Advocacy & Safety - too much, too soon

Hi everyone , I finally got my bike out of hibernation yesterday, after 6 months of winter, I took it to the LBS to get a new brake cable and I was off and riding, the problem is I haven't been on a bike for 6 months because of -35 temperatures and 50 CM of snow, so I wanted to make up for lost time and I went an hour straight riding and of course my legs are stiff as boards and one of my knees is sore, I may go riding tomorrow how long should should I be riding for each day? I don't want to overdo it again, but at the same time, I want to ride after a 6 month layoff.

nobody can tell you that, you have to gague it on your own physical capabilities.

In general, the second you feel your knees hurt, it's done...get home asap.

I'd do a search of the forums for a good warmup and stretching routine if you don't already have one. Then I'd plan a route where I rode at a moderate pace on the way out, and picked up the intensity on the way back, leaving time for a proper cool-down. Whether that means 5km or 50km, it's up to you to determine. I've found knee pain is due to poor fit, not fitness. I've gone 3 months without a bike, and done 50km with no pain, even though I wasn't in the best of shape. Let us know how you go. I'll be moving from Australia to a place that gets up to 5 months of snow, so I'd like to know what to expect.

Also don't expect to jump back into the pace you were riding at six months ago. It's going to take some time to get there after a long layoff. Glad to hear you're back out there riding though. You can expect the legs to be stiff, and sore. Don't be ashamed to take breaks while riding either. A 1 hour, and ten minute ride is still a 1 hour ride with 10 minutes worth of breaks added in.