weight easily. The Jami’s is no exception. Your wheels are another story. At your weight you should consider a custom wheel set designed for someone your size. Having said that, if it were me I would ride what you have and stay on top of spoke tension. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll experience catastrophic failure. The rims should be fine. Broken spokes are your biggest risk. It’s also possible to damage the freehub on cheaper hubs.

[@spyrop.8428]

@@CountryB4Party Thanks. I just received the bike today and according to the manual the weight limit for the rider is actually 136kg plus another 14kg for luggage, so I should be fine. First ride and everything felt great, although I'm still hesitant to stand up on the climbs and put my full weight on the pedals. Still traumatised from breaking that pedal when I was 150kg. I'll get over it eventually, losing some more weight will help my confidence. Thanks again!

[@kvalvagnes]

After 2-4 weeks your not back to sq-1 ...I think ... its quite easy to get back from that. When I was 54 - and in a good shape- I did the mistake of quitting my gym payment, and bought a treadmill and some weights to do home training... that was a big mistake and started a decline that left med at a bad shape and at 132kg when 63,5 yo. But when I stated serious training again - gym, walks and treadmill I lost 10kg fast and got in much better shape - then corona and I started cycling... after 4 mnts I did 50-60 up to 90km forest gravel roads with a lot og climb. But it was too much only cycling - so when I tried to go cross country skiing the winter after - I found basic skills balance and core strength had been lost...When 50+ losing muscles becomes a big issue...old people get immobile bec of muscle loss - then dies. Cycling is good for cardio - but strengt training is essential as you get older, and to keep away from injuries.

[@shaddapforever]

I want to give some love to creatine the S-tier supplement.

[@jollygoodvelo]

I tried creating for a month but I’m not sure I could feel much of a difference.

[@shaddapforever]

@jollygoodvelo at the start I was like you also unsure if I could feel or see any difference. But now I do notice that I can dig deeper on hard rides and have more in the tank. Also could be due to the more zone 2 training i have been doing. Likely a combination of both. At the very least doctors and scientist support creatine and it is fairly inexpensive compared to other supplements.

[@flipczech]

I’m in the US, and have not been on my bike in any real way since the elections here.

[@mortenthenorwegian2875]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@mortenthenorwegian2875 Thanks Morten