Hi its me Stevet04II, For so reason I cant log in under that name. But anyways, I just want to let everyone know that today I rode my first 10 mile bike ride and it really wasnt that hard. :) I have been riding and struggling to reach this goal since Jan 12 2004. I weighed 210lbs then and Im down to 182lbs now. I usually ride 6 miles a day. But today I decided to try for !0 miles and Im glad I did. Now My goal is to work on 20 miles.

Ps'
I rode 10 miles in 51 mins and 31 seconds. Average speed was 11.7 mph and max speed was17.8 mph. BIG improvement in my opinion. :D

Congratulations Steve, and more important, congratulations on your weight loss. Do you ride on the road, or on a trail?

Good work, man!! Pretty soon that 10 mile ride will be nothing, and you'll be getting ready for your first 30 mile ride!!

T.T, I usually ride on the road. But today I hit a bicycle trail.

trekkie, Oh I didnt have any problems I believe that I could have ridden farther. ;) But the trail was only 5 miles long. I rode the entire 5 miles, turned around for the other 5 miles. Steady peddling. No Coasting. ;)

Grats! I love a good weight loss story. That's a nice average speed too, what kinda bike you using?

Dont laugh. Its really an el cheapo. Wal Mart bike. Roadmaster Mt Fury.

Congrats.

Going to 20 will be much easier than getting the 10. Once you get to 20, the sky is the limit - really.

Pretty soon, you will realize that you need a better bike to meet your better skills.

Yes I agree I do need a better bike. About half way throught the ride, one of my back brake pads fell off. there I was with only front brakes to stop me.

Now your problem starts, as the next target is 20 miles, should be next weekend if the weathers fine. Then it will be the bank loan for the new bike, because you want a better one, then there are the days off work, because you have joined a club and gone out on the sunday 50 miles sprint with them. Give up now, or see you at the 2008 Olympics.

Congrats on the ride ! i stated out liek you, and was happy when I first rode 10 miles... i though "Wow, that was soooo far!" That was 2 years ago.. now, anythign up to about 50 doesn;t even feel like I got a good workout in... it's amazing

Keep it up !

jeff

Great stuff! I started out with short rides a few years ago too. Now weekend rides are usually 30-60 miles each day, and even my 12-14 mile commute feels barely long enough so I take a 20 mile route home. I own three bikes, and soon will buy a fourth and a fifth. I keep telling my wife it's a hobby. She thinks it's an illness. :D

The brake pad falling off doesn't sound too encouraging to me, though. I strongly suggest you go over all the nuts and bolts on that bike to make sure everything is secure, or if you don't feel confident doing this, pay for a tuneup and safety check at a dedicated bike store.

Thanks for all of the encourgement guys. Yes That 10 miles didnt seem that bad at all. Im going to do it again today.

As far as the back brake pad falling off. I replaced the brakes with Bell brakes and Tightened everything thing that needed to be tightened . ;) I think Im ready to go again. The replacement brakes that I put on dont grab like the old ones that came with the bike. They seem as to slow me down something like anti lock brakes for a bike. But they do stop me. I just dont slide in.;)

Congrats. I started out with a "mountain" bike from Toys-R-Us. I went from there to a hybrid bike from the LBS (Local Bike Shop). I got a road bike four months later. If you're doing road riding, I suggest skipping the hybrid and going for the road bike. You don't need to get a bank loan to get a decent bike. There's lots of good values out there. Take your time and try out lots of bikes. Here's a good thread on the subject:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=49228&highlight=stupid

The replacement brakes that I put on dont grab like the old ones that came with the bike. They seem as to slow me down something like anti lock brakes for a bike. But they do stop me. I just dont slide in.;)
You may not have the pads positioned quite as they should be. Assuming they're v-brakes (linear pull), there's some good information here on the Park Tool website (http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_linearbrakes.shtml) about fitting and adjusting brake pads, cable and levers.

The same stuff for cantilever brakes is here (http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_cant.shtml).

Or it might just be the best those pads can do... :)

I believe it is the "Best" these brakes can do. I repositioned them. Same results.

Awesome, well done. I think you're hooked now!!

before you know it you'll be riding 20miles, then 30, then centuries!

congrats!