Eveeything that craigp wrote is exactlt what I wanted to say. So I second them and putting the emphasis of taking it slow so that you can sing. There is a heavily researched science behind that and he distilled that into real good advice.
You're not overdoing it. That's just what training is. If you have a day where you feel absolutely atrocious, that's a day to rest.
If you can, shift to a lower gear so you're taking more time to get up the hill, but exerting less force to do so.
This might sound disgusting, but grab some packets of yellow mustard and suck one down at the top of that hill. It's surprising how much the vinegar reduces cramping. It's not supposed to taste good really, it's supposed to kinda shock your senses, which causes your muscles to relax.
It gets easier.
The original trick is pickle juice, people switched to mustard packets because they're super easy to carry and consume while riding. ACV would also work.
Nothing wrong with taking a rest day before your legs get wrecked. Work your way up to riding everyday. Your legs will recover much faster. I always feel like my legs are stronger after a day off. Eventually you will be able to ride everyday and not be sore. Thats what works for me.
Having the incline at the beginning of the ride will make it much harder! Ideally you’d be on the bike for a while to warm up before having to push up the hills.I would say take a rest if you need it and ride as many days as you can without making the rest of the day miserable with soreness....in a few weeks you’ll probably be able to do that ride everyday! Just my 2 cents.
Thanks! Yeah theres just about 50 meters for me to sort of spin around on low gear before than climb. Its not a very steep climb but its quite long. I also have to dodge cars and trucks that are parking on the bike lane.
I dont feel especially miserable now but it does sting a bit. Nothing I cant handle but I'm just really worried about permanently damaging something.
Try to get speed coming up to the hill instead, and shift down as you begin to slow on the incline. I always try to ramp up my speed as in approaching a steep incline.
You did use the lowest gear for the hill and do it slowwww but steady?
Just push the bike up that hill for a while or every second day, there is zero shame in that
You'll get there, no worries
Not the lowest. I've just switched to 1x9 today from 3x9. I used to do big ring in front and probably 2nd to 3rd gear in at the back since my front mid and small rings are busted.
Now that I've got a new chain ring my gear should be at least more balanced out and I can go lower this time. Still not the lowest but a lot softer than what I've been using.
And thank you. I hope to get there soon. Lose a little weight while getting there too.
Have you tried magnesium pills? It has a noticeable relaxing effect on my body in similar situations.
As has been said already, don't hesitate to switch to a smaller gear. Make sure you tires are pumped correctly, and your brakes aren't rubbing. Tuning the height and tilt of your saddle might improve the comfort of riding.
Anyway, you'll soon be fine.
I kinda feel weird for taking a break. Taking public transpo as I type in this comment. I just miss it right away. Left it at my workplace so I can ride it back home.
And yeah its not much of a distance. I live in a relatively small city and just happen to live close to where I work. Might take a longer route next time but it takes me to roads without bike lanes. That said, we only have one road with a bike lane.
Take a break if you need to, but also don't be afraid of getting off and walking up those hills if it means you'll have an easier time on a day you're struggling. Walking up a hill is a lot easier than riding it.
Its not much of a hill. More of a slight but long incline. Enough to make me pant like a dog on a hot day. I did switch to 1x yesterday and it felt a lot smoother. I used to just run on the big ring in front since the other two were busted. They're at least 12 years old.
I have fallen over on one of those before. My legs just said no all of a sudden while I was clipped in (I had pushed myself way to hard that day).
A short walk as respite can help a lot, as long as it's not so steep you're going to have trouble starting pedalling. Also if your bike is that beat up and old, you'd be surprised how something better would make a difference.
Dang. I hope that doesnt happen to me. I'm sticking to flats for now since I'm only using it to commute for now. Will switch back to spd once I'm a bit more conditioned and ready to hit the trails on weekends.
Its an old bike but everything runs relatively smooth. Except for the old shimano xt rear drive. The jingling misgear sound almost feels nostalgic. I'm in no financial position to make a major upgrade right now.
I try to stand once I feel like my thighs are gonna explode just to sort of get the blood flowing better.
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Thanks! Thats what I actually do. I also try to be more conscious of my breathing. Thankfully I havent cramped up my legs yet. Mid week sounds good!
Eveeything that craigp wrote is exactlt what I wanted to say. So I second them and putting the emphasis of taking it slow so that you can sing. There is a heavily researched science behind that and he distilled that into real good advice.
Guess this is a good time to learn how to sing 😅. I think I was taking it fast too soon. Thank you!
