Curious to know...

[Bicyclette]

Hello -

I am a new rider and have been following the daily ride threads. I'm curious to know how long it has taken people to build up to the mileage that I sometimes see on there as a daily ride. My husband and I got bikes in May and my longest ride so far ( today actually ) has been 50K. I see some people doing 50 MILES for a daily ride. I'm working toward 100k but I think it will take awhile - we have nothing but hills where we live - I get tired just thinking about 100k of hills!!

Pat

[DeniseGoldberg]

Pat -
From not riding at all just a couple of months ago to 50k now is a great accomplishment. It's really important that you not compare yourself with everyone else but that you set your own riding goals. For example, while I can happily ride long distances, I ride at a slower pace than many other riders here. But my riding makes me happy, supports my habit of carrying a camera with me, and prepares me for touring on my bike - which is something that is very important to me.

Welcome to TE, and welcome to riding!
--- Denise

[Grog]

Hi Bicyclette,

Denise is right. Don't worry about what others do too much.

But also be confident that you can and will (if you want) increase your daily mileage. I now quite regularly ride 100 km+ fairly hilly rides (usually every Saturday), something I could only dream of doing when I started cycling two years ago and that little hill I had to ride up to commute back from work terrified me. Experience and practice will increase your endurance. It's good that you live on hilly terrain, you'll get stronger faster.

Good luck!!

[margo49]

Hi Bicyclette,

Denise is right. Don't worry about what others do too much.

Good luck!!

That is what we are about here at TE.
The main thing is you are on a bike and enjoying it.

[pooks]

I still haven't broken 7 miles in a single ride! This heat is killing me. We rode at 6"30 this morning and it was already 85 and muggy. Made the mistake of eating breakfast before riding and one 2.2 mile loop was enough.

I've got to figure out how to feed my husband AND ride with him before work. He has to leave for work by 7 at the latest, and it's not light enough to ride much earlier than 6:15, so eating first seemed the only way. I'll work on that, though.

[MomOnBike]

Don't worry, we'll love ya no matter how far you ride.

And don't think that your mileage won't increase if you stick with it. Two years ago I was straining my shoulder patting myself on the back because I was huffing and puffing through a whole 3 miles a day. Now my daily ho-hum ride is ~15 miles.

A couple other thoughts:

There are people here for whom a 50 mile ride is just a nice warm-up. Just tell yourself that they are nice people, really, and try not to think about it.

My "best" mileage days just kind of happen. I start playing tourist in my own town, poking about here and there, finding out where roads lead, and when I get home I'm amazed at how many miles I've accumulated, and how slowly I rode. That's OK, it's not a race, and I'm really starting to know my town.

Finally, there is an odd tradition of "riding your age." That is, riding say, 51 miles one day the year you turn 51. Some people insist on the day, but I don't, my birthday is in mid-summer, and I'm not suicidal. DH's comment this year after his Age Ride as we were hauling our tired bodies into the house was "I can't wait 'til I'm 100." I don't think he meant it.

[mimitabby]

I still haven't broken 7 miles in a single ride! This heat is killing me. We rode at 6"30 this morning and it was already 85 and muggy. Made the mistake of eating breakfast before riding and one 2.2 mile loop was enough.

I've got to figure out how to feed my husband AND ride with him before work. He has to leave for work by 7 at the latest, and it's not light enough to ride much earlier than 6:15, so eating first seemed the only way. I'll work on that, though.

How about let your husband feed himself for breakfast, and then make him a nice(er) dinner?

At my house except for some sunday breakfasts, breakfast is the "you're on your own" meal.

[eclectic]

I started riding casually about 4 summers ago and 20 miles was a loooong ride, one day we did 28 and I was patting myself on the back for weeks (for about the same length of time that my butt and legs hurt, I didn't have cycling shorts back then)

I had a total of 336 miles on my speedometer put on in 2.5 seasons (I was riding a leisure bike) and thought I was doing pretty darn good. And you know what I WAS!

