Can I ride 20 miles when I've been only riding 10?

I've been riding 10 miles, and it's starting to feel pretty comfortable. Like at the end of the ride, I don't really want to stop (but I have to because I have to get to work).

Saturday is my one day of the week that I can ride longer. For some reason I really feel the desire to try for 20. However, I haven't ridden that long in, oh 20 years. Am I crazy to try this? If I got desperate I could have my husband come pick me up, but I really don't want to because a) I'd be totally embarrassed, and b) my bike doesn't fit in the back of our car very well so it'd be a royal pain.

Go for it! Better to set a high goal and try your best (any gain is success!)than to set no goal and succeed.

You sure can...pace yourself and remember that your goal is distance...not speed.

Yes, you can do it, just make sure you stay hydrated.... and it's helpful to keep some plain water with you in case you get too hot to splash on yourself to help cool off.

If you can plan the route with a rest stop (either a loop ending at your house you can repeat, or a longer route with a convenience store, etc) that's even better so you can make a potty break and refill bottles as needed. I have a 5.1 mile route from my house I repeat 2-3 times pretty regularly for 10 or 15 miles. It only has a 62' change in elevation with most of that as a gradual climb at the beginning, so for around here that's about as "flat" as it gets and it's the easiest one to do if I am going for distance. I haven't yet repeated it 4 times, but perhaps I'll go for it this weekend.

You're not crazy to try it.... I read on some website recently that anyone in fair shape can easily ride 20 miles.. the trick is though, if your rear isn't used to that amount of saddle time, or you have issues with bike fit, that is what will be problematic - it's not so much a question of endurance, but comfort.

Oh dear, I didn't even *think* of needing a potty break. *Duh* I could probably get by without one, but would hate to need one. A lot of my route will be along a greenbelt near parks, so they will be available, but I'll need to bring my lock so I can lock up my bike when I go in (something I wouldn't have otherwise done). I know there will be plenty of convenience stores along other parts of the route, too.

I'm purposely *not* doing a loop because I'm the type that would get near my house and say "yeah, that couch and fridge sound way too good". The big reason why cycling is working for me and the gym never did is that I'm forced to finish.

Comfort may be an issue...my bike isn't right and I need to do something about it (really need a new one, but hoping there are some things I can do to make my existing one better for the short term). Saddle isn't too bad, but my neck & shoulders do get sore. Well, we'll see, it *is* possible to shorten the route if I need to.

Just go for it and have fun!

And come back to report about it. :)

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Originally Posted by HappyTexasMom

Comfort may be an issue...my bike isn't right and I need to do something about it (really need a new one, but hoping there are some things I can do to make my existing one better for the short term).

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Pain/discomfort are unnecessary. If the equipment isn't well suited, gauge your goal/expectation accordingly.

+1 to what Mr. Silver said. I certainly do think you could do an extra 10 miles - but, if you already know your bike is causing you some pain &/or discomfort, maybe get that checked out first.

If your neck and shoulders are getting sore, there's a number of things that could be causing it, and it might be useful to get a good bike fitter to help you figure out if you can tweak your current bike to be more comfortable.

FWIW, I made a couple changes that helped my neck/shoulder pain a little: I made sure my saddle was level (if it's angled down, you tend to put more stress on your upper body to keep from sliding forward), and I got rid of the visor on my helmet (with the visor, I had to tilt my head further up to see down the road; without it I can keep my head in a more neutral position and just move my eyes). I don't know if either of these are a factor for you; it may be that you would need to actually replace parts on your bike to make the geometry work better for your body.

Either way, congrats on getting back into riding, and have fun as you keep pushing your distance farther!

What they said! Endurance wise it's not an issue. See what you can do about the potential pain ;)

Yeah I'm having 2nd thoughts. I really really really want to go, and I'm not sure I'm going to have another chance for a while (mornings are limited, early evening is too hot/out of the question, later evening I just don't feel safe alone, and I'll be going out of town soon). But I just went for a short 2 mile (albeit sloooooow) ride with my 8-year-old and my neck is really feeling it.

My saddle is level, I do have a visor on my helmet I could remove. I did talk to the bike shop once and now that I've learned a little more, I'm not entirely happy with the recommendations he gave me. Or rather, that he didn't give me more. He recommended adding a riser to the post, and possibly some handlebars similar to what's found on a hybrid bike. He didn't mention anything about moustache bars or butterfly bars (I'm thinking I *might* like butterfly bars for this bike). So I may try another place. I do know that any bars that give me significant changes are going to require new cables...which is more $$$ I'm dumping on what's essentially a crappy bike. I could almost just go buy a new (albeit also crappy) hybrid from Target (I know, I know, but this is a Sam's club bike) for not much more (considering I also need new tires...*badly*...and a full tuneup).

The problem is I really don't have money for a new *good* bike right now. And I certainly don't want to settle for something I won't ultimately be happy with, at least for a few years. So I'm trying to figure out how to tolerate this one until I do. I don't mind putting some money into it, but I hate to sink too much into it.

