Rode 35 miles today
 

Rode 35 miles today, avg speed was 14mph, little slower than i'd like but the good thing is I could have gone faster, for the last 5 miles my speed was 17mph ish. I took the ride out a little easier than usual just to make sure i'd have the energy to do the whole thing. I'm gonna try and do it again tomorrow but I can def feel the ride in my quads right now.

Nice work! I just got home from a paltry 8 miles, but that was in the dark, just for a quick blast before bed. Something about riding at night makes me feel like a ninja.

I hope to work up to some 25-30 mile rides in the coming months...any tips?

I've only been riding a couple months and 2 months ago I was in the exact same place as you. For me it was really just about pushing a couple more miles each time. I'd do 10 for 2 days, then 11, then 12 etc. Once I hit 15 I stayed there for about 2 1/2 weeks and really worked on getting my avg speed up. Then I started adding 5 miles to my rides. so went to 20, 25, 30, 35.

Stop when it ceases to be fun.

Don't mind the cryptic one (The Historian), Volksdragon. To begin extending your distances, you need to ride beyond your comfort zone just a little bit each time you ride. If you begin to feel a bit worn out, set a short goal just ahead of yourself, like a stop sign that you can see down the road, or a building or something, and make that your turn around point.

But to build your fitness for longer rides, you might want to try making each ride have a different purpose, i.e., make one ride fast but short; make the next ride longer but very easy paced; make the next one a ride where you find as many hills as you can or just ride the same hill several times. This will give your body some variety and keep the riding fresh...and fun! Rotate the types of rides you do and you will find yourself riding 25-30 miles on a regular basis.

And to put a slight twist on what The Historian said, take a break when the riding isn't fun. Your body needs its rest, too!

I tried to do just what you are saying this morning. I was tired at 10 miles so I headed back toward home. Actually felt better at 14 miles then my rear wheel broke a spoke at 15 miles, 2nd time in the last 100 miles (can't be my dainty little 265lb self) guess I have to get a stronger wheel. Ended up at 21 miles, could have done more but I was limping home with my bad wheel.

Good job on getting out there and pushing through the obstacles! From the tiny bit I understand about spoke issues, once you pop one or two on the same wheel, you may need to have the whole wheel re-tensioned. I might be wrong on that, but it might not hurt to check into that. Without knowing what kind of wheel you are on, it's a bit hard to say. I'm at 240 now (from 315) and only ever popped one spoke. But I got set up with some pretty bomb-proof wheels right from the start. When it comes to wheels, spending a little bit more can certainly make a difference.

Wheel is stock with Trek Navigator 2. LBS mentioned upgrading wheel with 1st spoke. I'll see them first thing in the morning, unfortunately they don't open til 10 and it'll be pretty hot by the time I get it back. Not having much luck with my transportation this weekend. Flat tire on my Jeep last night, picked up a huge screw in the parking lot of the local mall. If I weren't so old and most of my sins behind me I'd promise to be a better boy:lol:

Yeah, what he said. Or in other words, stop riding when it ceases to be fun. :)

Thanks, Dvon!!

I am going to start mapping some distance routes around town, and I'll gradually start increasing in the coming weeks. I'd be out riding right now, but it's 100 degrees....looks like another night-time ride for me.

I was riding my Navigator at 275, and I have not experienced a single problem with the wheels. Having the shop retension the spokes probably is all it needs.

Sorry I was so cryptic earlier. My point is that if you make riding distances a duty, you are less likely to do it. Knowing you can quit anytime you want makes it that much easier to go on. For example, I was tired yesterday, and I could have called it quits at 20 miles. But I thought, "hmm, it might be fun to ride a little further....." and I logged another ten miles by the time I was done. In fact, I regret I didn't ride a little further into Manayunk - I haven't climbed those hills in a while.

When I took it in last time, they said they might have to replace the wheel but obviously didn't find that necessary. Both spokes have broken where they attach to the hub and while I don't know exactly when and how the first one broke, the one that broke this morning I was riding smooth pavement at about 15 miles an hour. I didn't hit anything. Is it possible that the spokes weren't retensioned last time? (For the record I was at 275 when I started riding my navigator.

HA!:roflmao2: