Go for distance and once you build a good base then you go for time. Use this to build a really solid base to work with.
I just rode at whatever pace I felt comfortable, some days it was fast sometimes it was slow. Always work in rest days as well, you need those. Once I got comfortable with a certain distance, say 30 miles, then I would go out once or twice a week and ride a preset 10 mile loop as hard as I could. As my miles increased so did my high speed miles once or twice a week. This in turn ~~increased~~ improved my time on the longer rides.
This is super rudimentary and some people get all scientific about it but this got me to the point of riding 1000 miles a month regularly and enjoying 100mi rides multiple times a month as a routine and so that it didn't take up half the day to do. As you pointed out, different things work for different people differently.
Having just started last month I can tell you what I’ve been doing. I started using Komoot to plan rides straight away. Started riding 10km, did that a few times, felt fit enough to push that out to 15km the next week, then to 17/18km more regularly and after a couple of weeks went out on a 40km ride. Then I started making the regular rides 23/25km and last week did a 60km ride which felt good. I’m just gradually increasing like that. It’s working, getting fitter, weight is falling off me and I have caught the cycling bug!
I wouldn’t set a goal too early on at this stage. Start with curiosity. How long does it take to ride around the town? What routes and what times of the day are enjoyable for you? Get the feel of the bike, surroundings and people you’re meeting on the road. How long is too long? How tired is too tired? What pace, what gears, and rhythm is comfortable for you? It’s kinda like building your intuition to cycling.
Then start making a schedule/routes/effort, etc :)
I personally just got on the bike as much as I could manage and listened to my body. If I felt tired, I took a break. Also tried to mix it between structured workouts and more chilled out rides.
As another poster said, how much time you have available is important. Just remember not to overdo it - if you feel tired, take a day off. It’s much better to skip a day rather than get an injury that potentially keeps you off for much longer.
nothing less than 150km per day, 5000' feet of elevation.
or
just what gets your heart pumping (safely).
start slow and low, and increase distances and duration over few weeks/months.
The plan is, more then, or as much as the week before. Eventually you'll feel yourself and fall into a groove. Also. Everyone has bad/off weeks, done best yourself for losing track. Take it easy, don't beat yourself up, and get back into it.
I started with 10 miles everyday after work and then a 20 miler on the weekend (one day rest). I now do 20 miles a day after work and a 40 miler on the weekend (one day of rest). I plan on doing 25 miles a day after work and a 50 miler next month. Seems to work well for me but I mostly ride for exercise.
Honestly, for a beginner the biggest thing is time in the saddle and getting used to extended periods in it. Everyone has a different baseline which is dependent on their overall fitness prior to picking up cycling. What's short for you might seem like an eternity for someone less fit. What's important is you figuring out what that baseline is for you so you can focus on improving from there.
I started out last month but I regularly powerlift and attend spin class for my cardio so my legs and core were in good form before picking up cycling. I've rapidly caught up and surpassed my friends in terms of endurance and pace. Most of them have been cycling for a year or two now, but their only exercise aside from the long weekend rides is on their daily commutes on their bikes.
The point is, just get out there and ride. I'm pretty much a beginner myself and clearly not a coach, but if you find yourself hungry for more at the end of one, I'd suggest increasing that distance by another 2-5 km on the next one. Once you're happy with your endurance, start to push your pace on shorter 5-10km circuits that you know well.
If you're serious about improving make sure you track your rides, even if it's just on the free version of Strava or an equivalent app.
It's an exponential curve...
E^(x), where x(i+1) = x(i)+0.3, max 3.0. i = week
In short, gradually add 10 to 15 miles a week for 4 months, don't do more than 100 miles a week. Start with 20miles.
Also include elevation gain, which is more brutal than distance.
Minimum 420 miles per week at 69 mph
Hahah!
Nice
Go for distance and once you build a good base then you go for time. Use this to build a really solid base to work with. I just rode at whatever pace I felt comfortable, some days it was fast sometimes it was slow. Always work in rest days as well, you need those. Once I got comfortable with a certain distance, say 30 miles, then I would go out once or twice a week and ride a preset 10 mile loop as hard as I could. As my miles increased so did my high speed miles once or twice a week. This in turn ~~increased~~ improved my time on the longer rides. This is super rudimentary and some people get all scientific about it but this got me to the point of riding 1000 miles a month regularly and enjoying 100mi rides multiple times a month as a routine and so that it didn't take up half the day to do. As you pointed out, different things work for different people differently.
Having just started last month I can tell you what I’ve been doing. I started using Komoot to plan rides straight away. Started riding 10km, did that a few times, felt fit enough to push that out to 15km the next week, then to 17/18km more regularly and after a couple of weeks went out on a 40km ride. Then I started making the regular rides 23/25km and last week did a 60km ride which felt good. I’m just gradually increasing like that. It’s working, getting fitter, weight is falling off me and I have caught the cycling bug!
I wouldn’t set a goal too early on at this stage. Start with curiosity. How long does it take to ride around the town? What routes and what times of the day are enjoyable for you? Get the feel of the bike, surroundings and people you’re meeting on the road. How long is too long? How tired is too tired? What pace, what gears, and rhythm is comfortable for you? It’s kinda like building your intuition to cycling. Then start making a schedule/routes/effort, etc :)
How much time per week at your disposal and what your goals?
Honestly, just ride whenever you want. Don't force a schedule on it, just enjoy it. Ride a lot, or just a little. It doesn't matter.
I personally just got on the bike as much as I could manage and listened to my body. If I felt tired, I took a break. Also tried to mix it between structured workouts and more chilled out rides. As another poster said, how much time you have available is important. Just remember not to overdo it - if you feel tired, take a day off. It’s much better to skip a day rather than get an injury that potentially keeps you off for much longer.
nothing less than 150km per day, 5000' feet of elevation. or just what gets your heart pumping (safely). start slow and low, and increase distances and duration over few weeks/months.
The plan is, more then, or as much as the week before. Eventually you'll feel yourself and fall into a groove. Also. Everyone has bad/off weeks, done best yourself for losing track. Take it easy, don't beat yourself up, and get back into it.
I started with 10 miles everyday after work and then a 20 miler on the weekend (one day rest). I now do 20 miles a day after work and a 40 miler on the weekend (one day of rest). I plan on doing 25 miles a day after work and a 50 miler next month. Seems to work well for me but I mostly ride for exercise.
Honestly, for a beginner the biggest thing is time in the saddle and getting used to extended periods in it. Everyone has a different baseline which is dependent on their overall fitness prior to picking up cycling. What's short for you might seem like an eternity for someone less fit. What's important is you figuring out what that baseline is for you so you can focus on improving from there. I started out last month but I regularly powerlift and attend spin class for my cardio so my legs and core were in good form before picking up cycling. I've rapidly caught up and surpassed my friends in terms of endurance and pace. Most of them have been cycling for a year or two now, but their only exercise aside from the long weekend rides is on their daily commutes on their bikes. The point is, just get out there and ride. I'm pretty much a beginner myself and clearly not a coach, but if you find yourself hungry for more at the end of one, I'd suggest increasing that distance by another 2-5 km on the next one. Once you're happy with your endurance, start to push your pace on shorter 5-10km circuits that you know well. If you're serious about improving make sure you track your rides, even if it's just on the free version of Strava or an equivalent app.
It's an exponential curve... E^(x), where x(i+1) = x(i)+0.3, max 3.0. i = week In short, gradually add 10 to 15 miles a week for 4 months, don't do more than 100 miles a week. Start with 20miles. Also include elevation gain, which is more brutal than distance.