New to boards and cycling! Suggestions for length of first long ride?

[10yearstogether]

My first long ride was 20 miles. I was so tired at the end, that I lost my concentration and fell (to date, that is my worst fall yet). The path was also very windy and sandy, so that contributed to me falling.

Where abouts in So Cal do you live Diane? I don't mind joining you for your first few rides and giving you a few pointers and tips here and there.

THat would be great if we could meet! I live in south orange county but I would totally drive! Where are you in LA?

[Fujichants]

I'm in Culver City, but frequently ride around the Westchester and beaches area. I usually drive to my ride my bike. Lol. I also like to ride in Orange County (much better roads and drivers aren't as crazy as in LA).

So we can meet somewhere halfway! That would be cool!

Also, another thing I did when I started cycling...I just tried to have fun. I only started looking into cadence, speed, etc. when I got more comfortable on the bike. From my experience, I find that people who start riding and don't allow themselves some "fun" time at first, end up losing motivation.

[GLC1968]

You sound very much like me when I first started riding. I too had just lost a bunch of weight (congrats, by the way!) and was in good cardio shape.

My very first ride outside my neighborhood was a weekend ride of 15 miles of rolling terrain. I took my husband with me and he HATED it. He almost put his bike in the car to return it to the LBS that afternoon! I, on the other hand, loved it and was ready to go right out and ride again.

I rode another 15 miler with a few guys at work a couple of days later (they took it easy on me) and then a 10 miler later that same week (man, did my sit bones HURT!). I did my first 'long' ride of 36 miles that second weekend. That ride was an organized training ride for our MS150, so there were tons of other cyclists and rest stops and everything...that made the distance a lot easier to handle. I'm sure I wouldn't have gone nearly as far that quickly had there not been other riders out there (and rest stops with porta-potties!).

Oh, by the way, my husband didn't give it up and now rides regularly - 4 years later.

My issue wasn't my strength or my cardio capacity - it was getting used to the position on the bike and getting my butt accustomed to the saddle. I worked my way up slowly after that first week so that I could ride in the MS150 a few months later. Having been in really good physical shape before I started riding really, really helped me adjust quickly. In fact, I find it harder to get started after a few months off the bike now than I did when I first picked it up just because I was in such good shape then (and I'm not now!).

Welcome!

[aicabsolut]

I started out in maybe the 25-30mi range for "long" rides. I say don't worry about time or miles at first. Just get out in a safe, low traffic area and just get used to the bike. That's what I did a lot at first. Maybe just 10-20 miles on a trail, and I'd stop mostly because I'd get bored. I was just trying to practice some handling skills and getting comfortable then. It wasn't so much about fitness. Then when I felt a little more competent, I joined up with some groups, hit the road, and tried not to get dropped..

[Jiffer]

I'm in So Cal also. Rancho Cucamonga. You should try hooking up with a cycling club to get some experience and tips from other riders. You might try Orange County Wheelman. http://www.ocw.org I think they have rides that start in Irvine and some that start somewhere else. My husband said he thinks there's another club in south OC called Santiago Cycling or something like that? My sister is in a Tri class of some sort down there where they train together for triathlons. She's in Mission Viejo.

I highly recommend you ride with others as you learn to navigate roads and cars, etc. That would be awesome if you could ride with Fujichant, and I wouldn't be opposed to riding with you as well. However, with a club, you can ride regularly with people in your area and, not only glean from their experience, but also build friendships. Riding with my club motivates me. I also have a couple of friends I ride with. Any time you have others to train with and make plans with, you'll stay more motivated to stick with it. My friend and I just did our first century together. We, therefore, kept each other accountable to show up for training rides at 6:00 a.m. to prepare.

With your level of fitness, it wouldn't be any problem at all for you to ride 20 miles. However, you might want to do a five to ten mile ride for your first one to get your feet wet, get used to the gears on the bike, riding in traffic, etc.

I would avoid hills at first, not because of fitness, but, again, to get used to the bike. Take it easy at first until you feel comfortable on the bike. Get used to shifting to keep your cadence consistent as you do go up inclines. (It's hard to completely avoid them unless you are on a flat bike path, like maybe at the beach.)

It would be REALLY great if your first time out you can ride with someone. Either way, be safe and let us know how it goes. Congrats on the new bike!!!

[PscyclePath]

Training by time is a good way to start off... I would suggest that you start off riding three, maybe four times a week. One time a week do your "long" ride. Aim for an hour and a half on the long ride, and see how far you go. That will also give you a little something to measure yourself by as you get stronger and start improving... you can go farther and farther in your 90 minutes because you're getting faster, and not getting so tired, either...

I end my Road I classes with a little quote from 5x Tour winner Eddy Mercxx, which goes something like this: "Ride as long as you want to, or as short as you want to... and as fast as you want to or as slow as you want to... but go out and ride!"

Tom

[ilima]

I think 20-25 miles is reasonable for someone starting off in pretty good shape. The key, of course, is pacing. You should be thinking 'this is too easy' when you first start. Also, don't be afraid to stop for a moment or two.