I have been watching craigslist, but don't feel that I know enough about bikes for that to be a good option for me. Plus I still have (want) to ride while I'm still in the shopping/looking process.

*sigh* why do I have to have such expensive interests? (the reason I don't have money for a bike is that I just bought a digital SLR camera...I got a great deal, but still, not a small chunk of change!)

In some parks, I take my bike into the restroom. If it were crowded, I wouldn't, but so far I haven't had any problems.

When I was building up mileage, I felt more secure when I took plenty of snacks. I think this is more psychological than nutritional, but it works for me.

Good luck -- sounds to me like you can do this. I agree plenty of breaks will help. It really is thrilling to increase your mileage.

Pam

I am in the same place in riding as you. So far, I have only squeezed in about 10-12 mile rides a couple times a week. So one day, I did a 22 mile ride (with hills). The only thing, is that I did not carry any food. That was my mistake. It took me several hours and I was very tired at the end, especially because there is a very steep, one mile hill to my house. So now I know what bonked feels like.

I learned several things from this experience:

1. Yes, it is best to build a base of miles if you are a new rider. (and if you are overweight as I am.) (But, I still plan to do rides beyond my level from time to time.
2. Carry snacks if the ride is over an hour.
3. There is no shame in walking up a hill if necessary.
4. There is no shame in riding slowly if that is what you have.

The best advise I have ever heard for new riders is to just ride and not worry too much about miles or hills. (within reason of course)

-Sue

If you aren't sure that your bike is set up optimally for doubling your current distance, is there any reason you can try a 15 mile ride first? Do you need to jump up to 20 right away?

I would think that if your bike is potentially an issue, then you may want to ramp up more slowly, just to be sure. If it's too painful at 15, then you know that you'll have to invest a little $ before you try 20. Anything that hurts at 10 miles is only going to hurt much worse at 20.

Sue, I'm not terribly overweight (maybe 20-25 pounds), but I'm not yet in the greatest shape, either. Your comment about taking hours really made me take pause...it's supposed to get up to 111 on Saturday, so I really don't want to end up taking more than about 3 hours total (I currently do 10 miles in about an hour and I'm not working balls-out or anything, so I thought I was being reasonably conservative, but maybe not). If I start at 6 (which will be a miracle...probably closer to 6:30) that would put me finishing at 9-9:30. It will already be in the mid to upper 90s then, which is about my limit. When it gets to 100+, no matter how much water I drink or how much water I pour on myself, I tend to overheat and give out after not very much time (and then get a migraine later in the day...fun).

GLC the reason I wanted to do 20 was partly to see if I could do it, and partly because the route I want to take includes a beautiful section down a greenbelt...but it's in the latter (furthest away) portion of my loop. If I cut out my ride, I have to cut it all out of the pretty part. I don't find that much beautiful about the desert (I know some people do, I'm just not one of them), so I was really looking forward to that (and had already cut some out; it was originally closer to a 30 mile ride).

But I went 12 miles today (2 more than my usual) and while physically I felt good overall (not too tired, etc.), the neck pain got more persistent and burning. I can also feel it now after the fact, which hadn't happened in the past. So I'm calling off the 20 mile ride for now. I just posted to the bike maintenance thread about some modifications I want to try that I think (hope) will help. Unless/until I get that resolved, I won't try for the longer distance. *sniff*

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Originally Posted by HappyTexasMom

But I went 12 miles today (2 more than my usual) and while physically I felt good overall (not too tired, etc.), the neck pain got more persistent and burning.

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While training for the 160mile Ride Across Indiana last July, Silver advised me to not increase my riding by more than 10%/week. So, one week, I'd do 100 miles, then next 110 to 120, and so on. It worked for me.

As for the neck, my chiropractors and I are on a first name basis...

I've heard the 10% guideline, too, although I've also read (somewhere, forget where) that when you're at a lower mileage to begin with you can add more than 10% because it's such a small amount at that level. For example I started out at 5 and easily added 1-2 miles at a time after that. I do realize that I'm talking about closer to 50% though.

I do have a chiropractor I see regularly. I will ask him next time (today) if he sees anything off in particular, but I'm pretty sure this is a muscle strain from bad position kind of thing. My overall chronic pain I'm pretty sure stems from poor posture...something I constantly work on, but can't seem to keep corrected once I stop paying attention.

Yesterday I put road tires on my MTB for the first time. I also spend a good deal of time cleaning it up, oiling the chain, etc.

This morning I got on it and man, was it smooth and quiet! I went out, approaching my 20 mile route, telling myself it was probably too hot, but I just couldn't resist going for it to try out my new ride. I ended up going 21 miles.

It was a nice ride...I had to stop a lot to rewet my bandanas I keep on my head and neck. Man, I don't think I would survive without those things. At one point just past midway I started feeling really sluggish and then I went "duh, *food*!". So I stopped in the shade and ate a Larabar. I felt much better after that.

