Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Just did first 5 mile ride

Hi all I just got back from first 5+ mile ride. I did 5.25 miles in 28 min 6 secs. my goal is to do a 40 mile ride by the spring

Excellent! Feels good, doesn't it? Won't be that long before you cab do the 40, though. Don't be surprised if you achieve that this fall. ;)

+1 on what Tom said. Miles start to add pu pretty quick once you get comfortable on your bike. Be sure to allow some recovery time if you start to push yourself a lot.

Ride safe,
Keith

yeah recovery time will be a must for long term goals and weight loss.and storm it did feel good. Ill have to use a road bike once i get in the 15+ mile trips,since i dont think it would be good to use a mtb for that.

Naw, just run 26X1.5 slicks, you'll be surprised how far you can ride that mountain bike. ;) I did my first century on a Mountain bike with street tires, wearing tennis shoes.

Nice work - those milestones do feel good as you go flying past them :)

Good work. 40 miles isn't that much harder than 5 miles, it just takes longer. If you have a loop that you like, try doing that several times, that way if you need to you can break it off when you need to and still pile up the miles. Or pick a scenic route and allow yourself all day. Ride five miles, take a 30 minute break then ride 5 more. By days end, you'll be there. You could probably do it by Hallloween.

Congrats timokabo. When I first got back into bicycling I could barely ride 5 miles without getting winded. In no time I was commuting a 14 mile round trip. I haven't taken any longer rides yet, but weather permitting I think I may shoot for a 20 mile ride this coming weekend. Keep it up! It only gets easier.

Thats awesome. I do that for my work commute during the week (one way) Its a nice short distance to get the blood going and doesn't take a huge amount of time. Its also close enough to anywhere I am in case something goes wrong.

I bought a bike at a yard sale last year and just seriously riding again in late april of this year. A four mile trip was tough in april I now ride a 6 to 8 mile loop (depends on witch way I go) every day plus any running I need to do around town. I have made the trip to the next town over 25-26 miles round trip I also am having much less back and knee pain and just feel better over all since I got back to riding my goal is just a little more distance each week you will be doing 40 before you know it

Wooohoooooooooooooo! You are a cyclist! Have fun.

Run what you brung! No need for specail equipment or bikes here.

Just keep going, adding a little every week. You'll get there.

Jerry

Woo Hoo! :thumb:

Last year in June, I logged my first 5 mile ride of the year. Thought I was gonna die :(

I kept riding all summer and early fall, and then on October 13th last year I rode the entire length of the Tunnel Hill trail and a mile thrown in for extra measure to make a 50.18 mile ride in 4hr 10min. The one thing I can remember was how easy it was on my lungs and legs and how I thought I was going to have to have my ass hatchet seat removed surgically.

Hang in there and it will come quicker then you think.

Hey Jerry in SO IL. We need to get together and ride. I live in Anna, IL and go to the Tunnel about every other Sunday.

Jay

When I started last year, I couldn't ride five miles without stopping and resting. 5 miles seemed like coast-to-coast! First time I made it all the way without my feet touching the ground was quite an accomplishment. Congratulations! Now, just keep adding miles each week.

I live in the suburbs of detroit and theres only one safe road to travel on bike and it goes on forever and i have no clue where it stops my goal might be to see how far it goes lol. Only thing i hate about my mountain bike is how I can feel every lil bumb on tire and how the seat hurts my butt like no other

Congrats! Check your tire pressure on the mountain bike ... you may be able to reduce it a little to make the ride a bit more comfortable.

Excellent!!!!
Congrats on your milestone. You might consider some padded bike shorts. They really make a difference.

yeah i think the tire pressure is in the 55 lbs in the rear.If i drop pressure lower would it cause a flat or damage the rim .im going to look if lbs has 2x bike shorts if not ill get them online.

Congrats on the ride. Me and the wife try to do around 10 miles per ride but I want to start doing 15 in the next month.

+1 for padded shorts:thumb: .....that and seat time will probably cure the sore bottom.

I remember last year when I started to get the bike addiction, but the bottom was not quite as enthusiastic, I would stand up or sit down the pain would scream, but there was a kind of sadistic euphoria that came with it. It was a bitter reminder of something I was falling in love with:love:

What? :rolleyes: Ok, maybe thats just me.

Jay

just got back from a 6 mile ride and am feeling great

I got my first bike in 12+ years about 3 months ago. The first day I did my 4.5 mile commute I felt ready to die by the end of it.

This weekend just gone, I did 50 miles on Saturday (and really wanted to go for 62, but I ran out of light) and, all told, I think i've done 100 miles in the last 4 days.

