I came in the house hot and out of breath to my husband asking ... "You rode?"
Yes I did! A little over a mile, he laughed.

I hope I get better just to show him!

Let me be the first on the forum to congratulate you

Next step: 1 1/2 miles. Then 2 miles. Before too long you'll be bragging about your metric century.

AAHHHHH sweet motivation for sure. Go get em

Yeah, you show him.
Congratulations. Good start.

Well done and keep riding!

Great job. Keep up the good work and keep it fun. Don't push too hard, just go farther when you feel like it and you will probably suprise yourself. You have probably already suprised him.

Three years ago, I rode for the first time since I was a teenager. My first ride was six miles round trip. When I got home and got off the bike, my knees buckled! Hang in there! You will improve with every ride! He will be amazed!

The air conditioning feels so good when you come in hot from a ride.

Good for you! Keep up the good work, don't quit, and post ride reports here.

+2 A couple of years ago I got back into riding after a 35 year hiatus. The first ride was less than 2 miles, and I was totally exhausted. But within two months, I was routinely riding 30 miles or more. Within three months, I rode my age. You will be surprised how quick your miles go up.

Will do, thank you all. If I may ask, how long does it take to ride 20 plus miles?

Remember that old corny saying, "Everyday in every way, I'm getting better and better"? Well, that's exactly how it it on a bicycle.

Depends on how fast you are riding, doesn't it?

Soon, you'll be the one laughing.

I could not even make it to the end of the block last year after not riding for 45 years. I thought how am i going to do this? Little by little is the ticket. Enjoy.

About an hour at 20mph. Or, two hours at 10mph. Or, somewhere in between.

Longer if there's a stop for pie somewhere.

Ignore most of the "average MPH" posts. Most are fabricated. Ride at whatever speed maximizes your enjoyment. For the first year, it's best not even to keep track.

I love reading threads like this. They reflect how much fun biking should be.



Go, lady, go!

What will really make your husband jealous will be if you get a better bike than his.

Congrats on getting out there. In terms of how long for 20 miles. I don't think it is unreasonable to shoot for an average speed between 13 & 15 mph in your first season of returning to cycling. Build in time to pump up the tires, fill up the water bottle and get dressed - I'd budget two hours for a 20 mile ride.

Congrats on your ride. Keep it up.

If it's numbers you're shooting for, set your computer to kilometers. 16 kph makes you feel better than 10mph.

Why aim at all? Let this average speed garbage go for awhile.

Oh, but I wish I could. My riding has to get sandwiched between a rather full schedule: full-time job, part-time job, volunteer work, and family. I really do need to know how long something is going to take. Of course this may not be true for the OP.