Bicycling for Beginners

Went to the south coast town of Brighton and cycled along the sea front to Saltdean and back. Once I got as far as Brighton Marina, the route followed a fairly new path that has been built at the base of the chalk cliffs. This made a very different place to cycle. Although you are not officially allowed to cycle there, as a handcycle is classified as a wheelchair I was OK.

13 September 2008

Although I only intended to ride my handcycle for recreational use, I took the opportunity to go for a training day at the home of the Paralympics - Stoke Mandeville. The training actually took place at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium, where we were using the athletics track. We did interval training and speed training. Also there was practising drafting, which is following very close to the handcycle in front. So you slipstream that handcycle and reduce the effort you need to exert.

It was an excellent day run by Handcycling UK which has given me a desire to try and do more than just recreational riding. Just what this means I am not sure at the moment. I think the thing to say is - "Watch this space!".

15 September 2008

I had been thinking about it before, but the training day encouraged me to buy an indoor cycle trainer. It is a CycleOps Fluid2 trainer. This, together with a heart rate monitor that I have also bought, means I can try and put together a simple training routine. It should at least improve my stamina. Something I found missing at the training day. I have now realized that where I ride steadily around the roads, or wherever I am riding, it is not increasing my ability much. There needs to be periods when I increase my heart rate and work rate to push my muscles more. I think I have found some of the information I need to do this, but time will tell if I have understood it properly!