BBRider

I've had my Specialized Hardrock 29er for a couple of weeks now. Today was my longest ride so far, 5.5 miles and 16 hills, half trail, half road. Twenty years ago, I thought nothing riding ten miles on trails or forty miles on pavement. Then, I got distracted and stopped biking. Getting back in the saddle has been challenging, and even a little embarrassing. I'm sure I could knock out twenty road miles or five trail miles on flat land. Too bad I don't have any flat land around here. Unless I want to drive a hundred miles first, I'll have to take it one hill at a time.

My first few rides were only a mile or two. I basically rode until I came to a hill that I couldn't conquer. Today, I managed 5.5 miles fairly easily. I could have gone further, if not for a major hill that I decided not to attempt. I'll repeat today's ride a few times before attempting that major hill. After that, who knows.

My technique and endurance seem to be finally be improving. Darn good thing too, I was "this close" to becoming frustrated at my lack of early progress. I guess being nearly 50 years old and 70lbs overweight complicates things a bit. I can't do anything about the age, but the weight is starting to drop.

Anyone else want to share their minor, or major, success stories? A little inspiration is always welcome.

beatlebee 

Have patience and keep riding.

BBRider

Will do Rob. I MUST keep riding. After spending so much money, my wife will kill me if I stop.

It also helps that I bought new bikes for my boys. Josh, 13, got a Trek 3500. Zack, 10, got a 24" Schwinn Ranger. Both are loving their new bikes and wanting me to ride with them. Riding with them ensures that I ride, and have fun, but it makes it difficult to stick with any specific training plan. Oh well, I'll take the family fun and conditioning for all over a regimented program for just myself.

EnellCH

This is great, just stay with it and it will all come back very soon! Enjoy every mile of it, it's the journey, not only the destination.

rainycamp

I'm 63, been road biking 8 yrs., but my excess weigh didn't budge until I got on my unused mountain bike this year. I hit some singletrack trails two or three times a week, and in the last two weeks, I'm down fice pounds and one inch around the waist. Find something a bit challenging. You'll like the results.

meanwhile

Meet the motivation A-Bomb:

Losing Weight by Riding a Bike | Bicycling Magazine

..Just take things slowly and accept steady slow progress - remember that 1%'s add up fantastically over a year. And you might want to make sure that you're staying hydrated and look at your diet:

Food & Nutrition Myths: Bicycle Training | Bicycling Magazine

RIC0

when first starting out it can EASILY take a year or more to get your legs under you. Just keep up the good work.

linnefaulk

Every time you get on the bike, it gets a little easier and you can go a little farther.

BBRider

Thanks for the feedback and great links. Both were very helpful.

BBRider

I opted for a change of pace today. My legs were sore and I was a bit concerned that I'd bonk and end up walking back. However, I really wanted to push myself.

A series of six 1/4 mile sprint trials on my dirt/rock road were a real blast, and just the challenge I needed. Each one left me tired and out of breath, but not too bad. Each sprint included uphill and downhill. I normally try to stay in the saddle. For these sprints, I decided to stand on the peddles and pump like a mad man the whole way. What a rush!

One mistake: Since I was staying within a half mile of home and avoiding traffic, I let my little dog run with me. She often goes with us on more leisurely rides in this same area and does well. Not so with the sprints. She was thrilled to race, but was often way too close to the bike and crossed right in front of me a couple of times. No more sprints with DeeDee until she learns to keep her distance from the bike.

BBRider

Great Job! It's interesting that you've noticed such a difference in the weight loss results between road biking and mountain biking.

rainycamp

Mtn. biking is much more strenuous, at least for me. A 10-mile ride on gnarly singletrack wears me out, and I can feel my abs are tighter. I don't get that feeling on my road bike, even after 25 or 30 miles.

meanwhile

Take an energy bar and water with you. And you're right about DeeDee - safety first for both of you.

Btw: there are two reasons MTB works better than road for weight loss. First of all its more strength oriented, which causes growth hormones to kick in, telling your body to build muscle instead of storing energy. Secondly, repeated short high efforts are better at upping metabolism post ride. Calories burned while riding are probably less important than that the body changes intense effort triggers.