I hear ya and agree. But, its why I said that everyone is different. I can drink a bunch of water with no issues, no sloshy stomach or cramps - but I have to really moderate any "sports" type drink or I will get an upset stomach. Like 1 sip of sports drink to every 5+ hits from the water bottle.

And - for those of us that have to worry, really worry, about weight/calories, the added sugar isn't always proactive.

So personally - I only take and need sports type drinks on long events. Not on my daily 1.5+/- hour rides. And PB is only talking about 2 6 mile loops...

RIDE TO SOMEWHERE.
Here is the Strava Heat map of your area (I think). The darker/thicker red roads are where the most rides are done. The theory is that if you ride where many other cyclists ride, Those routes are the most enjoyable for some reason and are very popular and therefore the drivers are more accustomed to sharing. The "hotter" routes are likely to have a wider curb lane to ride in and likely less traffic. Try riding somewhere. The more you ride, the less unsafe it will seem. I visit my family in Redoak, have a bike I keep there and use the heat map to pick routes as my family does not ride and has no idea what a nice ride would be. Many Texans do a very good job of sharing the road compared to Los Angelenos.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4da93f826.jpeg

I will look into those routes. I am familiar with the roads around the lake area.

I'm 74, with a thin build. Started serious riding on a mtn.bike. Only road bike now, but no problem with stamina--except if I don't fuel correctly beforehand! I do go to an exercise class geared towards seniors, twice a week. It does help, with a mixture of cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises. And I'll have a protein drink with 30g of protein, as well as a protein bar before riding, and take a sports drink along to drink while riding. Stamina can be gained but it just isn't as easy as it was a few decades ago!! I've found that rides where I didn't feel so great were ones where I skipped fueling beforehand. Unlike my car, I don't still run at full power if low on fuel.

I get that you're in Texas - HOT !
But a whole bottle of water ? 16 oz, 12 oz, before the ride? That alone will take 30 minutes to fully absorb... if completely.
Ok, carry the extra water... it adds to the load/effort.... Maybe consider just preloading 1/2 that amount, before starting for a less than 1 hr ride... Better to take frequent smaller intakes, while riding...
as for the 'weight' thing, at your height , 250 is excessive for 'healthy' - I would recommend a reasonable focus on 'weight loss' which is both portion size directed as well as type of nutrient...
... I know I'm a tad smaller and skinnier, but I wasn't always that way... I know what it takes to have weight and diet control... difficult...
... just sayin...
breaking barriers - the one lap around the lake - is also a big element of riding - if one wants some level of 'accomplishment' out of their ride.
break the 'one lap' barrier... do two... and don;t stop at the end of one... keep riding... it'll become the new 'normal' after just a ride or two... and no supplements/food before or after - not needed...

Ride On
Yuri
EDIT: and keep an eye on your sodium,/salt intake, very many have much too high of a sodium intake

I do not feel wiped after a 20-30 mile ride. I ride that pretty much daily and feel pretty good at the end.

That said, I definitely do not have the endurance I used to. In the past, I could complete a 80 mile ride with 8000 feet in truly hot weather, and feel a bit beat, but pretty good at the end.

Seems like only yesterday. lol

It's surely not the case anymore, and I am trying to get back to that point by riding longer distances (not daily, but every other day). All I can suggest to you is to do the same .. simply RIDE longer distances, but take that in little bites and give yourself time to recover.

I didn’t mean that I just drink a 20oz bottle of water before riding.
I tend to drink all day. By the time I go ride I have had 3 or 4 bottles.
I took gatorade today but wasn’t thirsty. The humidity broke and it was a nice but windy day. I tool a sip after and yeah/ Gatorade is salty. I don’t remember it being like that but it obviously has.
Tomorrow I will push for at least 2 laps. Today was just too windy, 20-25mph just takes the fun out of it.

Something I have moved to is drinking Pedialyte on my rides. I retired to AZ last year and learned the hard way how quickly I can dehydrate here even though I don’t feel it like I did back in the humidity of TN. My PCP recommended Pedialyte or water with Nuum tablets, which I am just now experimenting with. I am not a long distance road ride rider but more rail to trail and casual road guy.

I am still leaning to be a better rider and working on what works for me and learning from everyone here.

Don't just blindly use electrolytes if you aren't needing the slight performance boost of getting more osmolarity in your stomach. Or truly need to replenish electrolytes because you are chugging 4 or 5 bottles of water in a very short time, and risk hyponatremia.

I also have found dry climates tend to make me so comfortable and keep me dry since sweat evaporates so quickly. However they don't mean any more electrolytes are needed than when in the wet climate.

