Your first ride

[jakechambers100]

picking up my first road bike next week I can smash an hour cardio in the gym but if my past attempts of cycling have told me anything it's that I'm going to struggle on the bike

Wondering how far you guys made it the first time you ventured out on a road bike

I'm guessing il be dead after a 3 mile loop

 

[MikeW-71]

5 miles. Stopped 4 times to get my breath back. I was shattered after it.
That was on a hybrid. Bought a road bike a few weeks later when I was up to 20 miles.

 

[buggi]

17 mile. I was dying after 2 mile on the first trip but my boss had joked I'd never be able to cycle all the way to work and keep it up, so the challenge kept me going. Took me three weeks to settle into the distance and 12 years later I'm still going strong, I'm the works cycle rep and instructor and I won an award for the stuff I do. All that from a simple joke.

 

[coffeejo]

I've written about my first ride here. Seems like a long time ago now.

 

[steve50]

I got back on a bike early last year after a break of approximately thirty years (I am 57years old) the area I live in is extremely hilly, add to that I live halfway up a hillside and no matter which way I go i have hills to climb.The first time I ventured out on my hybrid I managed approximately six miles but had to get off and walk the steepest bits, I sold the hybrid and bought a road bike but with the high gearing and only fourteen gears it was too much like hard work so I sold the road bike and bought another hybrid, my fitness levels have vastly improved and I can conquer the majority of the hills in my locality now . My most recent challenge was to ride from Siddal where I live to Mountain which is in Queensbury then back home to Siddal via the "scenic route", twenty seven miles and only dismounted once.

 

[taximan]

I got back on a bike early last year after a break of approximately thirty years (I am 57years old) the area I live in is extremely hilly, add to that I live halfway up a hillside and no matter which way I go i have hills to climb.The first time I ventured out on my hybrid I managed approximately six miles but had to get off and walk the steepest bits, I sold the hybrid and bought a road bike but with the high gearing and only fourteen gears it was too much like hard work so I sold the road bike and bought another hybrid, my fitness levels have vastly improved and I can conquer the majority of the hills in my locality now . My most recent challenge was to ride from Siddal where I live to Mountain which is in Queensbury then back home to Siddal via the "scenic route", twenty seven miles and only dismounted once.

When I retired I bought a bike after not being in the saddle for almost 40 years. on my first ride my legs were burning while I could still see my house. In total I rode about 4 miles that day and had to stop on at least three occasions. it was worth it though, no pain, no gain

 

[cyberknight]

20 mile to and from work to test out the feasibility of commuting , i was a gym bunny /runner though before hand.

 

[Dave 123]

Half a dozen miles back from the shop.
It felt like 60.
So did I.

 

[Dave7]

About 3 miles (I am now up to 50 )
I am 68 and recently got my 55 year old mate into it. He is very fit (gym 5 times a week) and a marathon runner but on his first ride he managed only 5 miles and that was dead slow.
In just 3 months he is now better than me e.g. faster and goes further.
So......lots of factors for you to consider.........age/fitness/weight etc.
BUT..........it will come if you persevere.

 

[BrynCP]

3.2 miles on my hybrid. It was actually 3 laps of just over a mile. I actually tried to give up after just 1 lap, but I was forced back out being told I hadn't tried hard enough.

Bought my road bike six months later, by which point I had already covered rides over 50 miles.

 

[Jimidh]

My first ride was about 20 miles and fairly hilly, I felt fine as my fitness was already good but as soon as I got off the bike my legs seized up and I was in agony for days :-).

 

[NorthernDave]

I bought a hybrid after 20+ years out if the saddle. My first ride was intended to be the 2 miles home from the shop. After a wobbly first few hundred yards, I was flying - went the long way home (3.5 miles), checked in with Mrs ND and carried on going. Before I knew it I'd done a circular 12 miles and was back home.
It's probably fair to say I'd been doing 30km plus on a programmable exercise bike for a few months up to this point, but I surprised myself how quickly I took to proper cycling again.
I was doing 30+ mile routes up to getting a knee injury, which was a bit if a setback, but have just ordered a road bike and am looking forward to my first imperial half century...

 

[Deleted member 1258]

My first ride on a bike was a very long time ago, I was a small boy and it was in the mid 1950's. About 1970 I swapped to a motorcycle and stopped cycling, about 1979 I came back to cycling, I brought an old sit up and beg three speed to commute on, it was only three miles and though I completed it slowly and without stopping I could barely climb the stairs at work afterwards.

 

[jakechambers100]

Great response guys thanks for that I managed 3.2 miles (.2 counts right )
On my hybrid a year ago pick up the road bike next week hoping for 5 miles it's something I really hope I can get into as I would love to cycle the places I would normally use my motorcycle

 

[Gravity Aided]

I got back on the bike about 11 or so years ago, and 3.2 miles was, for me, an epic journey. Did 44 miles today, just so I could eat pancakes and sausage in a firehouse, and get some hills in. A little knob near my home was daunting when I started, now I don't even change gear for it.