Broke 30 miles yesterday!
 

I know its not much but for a newbie like me it is! Rode 30 miles, took plenty of rest stops for myself and my friend, and we DID IT. We did a 15 mile out and return trip, nearly all uphill on the way, nearly all downhill on the way back. I did 33.7mph top speed on the way back. What a feeling! And all this on MTB tires, as my I slashed one of my slicks last week. Got a replacement and was about to put it on and I saw that the rear axle shaft was bent. D'oh! Gotta get a decent bike....

Anyway I just wanted to share my accomplishment. Take care!

Contrats!! it's a great accomplishment.

Congratulations!!! On mountain bike tires even! Every milestone gets better and better, you will continually amaze yourself at what you are capable of with this crazy hobby! Enjoy and keep us posted.

Congratulations!!! A year ago I would have never imagined I could do 30 miles either! Keep at it and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Good job! I've been doing 40 a few times in preparation for a century later this summer (or maybe 2!). I'm going to do 50 this weekend and hope to hit 70-80 a couple of weeks prior to the century. My longest ride was a metric last year and I could have possibly done the std century but it itself was an accomplishment.

Keep up the good work - try a road bike - farther and faster....

Congratulations! You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll be able to complete even longer rides. :)

Thanks everyone! This ride comes after diligently riding for about 2 months. I also started commuting last month and that has really helped my endurance and strength. The first day my friend and I rode we did something like 12 miles and I thought I was going to die. After the 30 yesterday I feel pretty good, although my legs are sore :)

I do plan on trying out a road bike. Just gotta find a used one cheap so that I can fix it up! But I have to commute, too, so I'm not sure a a road bike is good for that.

Again,thanks for all the kind words. The encouragement helps!

i'm actually more impressed with the 33.7 mph. that's pretty quick.

It was down a steep hill. I can hit 25mph in a sprint on flat ground but I can't maintain it worth crap. I can maintain 17-18mph if I try really hard but even then its only for a few minutes. I am comfy at 14-15mph :D

EDIT: I was pedaling my brains out going down that hill tho ;)

Nice job! 33.7 is pretty dang fast. My top speed is 35 and I almost peed my pants:D

Way to go. Milage has a way of creeping up on you.

I got my road bike in Feb. When I did 30 miles, I thought that was a long ride. This Saturday I will be doing my third century.

Congrats! Keep it up! When i started less than a year ago, i thought i was doing great when i rode 12 mile every day. Now, i am more limited by time than anything else. I ride at least 20 miles every morning but wish i had time for more.

I ride my Mountain back on the local country roads. One thing I keep finding is that numbers really can ruin a cycling experience. It is good to keep track of your progress but far too many people get caught up in a peeing match sort of deal. To me a lot of people keep their eye on the cycling computer instead of looking up at what God has surrounded them with. Looking over my handlebars to see nothing but rolling hills and amber waves of grain every morning is way more valuable to me than any speed or distance accomplishment.

My biggest goal is to ride everyday, forever if possible. No matter how far nor how fast i just want to ride. I'll let everyone else sweat the numbers. Good Luck!!!

Congrats - I think you will find distance riding easier if you dont make many rest stops. You need to establish a pedalling rythm that you can keep up without a break for an hour or more - stops break this rythm. Drink while you are pedalling.

Again thank you everyone for the encouragement and kind words of advice. Ranger: Ah yes the numbers game. I like to keep track of my progress otherwise I wouldn't give a hoot. Being into 4x4's previously, the numbers game is a well known factor. 33" tires? Those are BIG... 3 years ago! Nobody runs those, you need some 37's! 3" lift? You need at least 6"!

Anyway I know what you mean, so I am aware of the problems of 'numbers'.

The other affect of my ride is a couple of well placed saddle sores... OUCH.

What shorts were you wearing?

If you're not already, I suggest picking up a pair of padded lycra bike shorts (which should always be worn without underwear).

Congrats. I've basically mapped out my succession plan for the summer, the 40, 50, 60, 70 miles trips and when I expect to hit that level.

Right now I'm doing 35+ on the weekdays, combining my 20-25 mile commute with a 10-15 mile evening romp to up my daily average. Weekends might be a long ride or a morning/evening split.

I like to keep a log book of my efforts (bike used, route, distance, time). I like to see how I am progressing for time on the commute and I challenge myself to do incrementally better on some standard loops. But the commute is typically one of enjoying the ride, the gain comes from either better conditioning or pedaling form.

Stubacca: Boxers and cargo shorts. I know, not optimal. I plan on picking up some lycra shorts when I lose more weight and don't look rediculous in them. But maybe that day is coming sooner than I imagined?

dobber: Thanks! I've been keeping track too. I am currently commuting 2-4 days/week, depending on how it goes. When I get a different bike that has a rack and saddlebags on it, that'll increase because I will no longer need the car 1-3 days/week.

Does anyone else see the pattern between this and any other addiction?

I do... and that might be the best justification for my wife right now...

Get them now. Fellow bikers won't think you look ridiculous - they're just glad to see another person out there enjoying cycling! If anyone else ever passes comment, what do you care? You're out there doing something good for yourself, and they're likely sitting in their car eating a doughnut ;). If you're really worried, you can get 'baggies', which are usually cargo shorts with a padded lycra cycling short inside. They're designed so you don't get seam rub (which is probably what caused your saddle sores). Check out REI for some good, cheap-ish options (since as you lose weight you'll likely drop down a size).

In any case, your arse will be thanking you so loudly that you wouldn't even be able to hear a snide remark. :D

Trust me - to anyone whose opinion should matter to you, it doesn't look ridiculous at all.

rykoala: I thought the same thing so I got a couple pair of baggy shorts. They have lycra shorts on the inside and a baggy nylon outer layer. They're excellent. One pair is Trek brand I got on sale at a bike shop and the other pair is Canari that I got at Sportmart. They both cost around $30. It's amazing how much difference they make.

are you the crotch-rot police??? hehe..jk..

Stubacca is right, go functional forget what you may think it looks like. I don't choose clothes because they are bike fashion, I choose them because they are functional. I know I look ridiculous riding in cold weather with sweat pants, and/or sweatshirts, but at least I'm out riding, and I might add staying warm while doing so. JUST DO IT! You'll be glad you did!

Y'all ROCK. Thank you. I will get some as soon as I can afford it. Gotta go buy a new bike right now... the wally world bike is dead... may it Rest In Pieces!

:roflmao:

--J