Fifty Plus (50+) - Any advice for former biker returning to biking?

Here's the situation:

1. haven't biked in over 15 years
2. used to bike daily
3. last short bike ride was about 6 blocks test riding bikes, and I was sore in the seat for 2 days afterwards.

Goal is to be able to commute 10 miles to work, but I don't want to kill myself.

Other than working up to speed slowly, is there any wisdom you can offer about things to
be sure to do or things to be sure to avoid?

Thanks

Huff

Here's the situation:

1. haven't biked in over 15 years
2. used to bike daily
3. last short bike ride was about 6 blocks test riding bikes, and I was sore in the seat for 2 days afterwards.

Goal is to be able to commute 10 miles to work, but I don't want to kill myself.

Other than working up to speed slowly, is there any wisdom you can offer about things to
be sure to do or things to be sure to avoid?

Thanks

Huff

You have noted that you must start slowly and work up to
your goal. However, the bicycle and it's equipment that
you choose is equally important. Choosing the correct bike/equipment
package for your needs will take some time and study or trial
and error to get just right for YOU.

So a couple of points that will help you decide what you need.

Point one.....

you don't have to buy an expensive bike to commute. (try a used bike first)

Point two.....
STAY AWAY FROM THE *MART OR BIG BOX STORE BIKES AS THEY ARE
ALL JUNK.

Point three.....
Spend some time reading here on the forums before you spend
any money to get a feel of what you might need. It will be
time well spent. Also spend time here......

www.sheldonbrown.com

for more indepth bicycling info.

The point of all this study is to get you on a bike that you
truly like to ride and look forward to riding everyday. A
poorly fitted bike or the wrong bike will kill the joy in a
hurry.

All the best and enjoy the ride as much as we all do, mate.

Thanks for those hints. I have been at Sheldon much these last 2 weeks. I had to relearn what gear inches were. Fun, fun, fun.

I got a Giant OCR touring. It was rough fitted last night and will be final fitted today.
I got a touring bike as I wanted a more trouble free bike and disk brakes were essential for me.

I swapped out the rear 11..32 for a 12..23 as I plan to do commuting or bike trail riding and not mountain riding.

Huff

Huffy,

First off, I agree with Tightwad completely. Second, you may want to look into a "Bent" rather than DF. The reason is simple, comfort! Most "Bents" are more comfortable than DF's, bigger seats, no haunching over, no groin issues, etc. Even if you do purchase a DF, make sure you check out and test ride a few "Bents" (Yes, before you ask I do ride a Bent, EZ Sport Ltd. and I love it). Third, I'd be willing to bet you wind up doing more than just commuting, so you need to keep more than commuting in mind in your purchase.

Try a number of LBS, see what each has to say about the bikes they carry. See what they have to say about the same bikes. Read all you can about the different bikes (DF's, Bents, etc.). Get up on the manufactures Web Sites, read what they say, request info from those manufactures you are interested in. Ask questions on this Forum, there are some very well informed riders more than willing to share their very honest opinions, just for the asking. None of whom have any vested interested in whichever bike you choose.

Good luck!!!

I just returned to cycling, too, and there are a couple things that have worked for me. The most important element has to do with the maturity that comes with age (not much for me, but enough to protect myself).

You're going to want to push yourself and try to get back to a level that you once had - be careful and aware of what your body is telling you.

If you sense you are breathing too hard, back off or gear down.

If something starts to hurt, get it checked.

Make sure you have a physical checkup before you start any type of regimen - you don't want any surprises occuring when you're miles from home.

Take your time to get the muscles in shape before you start working on the weight.

Find a few different routes that challenge you and that are different distances.

Make sure your bike fits you. (Sounds like you have that covered)

Eat healthy.

These are some of the things that helped me get back into cycling. It took me about 1.5 months of riding to get my muscles in good enough shape to really push things a bit. I've started to lose some weight now. My rides started at 5 miles - that's all I could handle at first. I increased that to 10 miles, and now my short ride is 14.2 miles (with hills) that I cover in less than an hour. I try to do at least one 25 miler a week, but since winter is coming, I'll have to make some changes.

Once the baseline fitness is attained, you'll be surprised at how easy your 10-mile commute will be. Just go slowly and pay attention to your body's signals. And have fun!

