That sounds more like a real challenge for the title, well done cooper!

The more I think about it, trans rockies just sounds like a biking holiday without the beer. 😉

Give me some good websites to have a read through

If you really want to get good, but Joe Friel’s The Mountain Biker’s Training Bible.

+ TransRockies is no more, new event called SingleTrack Six has taken it’s place

This is based on the fact that when I ride at a trail centre or something I usually end up overtaking a lot of people up hill

That’s no indication though. You only overtake the ones who are significantly slower than you – you have no way of knowing who’s as fast or slightly faster because you never see them. There could be 10x as many people going the same speed 🙂

I think I hit my fitness peak around 2008, local rides multiple times a week, trips away round the UK etc. However since then I’ve steadily ridden less and less and now haven’t touched a bike for months. I fear for my waistline/arteries as my food intake has remained the same 🙁

I’m 5’6″

At 23 I got Sober and decided to get fit, I was cycling everywhere and 3-4 sessions in the gym a week

I ended up 9.5 stone (From about 13ish), resting Heart beat of 44 beats a minute and a recovery time from 80% of maximal HR to resting in 1min 20s

That was my fittest

Started cycling again reasonably seriously about 5 years ago
Club rides, regular MTB rides at the weekend etc
But not really losing huge amounts of weight

Jan 2012, I had had enough when I looked in the mirror at 12st6 so I started on the “iDave” Diet.

I lost 19lbs in 3 or 4 months and dropped back down to 11st1 which made a huge difference to performance uphill on a bike and I felt much better.

2nd child had by then arrived, with some complications etc, got out on 2 wheels about 4 or 5 times in the next 12 months, Diet slipped as it requires quite a bit of preparation and discipline, and there was so much else going on in our lives that something had to give.

Now, riding to work 5 miles each way on the cargo bike 3-5 days a week
and a ride of some sort at the weekend.

Still cant sort the discipline / diet out with any sort of regularity

Back up at 12st 7 🙁

Diet needs to happen again, but I`m normally so knackered, that I cant face thinking about preparing a meal at the end of the day, so just eat something convenient / quick

I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, dont do drugs, 41 this month and it gets harder to lose it each time.

Other than MTFU I don’t know what to do next really ?

Smoking and drugs help 😛

That’s no indication though. You only overtake the ones who are significantly slower than you – you have no way of knowing who’s as fast or slightly faster because you never see them. There could be 10x as many people going the same speed

Yeah true, not exactly the best measure but the overtaking combined with the majority of them being overweight and (presumably) middle aged leads me to believe my fitness should be a bit better. I know I’m not really that fit though as I regularly get dropped on the road bike and like I said my running is poor.

I’m back to squatting my own body weight again, however that’s only 75kg so I don’t know if that’s really very impressive either 😆

Like a lot on here I guess – fitter than at least 80% of the people in the office but average at best as a cyclist. Was 12th out of 18 in my first race as a Grand Vet on Sunday. Good job I’m 50 though – would have been 26 out of 28 if still a Vet 🙁

Diet needs to happen again, but I`m normally so knackered, that I cant face thinking about preparing a meal at the end of the day, so just eat something convenient / quick

slow cooker! Perfect for iDiet meals as you can bung in loads of beans/lentils. Get up a few minutes earlier and put it on in the morning. That and steak/chicken/fish with microwaved veg (takes bugger all time) are my staple healthy meals when pressed for time

I cook an iDiet compliant chilli in the slow cooker which does my lunches all week, loads of veg and pulses.
I have Protien shakes sorted for breakfast as I cant always stomach that many eggs in the morning, its the evenings I struggle with…..
Pasta is a real weakness especially when its like 3 minutes to cook 😳

Really don’t know how people find the time to fit riding in (enough to get properly fit) with work, getting stuff done around the house, spending time with partners, family & friends etc. And I don’t have kids.
I barely find the time to maintain fitness, let alone improve it!

Not that hard for some. I was a county XC runner at school, and we did cyclo cross at school which was rare for the early 70’s.
I’m 53 and never stopped when I left school.
Started racing proper at 15.
I work 7am to 5pm, but have always worked near to home so I’m back before 5.15pm and that gives me free time. Better than commuting for money IMO.
My first boss said never work weekends (not good for the familly), so I never have. Wouldn’t trade my health for money.
Got kids and grandchild. rode nights, went for runs, did weights and turbos when they were babies.
Just saying what might be a hard task for some might not be such a sacrifice for others.

campkoala – Member

What’s the hardest mtb race in the world?

Mountain Mayhem innit

Like the pies and ale too much to be cycling fit, but I am fit enough to trundle along any one day mountain bike ride this fair isle has to offer. That’ll do me tbh, I have modest goals in this department.

I would like to be fit enough to accommodate multi-day riding. Not even because I aspire to do it, necessarily, just that it would be nice to go out for an epic and not be totally wiped out by the end. Get up the next morning and feel like you could do the same again. Seems like this would require quite a step up in fitness.

Ha ha.. So you don’t really ride all that much, think it sounds a bit too much effort to but would like to be able to? Fair doos, ‘least you’re honest 😉

Anyone wondering how to find the time? Have a think about what do you actually do that’s productive with your spare time? and what do you do that’s not? Try giving up some of the unproductive time/things you do and head out on your bike, 10hrs a week is easy enough if you don’t sit around watching TV in the evenings or spend time on forums for example. You’ll more than likely have more energy than you did previously once you get into a habit of riding more. Guessing most of you manage maybe one decent length ride over the weekend already so during the week try not to drive to ride but ride from the door and you’ll free up even more time.
Also, always having your bike and cycling kit ready means you can head out at less than 5min notice. I sometimes wish I could commute at times as that’s dead time for many.
Anyway just blethering, probably incoherently when I should really be in my bed.

Night all!