I’m pretty bike fit these days, did 40 miles on the road bike yesterday at around 18mph including some decent hills (up to Newlands corner from Kingston Via Byfleet for anyone who knows it) no problems. Felt pretty good when I got back. Then this morning rode another 3 hours on the MTB taking in Holmbury Hill, Pitch, Winterfold etc decent enough pace, fair few climbs etc etc. Did the LtB a few weeks back 75 miles no worries and an OK time. I can’t run for toffee though, 1/2 a mile and I’m properly done and have to stop. I hate running, also run up a few flights of stairs and I’m breathless for a bit but fine after a short time. Anything that requires long sustained effort I’m all good but short sharp stuff (off the bike) and I’m in bits. What can I do about this? Am I decently fit or kidding myself because riding bikes is easy?

Riding bikes is easy.

Best get myself down the gym then!!

Best get myself down the gym then!!

I would recommend the exercise bikes…possibly on a treadmill.

…failing that badminton/squash/running/5-a-side/circuit training etc

40 miles on road is bugger all. I probably couldn’t run for more than a minute though.

Screw the gym get yourself a sufferfest video, a turbo and a bucket for your vomit – that’ll sort you out.

I should prolly add I was commuting 160 miles a week by bike until about 4 weeks ago.

Running utilises different sets of muscles to cycling. So you may be cycling fit but not running fit. Good cardio will help make it easier, but if you want to get better at running then run more. I find the same thing with swimming, I go so infrequently and my technique is so bad that I can only manage a length or two before I’m wrecked.

Rode 12 miles off road yesterday trying to keep up with regular bikers…. first time on mtb for over a year and im **** today!

now i Gym 3-4 times a week, cardio, core fitness and some weights but I was surprised how my “Bike” fitness had dropped off and also the different muscles you use….

Borrowing a bike that didnt fit / suit me wont have helped but i need to be out on the trails more!

That. Hardly worth the effort of going out 🙂

Well, despite being over 50 and over-weight I started going out running a couple of years back, having never really run since leaving school. Despite all the STW-led predictions that I would knacker myself by doing so, I found it was reasonably easy to knock off a 5km run and wasn’t long before I was doing 10kms. I wouldn’t pretend I was quick (*) but I think there’s a point at which you go through some sort of pain/fitness barrier, find a rhythm, and keep going. Without getting all metaphysical, I think you need to try that out.

* Edit: just checked Endomondo and my fastest 10km is 54 minutes.

» 40 miles on road is bugger all.

Hill reps, high intensity reps, recovery rides. You can do a lot of good work in 40 miles.

Running utilises different sets of muscles to cycling.

I see this line trotted out quite regularly on here, but despite being a physiotherapist I do not understand it. Can you please explain it to me?

To the OP – Cycling is not really a weight bearing activity, but running is just that.

That’s not what he did tho blobby.

OP what fitness do you want and why? Getting fur running is easy – you’ve just got to start slow and build up distance

*molgrips to the thread*

Thanks for the encouraging words you supermen, princes all. My road ride was fine for a sat morning pootle round the local area, I’ve seen many a proper roadie blowing it out of their arse on the climb up to Newlands and there a good few hills between here and there thanks. My question was simply does being OK at cycling (allowing for the fact that apparently a hilly 40 miles is a child’s ride) imply a decent general level of fitness or just that I’m used to riding? This is largely driven by the man down thread, being mid 40’s and thinking about things too much.

There is different “fitness” and I do know what you mean. Transferring from one type, 40 miles at a ploddy clip (roadies would consider 18mph average as a pottle) to short sharp sprints can show up your perceived unfitness.

I’ve never been good at endurance type activies. Short bursts of high output has always been my forte. I could play rugby at No 6 at a reasonable level for about 30 minutes. 50 minutes of pure hell and no use to anyone. Short hills, I can sprint up them at good times. Pass the bucket at the top. No good for anything for 5 minutes. Then I can do it over again. Recovery time is always pretty good.

