james5239

Ok so i got my bike back a week ago and i went 2 miles today (im 12 male 105 lbs about 4,6) Too much or too little?

BobbyG

When I was your age (40 years ago in 1974) the furthest my buddies and I rode on our 24" stingrays was about 12 miles out and 12 miles back. Later that year we all got 10-speeds and increased our radius to about 20 miles. However, we mostly rode under 5 miles since that was as far as we needed to go to get to friends houses, etc. Now if this was the first ride since getting your bike back from the shop, then a short test ride is a good idea. The main thing is can you get to where you want and back. If so, you doin good.

james5239

Alright thanks

UberGeek

If it felt great, enough. If you were dying at the end, just enough. If it felt like nothing, you didn't ride far enough.

A 2 mile ride is really nothing. 5 miles? 4 miles? Yeah, that's a good "beginner" place to start.

doctor j

2 miles is fine.

We all started somewhere and worked our way up to wherever we are now in terms of miles per ride.

Wheever

I'm 54 and was a smoker. Started biking early last summer. That first few weeks, 2 miles was significant, and I was proud when I would get home from work and do 2 or 3 miles. 5 miles was hard, and I was proud when I would go out on a weekend and do five miles. Now, a year later, and 20 miles seems disappointingly short. But just two months ago 30 miles seemed like a lot, and now I'm eyeing up 50. All of this seemed impossible just a short year ago, and my rides are now more limited by time than by my physical ability. (There's a 235-mile ride for AIDS in September that I didn't sign up for a couple weeks ago because I didn't think I'd be ready...but now I'm wondering...)

My point is , as Dr J said, you do have to start somewhere, but if you keep at it, you'll pick up miles fast. Just go at whatever pace feels right, and don't push yourself too hard at first so that it becomes off-putting; just go at a pace you enjoy for a distance that is comfortable for you, then every so often, do a ride that is just a bit of a challenge by the end. Build up slow, and you'll have more fun, and the next thing you know you'll also be eying up 235 miles!

Keep pedaling, and have fun!

berner

Yo James - welcome aboard. Young people begin with short rides, as we all do, and soon enough are embarrassing everyone around them. Ride and enjoy.

Stucky

When I was 14 (39 years ago) I used my bike for transportation- and without even knowing it, would ride 25+ miles- sometimes carrying my fishing pole and tackle- on a heavy old cheap 10-speed which was too big for me. [I don't know how far i rode when I was 12- I had a single-speed banana-seat 20" tire bike then. Never went really far- but I'd spend all day on my bike- and probably still put on some good miles just going back and forth around the neighborhood]

Ride as far as you feel like riding. At your age, riding far/a lot will do you a lot of good.

Just enjoy yourself. If you feel like going further; go. If you don't, then don't. Riding a bike should be a joy....you don't want to make it into a chore.

obed7

a bike is supposed to be about having fun...you decide how much you want to ride.

JerrySTL

Ride as far as you want as time and other commitments allow. Do you have any goals such as racing bicycles or doing a century? That would change my advice some.

My youngest daughter rode her first century ride when she was 13 YO and started racing at 14 YO. Of course she was (is?) crazy. Takes after me.