I'm late to this thread, but I met someone yesterday with an endurance problem that stumped me. I was halfway through a 70+ mile ride and hadn't taken a break yet, when I caught up with a guy my age out for about 15 miles on the MUP. We kept a good pace together on the flats, but on any kind of small hill, like the bridges mentioned in the OP, he couldn't keep the pace, and had to take a break within a few miles. He looked very fit, and talked about a lot of previous cycling experience, but he had no endurance anymore. It bothered him, and it sounded like it was a mystery, no diagnosed medical condition. I have no idea how he eats, drinks, sleeps, or what he does when he's off the bike, but I bet everything comes into play.

I don't even think about a break until I ride an hour or two. And racers scoff at that leisurely attitude. I think some of that is mental. I've done some long-distance hiking and bike touring and I learned a daily cycle of resting and eating, so I can ride or walk all day, and then get up and do it again tomorrow. Just getting to know your limits, and then staying within them, is a big hurdle.

Welllllll….. Yesterday I did a relatively hard ride and today went out for a more leisurely Zone 2 and 3 ride. My legs were tired and hurting at the turnaround after 20 miles and 1000’. Should have taken the day off, but had to go back. I was able to cruise between 16 and 21 MPH with an average of 17, but my legs were not happy. Even the smallest hills put me in a pain-place, so I slowed way down. So, your tale hit home. Even though I could run back to town at 19-20, the slightest inclines slowed me down. Your acquaintance may have a similar story. You just never know what’s going on with another person.

So.... not every ride is an accomplishment, many these days are sufferfests and 'make it back, alive'. Today, I'm glad to 'make it back alive'...
I knew, when I started, that today needed some judicious application of power vs sucking a wheel. It was/is the day for a group ride. And the ride I often Join has a varied rider group, which usually sub-divides into those 'On the rivet', those who try to hang on (which is where I hang out these days) and those who are happy with a comfortable pace. And it's a ride which has a number of routes - all of which focus on frequent , shorter but seriously steep climbs, one after the other...
I did 'hang in' for the early miles, but really straggled behind for the early climbs. Thankfully, I could suck wheels after the uphills and have just a bit of recovery. But once we got to 22 miles and hit the 'Hill to NoWhere', I was done... cooked... shelled... It (as many of the climbs are) starts and continues really steep 12% to 17% for the whole climb... About 1/2 way up I just blew up, not aerobically, the legs were done.... spent. Banged a 'U' and called me 'done'... Not something I had ever done, in a very long time...
3 straight days of hard solo rides seems to be my max these days... add a 4th in a strong group pace, and that may be a day/ride too far.
I decided, today, needed to be one of resignation, not assertive riding... and did some more miles, in the gentler terrains, max 5-6% grades and steady pace, with the idea to not completely bury myself...
Yeah, it was 38 miles and an OK average, which in no way indicated the major extremes of what I could do and actually did...
Disappointment is something we all experience, but it still is a great day, with happiness in doing (even if it was with some disappointment).
... I'll ride again tomorrow, and make sure the expectation level is more suitable to the current 'me'...
Ride On
Yuri

In hope you take a rest day now and then. Heard a coach say yesterday that a recovery ride is BS, and that true recovery is found on the sofa.

17% is beastly in my book. Have one about a mile from my house and haven’t tackled it this year, but it is scheduled for later in the season. Watched a GCN video about a memorial ride in the UK where one climb is an insane 32%. I would probably pop a wheelie, go over backwards and smash my head just to get it over with sooner.

It can be pretty quick if you keep cycling and simply cut out the ultra-processed foods. That may or may not be easy for you. It was pretty easy for me to stop eating crap like cereal and start enjoying more fruits and vegetables.

I have stopped eating bread etc.

^bread and sugar and in the end its really moderation

If you haven't checked this guy out, you might consider watching some of his videos on Utube. Leonard M Lee


He has a lot of videos on his utube channel and is still current. I enjoy watching him at times just to relax.

To the o/p:

I wonder if you are on the right bike for YOU.
When I got back into it, I ended up on a bike that was too small.
Quick 6-10 mile runs with it were no big deal, but anything longer, say like 12 miles, was incredibly tiring.
It may be worth it to go to a bike shop that does bike fitting and pay for the service. At the very least, you'll end up with the information on a correct fit for you.

Just a few other things I've found.
It's o.k. to gear down and be slow. I had a heck of a hard time with this at first. I finally got it into my head to find a gear that I could ride in and pedal consistently without gasping for air.

It's also o.k. to take rest breaks. We're not in a race or marathon here. We're getting fit enough on the bike to ride the distance we want to. Keep goals realistic, according to your abilities.

The most important one is hydration. I just started using a bottle cage with a bottle filled with nothing but cold tap water. It changes some rides from a gasping, painful experience into something enjoyable. I still stop for coffees just about every ride. The water drinking thing makes me feel a whole lot better on the bike.

-D.S.