how far should i go?
 

Hey all,


I am new to biking and have been going 8 miles round trip a day. Is that to much or to little for a beginner? When you all started how far were you going on the trails?

Let me preface my response by saying that I am in no way an expert. I just ride based on what feels right, and then push myself a little past that.

8 miles is a good start I think. Depends on what you want out of your ride. I try to get 20-30 on my rides, longer on the weekends if possible, but that's just because that's kinda where my comfort level is right now.

8 miles will never be too little. 0 miles is too little. Be glad you're out and about, keep stepping it up to push yourself, but never too much that you truly stop enjoying it.

Avoid riding the same route every day. Look for variations on your daily route or for completely new routes. If you do that, farther and faster will just come naturally.

It really depends on a multitude of factors - current fitness level, any health concerns, type of bike (road bikes use a lot less energy per mile than a mountain bike), etc. Having said that, I got back into biking at age 37, was overweight by about 40 lbs, and hadn't properly exercised in a decade. I was lucky to be able to do 10 miles on my mountain bike without my legs turning to mush. If 8 miles feels comfortable, then stick with that and slowly build on to it as you get into better shape.

how do you feel after 8 miles? are you dead to the world? or do you feel like you just won a million bucks?

If wherever you're going is an 8 mile round trip then you're not going too far.

When I first started cycling I only went as far as my destination, and I still do.

If it feels good, do it. It is a good idea to build up your kms until you are riding a certain amount of them each day. As your interest in the sport grows, you will know whether you want to ride more or not. if it hurts or you get tired, then don't push yourself past your limit. Most people fall into a number of catetgories;
1. Those who have good intentions and start out well, then give up for other distractions. 2. Those who just like to take the occasional ride once the novelty wears off. 3. Those who decide that they like the sport and then take it to new levels and do their best to excel and then some. Only time will tellwhat kind of rider you are and what inspires you. It's different for everyone.

If you have to do the same route each day, play a few games with yourself, like doing the whole route in top gear. Or doing just the hills in top gear, out of the saddle.

PS. Do as much or as little as you feel... it's not a competition - enjoy yourself!

Ride within your comfort zone then eventually you will develop the desire to ride farther than you did before.
It's not going to happen overnight that you will be riding 50 plus miles after just weeks on the bike. You need to slowly build endurance and stamina.

What kind of trails? I started with a mountian bike and part of why I went to a road bike was because 90% of the off road trails were either dead flat and of little interest or 'oh my god I'm going to die'. I can think of of hard loop where the one time i did it the main climb, I fire road had recently been plowed. Just one mile on htat was plenty for any beginner.

What bike, what terrain, even what time of day (as in how hot) can make a huge difference. Not knownig you I'll go with if you come home tired, but are ready and eager to go again tommorrow then the distance was right. Try to find new routes, or even to add just a little more to an existing route.

When I first started I did a bit more than 8 miles, but not that much more. Drove to a local park and rode there. Then a loop throughthe park was not enough. Did some side excursions in hte park, but could not add very much that way. I finally decided it was foolish to drive, I should ride to the park. But the first few times were 'find a route' adventures because I was not comfortable on the 'major' raod leading to the park and all the back routes had a dead end somewhere.

Today the 'major' road seems minor and a ride to that park is trivial.

For me at least juset a little more got me to 20 miles pretty quickly. I then started riding with a local social club, whose shortest rides were 25 miles. Pretty quickly I was up to 40-45. At that point there was a barrier and 45 was about the longest ride that stayed in hte valley, anythign longer meant a hill that was bigger than anything I had done, AND putting that hill between me and home. Once that barrier was broken I built up to dentruies and more without really noticing it.

I try to avoid riding trails in general.

And 8 miles is a good start. But if you feel comfortable with that, you might want to gradually increase your distance every few days or each week.