Dean

Dean,

thanks. My hope of getting in shape a bit in one month sounds too aggressive, I'll rescale to 2 months+.

With winter coming it will be challenging to keep on keeping on.

Yes, I do have a treadmill scheduled for next week, just to be safe.

Huff

Sounds exactly like me. I used to race CAT III/NORBA, was off the bike a generous 15 years or so. Started back last July 21st.

--Go by time in the saddle, not distances. My first 2 weeks was limited to 30 minute rides, with plenty of hydrating and stretching. (I'm now riding 2 hours a day, 5-6 days a week).

--Don't get discouraged comparing how you were with how you are now-- use that as a goal, i.e., "If I was there once I can get there again."

--Keep us informed about your comeback!

Dave

It looks like Bop Bop beat me to it on suggesting a 'bent. This spring I came off of a 7 year cycling hiatus. Switching to a recumbent made cycling new again. No more hurts, period. Not even recumbutt. The road bike has not been ridden since I got the 'bent. Best bike money I ever spent!

'bent Brian

What a great idea, measure success by saddle time and not distance. Hey I like that. Probably be safer on the old bod.

So that's what a bent is. Wife got a Revive, kind of a cross between a recumbent and hybrid. I'll ride her's just to see, but I don't like for me: 1. the weight, 2. only 7 gears, 3. the riding position.

Huff

Opps, got interrupted in middle of a post.

What about those cycle shorts/jumpers/tights?Are they really necessary?

I would just as soon start with jeans. Nothing looks worst that a spiffy racing outfit and an old dude struggling to get going.

Huff

Huffy,

Do not know what part of the country you are in, I'm in AZ and ride in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. While I see plenty of people in full biking attire (on both DF's and Bents), I do not feel I need it. Once the 90 degree temps break, looks like this week and we get AZ's version of winter (Dec & Jan, night time temps mid to low 30's, daytime 50's & 60"s) I'll put on a light jacket and maybe a pair of sweat pants, but thats it. I may not look like the most chic thing on two wheels but I'm comfortable.

Bnet, sorry!!! But like you, I do not think I will ever return to DF. MY EZ Sport while not the lightest is great. I'm thinking about getting something lighter in about a year, but at this time it's just a thought I better not share with Mrs. Bop Bop if I value what hair I have left.

Dean,

thanks. My hope of getting in shape a bit in one month sounds too aggressive, I'll rescale to 2 months+.

With winter coming it will be challenging to keep on keeping on.

Yes, I do have a treadmill scheduled for next week, just to be safe.

Huff

Truly, getting in shape is a lifetime activity.

I started biking again when I was 58, am almost 65 now.

I am still working on getting in shape and staying there.

Don't forget the value of resistive exercises - extremely important for the prevention of osteoporosis and upper body muscle loss. I weight lift 3-4 times per week.

Rather than preventing osteo, bicycling promotes osteo (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=44525&highlight=osteoporosis).

ALso, cross training. I walk 3 miles fast pretty regularly.

Colorado: denver-boulder area, pretty good number of bike trails and groups are working to improve this. Fall and spring are very very short here. It's either riding in the cold or the 90 degree temps during commute part of the day. Rain/snow should knock out about 60 days a year. Usually it comes in 2..4 day waves with riding opportunities between. Even with the heavy 6 foot snow last year, it was all gone in 2 days and it would have been possible to go riding.

Don't know all the jargon yet, what's a "DF"

I figured I could just do as before and wear jeans until late spring, when my using the bike would justify trying some cycling pants.

Huff

Colorado: denver-boulder area, pretty good number of bike trails and groups are working to improve this. Fall and spring are very very short here. It's either riding in the cold or the 90 degree temps during commute part of the day. Rain/snow should knock out about 60 days a year. Usually it comes in 2..4 day waves with riding opportunities between. Even with the heavy 6 foot snow last year, it was all gone in 2 days and it would have been possible to go riding.

Don't know all the jargon yet, what's a "DF"

I figured I could just do as before and wear jeans until late spring, when my using the bike would justify trying some cycling pants.

Huff

I biked every month of the year last year in Parker, CO. Had some 60 degree days in January and February, etc. 50+ temp is fine for biking with proper clothing - in fact, it is fun, especially if the sun is out.

