Originally Posted by yankeefan

Getting back on topic, I only just learned how to ride this past summer and started commuting in the fall so I can't really do much of an assessment. My fitness did improve and I developed some really sculpted quads and calves, and within the first 5-6 weeks I managed to shave 4-5 mins off my commute (24 miles RT, 4 days a week) through improved cardiovascular fitness. The biggest improvement came after I started refueling using electrolyte water instead of regular water (shaved off a whopping 8-10mins!). Unfortunately all my gains got overshadowed by some fat I accumulated during a brief spell off the bike due to an injury. I was averaging close to 100 miles a week before my injury and now I'm doing a lot of cardio in the gym to get rid of the christmas pounds and get back to putting miles on my bike. Hoping 2015 will be as good as my pre-injury 2014.