Starting Again at Ground Zero ....

[HermitGirl]

I think it's better to ride 3 or 4 much smaller rides per week rather than two longer ones- if possible.
It gets you into the habit of just jumping on your bike as part of your lifestyle, as opposed to 'planning' a ride like it was a special event or chore.
It also is less like something to dread or put off. Often you can do a 5 mile quicky even if you are tired or pressed for time.
What you want to do here is change your lifestyle habits. Losing weight and gaining fitness will naturally start to happen as you ride your bike more often.
Make small do-able goals first. If you are successful at those, then increase your goals little by little. For many people, starting out with big goals just sets them up for failure. First get into the habit of setting and meeting your small goals successfully and enjoying that feeling!

I love your babysteps approach , thank you! I'm incorporating the advice from you ladies very carefully this time, and yes, I know more often is best, but I have an hour to hike with the dog in the same hilly backwoods, everyday if I can. I think in future I can cut back onthe hike time the days I manage to do a reasonable ride, and days that I'm just not able to do it all, I have to choose hiking over riding, for our dog's needs. It's a rigorous balance, at my age of nearly 47 to expect to hike daily like I do, AND go out for rides.... but.... anything is possible, and I'm not beyond it. However, the hiking hasn't made me lose any weight , so I have to just keep trying to ride more. I think when I lose just afew pounds I'll be able to manage short rides from my cabin , where it is so steep, there is about 700 feet elevation drop/gain in 1 - 1/4 miles... and continues like that for about 4 miles before the slope lessens. To go out for just a couple miles from home, is major ride for me now, even to go out for a 1/2 mile of our dirt road to get the mail. Heck, maybe just riding down to get the mail on my mtn bike, most days (when I'm fitter, ligher) is equal to 'a little spin' for most of you ? Otherwise, I have to drive to ride, and I'm not crazy about that for a lifestyle, at all. It's really difficult for me to calculate calorie burning on a ride from my house, when it's either UP and my heart is pounding so hard in the easiest gear (and I have easy gears), or coasting down so steep you don't do anything but brake.