Last summer I bought a road bike and a transformation took place - I loved to ride my bike and wanted to do it all the time. I started with 10 - 20 mile rides but did them regularly until late Oct accumulating 600 miles from mid July to the end of Oct. Just riding our city bike trail can add up to 10 miles and it is pretty so I don't feel like I am riding far

I continued that pattern this spring and found I was gradually adding miles when I didn't have a time limit. I know a lot of good quiet rural routes and would decide how I felt at an intersection to see if I wanted to keep going or turn and go home. I rarely have a plan that I am going to go out and ride x number of miles. I also mostly ride loops so I can bail and go home any time.

You ride hills I ride against the wind Sometimes the wind dies down but the hills never move But as was said previously you will get stronger faster !

To make a long post longer

What worked for me:

1. Learning how to shift and pedal efficiently at a consistant 80-90 rpm cadence
2. Winter season Weight Training to increase leg strength
3. Winter season swimming to increase core strenth
4. Getting my bike fitted so there are no pressure points
5. Going out with riders better than me to pick up any pointers I can and push the speed and distance a little - I still know my limits so I don't over do and I can bail at any time
6. looking at the ride in smaller increments that I know I can easily handle
7. Goal of training for a week long tour that averages about 60 miles per day ( coming up in two weeks hooray

Hope some of this helps!

Good luck, you are doing great ! Hang in there the distance will gradually build

Christine

[bcipam]

Wow if you have ridden 50 miles after having started not all that long ago I would say you are doing very well.

The measurement of your sucess is based upon your goal. What are your goals? If it's just to get out on the bike and exercise an hour a day then it looks like you are there. If your plan is to do a century (100 mile ride) withint he year,t hen it appears you are on track.

50 miles is a long distance no matter where you are in your training. Those that routinely do 50 miles are very strong, very dedicated riders. I have a good base - I do between 100 - 150 miles a week and I do consider myself a serious recreational rider.

During the summer most Club Riders do 2 - 3, 15 to 30 milers during the week and one long and medium ride during the week say 25 - 35 on Saturday and something close to 50 on Sunday. If you plan on being a real roadie, that's where you are headed. Give your self a year of steady, serious riding.

[mimitabby]

50k is not a short ride.

try doing some shorter rides, 15, 25, 30k and then go back and do a 50k again.
What has helped me the most is frequency of rides.

Last winter, for the first time, i did some spinning on a wind trainer. Unlike some people, i find it difficult to sit on that thing for more than 30 minutes. But even 30 minutes once a week made it so much easier to get on the bike and go once the weather permitted.
Just one day you're going to do your 25k ride and think, huh. I'm not as tired as i thought i'd be.

Schedule a bigger ride. ride with others. That helps too. Is there any one thing
that is limiting your ride time?
(after 40k your feet hurt, your back, etc) try to work through the problem by adjusting your bike, changing your diet, and then get on there and try again.
I think you're well on your way.
stay cool.
Mimi in Seattle, the cool capital of the country today.

[Grog]

You ride hills I ride against the wind Sometimes the wind dies down but the hills never move But as was said previously you will get stronger faster !

Tsk tsk tsk...

You don't "ride hills ". You "ride hills ". That's necessary to get better at it. When you see a hill, you smile, and go!!

[pooks]

How about let your husband feed himself for breakfast, and then make him a nice(er) dinner?

At my house except for some sunday breakfasts, breakfast is the "you're on your own" meal.

There are many things I don't do. I don't put toilet paper in the holder. I don't scrub toilets (except on rare occasions). He vaccuums more often than I do. I could go on and on ....

But he and I both eat "real" breakfast and I'm usually the one that usually (not always) fixes it. Steel cut oats are our standard, with varying forms of protein, etc. to balance it out!

And on weekends? We eat breakfast out!

[Gray Gato]

eclectic:
How did you train for your tour? I have one in 11 weeks and I'd like to see how someone else did it.
Thanks!

[Bicyclette]

Thanx so much for all the responses! I know I'll get there - patience is NOT one of my virtues What really limits me right now is time - we have a 7 month old pup at home who cannot be left to her own devices so she must be crated when we are gone. As a result I don't like to be gone too long at any given time. I'll get to go longer as she grows up more In the mean time I can just practice, practice, practice!!

[eclectic]

Tsk tsk tsk...

You don't "ride hills ". You "ride hills ". That's necessary to get better at it. When you see a hill, you smile, and go!!

I love hills - I love hills - I love hills

What is the saying? Fake it until you make it ?

I love hills - I love hills - I love hills