Originally Posted by HiYoSilver
Yesterday, your comment made no sense. Today it is wisdom. My "not normal" is not really a hurt or pain. It is more the feeling between the 5 minute cool down and the normal body experiences. You know where the upper thigh muscles are tight and you need to move your legs a bit just because it feels better to get the stiffness out. I am still aware of them having recently exercised. I was thinking after I got back into shape, it would be more like delivering papers. You really didn't notice your leg muscles, you just used them.
Others, I do not concentrate on speed because that is too frustrating and encourages me to over do it. I simply try to keep cadence between 55 and 65. If I get up to 70, I shift to a higher gear and slow down cadence a bit. Where I really feel the muscles working are A-- working to clear an intersection, and B-- one 10 house hill that I can barely handle by the time I get to the top.
Based on your suggestions, I'm going to try 2 to 3 times a week until the legs are stronger. Thanks.
Another thing you might try is using a higher cadence. Spinning faster is easier on the knees and muscles. It also drives your heartrate up a bit higher, I think, while covering the same distance. If you're not riding too hard, that extra few beats a minute is a nice cardio workout.