Well done for signing up Sally
I’ve got some tips for you;
Riding/pedalling
Choose a small, comfortable gear that you can pedal at around 70-80rpm. If you’ve got a computer with cadence (rpm) it’s easy to monitor. Don’t ride round in a big gear that is difficult to push round - even on the flat.
As a guide, I ride at 85-90rpm for 2-3 hours.
To find a comfortable gear, you can calculate gear inches (the distance your bike travels in one complete revolution of your pedal/cranks) by counting and noting the number of teeth on your chainset (the large rings attached to your pedals/cranks) and the number of teeth on each of your freewheel sprockets (the small ones on the rear wheel axle). Then use the gear calculator at
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/Sheldon Brown has a wonderful web site with loads of more useful stuff than I can ever spout. Don't let the beard put you off (sadly he passed away last year).
Again as an guide, I ride approx 68-72 inches and can keep up with most people. As a junior we were limited to 76inches while racing and could turn out quite good times.
Distance
30 miles at a time is fine – you should aim to do it in around 2 hours, assuming an undulating course with a few hills. When you’re comfortable with this distance and time, then up the speed/distance a little. Try to get out two or even three times a week. If you can’t spare the time, even a hour or so is better than nothing. Try and find a route that suits you and ride it regularly, concentrating on reducing the time each ride for the same distance.
Mid May, I would suggest trying to ride consecutive days (same distance, same route) just to see how you feel. Or go for a longer ride (say 3-4 hours/40-50 miles).
Don’t worry if 50 miles feels too much – when you’re in a group it’s a lot less effort to cycle, as a lot of the time you’re sheltered from the wind by the rider in front.
Food/drink
Drink regularly – I take plain water on a ride and will have a sip every 10 or so minutes. Remember you’re losing fluid after about half an hour of cycling, so it’s important to replace it.
Likewise food – if you’re working for over an hour, you should eat while riding. The science says 1g of carbohydrate per kilo of body weight per hour. I normally eat half an energy bar per hour – the bars I use are 300cal. Or just eat a banana per hour or a small sandwich that you can eat while riding. Again, you’re expending energy while riding and need to replace this while working – not just at the end.
Don’t avoid eating and drinking while riding – you’ll just run out of fuel and end up bonking (cycling term, similar to ‘the wall’ in running) which is not pleasant, gives you a problem with getting home and puts you off going out riding again.
Riding in a group
This will be important to keep the group speed up, so if you can, find a local cycling club that has regular rides. Most are friendly and will welcome you, some may be a bit sniffy and may even drop you on a ride (stupid but it does happen). Let me know if you find a club – I might know someone there.
I’ll post some stuff on group riding as if we all stick together, we will go faster for longer and with less effort.
Hope this helps and please come back to me if anything doesn't make sense - or mail Nikki your contact details and I can talk some stuff through with you.