Otherwise, I have an indoor trainer and also use the stationary bike, treadmill and elliptical at the gym.

Huffy,

DF's are Diamond Frames, uprights as opposed to Bents for Recumbents.

Was up in Winter Park, Estees, Grand Lake area a few years ago. It was August, the country was great! Do not remember the last time I saw that much green (at the time I was living in the concrete and steel jungle called NYC). Road through Rocky Mountain National Park, it was like the man above came down to paint a picture, it was spectacular.

Biking in the Phoenix area of AZ is year round. Even with the very high summer temps, you do it early in the AM or late in the PM. The sponsored rides are done from late September to May.

Ok, went for first ride. Again, the suggestion of setting for a time and not distance was great. My goal was 30 minutes, and I settled on 25 min. Good enough for a start. Great day for biking, about 59 outside, perfect. Most of problems I had were just learning what had changed, etc.

1. Shifting
Shifting in the LBS and around it on the test ride was so easy and I did not do an adequate test. My hands have been cold sensitive and so I threw on a pair of work gloves. Well, shifting was a very humbling experience just going around the block with gloves. Remember I came from the old 10speed and 2 shift levers. Those I can handle without thinking, but 4 levels is a totally different experience. Finally I looked at the levers and figured out the little lever had to be pressed separate and I had to concentrate on not letting part of the glove catch on the larger lever. Too many times of expecting to go to a higher gear and going 2 lower, that was not fun.

I don't think shifting will be automatic until I get about 10 times in the saddle.

2. stop signs
This I have not figured out yet. I'm usually in a medium front and med-high rear when I stop. A few times I was in a high front. Needless to say, it is interesting to try to start up in those gears. I don't know what the method is of experienced riders. Do you shift down and stop way way before the stop sign, or hit the brakes to drop speed and shift down. I don't like the run the stop sign option.

3. gears
Gears seem ok, I haven't tried yet on a steep hill. Good grade on long hill is fine. Since my lowest is 23 {Or it is 12, I don't have my chart here.** and I am out of shape, I was down in the bottom. The big surprise is the highest gear seemed a little short. 52x the top gear [12 or 23] is a tad weak. I was tooling down a hill and would have shifted to a higher gear if had it. Oh well, the gear progress is soooooo smooooth. I really like how easy it is to find the right gear for a point in the ride. One hill I had been concerned about from the car was nothing on the bike. another hill that was nothing in the car was a where's those low gears at the end of the ride. Big excitement
was going thru a city radar detector. It said I was going 25. Sounded great to me.

4. Dogs
Opps, saw a few with their owners, whew. But realized I didn't have any good ideas on how to handle dogs. One was a Rott.. and the other was about the same size and build, probably a settler. Good links or quick hints?

5. Shoes
I tried to save a few bucks and NOT get cycling shoes. Don't think this will work. My pedals have platform on one side and clips on the other. I kept on finding my shoe was on the wrong side.

6. Legs
Legs weren't too bad, but definitely felt the acid build up and took it easy. I only went about 1/3 the distance I had hoped for, but hopefully I will be able to get the distance before too long. I don't have a cyclometer yet and thought it might be tacky to pull the old speedometer from the Schwinn out of the basement and put it on the new bike. So unfortunately at this point I have no idea how far I went.

7. exercise
Ok, Now I can see why this is popular. My father had his first heart atttack at about this age, and this is the only exercise I enjoy.

Enough typing. I'm going to see about a trailer hitch and hitch type bike rack so we can both take the bikes out.

Thank you all for the encouragement.

Huff

Huffy - I also have a Ocr Touring. Really like it especially during cold weather. I put on warm clothes & 'have at it'. Best advice already given - I always say to myself: "please let me have the strength to go easy". Its easy to get caught up in total miles, speed, etc and hurt yourself.
cYa

--Go by time in the saddle, not distances. My first 2 weeks was limited to 30 minute rides, with plenty of hydrating and stretching. (I'm now riding 2 hours a day, 5-6 days a week).


Hmmm.. I took just the opposite approach.
I think I did about three miles on my first ride and maybe eight by the end of the first week.
I just took a break whenever I began to get tired. I didn't really care if I only averaged 5mph including rest stops.

