I am a bit bewildered over which are the best rides can anyone suggest good tides for around 10-20 miles so I can build up my fitness levels without thinking this it too hard and dropping dead? I am the wrong side of 50 but still like a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for routes or groups I can join with the same poor fitness levels? Also what rpm should I look to ride at bearing in mind my days of running 100m in 12s are well behind me?
Thanks in advance. Sorry for so many questions in one post but the Bkool web site is not that easy to get around.
On the Sessions page, there is a slider for you to set the distance of the ride you are looking for. It's in kms, so you might need your conversion tables.
There is also a slider for difficulty. Move it across to the left so that you only see "Easy" rides. If they are too easy, move it so you see "Moderate" rides as well. There are five levels in total, and you'll soon find the one that's right for you.
If you find a ride that you particularly enjoy, you can save it as a favourite and repeat it whenever you like - hopefully, you'll see yourself getting faster. On the other hand, one of the great things about Bkool is the number of different rides available, so it's nice to keep looking for new ones.
I don't do groups, but
@theboxers has already pointed you in the right direction.
As for rpm, if you mean pedalling speed, or cadence, there's a school of thought that too slow puts more strain on your knees, but what too slow is has to vary for different people. Somewhere in the 70s or 80s is common. Some are faster than that, others are slower. See what feels comfortable, and work from there.
If by rpm you mean power (watts), then all you need to do is get a few rides in and note your average. Then try to improve it. It is very difficult to ride at a specific wattage for any length of time, whether on Bkool or out on the road. The average figure for the current ride is shown on the screen in smaller digits below the figure for current power. Try to keep the average at about the figure you want, but be aware that power is likely to increase on hills and decrease on descents.
. Most are not easy, but when you join a live chaingang ride, can be a lot of fun 
