Newbie weekly achievement thread

[Giantgirl]

Nessa, I am 52 and just started riding a few months ago. I keep wondering about the first fall. Hasn't happened yet. Maybe I am being to cautious. My husband and I rode 30 miles Sunday. Our longest ride to date. I too am loving it. Although not the view you have ridden. I live in low country SC. Might take on the new Arthur Ravennel bridge soon. Nice water views of the Charleston harbor.
We have a few good paved trails close by. I like practicing there rather than on the road. Sure wouldn't want my first fall to be in the middle of a busy road.
Can you or someone tell me what is a good average speed, and how many revolutions do you spin in half a minute? Just wondering if I am being a Grandma rider, which I am in real life. Proud Grammy of an 8 month old. Hope to be pulling her behind me soon.
Until

[Owlie]

Nessa, I am 52 and just started riding a few months ago. I keep wondering about the first fall. Hasn't happened yet. Maybe I am being to cautious. My husband and I rode 30 miles Sunday. Our longest ride to date. I too am loving it. Although not the view you have ridden. I live in low country SC. Might take on the new Arthur Ravennel bridge soon. Nice water views of the Charleston harbor.
We have a few good paved trails close by. I like practicing there rather than on the road. Sure wouldn't want my first fall to be in the middle of a busy road.
Can you or someone tell me what is a good average speed, and how many revolutions do you spin in half a minute? Just wondering if I am being a Grandma rider, which I am in real life. Proud Grammy of an 8 month old. Hope to be pulling her behind me soon.
Until

Congrats on 30 miles! That was a mental barrier that took me a while to break. (Like...a year. Then it took me another year to do it again and consistently.)
As for your second question, there's no right answer. Speed depends on so much--wind, terrain, road surface, your conditioning, and how you're feeling. Ride as fast or as slow as you want. As long as you get home, you're fine. Cadence...that depends on your physiology. Some of us are mashers, some of us are spinners. As long as your knees are happy.

[Crankin]

Titania, we still have a few weeks of good riding left! Get some tights to wear over your shorts, long fingered gloves, wool socks, and any kind of thermal/wool top to wear under your jacket.
I saw your comment in the other thread about the pasture near the hill in Groton. That is a beautiful spot!

[Giantgirl]

Thanks Owlie,
I will learn all the proper terms for what I am doing, or trying to do!! Well I think I am a Masher, Maybe a wanna be spinner. I love the speed, just a little scary when I get over 20 mph. 20 is a stretch for any length, flat roads, no little hills to help. I am going to Colorado Springs in 2 weeks. Visiting some bike shops. We want to rent road bikes. The thought of Colorado hills makes me have butterflies in my stomach. Never ridden on a hill, a mountain looks like Goliath at this point.
Thanks for any hill riding advice.