Started having a light meal before I went out and made sure I kept myself hydrated.
Within a couple of weeks my "short" rides were 10 miles and I was doing 20 to 30 on the weekends.

I'm sure it's different for everyone but a ten mile commute within a month sounds perfectly do-able.
The most important part is to listen to your body. If you're totally pooped out you're pushing too hard.


Stacy

Ok, went for first ride. Again, the suggestion of setting for a time and not distance was great. My goal was 30 minutes, and I settled on 25 min. Good enough for a start. Great day for biking, about 59 outside, perfect. Most of problems I had were just learning what had changed, etc.

1. Shifting
( No comment other than dont be afraid to move the levers to
a point on the bar [if you can] that is best for you.


2. stop signs
This I have not figured out yet. I'm usually in a medium front and med-high rear when I stop. A few times I was in a high front. Needless to say, it is interesting to try to start up in those gears. I don't know what the method is of experienced riders. Do you shift down and stop way way before the stop sign, or hit the brakes to drop speed and shift down. I don't like the run the stop sign option.
(For town use suggest that you avoid the front derailer and
just use the rear gears only. Also get used to shifting down
before you get to stops. The fact that you have all those
gears only means YOU get to choose the gears you want not
that you must use them all all the time.)

3. gears
( As I said YOU choose what gear you use that is the most
comfortable......at the time.

4. Dogs
Opps, saw a few with their owners, whew. But realized I didn't have any good ideas on how to handle dogs. One was a Rott.. and the other was about the same size and build, probably a settler. Good links or quick hints?
(Other than carring a large bore hand gun I'd suggest that
as best you're able avoid dogs. Mace may work but avoiding is
best.)

5. Shoes
I tried to save a few bucks and NOT get cycling shoes. Don't think this will work. My pedals have platform on one side and clips on the other. I kept on finding my shoe was on the wrong side.
(depending on how you ride shoes.....might....matter. I don't
ride in a manner that clips would help so I don't use them.
I also feel that clips, for me,are an unsafe no-no as I will
not have anything on my bike that ties me to it in case of a
fall [which with joint implants would be very bad].)

6. Legs
Legs weren't too bad, but definitely felt the acid build up and took it easy.
(very good. LISTEN to your body as you are. As to the how far
you go you could do what I did and drive a loop that you ride
and use that odometer reading to know how far the loop is. If
you want to pamper yourself and get a bike meter,very OK, but in
the mean time my suggestion will work.

7. exercise
Ok, Now I can see why this is popular. My father had his first heart atttack at about this age, and this is the only exercise I enjoy.
(Exactly why I ride. The more we "OLDER" folk's ride and use
our bodies the better. Ride on ,mate.)

Huff

****

I tried to save a few bucks and NOT get cycling shoes. Don't think this will work. My pedals have platform on one side and clips on the other

Your feet will quickly adapt to the 2 sided pedals.

Cycling shoes are not a necessity, but you will likely want to consider them later on.

Also, it is a very easy job to remove the two-sided pedals and replace with some inexpensive platform pedals, if that is more comfortable.

Also, it is a very easy job to remove the two-sided pedals and replace with some inexpensive platform pedals, if that is more comfortable.

Duh, thanks. I don't know if I will do that, but that is definitely a solution to try before cycling shoes. thanks.

It is not so much a matter of comfort as not getting full benefit from strokes.

My goals for this week are to get in 3 thirty minutes rides. It will be tight as we have a cold snap coming and not sure if I am ready for 45 degree temps.

Huff

What to look for when purchasing a bike ?
Number one.......SIZE.
Regardless of the type of bike you purchase or the money you spend, get one that fits you properly.
Don't take the recommended size from the LBS. Ya have to look into it yourself. There are plenty of on-line fit kits that you can look at. "Colorado Cyclist" ( an on-line supplier) has a good formula. It follows most. If the bike doesn't fit properly, you'll get discouraged from riding regardless of the money you spent.

Check this out........http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/

Good luck !

I kinda of agree. More important than size is fitting. The problem with the online fitting guide is they assume you are using the standard bike geometry. They do not work with Giant frames as they started the compact frame sizing concept, at least according to their PR. According to the online size charts I should have had an XL frame. When going for sizing, the XL was a tad too big and the L fits perfectly.

