Newbie: Are my lungs stronger than my legs?

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I'm just starting out so forgive me if I sound like a moron. I'm pretty active playing squash and can usually sprint around a squash court for 1.5 hrs at the brink of exhaustion (if I'm playing someone who's pressurizing me a lot). My legs hardly ever feel exhausted. Sometimes in very long points I can feel a burn coming on. Usually my lungs start gasping for air before my legs give out.

Well, a friend has me totally bought into this cycling gig. My first ride (a Look 555) arrived at home last night. I live in Chicago and there is still 2 ft of snow outside so I have been on the stationary bike for a few weeks now. I ride about 1 hr a day. What I find is that my quads start burning quite easily and I am no where near to being out of breath. Is it just that my legs are not used to this particular form of exercise? How do I get beyond this? I want to be able to do some group rides without being dropped in the first 10 mins :confused: .

Thanks for your help

Azzy

A Look 555 for a first bike?

That is dedication! Or you have more money than I do (or both).

In general there is a rule while cycling...

Lower cadence works the legs, higher cadence works the heart/lungs.

In general, a cadence of over 90 RPM is a good target for cycling.

It sounds to me like you are cranking up the resistance on the stationary bike too high. Lower it, and work on pedaling faster.

Once you are on the road, the rule I follow early in the season is easy. Put the bike in agear that feels just a little too easy, then drop down one more gear.

Along with tiring your legs, cycling at a low cadence also is hard on some people's knees... bad news for some of us.

Good luck on your cycling!

Also, it is possible that different muscles are being stressed (relatively speaking) when you are cycling compared to running. I admit that I'm not an expert on this, and so if I am wrong, I would be glad to be corrected. So, in addition to cycling at high cadence and all that, it will just take some time to get used to it. With time, that will go, and you will build up stamina. You shouldn't be worried about that.

Good advice from both contributors.

Fitness for a sport like squash - won't hinder you in terms of cycling but like the others have suggested, your body needs to adjust to cycling fitness as opposed to squash (or any other sports) fitness.

My advice would be (as it is to all newbie's) is to measure yourself initially in terms of distance on the bike, rather than time (speed) on the bike.

The "secret" to getting better on the bike is to get the initial distances done - then you start working on the time (speed) it takes you to complete those distances.
By getting the distances in, you build stamina and your body starts to become accustomed to cycling.
By achieving those distances at a faster speed, you improve your cycling fitness mostly.

Cycling is, in running terms, more of a marathon than a sprint (if roadracing/touring is your preferred type of cycling).
So build the distances slowly - gradually increase the distance covered on a systematic basis.

Good luck.

Thanks guys. I know I'll get there. I was just worried for a bit because it's not like I'm totally unfit. I guess it's fit for purpose.

Azzy.