To improve your “overall fitness” you have to train at different levels at different disciplines. For short burst fitness try squash or curcuit training. I used to train with the rugby club doing curcuits, squash, swimming and cycled everywhere. Was still no good at endurance events though.

40 miles on road is bugger all. I probably couldn’t run for more than a minute though.

yup, but averageing 18mph isn’t shabby.

I’ve just started to run and actualy don’t find it too bad, starting on a 5 mile loop and aiming to run about 3 of it in .75-1 mile sections, walking in between when something begins to ache.

I’m terrible at running too – a few months ago I thought I’d give it a go though. I consider myself reasonably fit on the MTB.

One thing I have noticed is that although I was starting off slowly, after 2-3 runs I was feeling better/ faster and I ran a 10k just for the hell of it on the 4th or 5th run. I.e. I seemed to improve very quickly – I think a base cardio fitness has a lot to do with it. I’m still nowhere near as fast a runner as my mate (but I kick his ass on the bike). Go figure.

Glupton would you say running up hills (fell running), would be beneficial to mtbing up hills, in my experience it doesn’t really help beyond a base level, but then again it might be something to do with, trying to push a 36 tooth ring up pretty sustained climbs and not really seeing any gains.

“general level of fitness” is very vague – looking at it from a health/longevity perspective:

I’d bet for CV fitness you are in the top 5%, so that is good, if you eat well and don’t overdo booze etc it’s looking good.

You might be crap in a gym or on an assault course, but who cares?

One concern is bone weakening through not doing a weight bearing exercise, others lack of core strength and muscle imbalance

I’m quite bike fit and try running to keep me generally fit but struggle big time. Being quite well built I find my knees hurt too much, also not having done much running I burn myself out to quick!

I do find working core routines helps a lot more with running than biking fitness.

What can I do about this?

Try road racing. I find there is
Commuting fit
Sportive fit
.
.
.
.
Racing fit

And it’s a big jump. I don’t run. Based on your core commuting mileage, you’re probably fit enough to hang with a bunch in Cat4 over an hour (25 mph). Have a go!

Getting out of breath isn’t an indication of lack of fitness, it’s recovery time that’s important…isn’t it?

Having said that, I’ve never been as fit as when I was running 30 miles a week, irrespective of how many bike miles I now do. Unfortunately constant issues with my knees got frustrating and I stopped, and started MTB’ing, which I seem to be able to do as much as I like of, without injury.

I play rugby at a reasonable level and spent the summer doing preseason fitness training, but then got back on my bike after a couple of months off riding and got utterly destroyed on some of the climbs! Fitness for Rugby was fine, for biking was awful!

I think some of it must be some sort of innate fitness/ability.

I can swim 5k no problem, can’t run 5k though.

I see this line trotted out quite regularly on here, but despite being a physiotherapist I do not understand it. Can you please explain it to me?

I’m not a physio and know nothing 🙂 What I do know though is that I ran seriously for years and bikes use to go into hibernation for the winter. When I’d get the bikes back out after a winter of running I’d be race fit but riding felt like bloody hard work. Usually took about three weeks of riding for it to feel ok. Probably more some sort of adaptation rather than different muscles given the timeframe.

Oh and as has been said, there is likely a big difference between someone who just goes for a ride/run regularly and someone who trains specifically to race.

Sportive fit

Do you think it’s possible to get sportive fit in five hours though?

Best STW fitness thread ever

OP – Ignore the usual dickheads talking the usual guff, I’m sure you know if you’re fit or not.

You’re basically describing the difference between aerobic and anaerobic fitness aren’t you? I’d guess that you know how to hold your effort at the anaerobic threshhold on the bike, but not while running etc.

(Disclaimer: I am not a physiotherapist, or even very fit)

the answer is you cant be good at everything if you want to be a runner then run. if you want to be a cyclist cycle. I used to cycle constantly and was fairly quick. now I spend 5 days a week in the gym. gym work changes your composition massively I notice it a lot more where as riding just seemed to make me smaller… I prefer to enjoy the odd mtb ride at a quickish pace but look half decent at the same time 😀