How far is too much too soon??

[Fancy]

I got my bike this week! First day I went out for 6 mile ride. Same today.
When should I increase the mileage?
What is a good speed to go at for a beginner?
I completed the 6 miles in 30 minutes today. I wear a heart monitor to make sure I am keeping my heart rate up and boy it was up there. Said I was averaging 144 with 163 being the high. For an out of shape person I thought that was great!


I can't wait to increase my time on the bike but I don't want to get far away from home and run out of gas. Should I just increase my time on the bike by 5 minutes each day?? Which according to the time I just did that is increasing it by a mile each day. Or is that too much? But I am sure I will get faster so that is why I thought time of 5 minutes? IDK? I am new to this and want to enjoy my ride without over doing it. But wanna get up to a 2 hour ride each day. Just can't wait to get there!

[Skippyak]

Honestly, I would aim for doing an hour so ride out for half and then turn around at the minimum and build up. I don't know what you mean by out of shape or how old you are, but an hour a day of exercise is pretty much a basic requirement IMO and IME. If you are really working with your HRM then make sure you know what your resting heart rate is and look at heart rate training info so you understand the whole point. Your high heart rate isn't that high so you might be in better shape than you thought. If you are sticking at that kind of exertion then an hour should be fine unless you are on some kind of heart meds. Also while you don't want to be stranded, you are working out, the general consensus out there now is really to dumb down exercise, you WANT to come home knackered, sweaty and out of gas. It is just riding a bike.

[ny biker]

I respectfully disagree somewhat with Skippyak. You should be having fun. If you're not, you're less likely to keep doing it. So if knackered, sweaty and out of gas makes you think you really don't like cycling so much after all, then don't go there, at least not now.

Not knowing anything about your age and general health, I would say that -- as long as your doctor says you're healthy enough for exercise -- you should go ahead and ride as much and as long as you like. If 30 minutes is leaving you exhausted, I would increase slowly. If you feel like you could keep going after 30 minutes, then by all means, keep going! Jump up to 40 or 45 minutes today or tomorrow and see how it goes. If you run out of gas before you're done, you can always stop and rest for a few minutes. Make sure to bring a water bottle, especially if you live in a hot climate.

The important thing is to listen to your body, and don't ignore pain that might indicate an injury (vs muscles that are sore because they've been working). The other important thing is to have fun! If you're enjoying yourself, you'll keep doing it, and soon you'll be riding so much that you'll be amazed that you thought a half-hour ride was a lot.

Good luck!!

[Norse]

+1 on what NY Biker said. Just go a little further each time. If you're enjoying it, and enjoying what it's doing for your body and the feelings you get from it, I am sure that in no time you will be out there doing 1 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour... rides. :)

[Crankin]

Some days I only have time to do a 40-45 minute ride (I won't say how far I go). In fact, I do a lot of these, during the week, before work. I beg to differ that you need to ride an hour, especially if you are just starting, or you are doing intervals. The rides I do in these short amounts of time always involve 1-2 big hills, so, for me, it might be equivalent to riding for say, 1.5 hours of flat to rolling terrain, in terms of the energy I expend. When I first started cycling, I had a 13 mile training route. It really was sort of flat, but again, I did it after work 2 times a week. My other rides were longer and more traditional, but those little rides got me going and built up my mileage. I ramped up very quickly, from this, going from a first ride of 6 miles to 20 miles in a short time.
Now, 12 years later, I just accept the fact that I don't have time to do 30, 40, 50 mile rides all of the time and I try to make the most out of whatever I do. The goal is to have fun.

[Skippyak]

To me,it really is weird that what used to be a nice leisure activity has been translated into hardcore exercise. This is how exercise is being sold out. As something unattainable by the average joe. I have been a sloth, I have had a bmi of 35 at 42 and I could still exercise for more than an hour. What really kicked my arse into gear was not being able to ski a day without flaking on powder days. I don't think that speed is at all important in the beginning, it is time being active. Cycling doesn't need to be treated like running, it is low impact and at the beginning you are not likely to hammer out any rides.

[murielalex]

Some people like to increase by paying attention to time, some attention to mileage, etc. When I first started out, I could only do about five miles before I wasn't having fun. I increased by adding 10 minutes to my ride whenever I got out there. Very quickly, I started increasing by mileage, by adding two mile more in a ride, then five, then ten, etc. because I really enjoyed the challenge. Find something that makes sense and works for you, but if it's not fun, it's going to become a chore quickly. I'm now coming back from an injury, and about three months ago, doing about 10-15 miles was all I could handle without getting irritable and moody, so that's what I did. I increased based on my mood. Two weekends ago, I did 120 miles because I was enjoying myself. Last weekend, I just didn't feel like it, so I didn't ride at all on Saturday, and rode about 30 on Sunday. I can't wait to get out and ride this weekend, and have three rides planned with friends.

I agree with the above posters. Have fun. Listen to your body (mood included). Push yourself little by little in whatever way makes sense to you, but don't turn it into a chore. Congrats on getting a bike and getting out there. Enjoy!

[Catrin]

Listen to your body and do what feels right to you. When I first started riding I wound up with a whole host of over-use injuries because I increased too much too fast, but you may be in better shape than I was when I started..that wouldn't be difficult :) For me it did help at first to try and focus on time in the saddle rather than actual mileage. I got too caught up in the numbers, and that took some of the fun out of it. I actually rode more that first year than in the two since then - not because I am not riding - but because I figured out that I enjoy shorter (less than 50 miles) rides more frequently. It takes time to figure that part of it out though, and part of that is due to scar tissue in my quad from those over-use injuries that first year. I also do other things, so cyling is no longer my sole form of exercise.

Have fun, don't feel like you MUST go THIS far or THAT fast, listen to your body and have fun! Make certain you stretch well after riding, those hip flexers, quads, hamstrings and calves will thank you for it!

[Fancy]

I guess I best find out the appropriate pre ride stretch for the knees. My right knee (prior injury Old one at that) is stiff and aches when it is bent. More so then prior to riding. I do stretch but I guess I will do more. Thank You for the tip.

I had a very upsetting experience while riding yesterday. I had an aggressive dog come out of its yard and biting at my legs! I had to kick it in the nose. I went down the road a bit and stopped and called the sheriffs office. They are supposedly going to talk to the owner. I found out who the owner is of the pit bull. Now the german shepherd that was with it I have to find that owner yet. But I will! Oh and the aggressive 2 dogs have been reported before. I had a runner going buy me and I warned him of the 2 dogs and he said if you cross the road they won't come after you. If that doesn't work he said to throw rocks at the dogs. Really!! I had the sheriffs office on the phone with me when I was speaking to the runner and the runner said he has reported those 2 dogs.
I won't cross the road. For me that is too dangerous on the bike because the house sits right at the end of a huge curve. I could get slammed by a car! I decided I will ride by and if I need to I will use my bike as a shield.