Riding again for the first time in 20 years

I have a trip to the Netherlands coming up in Autumn and my friend Mike and I will likely be doing some bicycle riding as we won't be renting a car, plus it is difficult to get around via car there anyway. Therefore he has lent me a bike so I can get used to it before the trip.

When I was younger I used to ride my bicycle all of the time during the spring, summer and fall. I had no problem riding for long periods of time, up and down hills and at good speeds. However when I began riding recently I discovered I'm not the rider I used to be. The first time I had to give up after 30 minutes, although I was exhausted after 15. The second time I made it 45 minutes, and the third I only did a half-hour again--but that day it was 90F with 67% humidity so that might be why I was so whipped.

Is there any good way to help build up my stamina? It just seems I peter out so quickly and I don't know why. Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions.

i used to do hundred mile and longer rides at over 16 mph ... and i did 25 mile rides at over 22 mph ... those were the good old days ...

i haven't ridden much over the last five years or so ... when i started riding again, i could barely handle a half-hour ride at a much slower pace ... conditioning returns gradually but steadily ...

a 30 minute ride when you're not in shape is plenty ... do that everyday for a week or two ... don't worry about speed at all and avoid monster hills if you can ... walking up them is better than riding up them when you're out of shape ...

don't try to go from 30 minutes to 45 minutes ... that's a 50% increase ... you have plenty of time to build up gradually ... if you get injured by overdoing it or if you're so out of breath that you're suffering, you're much less likely to stay with it ...

also, i'm a big fan of "cross-training" ... try to add a second aerobic activity that stresses different muscles ... swimming is a great addition to bike riding ... if you can ride 4 or 5 days a week for 30 minutes and swim maybe 2 days a week for 30 minutes, you'll be in great shape before you know it ...

there's no exact formula but you might try something like:
week 1: 30 minutes each day
week 2: some at 30 minutes and one or two at 45 minutes (but slower)
week 3: some at 40 minutes and two at 50 minutes (but slower)
week 4: some at 50 minutes and one or two at 75 minutes (but slower)
week 5: some at 60 minutes and two at 90 minutes (but slower)
week 6: some at 60 - 75 minutes and two at 120 minutes (but slower)

the basic rules of this approach are:
1. don't increase by more than 10% a week
2. LSD = long, slow distance (don't increase speed and distance together)
3. cross-train - give tired legs, knees, back a day off with an alternative exercise
4. don't add in hill training until you're a little stronger

the most important point is to understand that slow and steady wins the race ... don't be judgmental about how poorly you think you're doing ... the goal is regularity, not speed and distance ...

and one last thing, riding in 90 degree heat is pretty tough ... if you have any flexibility in your schedule, try to pick a cooler part of the day ... if not, go slower and shorter and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate (before, during and after your ride) ...

hope this helps ...

be sure your bike is set up properly. The two most common problems are:

1) Seat should be high enough so that your leg is only slightly bent at pedal bottom

2) Tires fully inflated

Bicyclists who take care of these basic two often discover they have far more endurance than they thought they had :)

After reading this I don't feel so bad. I was wondering if I was more pathetic than I imagined because I was petering out so quickly. I am out of shape but I get in at least 12 miles of walking per week so I'm not completely sednetary. I do about 8 miles in walking my rounds at my weekday job, plus I walk for exercise when I can't ride or if I feel my riding wasn't enough. I'd like to do more but with two full-time jobs my free time is limited.

I'll just ride every day I can to increase my stamina. I'm going to try going in the morning after I get off work and see if that helps--it is usually a bit cooler then. With luck, by the time my vacation comes up I'll be able to handle a respectable amount of time.

Thank you for your advice

Coppi, when asked "How do I become a Champion cyclist?" said
"Ride your Bike....Ride your Bike...Ride your Bike...."

And Eddy, when posed with the same question, said "Ride your Bike...Lots!"

It'll come, just keep plugging away at it. Are you taking your bike with you, or will you be renting one? I ask because the average Dutch rental bike is a heavy single-speed clunker. Indestructable. No alloy parts.

We need to travel light as we will be going from place to place quite a bit. I definitely won't be able to drag a klunky bicycle along with me on the plane, the train, a cab, walking, etc. all while dragging along my luggage.

Cycle tourists often take their saddle with them and put it on the rental bike. Then you can expect that you will be comfortable . You never know what you are getting with a rental.

A couple of other thoughts.

First, when you do start working hills, drop to the lowest gear you can ride a straight line with and spin, rather than stomping on the pedals.
Your knees will thank you for it later. As your knees get stronger, try upping the gear a tiny bit at a time, but shoot for a cadence over 76 at the very least.

What you will be renting in the Netherlands will be most likely a fairly clunky 1 to 5 speed. You won't need more than that, as the only hills are the little humps over creeks. Also, they will likely insist that you rent it with a lock-- use it. Bike theft is a national sport.

You might consider a folding bike like a Dahon, Brompton, Bike Friday, etc.
That you can take with you, even indoors.

It had been about 20 years for me, too (and I'm not yet 30), and I was surprised to find out just how much effor cycling takes now, vs. when I was a child.

I rode for 90 minutes Friday night, after a two-week hiatus (illness and travel), and I felt like I was going to die toward the end.


Just keep at it. It's what I plan to do.

started with spin classes at the gym. My stamina has increased dramatically due to regular spin classes.

It is an intense 45 minute workout.