First ride over 20 miles.

[HJ]

Keep at it, you'll soon be doing tons...

 

[Rollon]

Just interested
i) You take luggage for such rides? ( dont mind me )
ii) You assume even with a 9sp triple you have 27 gears. ( you have about 17 to 19 usable ones otherwise chain angle becomes an issue)

Yeah, I see your point about the gears.

As regards luggage.
I dont usually, but thought I would add a bit of weight to get used to carrying some for when I do start touring. I also thought it might help tone up the muscles for cycling as most activities this last year have been short backpacking and mountaineering ones.

Dave.

 

[Arch]

What's wrong with luggage? I never carry less than a pump, multitool, lights and lock, either in a messenger bag or pannier. Anything out of town and I'll have a coat, bigger tool kit, spare tube, something to nibble on, map etc...

If you want to tour, it makes sense to be used to having some weight with you, there'd be no point in being able to ride 60 miles unloaded and then fail to get out of the drive with your full kit on....

 

[Rollon]

Arch,
Thats the way my minds thinking too. As with backpacking, its not much use going on day walks with a light daypack in preperation for for a multi day camping trip carrying in excess of 30lbs.
Dave.

 

[nmcgann]

It's all to do with cycle-specific fitness. This takes a while to build up (I'd say 6 months to a year to achieve a reasonable level), but once your legs get used to it the main limiters to distance become food intake and comfort with bike contact points.

Just keep plugging away, increase the distance gradually and you'll get there.

 

[Norm]

This is starting to concern me, as I might be pushing too hard.

I'm 46 years old and 120kg. I only started riding again back in June, after 20 years out of the saddle. Within 3 months, I was doing my "short" 10 mile off road route 4 times a week, with a time down to 46 minutes. I was doing 50+ miles whenever possible at weekends and I even managed to squeeze in a 60 mile trek, 75% of which was off road. The only thing that stops me going further is darkness - I really should get some decent lights!

I don't feel that bad afterwards and I don't get aches / pains the following day.

Should I be taking longer to build up my fitness levels or can I take the lack of pain as a sign that I am doing ok?

 

[Rollon]

You are 50% heavier than me, although 17 years younger. If I was doing what you are acheiving I would be well pleased, with myself. Everyone has different tollerence levels, yours is obviously quite high. I'd say if you are feeling okay following rides, carry on doing what you are doing.
Dave.

 

[Norm]

You are 50% heavier than me...

Yeah, I get that a lot.

...although 17 years younger.

I hide it well.

Looking forward to getting a decent road bike. And lights. Then I might take on the 20 mile each-way commute.

 

[Rollon]

Day off today as no work (self employed).
Nice bright day with rain returning tommorrow, so thought I'd better take advantage of it, while I can.
Using my Merlin mountain bike, I cycled the 6 miles from home to the Leeds - Liverpool canal, joining it near Chorley, Lancs. I took it reasonably easy with a couple of stops chatting to two guys riding it both ways from Leeds and camping, and another older guy who gave me some spare route guides. Anyway went past Wigan Pier, descending a fair distance past a long series of locks and turned round after 20 miles. I had to cover the return journey now and put in a bit more effort, doing it 50 minutes faster. So just over 40 miles altogether in 4 hours 15 minutes, my furthest yet, and on a mountain bike, albeit most of the route being flat. Those deep knobly tyres take some peddling.
Dave.

 

[Norm]

Those deep knobly tyres take some peddling.

Don't they just!

I just fitted, on advice from the good peeps on here, a set of Schwalbe City Jets in 26x1.5.

I didn't get them home until 7 so I could only do a short (5 mile) ride on well-lit roads. I logged it on www.gpsed.com as I was going, and it showed an average speed of 23.6 km/h. (I have a pre-prepared list of excuses for it being that low, if you want )

I'll try them on my "normal" route when I get a chance but I usually average about 15% slower than that, and the only thing that I changed was the tyres. I reckon that is a worthwhile upgrade for tarmac work.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Arch,
Thats the way my minds thinking too. As with backpacking, its not much use going on day walks with a light daypack in preperation for for a multi day camping trip carrying in excess of 30lbs.
Dave.

I think you might find that that is not strictly true. If you're building up on rolling countryside with an unladen bike then touring on the relative flat will probably be about the same speed as unladen in the hills.

Incidentally I always take a racktop back which holds: leatherman, multitool, puncture repair kit, two small plastic bottles of water, waterproof and usually a camera. I think it comes in at about 8 lbs.

 

[Rollon]

Andy,
I understand what you are saying and it would be interesting to see how much quicker it will take me on the same route, unladen.
Cheers.
Dave.