New rider here...Hello!

[CyborgQueen]

So, Team Estrogen dot com suckered another newbie. I couldn't resist joining after seeing numerous threads on iPod dos/don't and Diva Cups and misc TMI that's more than I need to know about women in cycling. How little did I know.

Anyways - I'm pretty much new to this whole cycling thing and I'm already digging it. So what I don't have a spanky new bike to show off (but it's coming! If I can get the miles in, I'll get one!) I started off by getting myself new bike shorts (oh boy, who knew going commando opens a whole new perspective), and a new jersey.

Yes I'm overweight, yes I'm a bit inactive, and yes I'm short but damn it, I'm proud of it (except the weight thing...that is what I can do without).

I was inspired to get into cycling over a year ago, and started to do a lot of cycling in the gym, but I had two cochlear implant surgeries and I was moving out of state. So, I had to put any cycling on hold. Now I'm ready to ride.


My first question to ask everyone is this:
For INACTIVE people - how long did it take you to do 35 miles from start of training (without previous experiences)? I'm just getting a bit of a baseline here. I know each person is different with different commitments, so I do expect some variations. I do expect that the more experienced riders would say 35 miles isn't too bad.

The reason why I asked is this - I have set myself a goal to do the RTC Viva Las Vegas ride - the 35 miler. I would LOVE to do the metric and the century, but I rather put that on hold for a while (that's my LONG term goal). The other charity race is less than 32 miles that's a week later, and it's for Breast Cancer Foundation which I could do over the RTC Viva Las Vegas since it's a smaller course. Both of these are charity rides, so it's more fun and getting across the finish line that matters not racing.

Is it doable to train from scratch until October to do the 35 miler? I'm really determined to reach my goal, plus having free training sessions at my local REI probably would help a lot.

Thanks for any tips!

[Lakerider]

Welcome CyborgQueen!
I started riding a year ago. The first day after I bought my bike I rode 1 mile. Within a few months I was riding 20-50 miles a day whenever I could. In the past year I've ridden almost 1600 miles. (I have a few more days to get in the last few miles to make it 1600 miles.) One day I rode 101 miles in a day. I said all that to say this - If you love riding as much as I do, keep on riding and getting stronger and
You can do it!

[mudmucker]

Go out as far as you can go on rides similar to the terrain you expect to encounter. As a general guide, then from there increase your mileage by 10-15% or so weekly but don't overdo it if you've been inactive for a while. Calculate that out to the event day and see what you have. You want to be able to ride at least 75% of your distance. Do some stretching and core work for good overall general maintenance.

[Tri Girl]

Welcome to TE!!
Some good advice has been given so far. I think 35 miles is MORE than doable by October!!

Here's a training schedule I found on the Susan G. Komen Ride for the Cure website:
http://www.komenaspen.org/ride/alder_train.html

Depending on how you feel as your training progresses, I can imagine you could do the metric century by October- that's plenty of time for training.

Here's Komen's century training schedule:
http://www.komenaspen.org/ride/sched.html

If you do the two training programs back to back, that's 18 weeks of training leading up to a century in October. See what's doable for you.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress.

[HappyTexasMom]

I'm a newbie, too, just wanted to say welcome!

[papaver]

Hi welcome, and yes you can do it! Just start with little tours and see how it goes. Just make sure you have lot's of fun. That's the most important thing of all!

[Pan Dulce]

Another newbie here, welcome! You can DEFINITELY do it!

Tri Girl, thank you for those training schedules! I've been looking for a good one to do a century.

[sarahspins]

Hmm... well I am creeping up on 2 months of cycling. I started off riding 5 miles, and that was really a stretch for me.. it really was. It would take me 45 minutes The first time I rode that same 5 miles with my 8 year old though, it took us well over an hour, so I didn't feel so bad for being slow.

Now, just 7 weeks later, that 5 miles is my 'short' ride.. I can do it in 20-25 minutes most of the time, depending on how strong the wind is (it has a nice 2 mile stretch uphill going into a headwind, so that's where it tends to suck up some time).

I regularly ride at least 10 miles 4-5 times a week. I can do 10 miles in about 45 minutes. I try for a longer ride on the weekends (since I have more time). On the days I've done 15 (or close to it) I normally get back in about an hour and 10-15 minutes, which has included at least one 5 minute stop (I'm a type 1 diabetic, so that normally means I have to stop and test, and possibly eat a snack if I'm going low). This weekend I'm going for 20, and I expect it will take me about an hour and a half, maybe longer if I need to stop and stretch or rest.