The last 4 miles or so were a bit tough...I was back on the pavement and I could feel the heat just radiating off of it. When I got home, the weather said it was 100. I wanted to be able to stop at the park during my ride and just sit and relax, but I felt like I was racing against the temperature climbs (we are under a heat advisory today, but if I wait for those to go away, I'll *never* ride!).

I was pretty tired when I got home...laid down on the bed and dozed for a little while while I cooled off. I think I came close to getting overheated. I don't think I'll be increasing my distance beyond this until it's cooler. Frustrating, because I feel like my body wants to work up to more, but the temperature won't let me. Boo.

I averaged just under 10 mph. I want to get faster, but I figure that's about what I've been averaging and I just doubled my distance, so that's good. I'm sure the new tires factored into it, too. I was in high gear a lot, something that wasn't happening very often with the old tires.

I try to ride in the evenings.. I estimate how long I'll be out and I go out that amount before sunset.. it doesn't get "dark" until 20 minutes or so after sunset, so it works well for me - it's still plenty light out when the sun hits the horizon. The biggest benefit is that I am NOT a morning person, and it gets significantly cooler as I ride, plus with the sun lower on the horizon, even if the temp is still up there, it doesn't feel as much like it's beating down on you.

It's been plenty hot here though - it's pretty common that it will be at least 105 when I head out, and about 95 when I get home.

Are you wearing a jersey or at least a wicking tee? If not, I'd suggest buying one.. I was *shocked* at how much more comfortable I was - it almost feels as if the breeze just goes right through a jersey, and you don't get soaked in sweat, it is actually able to do it's job of cooling you off (you do get somewhat gritty from salt though) :)

CONGRATULATIONS! Fantastic to hear that you made it, and that you kept your usual mph even though you doubled the distance. I can't imagine riding in that kind of heat. :eek:

Well, here's one happy boise mom -- happy for you HappyTexasMom!

I see that SarahSpins has written some things that I was about to write. I, too, like to go out in the evening on the hot days. It's actually easier to be in the heat as the sun is setting than it is to be out when the sun is getting more intense with every passing mile.

Another suggestion -- I've been putting Nuun (an electrolyte additive) in a water bottle since riding home from work on a HOT day last summer, when no matter how much water I poured into myself I could NOT quench the thirst. (yeah, Boise's in the north, and there's skiing just 26 miles from my house, I can see the snow from here in winter, but we're in the DESERT here! 110 and 8% humidity is NOT uncommon!) (ooh, some of you will be every bit as amused as I was the first time I heard "It's sure muggy today" and the humidity was a whopping 29%)

I found that slick tires on my "mountain" bike made a huge difference for me when I made that change a few years ago. You'll be REALLY glad you made that change, I'm sure!

If there's more to changing the handlebars than you want to spend, think "shoulders down" when you're out riding! Also keep an eye on your elbows, make sure they're not locked. It sure helps me!

Karen in Boise

Wonderful!

Congrats on your ride today!!! We, too, have been battling 100+'s for a week now and this coming week looks no different (I'm from AZ and thought I'd left it behind when I moved here- but I guess not :eek:). You're right- it's just too darned hot to ride when it's that hot. I'm super proud of you for making it 21. I'll bet those slick tires made a world of difference!!!

Can you ride early, early morning /dawn before the sun comes up before going to work? I feel your pain, but hang in there. In a couple months when it cools down a bit, you'll be throwing down 40 mile rides with ease!!!

Outstanding:D:D

Thank you for all the warm words, everyone!

About riding at night: early evening directly conflicts with our dinner, so I don't tend to do it much. But my husband was riding around midnight or 1:00 the other day and it was still 95, so I'm not sure how tolerable it's going to be later in the day, anyway. Although there's something to be said for not having the sun beating down on you from directly overhead.

About riding early: normally I go out around 6 am. That's about as early as I can manage to get myself up and still be functional as long and when I need to be for the rest of the day. The sun is coming up at 5:30 right now, so it's already heating up, but tolerable by then. During a week I usually only ride about an hour or a little more because that's just all the time I can dedicate on a work day. And it's fine for that.

Today I allowed myself to sleep because I was feeling *very* sluggish last night and felt I needed it, so I got a bit of a late start (I wasn't even sure I was going to go), leaving the house around 7:15. I probably wouldn't have tried a longer ride starting that late this time of year, but I'm not going to be able to ride for the next 3 weekends, so I didn't want to pass up the opportunity.

I do put an electrolyte powder in my water (forgot to mention this); I didn't do this starting out, but it seems to help a lot. I don't have a jersey or wicking tee, but it's on the (ever growing) list. ;)

I find getting up at the crack of dawn to ride during the hot months is better than late evening rides. The pavement is cool and it's nice to ride with a beautiful sunrise. When you ride during the day, consider adding at least 2-5 degrees more to the temps from the heat radiating off the road. :p

I love to ride at night in the winter months but in the summer months I end up getting pinged by june bugs from the lights I run.

Wanted to add: high humidity will make your performance sluggish. Today we had 96% humidity. :p

Well done!!! Especially considering the heat! :cool: