what sort of distance could i expect to cycle?

[cyberknight]

Indeed unless you are wanting to do it pretty much without stopping?

There are about 12 or more hours of daylight currently. If your rear end doesn't burst into metaphorical flames and you have all day, do your 50 miles in chunks. 15 miles at 10-12mph have a coffee break, another 15 have a picnic lunch somewhere scenic, another 15, time for tea, another 5 and you are home all done in 6 or 7 hours easily (assuming no major mechanicals)

Don't think someone used to riding would need to train. If you want to do the 50 in 3 hours that's a rather different proposition

+1
a prime example is the ride i did on sunday , the fastest time was sub 3 hours and the slowest was over 8 hours .
As long as you enjoy it go at whatever pace and distance you like .

 

[Kajjal]

If you take it easy on flat, smooth roads it will be easy enough. Add in rougher roads, lots of hill climbing and a strong wind against you it will be alot harder.

Just allow plenty of time.

 

[GuyBoden]

This is my approach, I gradually extended my distance slowly over many months, if it's windy I do less than half the distance.

 

[rugby bloke]

I can remember when my daughter was 7 going on a family bike ride. We went at a steady pace with plenty of breaks and finished up doing 22 miles, my daughter was still fresh at the end and trying to keep up with the older kids.

 

[Crackle]

What you do in a week you should be able to do in a single ride.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

20-30 on the cheshire plain should be easily ok.

Manchester to Blackpool is +/- 60 miles, it is hillier and draggier than it sounds - you kind of imagine a gentle descent to the seaside but its not all that. I did it once after a couple of months of no riding at all following a broken ankle and not much more than my 8 mile commute as riding for quite a bit before that, it was not a lot of fun.
The roads are not closed for it so you're still playing in with the Sunday traffic & the marshalling lasts a good while but not all day, so if you do do it I'd recommend you set off earlyish and take it at quite a leisurely pace and maybe aim for 5-6 hours (approx 12-10mph average.)

You always see a few of the once a year on a bike crowd setting off from the start like a Cav sprint and being MGIF at every set of lights, only to turn purple and really begin to struggle after the first few miles.

 

[Okeydokey]

I don't get out as often as you do by a long chalk, once or twice a week. I did 33 hilly miles on Sunday. My restraint is my sitting bones, everything else, legs etc. good but the saddle is where my pain starts and stops at the moment. I have only been riding a few weeks, I get a 45 minute spin class on Friday evening and a ride out on a Sunday. I normally do variations of a figure eight route, if I am having an off day, the loops get smaller.

 

[slowmotion]

When I started, I did three months of 11 mile round trip commutes, and then a 20 mile charity ride. Two weeks later, a flat 60 mile day ride in Holland. All were at my own pace, and none had huge hills. Just eat and drink a little as you go, and forget about your speed. Enjoy it for what it is....bimbling along in pleasant countryside powered by your own body.
I was mid-fifties and totally unfit then, but it wasn't a big deal. You'll be just fine.

 

[amrbadawy]

I did 50 on my first ever ride, when i started a few years back. 2 things I would be wary of:
1) Being too confident at the start and smashing every hill, my route was incredibly hilly and a friend and I sort of "raced" all whilst pretending we weren't.
2)If you have a tailwind on the way, be watchful of a potential headwind on the way back. I assumed the effort exerted would be the same both ways- it was not!
Good luck!

 

[tommaguzzi]

It depends on the amount of climbing and prevailing wind conditions really. 30 flat miles with a howling tail wind is a 90 minute ride. But uphill into a headwind it could take all day.

 

[summerdays]

Before I got back into cycling I'd go to a trail centre and hire a bike for the afternoon usually once a year and I'd manage upto about 18 miles from doing nothing though everything would ache the next day. (Admittedly they were usually fairly flat and not that exposed to the wind.

As for 50 .... I don't think I've ever done that, about 46 is my max so far, but I'm sure I could, it's just I might ache the next day.