I actually have the goal of doing a metric century in September (charity ride) and honestly I can't say that I'll actually be able to do it, but it seemed like a worthy goal, and I felt like signing up for 35 miles meant wasn't giving myself enough credit.

So, I say go for it 35 miles by October should not be a problem

[Pedal Wench]

I think doing both rides is possible if you add miles slow and steady.

[TrekTheKaty]

Welcome! I think you can meet your goal. Your first few rides will tell the tale. My first ride was 8 miles, but I was a little sore after. If you add a few miles each week, you should be fine. Mark the date on the calendar and work backward.

Tri Girl--thanks for the century program links.

[CyborgQueen]

Thanks everyone! I'm feeling more inspired. I wasn't sure if 35 miles will be a daunting task in a short span of time.

I test rode a road bike yesterday, (Norvara Camara Pro), and whoa...it's a heapload better than my crappy 10 year old Schwinn bike. Mind you, my bike still works well and I think it still has a lot of life left (aside from the stupid gear set up...you change gears like a twist on the handle bars...not exactly very easy to use), but it does leave me struggling to ride. I am doing the best I can, and get the miles going, then I will decide on a bike in about a month. I'm taking training classes specifically geared towards the 35mi charity ride. But, I rather learn about the saddle fit, bike size, what to look for, etc before getting the bike. I don't want to turn this into "not another 'what bike to get' thread", but frankly, I'm kinda stuck on choices because I'm 5' and I think I'm roughly 43cm...that doesn't give me a whole range of bike to choose from.

Anyways - thanks for the encouragements!

[indigoiis]

Hi there and welcome to TE! You've got the enthusiasm and 35 miles by October is very doable. And you will learn a lot on this site about everything - someone will have an answer to your questions.

[arielmoon]

Hi and welcome!

Sounds to me like 35 miles is an achievable goal!

There are quite a few vertically challenged riders that I am sure can give you some tips when you are ready to look for a bike.

Best of luck!

[MamboGirl]

I'm "vertically challenged" -- my son took my measurements to enter into a fit calculator for cycling, and he said, mom, I don't know if they make bikes for your size. He was quite surprised - they do! I'm only 4'10"-1/4. I got a 43cm Trek with 650c tires. It's the 650c tires that made the big difference for me.
My bike is small - like me!

Trek, Felt, Fuji, and GT make women specific bikes that come in 43cm or so, with 650c tires. The problem I had was the bike shops didn't have 43cm for me to try. But then the third bike shop was a privately owned shop next to a college campus and it had two 43cm bikes, both in my price range and with what I was looking for.

[leathela]

Thanks everyone! I'm feeling more inspired. I wasn't sure if 35 miles will be a daunting task in a short span of time.

I test rode a road bike yesterday, (Norvara Camara Pro), and whoa...it's a heapload better than my crappy 10 year old Schwinn bike. Mind you, my bike still works well and I think it still has a lot of life left (aside from the stupid gear set up...you change gears like a twist on the handle bars...not exactly very easy to use), but it does leave me struggling to ride. I am doing the best I can, and get the miles going, then I will decide on a bike in about a month. I'm taking training classes specifically geared towards the 35mi charity ride. But, I rather learn about the saddle fit, bike size, what to look for, etc before getting the bike. I don't want to turn this into "not another 'what bike to get' thread", but frankly, I'm kinda stuck on choices because I'm 5' and I think I'm roughly 43cm...that doesn't give me a whole range of bike to choose from.

Anyways - thanks for the encouragements!

Hi and welcome!

Congratulations on how far you've come with cycling in the past few months! At this pace, you will definitely be able to ride 35 miles in time for your event.

The 35 miles will be much easier, not to mention more comfortable, with a newer, WSD bike. I think you owe it to yourself to get one! Not only is it an exciting purchase, it is an extremely pragmatic one.

I may not be the best receptacle of knowledge regarding bikes for petite riders, but two of my very good friends are short (5 feet at most) and both ride Trek Madone 4.5 and highly recommend it. Might be worth checking out? I've heard good things about Giant as well, but am not sure which bikes would be best.

Welcome again!