Too Chicken To Go On Longer Rides

[shootingstar]

If it isn't a group ride, at least another cyclist who can lead the way, in a friendly way.

As an important suggestion: instead of thinking constantly about mileage and...adding more mileage, how about just extending your favourite cycling routes..to see something just located abit further away or to do a chore that is located just abit further away.

And also allow yourself to explore or go abit off the normal route, ie. up an extra street or so to see something.

then when you get home, you can figure out the total distance that you actually did.

And keep a little cycling diary, that will track your distance for that day plus cumulative total mileage for past few months. It can be a real motivator.

You need to always keep cycling abit fun in an exploratory way, which will help you add that mileage and endurance also over time.

It is also suggested over time, you create for yourself 3-4 favourite bike routes close by, with at least 1-2 routes that are much longer. Will help you train up over time or deal with lousy weather which is why you would use the shorter routes.

___________________

Oh yea, if you get abit lost in a quiet neighbourhood, that's another way to add abit of distance.

[Triskeliongirl]

Try one of JD Simpson's womens rides out of bikeworld. Start with that, and work up to a wheelmen ride. All wheelmen rides have loops of varying distance and maps. You might also like the Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club, their rides tend to be slower paced than Wheelmen rides, and I think they have no drop rides. The wheelmen also run a rider education series, where you can progress with a group to longer distances, all no-drop. The more I think about it, the latter may be the best way for you to progress.

[greta]

then you get to go home all downhill.don't worry about making it back, you'll make it. set your goal farther than you've ever gone, and just ride back from there.