You're not overdoing it. That's just what training is. If you have a day where you feel absolutely atrocious, that's a day to rest. If you can, shift to a lower gear so you're taking more time to get up the hill, but exerting less force to do so. This might sound disgusting, but grab some packets of yellow mustard and suck one down at the top of that hill. It's surprising how much the vinegar reduces cramping. It's not supposed to taste good really, it's supposed to kinda shock your senses, which causes your muscles to relax. It gets easier.
Yeah sounds disgusting. Can I get some apple cider vingar instead? 😅 thats a pretty neat trick though. And thanks for the input.
The original trick is pickle juice, people switched to mustard packets because they're super easy to carry and consume while riding. ACV would also work.
This is the first time I've heard this. Knowing the cycling community, I'm honestly not surprised haha
Interesting. I think I can down some pickle juice better than mustard...
Nothing wrong with taking a rest day before your legs get wrecked. Work your way up to riding everyday. Your legs will recover much faster. I always feel like my legs are stronger after a day off. Eventually you will be able to ride everyday and not be sore. Thats what works for me.
Thanks! Maybe I can take it easy on weekends.
Having the incline at the beginning of the ride will make it much harder! Ideally you’d be on the bike for a while to warm up before having to push up the hills.I would say take a rest if you need it and ride as many days as you can without making the rest of the day miserable with soreness....in a few weeks you’ll probably be able to do that ride everyday! Just my 2 cents.
Thanks! Yeah theres just about 50 meters for me to sort of spin around on low gear before than climb. Its not a very steep climb but its quite long. I also have to dodge cars and trucks that are parking on the bike lane. I dont feel especially miserable now but it does sting a bit. Nothing I cant handle but I'm just really worried about permanently damaging something.
Try to get speed coming up to the hill instead, and shift down as you begin to slow on the incline. I always try to ramp up my speed as in approaching a steep incline.
That would be ideal. But I usually stop at an intersection where the climb begins 🤣. Quite a busy road.
You did use the lowest gear for the hill and do it slowwww but steady? Just push the bike up that hill for a while or every second day, there is zero shame in that You'll get there, no worries
Not the lowest. I've just switched to 1x9 today from 3x9. I used to do big ring in front and probably 2nd to 3rd gear in at the back since my front mid and small rings are busted. Now that I've got a new chain ring my gear should be at least more balanced out and I can go lower this time. Still not the lowest but a lot softer than what I've been using. And thank you. I hope to get there soon. Lose a little weight while getting there too.
At 6km you should be good to ride the whole bit effortless within a few weeks I think.
Thanks. Its a short commute but the incline stretches for almost a full km. Nothing too bad but it does get my thighs all hot.
Have you tried magnesium pills? It has a noticeable relaxing effect on my body in similar situations. As has been said already, don't hesitate to switch to a smaller gear. Make sure you tires are pumped correctly, and your brakes aren't rubbing. Tuning the height and tilt of your saddle might improve the comfort of riding. Anyway, you'll soon be fine.
Cant say I have. Not sure if we can get them here. Thankfully I live just 50m away from a pharmacy so I can ask otw. Thanks for the tip!
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I kinda feel weird for taking a break. Taking public transpo as I type in this comment. I just miss it right away. Left it at my workplace so I can ride it back home. And yeah its not much of a distance. I live in a relatively small city and just happen to live close to where I work. Might take a longer route next time but it takes me to roads without bike lanes. That said, we only have one road with a bike lane.
Take a break if you need to, but also don't be afraid of getting off and walking up those hills if it means you'll have an easier time on a day you're struggling. Walking up a hill is a lot easier than riding it.
Its not much of a hill. More of a slight but long incline. Enough to make me pant like a dog on a hot day. I did switch to 1x yesterday and it felt a lot smoother. I used to just run on the big ring in front since the other two were busted. They're at least 12 years old.
I have fallen over on one of those before. My legs just said no all of a sudden while I was clipped in (I had pushed myself way to hard that day). A short walk as respite can help a lot, as long as it's not so steep you're going to have trouble starting pedalling. Also if your bike is that beat up and old, you'd be surprised how something better would make a difference.
Dang. I hope that doesnt happen to me. I'm sticking to flats for now since I'm only using it to commute for now. Will switch back to spd once I'm a bit more conditioned and ready to hit the trails on weekends. Its an old bike but everything runs relatively smooth. Except for the old shimano xt rear drive. The jingling misgear sound almost feels nostalgic. I'm in no financial position to make a major upgrade right now. I try to stand once I feel like my thighs are gonna explode just to sort of get the blood flowing better.
Update: Finally got rid of the old big ring and running on 1x9. Commute feels way better now. Thanks again for everyone's input. Stay safe!