20 Miles and lessons learnt !!

[philinmerthyr]

I'm working up to 100 miles but have given myself 10 months.

My challenge is to lose weight while increasing the mileage. I started 2 weeks ago and was 22st 8lb.

I've ridden over 130 miles in the last couple of weeks, did 25 miles yesterday and have lost 11lb.

I'm riding a front suspension mountain bike but have fitted road tyres and mudguards. I've promised myself a new road bike for my birthday in February by which time I hope to have lost 3 stone and be regularly riding 50 miles on a Sunday.

I've got a guaranteed charity place in the London100 in August so have a huge incentive to succeed. Why not sign up for an event next summer so that you have something to work towards through the winter months.

It's great to see others experiencing the same as me. I'm loving it though.

 

[Berties]

as you increase distance you will establish your needs,hydration snacks what kit you require to take or purchase,pace can be built on as you get more confident,so building distance slowly is required,every hurdle you hit can be answered by someone on this forum,keep join good luck and happy riding

 

[BrianEvesham]

I've got a guaranteed charity place in the London100 in August so have a huge incentive to succeed. Why not sign up for an event next summer so that you have something to work towards through the winter months.

It's great to see others experiencing the same as me. I'm loving it though.

Well done that man a great start, I was just under 20st when I started during July and have lost a stone to date.

I am thinking of a charity ride in April as my incentive or target (100k).

 

[Paul H]

After a number of weeks i built up slowly from 3 miles, 5 ,8 , 12 and today a much improved and very much enjoyed 20 miles.
Living in leafy Surrey with Box Hill and Leith Hill 5 minutes away it would of been easy to get caught up in the Olympic and Tour of Britain hype and battled away at both Hills with poor results and bad Knees.
I have learnt much from this forum in the time that i have been her and followed the advice given, go at your own pace and enjoy is the best advice given, but more importantly ignore the bravado that is ,mine is better than yours and i can go faster than you, 14 mph average is that all !!!.
That`s not to say that i do not want to faster or further but at 48 and little or no exercise in the last 25 years, i am quiet pleased with my twenty miles.
So thank you Mr Wiggins, Mr Cavendish and all the Olympic teams but most of all thank Forum members and roll on tomorrow ...i cant wait

You should be proud Grayduff...I'm 4 years younger than you, but in a pretty similar situation and I've passed the 25 mile mark today.
All I can say is onwards and upwards for us newbies

 

[Bill-H]

Congratulations awesome feeling isnt it i have sneaked up from 2 miles to a regular 10-15 miles but have done a 42 hilly mile and a 48 less hilly ride and was chuffed cant wait to beat the fifty taken me 4 months to get here

 

[wealthysoup]

Hopefully this will provide some encouragement to the older beginners:

I'm 21 and started cycling in April, in July I set a target to cycle 90 miles in one day by the end of august (which I did). My current (and much harder) target is to become fit enough to keep up with the older guys (many of which are pensioners in their 60s and possibly even 70s) in the cycling club on one of their weekday morning runs without knackering myself.

Moral of the story is that your never too old :-)

 

[RAYMOND]

Just back from a regular ride,19 miles same course,different time of day and temperature but knocked
around 10 minutes off last time.
I guess its down to time of day,temperature,how you feel just as much as general improvement and
how regular you get out on your bike.

 

[Gaz Vickers]

Massive well done mate. You beat me to the 20+ mile stage, i did 18 but i think i'm capable of going quite a bit further.
Again it's a huge achievement, So you should be proud of yourself!

 

[PpPete]

Well done all....but I shall repeat my usual warning. It is a slippery slope you are on. 20 miles now but where will it end?
I'd not ridden more than 20 miles in a very long time, decades in fact, when I hit 50 year old, and never more than about 40 miles even in my mis-spent and long forgotten youth.
Then I read, on these pages, of a mysterious thing called "audax". It took me a while to build up to a level where I could even consider the "entry level" 100km events, but by then I was addicted. I am now doomed forever to ride longer and longer distances. This year it was the 619km "Bryan Chapman Memorial" - on the way to my first "Super Randonneur" series. Next year, the target is the 1400km London-Edingburgh-London.

I still can't keep up with the "medium" paced group on a club run, but the distance thing gets into your head.

You have been warned !

 

[Scoosh]

INSPIRATIONAL STUFF Alert !

A very BIG Well Done to all of you who have been increasing your mileages and enjoying doing it !

Once the bug bites Now the bug has bitten you will be surprised at how soon you can manage that greater distance. What might seem to be SO FAR now, will soon become 'Was it that easy ?'

Prophetic word:
'I see much expense in the next few years'



EDIT : PpPete sort of beat me to it !

 

[PpPete]

INSPIRATIONAL STUFF Alert !

A very BIG Well Done to all of you who have been increasing your mileages and enjoying doing it !

Once the bug bites Now the bug has bitten you will be surprised at how soon you can manage that greater distance. What might seem to be SO FAR now, will soon become 'Was it that easy ?'

Prophetic word:
'I see much expense in the next few years'



EDIT : PpPete sort of beat me to it !

I wasnae going to tell them about the £££ thing....

 

[Scoosh]

 

[jonny jeez]

My challenge is to lose weight while increasing the mileage. I started 2 weeks ago and was 22st 8lb.

Check out
http://www.cyclechat.net/members/gb155.3910/
shows it can be done...with a big grin on your face as well.

 

[mark c]

Well done for your twenty, bewarned it is adictive when i started 12 miles nearly killed me, it took days to get over it. Now on a weekend 30 sat 30 sun is just a run arond the block

 

[Saluki]

I am the wrong side of 50 now and new to cycling with any consistency too. I went through a period a few weeks ago of feeling a bit frustrated at not getting faster and reading on here of those that seem to hit good speeds after only a short time. I am happier now that I have realised that I am probably never going to be a fast cyclist and just accepted it and am enjoying my rides knowing that I am getting decent exercise in lovely countryside.

I too am the wrong side of 50, but my friend John tells me that in a couple of years, once I reach the magic age of 50, that cycling gets even easier. In a couple of years I might be able to keep up with my pal John, aged 61