Salutations from South Cumbria

[enitharmon]

I've just bought a second-hand bike (it's a Saxon New Yorker if that means anything to anybody) and am learning to ride again after a thirty-year hiatus. The idea is to get some exercise and to be able to visit my favourite pub more often; it's on the flat near the sea but a half-hour walk from the nearest bus stop.

It's proving to be a bit of a struggle. I'm 57 now and semi-retired and there's a lot more of me to lift up the hills than there was in my earlier, beanpole, cycling life. The first time out lasted no more than ten minutes on the flat around my home before I retired and collapsed in a heap. The second time I did a 10 km circuit to the pub and along the beachfront. Just one little hill, where I ended up pushing, but I had to stop several times to get my puff back and needed a couple of longer rests too. Yesterday on the third outing I ventured a little way into the country where there were a couple of more severe hills to push up (and freewheel down, that was nice). After that pedalling on the flat into a headwind was a bit of a chore and I ended up walking most of the way home. I'm giving it a rest today, it's wet and windy anyway but I suspect I've overdone it. It were never like this when I were a lass!

I'll get there though. I think...

 

[Paulus]

Welcome to the forum. It's never too late to get back on the bike. It will get easier as you well know, your lungs,legs and various other muscles have not been used for 30+ years, so give it time and persevere.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Welcome to the best site on the web ,,, posts on here will make you smile , laugh , scowl and get angry (no not angry ,, its my inability to accept i am not the King of all ,my Therapist tells me hahaha)

 

[enitharmon]

Yes well,,, It is getting easier and I'm getting out further now, although I haven't revisited my first serious hills yet. I'm using the bike to do my shopping sometimes, if I'm not getting much.

I had my first tumble the other day. No, not on the road, it was when I got home after a trip to Tesco (no proper bike mooring facilities, tut tut!) In dismounting, stationary, my leg caught the shoppingt on the rear rack, I lost balance and fell. No serious damage other than to my pride, but my left elbow is scraped and there's a big bruise on my left thigh.

Whoops!