But for the perfect fit, it meant about 30 minutes of adjusting variables until everything fits right. Find a LBS that will take the time to adjust and adjust until reach, arm bend, and saddle position all work together for you.

Huff

J___ K___ P_______ !!! :D



































































































Just Keep Pedaling

Well, I'm just about one year shy of 50, and I got back into cycling a couple of years ago after, um, a few years off (my, doesn't time fly!), so I'll try to make a few observtions.

Set your own goals, but engage others on occasion. If you let others set your goals for you, you'll lose interest quickly. If you never ride with others, you won't push yourself.

Be prepared to see something you never expected to see at our age - physical improvement. When I started serious riding two years ago, I established a 20 mile loop, with moderate grades. It has become my benchmark for progress. My first runs were pretty weak - average speed of 13 mph. Last month, I achieved a landmark for myself - 20.1 mph over that same route.

Once I started seeing improvement, it put the hook in me. I'm getting stronger. As long as I'm seeing improvement, then I'm not decaying.

Hi, Huffypuffy!

It seems I've come a little late to this thread, but here's free advice for what it's worth:

-Be sure to get a bike you can ride in a nearly upright position! You're not Lance Armstrong and you don't need to ride like him! Your hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, back and neck will thank you. In general, this means the height of where you grip the handlebars should be two or more inches above the top of the saddle.

-The most important bike fit item is the seat height. If you feel pain or soreness in the front of your knees, raise the seat. If you feel pain or soreness in the back of your knees, lower the seat. When you get near your ideal seat height, small changes in height will make surprizingly large changes in comfort.

-Don't be afraid to get a big fat seat with springs. These are well suited to upright riding. I got one for my wife, added higher handlebars, now she loves her bike.

I've learned this through recent experience, the hard way!

Hi, Huffypuffy!

It seems I've come a little late to this thread, but here's free advice for what it's worth:

-Be sure to get a bike you can ride in a nearly upright position! You're not Lance Armstrong and you don't need to ride like him! Your hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, back and neck will thank you. In general, this means the height of where you grip the handlebars should be two or more inches above the top of the saddle.

-The most important bike fit item is the seat height. If you feel pain or soreness in the front of your knees, raise the seat. If you feel pain or soreness in the back of your knees, lower the seat. When you get near your ideal seat height, small changes in height will make surprizingly large changes in comfort.

-Don't be afraid to get a big fat seat with springs. These are well suited to upright riding. I got one for my wife, added higher handlebars, now she loves her bike.

I've learned this through recent experience, the hard way!

Your advice is suitable for recreational riders not consistently doing long distances.

It is generally the opposite of what is recommended for serious bikers who do centuries and the like.

1. Riding in a nearly upright condition defeats the "three point" process of sharing the weight of your body between your feet, your butt, and your arms/hands. Using an upright position will put almost all the weight on your butt, leading to sores and chafing and tiredness of that area.

2. The most important fit item is the length of the top tube, so that your reach is appropriate to your upper body length. ALso important, as you stated, is seat height, seat angle, bar height, etc. Fit is a personal thing and should be done by a pro.

3. A big fat seat exposes your butt to a whole big area for chafing and rubbing. You do not notice this on 20 mile rides, but you do on longer rides. The purpose of the small seats is to have your weight supported by your Ischeal(sp) Tuberosities - your so-called "sit bones" which is really quite comfortable ince you get used to it.

But, fit also is highly personal and dependent upon your riding goals and individual preferences.

My wife also like a more upright riding position, but the longest rides she does is about 25 miles, and she still supports some weight on her arms.

At 65, I ride a traditinal road bike in a traditional pose, and do just fine. The one compromise Ihave made is that I do have my bars raised a bit to relieve some pressure on my neck.

Anyway, whatever works and gets folks riding is the very best fit.

Thanks all for your advice. I had to scale back last week. I was going to try three ride, but was sore after 2 rides and so dropped the third one this weekend.

I am so out of shape, I am riding mostly upright, with hands on top of handle bars instead of inside curved bars. I don't know what that is called in bike jargon. I have tried dropping and at this point I am breathing too hard to make it comfortable. Later I would like to learn to ride in the leaning forward position, but not yet.

Luckily the problem is not the saddle, but the upper thighs. Bike was fitted by LBS and it seems good to me.