It's easy to add on the miles real quick. If I can do it, anyone can, that's for sure!

20% increase. ;)


just got back from a 6 mile ride and am feeling great

yeah its feeling good. i think the weight will start to shed off in the next 1-3 weeks

be sure to drink lots of water, on and off the bike, it will help you digest food better and feel better overall, I carry a liter sigg or water bottle with me wherever i go. if distance is what you want then find a cadence that is good for you to get the best efficiency out of your pedaling, keep your legs feeling good for longer, and keep your heart rate high. good luck on your 40 mile milestone, ride regularly and you'll hit it sooner than you think.

I live in the suburbs of detroit and theres only one safe road to travel on bike and it goes on forever and i have no clue where it stops my goal might be to see how far it goes lol.

One way that you might consider motivating yourself if to find local charity rides and sign up for one. We try to do one a month and it's a great way to take a long-ish ride but not need to really over-work yourself. They will have a safe route and rest stops along the way for you to take a break. We just did one this past weekend and did about 27 miles in close to 100 degree heat and didn't find it too bad.

I did a quick search and found one north of Detroit--the Peach of a Ride (http://www.slowspokes.org/Peach/tabid/55/Default.aspx). It's in Memphis. I don't know which side of Detroit you live so this might be a little far to travel. They have a 22 and a 40 mile route. It's far enough away to give you some time to work up some distance but close enough to keep you moving.

My advice--for what it's worth--is to sign up for this one now. I would suggest the 40 mile route but the 22 would be fine as well. If you sign up now and pay your money then that is further motivation to keep you in the "training" mode. If you are doing 6 miles now you could do the 22 with no problem!

be sure to drink lots of water, on and off the bike, it will help you digest food better and feel better overall, I carry a liter sigg or water bottle with me wherever i go. if distance is what you want then find a cadence that is good for you to get the best efficiency out of your pedaling, keep your legs feeling good for longer, and keep your heart rate high. good luck on your 40 mile milestone, ride regularly and you'll hit it sooner than you think.

There are bottles specially made for bicycle riding, that have a pop-up top, camelbak makes one that doesn't need to pop-up, These both allow drinking on the fly, providing you have a bottle cage on your bike. Once your good at riding, and well balanced, you can reach down, pop the top, grab the bottle, take a swig, put the bottle back and return the top, without stopping, This is not something to do when traffic is ornery, or flying down suicide drop, AKA the hill from hell going the other way...

I always carry a bike bottle. They make insulated bike bottles, which are slightly more expensive, but a good investment, toss in a couple of ice cubes and you have cool water for much longer. This is even more important if you use sport drinks, the only thing worse tasting then warm Gatorade is warm beer. Another good investment if you plan on lots of riding, is a hydration pack, this is a back pack that is filled with water, with a hose that lets you drink on the fly as well.

With water, remember one thing, you need 1L per hour, in very hot weather, even more,

Congratulations!

There's no reason you can't make 40 miles by the end of the summer. Last year, The Historian convinced me to jump from ~30 miles to my (and his) first 50 mile ride in just a few weeks.

no worries on water. i mainly only drink water. have not had pop in almost 4 years. I take my camelpack with me when im on my bike with .75 gallons of water. I just got back from a 9.5 mile bike a few mins ago

mephis is like a 40 min car drive from me ill have to look into it

Woo Hoo! :thumb:

Last year in June, I logged my first 5 mile ride of the year. Thought I was gonna die :(

I kept riding all summer and early fall, and then on October 13th last year I rode the entire length of the Tunnel Hill trail and a mile thrown in for extra measure to make a 50.18 mile ride in 4hr 10min. The one thing I can remember was how easy it was on my lungs and legs and how I thought I was going to have to have my ass hatchet seat removed surgically.

Hang in there and it will come quicker then you think.

Hey Jerry in SO IL. We need to get together and ride. I live in Anna, IL and go to the Tunnel about every other Sunday.

Jay


I was just thinking about that Jay! It seems that all the Lincoln NE bikers are getting together and I'm jealous.

I'll get ahold of you after I get the kids back in school.

I like the Tunnel Hill route. I don't know if I an do the whole 50 yet, but I'm willing to try. Should be for sure in the spring, but I'm thinking I'm 3/4ths the way there. The hills to and from West Frankfort and Herrin are getting me in shope though.

Jerry

I just got back from my longest bike ride so far 13.76 miles in 1hr 15 mins and 12 sec's. so far in the last week i have put 60.5 miles on my bike