New rider here...Hello!

[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!