Originally Posted by
nerys
what do you guys suggest? how hard should I push? how far should I go? how do you tell when your pushing the edge and should stop?
Push hard enough to get the heart rate up, and your legs get sore...but not so hard that it becomes un-enjoyable. If you don't enjoy it, eventually you're not going to be motivated to get back on the bike.
Looks like a very comfortable bike, though. Get out often, and you'll be surprised how quickly you'll be doing 10, 20, 30 (and more) mile rides.
When I started riding again (a little over a year ago), I weighed about 305lb. Several of my friends invited me to ride with them on Sunday afternoons. I was the slowest one (but not the biggest) in the group. Just one month later, and that all changed. I wasn't just riding on Sunday afternoons. I wasn't doing flat routes. I was tackling the hills & commuting. Just a few months later, and I did a 120 mile ride (technically two 60-mile rides, back-to-back) with them down the California Coast with over 6,500' of elevation gain.