So goal this week is 2 thirty minute rides and one longer ride at a slower pace but no longer than 60 minutes.

Huff

I am riding mostly upright, with hands on top of handle bars instead of inside curved bars. I don't know what that is called in bike jargon.

If you have a road bike, it is called simply "riding the bars" and is where a whole lot of us ride most of the time.

Putting your hand resting on the hoods, where you can reach the brakes, is called, appropriately, "riding the hoods" which is where almost everyone else rides or switches between. Putting your hands on the lower portion of the curved part is called "riding in the drops" and very few ride there all the time. It is used for descents and lowering wind resistance, and mostly by flexible young people! :D

Thanks for the jargon lesson. I've been learning a bad habit. I usually ride the hoods, but forget to brake with those levels and use the ones parallel to handle bars instead.

Thanks for a good reason not to ride the drops. I have only done that a couple of times going downhill. It is too hard when pedaling.

Looks like you may be feeling better.

Huff

If the drop bar isn't confortable you could probably swap it for a straight hybrid type bar. I have a straight bar on my Sirrus which is slightly lower than the seat. Not as aerodynamic as drop bars but you can easily reach the breaks and your weight is fairly well distributed.

Then of you decide you prefer drop bars you could always switch back.

Stacy

I used to ride (commute) pushing myself all the way. this time,when I decided Iwanted to bike commute,I had to go for endurance, It is 16 miles one way. i started out doing 10 min. on a stationary bike. then 5 more every day, then up to 60 minutes, all on lowest resistance. when I finally tried the real thing, it was very doable,especially since I had trained myself to have a quicker cadence than before and schooled myself to be patient with the ride. Stop, smell the roses, watch the squirrels, just keep on keepin' on. (took me 2 & 1/2 hours the first time!) I do the full 16 miles at least once a week, and a week ago did 35 miles in one day (pretty good for a fat, 51 year old!) Getting skinnier, getting fitter, Love the bike and love not paying for gasoline to get to work and the store.

Jessica

Great work. But, how do you deal with the traffic? I ride for pleasure, but I drive to the starting point to avoid city traffic. I even rode 300 miles through the Adirondacks this summer.

I am also 51, and started triathlon competitions this summer, pushing myself quite a bit. I think both approaches are valid. I've only been active for a couple of years, but I have made an amazing transformation. But, I don't think I've made any savings on gas, in fact I probably used more.

Duane

My ride is chosen for comfort, for my safety... I could use the local bike trail along the river, but it is 3 miles longer. I choose the main road from my home to town, which has a bike lane, but I avoid the shortest route in town because the roads frequently have glass on them (bad part of town). The bike lane is okay for me, cars whizzing by at 55 mph don't hit me, so I am okay. The few areas where there is not bike lane space, I chose from the sidewalk (if empty, which it usually is) and 'taking the lane', which causes many honks but no aggressive driving so far. The honks make me want to chose the sidewalk if I can.
I have biked for transport several years of my adult life, and usually just stay out of cars' way. I obey the law at stop lights, but have to admit, if no one is coming I zoom thru stop signs. If there is traffic at a stop sign, I wait until it is either 1)completely clear or 2)possible to go alongside a car.
I also wear lots of blinkies, bright color and reflective tape. The local constabulary always waves happily, because they see I am careful, and teach my grandchildren to be careful.
And *always* a HELMET.
keep on spinning,

What a great idea, measure success by saddle time and not distance. Hey I like that. Probably be safer on the old bod.
. . .

Huff


I guess I have been doing this also, measuring by saddle time. I went out the other day and told myself I would go slowly and - pulled an hour and went just a little over 6 miles. I did have fun though, I looked at stuff, said Hi to everyone I met watched animals, talked to horses and enjoyed myself...

Always make time to relax on your bike and enjoy what you are doing. Schedule slow rides as well as fast, short as well as long. Maybe you can break my "record" above and ride even less mileage in about an hour?

Sometimes it is good to go slow up a hill at a slower cadence (be careful of your knees though!). Sometimes I like to see how slow I can go up a hill and still be steady, rolling straight and true. 2.5 mph is my slowest so far.

