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From: jdreyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Jon Dreyer)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Request Advice on Training for a Bike Trip
Message-ID: <256@bbnccv.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Apr-85 18:52:41 EST
Article-I.D.: bbnccv.256
Posted: Tue Apr 23 18:52:41 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Apr-85 05:05:08 EST
References: <697@rayssd.UUCP>
Reply-To: jdreyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Jon Dreyer)
Distribution: net
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 49
Summary: 

In article <697@rayssd.UUCP> hxe@rayssd.UUCP writes:
>What sort of things should I be doing to get ready? (I'm not going -
>if I can go at all - for at least three months.)  What kind of
>regimen should I start now?  What sort of things should I watch out
>for?  How do I know I'm over- or under-training?  (I have a tendency
>to overdo.)  What do you do to get your rear end prepared to spend
>all day on a bike for a week or so?  (only half (-: )

I too have been bicycling (and racewalking!) to avoid further
destruction of my knees by running.

Most training advice is the same as for any other endurance sport:
start with short and slow, and move to long and fast gradually,
slightly more deliberately than you feel ready for.  Vary your training
to concentrate on speed or hills one day and distance another.
Hard/easy days.  And so forth.  Note that this is the way to prepare
your rear end as well as your legs, neck, arms, skin, writsts, back,
etc.

Some bicycle-specific things:  Don't lug the high gears!  Start out
using very low gears and keep a high cadence.  A good touring cadence
is something like 80 rpm, which is much higher than most beginners feel
natural with.  This is particularly important if you have bad knees.
Make sure your position on the bike is good, but play with it a bit if
your knees hurt.  For example, I ride slightly out-toed with my knees
pointed inward.  This isn't what the books say, but it works better
with my bizarre bone structure.  Make sure you have a comfortable (not
necessarily soft) saddle.  Use as much padding on your hands as
possible, with padded grips and gloves.  WEAR A GOOD HELMET.
Funny-looking cycling shorts and shoes really help.  Make sure you have
plenty of low gears (granny if possible).  You need much lower gears if
you are carrying stuff.  Make sure your bike fits you.  Even today,
most bikes are built to fit men, who have skinny pelvises and long
torsos compared to women, so women often find that the top tubes and/or
handlebar stems are too long and the saddles to skinny.  If your top
tube is too short you are out of luck unless you can compensate by
moving your saddle forward and getting a shorter stem.  If you notice
that your neck hurts a lot even after you are in practice (from holding
your head up at that ridiculous angle) you may have this problem.

I have gone on three significant tours and never trained enough for any
of them.  You can always consider the tour to be part of your training.
You don't have to spend all your time on the bike; it's nice to take a
day off here and there or a few hours to swim, eat, hike, meet natives,
or whatever.  But it is true that the better shape you're in, the less
you'll suffer.

Jon Dreyer	{ihnp4,decvax}!bbncca!jdreyer
		jdreyer@bbnccv.arpa