The dumbest (or most awesome, depending on how you look at it) thing I did as a new rider was back when I was 14 years old (around 1988).....did my first 100+ mile ride, with basically zero training - unless playing tennis counts as training. Combine that with about zero knowledge of hydration and fueling, as well as poor clothing choice (those heavy cotton shorts sure chafed like a mofo), and other than youthful ignorance, I have no idea how I managed to finish that ride....and on my neighbor's 12+ year old Raleigh racing bike that was about 2-3 sizes too big for me. My buddy had it even worse....he had a 40 pound department store tank of a mountain bike that he rode - but it had a rack, so we put a few bananas, drinks and some canned fruit on it.....and my 4 pound camera too. It took us 12 hours, including a 30 mile detour when we missed a road and ended up two towns over in the wrong direction. That ride built all sorts of character.
Although, I did forget about the 75 mile solo ride I did months prior to that.....my first-ever road bike ride (on the same neighbors bike) was 19 miles, and loved it...which is what initially got me into road cycling. So, my second ride was the 75 miler. I was so tired after 6 hours (took me 8 hours in total), I actually fell asleep while riding - hit a rock in the road which caused me to walk over the handlebars....I was going pretty slow at the time, but that woke me up quickly. Fortunately it happened in front of a Dunkin Donuts on Rte. 5 in Wallingford, CT, so I stopped in for some much needed sugar and calories.
Last edited by GuitarWizard; 02-23-16 at 07:32 PM.