Since your family has a history of heart problems, you should see a doctor to find out how hard you can safely work out. Afterwards, you should start slow and work your way up. If you don't want a sore bottom, you may want to try a recumbent or a recumbent trike. After I started using a recumbent my headaches from stiff necks, sore back, numb hands, tired arms, and sore bottom problems all went away.

Dean,

thanks. My hope of getting in shape a bit in one month sounds too aggressive, I'll rescale to 2 months+.

With winter coming it will be challenging to keep on keeping on.

Yes, I do have a treadmill scheduled for next week, just to be safe.

Huff

You don't need to worry about getting in shape as much as you think. Have the Doc give you the once over, plus all the expensive lab tests they love, and he/she will let you know your status. I have yet to meet someone that couldn't get on a bike and ride 10 miles. Most people that say they can't have no idea what 10 miles really is, and most are over estimating. The other thing most don't realize is how easy it is to just cruise along on a good bike at 10+ mph. That Giant touring bike you're getting will go VERY easily at 10-13 mph, and you'll be amazed at how easy it is to ride that 10 miles.

If the drop bar isn't confortable you could probably swap it for a straight hybrid type bar. I have a straight bar on my Sirrus which is slightly lower than the seat. Not as aerodynamic as drop bars but you can easily reach the breaks and your weight is fairly well distributed.

Then of you decide you prefer drop bars you could always switch back.

Stacy

They don't need to be the straight bars either. Some bikes have the handlebars that "rise", where the part you grip is a bit higher than where it's gripped by the stem. One of the guys in my club walked out of the LBS with a brand new Trek 5200 with those bars on them. He has MTB shifters to go with the bars, also. The upright position can be much easier on the backs of we that have tight back muscles. For more hand positions the "bar ends" can be installed.

Again thank you all for advice.

I actually made it commuting 3 times so far this month. Today is a rain day for the PM commute so I decided to chicken out and drive in. Distance by bike was only 5 miles. It is a nice commute. My speeds range from 6 up two steep hills to 25 downhill. Average on the flats without pushing it is about 15 mph. Very cool and satisfying.

I am quite curious to see what it will feel like this next May.

Oh, handlebars are fine. They are narrow and tilted up by local LBS so there is not hardly any difference in feel between mtb bars and road bike bars. Almost all of the time I am on top of the bars and rarely in the drops.

Oh, passed the treadmill, so just doing it as much as weather permits. I don't have protection for legs or feet from rain yet, so passing on rain/snow days. I biked in yesterday and forecast is to clear Thursday night, so expect to bike in Friday also.

Huff

just do it. By the way, what kind of bicycle do you ride?

just do it. By the way, what kind of bicycle do you ride?

One hill is a killer and I'm between 5.5 and 6.0 mph on it. Luckily it's short. We still have snow and ice near the roadways so top speed is closer to 22. There really aren't many flat parts of the ride, average speed is about 12mph. whoopie. Looking into ways of increasing average. Slowing trying to increase cadence. Right now only turning about 65..70 rpm's. i figure the best way to increase speed is to work up to getting a cadence of about 90. My muscles are too weak to do that right now.

Oh, bike. It's a Giant OCR touring. I swapped out the std 11-32 cassette for a 12-23 cassette so I would have 6 sweet gears in Low/med/high. That part works like a charm. The only problem is my granny is only 35gi and that is a bit high for easy riding.

I've set up a spreadsheet to track attire with wind chill and getting better about estimating what to wear so ride is comfortable.

Besides finding 35gi is too high, the biggest surprise is how long the ice/snow remain on the edges of the roadways, especially the north side. Amazing how things you never noticed before are suddenly important.

You are a lot more hi-tech and into the technology than I am. I ride a Fuji Cambridge,21 speed comfort bicycle. Not very glamorous, and is more of a bike for a modest budget. I just ride, man. The important thing is that you just ride. I'm glad to see that you are riding in the winter.

I had to. Muscles are much weaker than before. Only part that is fun is in going at least 15 mph. That is not yet possible. I sat out 2 weeks for "weather" excuses, but trying to stay the course and ride some thru the winter months. The hardest will be in Feb and March. We'll see.

I was burned on my previous bike, an old Schwinn Varsity 10-speed. It was too hard to shift between 7th and 8th, 8th and 9th, and especially 9th and 10th. My legs definitely cann't do that anymore. So I got a good bike. I figure after 22 months of commuting, I would have paid for the bike. It actually may be sooner, as I just learned I can save on auto insurance by having it rerated for lower annual mileage.

