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Ok so my work finally talked me into joining their bike team which competes in the American Cancer Society Bike-a-thon in July in Philly!

I've NEVER really biked in my life...I mean I ride my bike to work...but that is like maby 2 miles away if that!!! and I have a mountain bike!

So i wanted to know if any one knew any good workouts to get in shape......and any suggestions in general for biking!

AND if anyone else plans on being there at the event!

We are training for it...so its not like iam just going to hop on a bike and go for 65 miles! ;)

Thanks guys!

My best advice to you is to pick a speed that is a little over your comfort level and work your way up. So. For example , If you ride 2 miles to work at 10 mph take the speed up to 15 mph and go ride for 4 miles or 3 . Do this until you max out your bikes speed . I/E the point that you and the bike will go as fast as comfortably possible . You have a mountain bike , So, if you have a good set of slicks you can do about 16/17 mph on a good clip. By doing this you will you will increase speed and duration . And if you do not have a set of slicks get some. You will be so happy you did .


Good luck.

a lotta stuff to cover, email me direct if you want. You'll find some stuff by me at Forum>Sports>Cycling

I bike an MS150 every summer. (Multiple Sclerosis charity tour)
Also ride a hard tail.
When I don't have much training time, I concentrate on hills.
General knowledge is if you can comfortably do 1/3 the distance, you can handle the total w/o too much stress.
Don't neglect your core strength....abs work helps with form and endurance in the saddle.
Kudos for taking on the challenge!

thanks guys! I will try!
bike shopping right now...something tells me my $99 Mt. bike from Target isn't going to cut this! ;)

dtothes84 saidOk so my work finally talked me into joining their bike team which competes in the American Cancer Society Bike-a-thon in July in Philly!

For everyone's information here is a link to the site for that event:
http://community.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=17890&pg=entry

Beaux saidI bike an MS150 every summer. (Multiple Sclerosis charity tour)

Here is a website for that:
http://www.bikems.org/
also
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/get-involved/events/bike-ms/index.aspx
and a few more
http://charitymile.com/blog/category/causes/multiple-sclerosis/
http://charitymile.com/blog/category/athletic-events/cycling/

I've found that doing cardio on the step mill (that would be the moving escalators) is great for quads and butt, I think it's helped me mt biking too. Seems I have more strength climbing. Although I have to say, it did nothing for me while flying over the handle bars and sticking into the ground....oh well.

here's my two cents = I love critical mass !

read more about it here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass

dtothes84 saidthanks guys! I will try!
bike shopping right now...something tells me my $99 Mt. bike from Target isn't going to cut this! ;)

When it is not winter here I ride my bike everyday, everywhere. I got my bike from a used bike shop for $60 and aside from a chronically squeaky brake I have not had a problem in the four years I have used it. So, you don't have to pay premium prices for a good bike.

haha...I JUST went to this bike shop...and the USED ones where like $350!!

I found one at Walmart for $150...looks like I am getting it...cause I need to get this bike and get going!!!

When choosing a bike, two important things to consider are sizing and weight.

I'd go to a bike shop first to find out what size fits best.
When you're shopping, ignore bikes that don't fit.
From what's left, it's often a trade off between weight and cost.

I got a hard tail (mountain bike w/ suspension fork only) 'cause I want to be able to go off road and can't justify having more than one bike. It's heavier than a road bike and isn't geared for as much speed. But it's rugged and doesn't require me to have my knees in my face while pedaling.

Also bikes are model year specific like cars.
You may be able to find a deal on a 2008 model.

you can find good bikes no ebay or on http://www.pinkbike.com/. And definitely find out what size bike you need.

Since you're new to biking, you may find this site interesting:

How to Not Get Hit by Cars
important lessons in Bicycle Safety
http://bicyclesafe.com/

dtothes84 saidhaha...I JUST went to this bike shop...and the USED ones where like $350!!

I found one at Walmart for $150...looks like I am getting it...cause I need to get this bike and get going!!!

Ok but replace the seat with a good one. You and your prostate will thank me in the near future!!

Nice thing to do Congrats on picking a great organization to donate your time and efforts to. Good Luck!!

Go to a bike shop and have them fit you to a frame size and at the same time you can try out different saddles. Then shop around to find a bike that you can afford. Make sure to check eBay…
Buy a comfortable pair of padded cycling shorts. If you’re riding 65 miles, you’ll be on your bike for 3-4 hours – your bum needs to be conditioned to sit on a bike saddle for that amount of time.

When I decided to do my first AIDS LifeCycle I hadn't ridden a bike since High School. Getting onto a bike, let alone a bike with many speeds, with clip in shoes, and without a banana seat was scary. It'll take time but you'll figure it out! And then you'll be hooked.

Take the advice above and get the bike professionally fit at a bike shop. This should not be a quick tune up. The person should take a good look at your body mechanics and adjust pedals, handlebars, seat, etc. to best suit your body. Everyone's legs and arms are different lengths, and your degree of flexibility in your back and shoulders can also be a big factor. If you're going to spend that much time in the saddle, you're going to want to be as comfortable as possible.

Ride with a group or a buddy. I started to get into the rhythm of cycling by going on ALC training rides. This was great for learning good bike routes. But after that I dropped the group and just went on my own with a partner. I suggest always riding with a partner when you're a novice training. If you get a flat, for example, which is inevitably going to happen, it's just a nice relief to know you're not alone.

Train in the gym! The stationary bike is a great way to build up those peddling muscles for when you only have a small period of time. I used to put the bike on the random program to try and simulate the variability of the outdoors.

Good luck with your training!

If you use your mountain bile put road tyres on it. Those nobbly bits use a lot of energy up.