need help wid beginin to ride

[HAVOC]

OK heres da deal i am 19yo when i went to HighSchool i was relatively fit as i participated in lots of sporting activities such as soccer rugby league an such (never at da top level of course just for fun) this ment i was exercising like once a day! for atleast 90min but since i have left HighSchool and started uni i havent been involved in any sports as such and have only been gettin in like 2hrz of exercise a week this has led me to gain an extra car tire (so to speak). anyways i have just been given a road bike by a friend of the family nothing fancy just an old (like early to mid 80s bike) and am considerin takin up bike ridin to get back into shape. i live in Sydney next to the centennial park which has a 12 Km bike circuit on it. basically wat i am lookin for is any tips or advice of anything basically on how i shud go bout trainin? do it in da mornin? arvo? how many Kms should i do? wat kinda rate? how often ?? etc etc so any comments guys? any help would be Greatly appreciated! cheerz

 

[J-MAT]

HAVOC:

Go out on the 12 km path and ride it once. Did you enjoy the experience??? If so, start doing more kilometers. 40 kilometers is a decent distance for a recreational rider looking to get some fresh air and burn off some of that "tire" you are developing.

Riding slowly, 40 km's ought to take 1.5-2 hours. Don't jump into 40 km's right away though. Go from 12 km to 20-25-30 km's etc. Build up slowly. Consistency is important. You want to develop a "base." The base is a foundation of easy riding that prepares your body and most importantly your knees for faster and longer rides. Generally, ride 30 minutes to 1 hour 3-5 times a week to start. Most riders with jobs train 5-10 hours weekly for recreational riding, and 8-15+ hours if racing. Pro riders usually train 20-40 hours a week.

I love the sun and heat, and I don't like getting up early either. That's my preference. What's yours??? Train whenever you feel like it most. Unfortunately, if you get into riding and don't like to get up early and start riding in groups or racing, you will find you have to get up early. For my favorite time trial, I have to get up at 0530 on a Sunday morning and drive 125 kilometers one way to make a 0900 start time.

Start slow, and gradually build up to more. Your pace should be one that doesn't make you breath overly hard. If you can't carry on a converstion comfortably, slow down a little.

At 19 years old you are getting a spare tire. Dude, just wait till you hit 30. It's all downhill from there!!! Developing healthy lifestyle habits now will serve you well later in life. Even if you don't race or want to ride hard, riding easy 3-5 times a week for an hour or so will do wonders for your overall health. The 12 km circuit sounds like a good way to meet some ladies as well!!!

Good luck!!!