Funny you have a Fuji. I had a garage sale Fuji xyz. I rode it once or twice and then just parted it. It was not fun so riding did not hum. Doctor said I needed a lifestyle change so I decided to use biking as my exercise method. Since the bargain garage sale bikes didn't work and I had bought and resold three of those; we decided to get me a new bike so I would be more motivated to keep on pedalling. It's amazing how you can so easily rationalize, I don't have to ride, it's only a $20/$30/$40 garage sale bike. But when it's a one grand bike, suddenly, you have to ride. Kind of like forced motivation. It's not set up really for speed, but it's like a cross between a Hybrid comfort bike and an endurance road bike.

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. You should be able to ride many days now also. Your snow days probably last longer than ours. The main roads are clear now, it's just the edges that have been inshadows that have to be careful in riding.

As you said, budget doesn't matter. Doing it does. That is why I started this thread as "huffy puffy". When I started I was really really huffing and puffing to do anything. Now I just notice the leg muscles have not returned fully yet. I still feel them. I expect to not even feel them by the end of Spring. That will be a great milestone for me.

Anyway, too verbose. have fun biking.....

One hill is a killer and I'm between 5.5 and 6.0 mph on it. Luckily it's short.

What hill is that?

It's just a short hill, but steep for me. It's from the bike underpass near 287 under 36 from Hunter Douglas to Interlocken East park by the Omni Hotel.

It's just a short hill, but steep for me. It's from the bike underpass near 287 under 36 from Hunter Douglas to Interlocken East park by the Omni Hotel.

Okay. Thanks. Know where you mean.

I thought you would have a lot more snowy days out there in Colorado than we do here in Kansas City. We don't get a lot of snow here in Kansas City, but a lot of ice in January and Febuary. If the temp is above 0 deg.F, and its not raining or snowing or icing, I intend to keep riding.
Do you do a lot of road trips, or mostly urban commuting? I found that the "posi-shift" gear shiftters on the handle bars like on the hybrids and comfort bikes are less problematic that the friction style on the road racers. Just keep riding. The more you ride, the easier it becomes, and then you become addicted.

are less problematic that the friction style on the road racers.

We no longer use "friction shifters" on road bikes - not for several years now. We now use an indexed system called STI which is hidden in the brake lever.

Eastern Colorado only gets about 14=15 inches of water per year. Denver has more "sunshine days" than San Diego.

Well, there you go. I have a lot to learn about the geography of Colorado, and the current technology of modern road bikes. However, I am really sold on the posi-shift gear shifters on the hybrids. Do you prefer road bikes, or have you considered a hybrid-commuter type bike? Do you take a lot of road trips? If you are in eastern Colorado, I assume that its pretty flat where you live.
We get a lot of nasty weather here, though. Not a lot of snow. but wet, mean cold, and a lot of ice storms. Also, humid in the summer.

Well, there you go. I have a lot to learn about the geography of Colorado, and the current technology of modern road bikes. However, I am really sold on the posi-shift gear shifters on the hybrids. The STI shifts are very nice. You can shift a bunch of gears and drop say from H1 to H9 in one motion. You don't have to step thru the inbetween gears.


Do you prefer road bikes, or have you considered a hybrid-commuter type bike?
Yes, yes. It depends on your purpose. Like I mentioned, mine is a cross between a hybrid and a road bike. The next runner up was a hybrid, the Jamis Coda Elite. I really wanted disk brakes but not the full weight and slowness of a mtn bike.


Do you take a lot of road trips?
Some do, I don't, at least not yet. I just returned to biking last month.


If you are in eastern Colorado, I assume that its pretty flat where you live.
The high plains are very flat. Denver Fox is from southern part of Denver metro area, and I'm where it's a little more hilly. Still not in the mountains, just hills.


We get a lot of nasty weather here, though. Not a lot of snow. but wet, mean cold, and a lot of ice storms. Also, humid in the summer.

Interesting, I thought your winter might be more like Iowa. Not a huge amount of snow, but cold temps so the snow would linger and linger. Usually here the snow is gone in 2..3 days. This last one is still around after 5 days, and that is very unusual.