foxden

Six months ago I was just doing a few laps around the block, but for the past several months have been increasing the length of my rides - typically 20 to 30 miles. Tried to push myself today, and I did, this was the longest I ever rode. I ride solo and my wife thinks I am trying to get run over, so I had to at least tell someone who rides.

Digital Gee

That's fantastic! Sounds like we're pretty close in fitness and distance and experience. I'm doing the same as you, trying to increase the long rides. Today mine was 35 miles, and I was pooped, but the good news is that a few hours later, I'm feeling NO ill effects.

Glad you came here to report. Always fun to hear what others are doing!

Raketmensch

Fan-freakin'-tastic! And congratulations... forty miles is a serious workout. Keep riding and keep posting.

Grampy™

Good job! Every time you push yourself like that your dailey rides don't seem so long and you lenghten those too.

linux_author

- keep up the good work! it took me a year to work up to longer rides, so you're doing great!

DnvrFox

Anybody with "fox" in their screen name has to be a good troop.

Congratulations.

bg1229

Great job!! I'm about the same 30 to 40 miles twice a week. Did 25 miles yesterday with my girl, my daughter and my daughters boyfriend. He's 26 and I, at my almost 51 years, paced him pretty well. That is until the wind pushed me backwards nearing the end of the ride!!!! Congratulations, glad to see we can still keep up with the younger crowd.

stercomm

Foxden - 40 miles is a great accomplishment and a big league ride. Your time and effort are paying off. You will be amazed at how easy and fast a 20-25 mile ride will start to seem. One thing I've noticed with rides over 40 miles is that at least for me a solid strecthing routine is imperative after the ride. Great to hear about your success, plus it is a lot of fun and good for you.

sandlapper

I started back riding my bike about two years ago at the age of 62. I was in very bad shape and could hardly pedal around the block. I bought a brand new Cannondale full suspension Jekyll mountain bicycle and within four months I put 1200 miles on it. Most of this was road mileage and full supension mountain bike just don't get it using it on the roads. I then bought a Cannondale R2000 road bike with the intentions of just riding it around home on the roads. I found out that I really like that road bike and starting doing a lot of touring on it. The first year I owned it I rode total of 6000 miles on it and rode in 15 states. I did another 1500 miles on my other two bikes.

I had went from hardly being able to pedal a mile without tiring out too riding 60 mile to 80 miles days easily. I did a number of 60/80 miles days nonstop and several of them I average 23 miles per hour but that was with ideal conditions. I also did a number 60/80 miles days and ony average 15 miles hours, these had a lot of hills and headwinds. I manage to do a number of century rides as well but that is pushing my limits.

I have a 1995 Cannondale Killer V800 mountaing bike that I completely rebuilted and made a tourer out of it. My intentions was to continue to do long distance touring on it this year. I did not quite finish the conversion on it when I fell of a ladder and severly fracture my left leg into forty pieces last December. Things didn't look so good as for as my future cycling goes. I was told that it may be at least a year maybe two before I recovered enough to be able to ride a bicycle again. I was nearly 64 when this happen and I though my cycling had come to a end.

It now been almost five months since my accident and in spite of the fact I didn't think I would be riding a bike this year I am now riding again. It been only two weeks since I started back put I have ridden a total of a 100 miles on my now finish converted Killer V road tourer. Funny thing I still can't walk very good or for very long, cycling is much easier than walking for me. I do fear falling and reinjuring my leg and I don't want to do that.

I not bragging and hope it is not taken that way. I simply saying the more you ride the better you get even it you are a older feller like me. I was told by someone more knowledgeable than me that it takes a year of intense cycling to get to the point that doing back to back long distance rides becomes a lot easier to do. It took me a year and half. I not sure if I will ever be able to ride like that again.

Litespeed

That is extremely impressive! To be able to work through pain and other people telling you "you can't for a year or two" really shows how much you have going for you. When you love something that much, you always find a way to get back into it.

John E

Sorry to be a wise-@$$, but if one can "road 40 miles," the next goal would be to "mountain 40 miles."

Anyway, congrats on a milestone most folks our age probably could not achieve without alot of training and major lifestyle adjustments.

Blackberry

Kudos!! Well done!!

RE: da wife--I have taken to riding in high vis shirts and jerseys just about all the time. I think it's a good idea and, it quiets her concerns. I make a point once or twice a month to comment how drivers seem to see me earlier than they used. I actually believe it's true.

DnvrFox

OK, John.

I thought the guy ROWED 40 miles! (and rued it)

Road, rode, rowed -

rfctx

Thats great! Keep it up.

ranger5oh

Eye rhode fore tee myles bee fore two.

Kidding.. great job man! Keep it up. What was your pace? There are two aspects to biking... distance and speed, and they dont exactly coincide. Make sure you dont overdo things though. Honestly, I did the same thing running and ended up doing some serious damage to my feet. Make sure if you start to feel any pain when you increase your mileage, you stop. Gradual progression will keep you biking for a long time!

Anyway, great job!

rck

Around here that earns you a piece o Irma's pie! Well deserved.

jppe

Terrific!! Sounds to me like you are hooked!

foxden

Have to admit, I am pretty embarassed by the typo. I'd give my kids hell for that spelling error. I saw it when I wrote it but couldn't edit the subject line. At least I got it right in the body of the post.

Blackberry

Don't worry about the typo. Since we old geezers can't ride fast or score with the chicks, we sit around correcting each other's grammar. It's a very exciting life. By the way, as a professional editor, I once wrote a headline about a "PUBLIC LIBRARY." Unfortunately, I left out the "L."

mollusk

Good work!

This bike riding stuff sure is fun, isn't it?

NOS88

Relax. If this were a fourm on the English language there'd be a lot of us that would need to check our posts three or four times before hitting the submit button.

Great job on the 40 miles. IMHO it is an endless wonder where and how far two wheels can take you. You should be proud of your accomplishment.

jcm

Nice work. I remember when I hit my first 40 miler. I thought that was pretty good. Seems it was about that point when I really started to feel alot more cardio benefit for the rest of the day. I now ride three 40 milers/weekdays and at least a 62 on the weekend.

Caution: Pay attention to your knees at this point. The longer workout type rides will show some of the finer points of bike fit and physical problems. I've had to change alot of things.

Dakota

Foxden - Way to go! I just started last December and I know how good it feels.