I went about it a different approach....I was a MTBer normally doing 8-10miles once a couple weeks if that. Bought a road bike in 2005 cuz I was 260, need to drop weight, become active again and wanted to join co workers on their lunch rides. Got my bike on a Saturday mornring and cool clip in shoes for the first time and they said Hey join us on our saturday ride. Not knowing ANYTHING i said sure!! Where do I meet.

55 miles later we arrived back at the cars, tired, super hungry. I knew nothing about eating while riding, hated every hill we did over the 2000ft of climbing. Got a flat and learned how to use my tools as the group went up the road. Also 5miles before the car, I tipped over clipped in and the big ring went into my ankle hittiniig something good cuz I was still bleeding 2hrs later. Had to get 3 stitches to stop the bleeding while starving cuz i didn't eat dinner while being at Urgent Care. Awesome first day!!

Vowed that if I can do that on my first day, I can do it every weekend. And I did + added 3-4 lunch rides in a week. I became addicted to the bike and the lifestyle, I still am, and happy at 205ish weight.. Same ride habits w/ wife and 2 kids, I can only ride 6-9hrs a week. I ride at least one century a month (personal challange), Average speed on solo lunch rides are 18mph over 1200-1300ft climbing to 21mph with half that climbing involved. Weekend rides are 60+ range and tend to average 17-19mph solo. Slower if I go up Mts of course.

Enjoy the journey, enjoy where you ride and who you ride with. Speed is nice but it's not everything, won't solve anything because it's addictive and you will always be chasing yourself. I have "slower" bikes that I still enjoy to ride on allot and N+1 rule lives forever and ever.