# ride distance



## gettingintoit (18 Jan 2012)

not going to lie i let my weight spiral out of control ... i have now reached 24 stone ... i have just gotten back into cycling and im hoping it will help me lose weight and get to my healthy weight of 16-18 stone ... i do a ten mile cycle ride in about half an hour but then feel like i could go do it again ... my question is should i stay doing just ten miles for a while or go for a longer ride ...


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## Paul.G. (18 Jan 2012)

Ideally you should vary your rides to get the most benefit but as you have been off the bike for a while, i suggest you build up nice and slowly, stic kto the 10 miles for a while and increase or vary route as you get fitter and stronger. Push yourself too much in th early stages and it will become horrid instead of pleasant and your more likely to keep at it if you enjoy it, hope this helps


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## gettingintoit (18 Jan 2012)

thanks ... ill take your advice and keep at the ten milers for a while


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## deptfordmarmoset (18 Jan 2012)

I'd guess a lot of us have thought ''I could have gone further'' after a ride - and, come the next day, feel glad we didn't. 

However, if you feel up to pushing the limit the following day or the day afterwards, I'd say go for it. It keeps a bit of variety in your rides and helps that feeling of making progress by having gone further. 

Maybe even give yourself a doable ''miles in a week'' target and gently increase that.


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## gettingintoit (18 Jan 2012)

i think i may have chosen the wrong time of year to start my cycling again .... was out on a ten miler in -4 yesterday .. that wasnt fun


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## Terry Kay (18 Jan 2012)

From my years of trawling the internet, general consensus seems to be it's best to do over 20 minutes activity but over an hour has diminishing returns.. 
If you can continue at a nice steady pace then go for it? Trouble is, as I've found, it's all hills around here so I'd know if I'd done more than half an hour in the saddle!


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## gettingintoit (18 Jan 2012)

the rides i go on have alot of long dragging hills and a few steep big hills ... there alot easier now that i have my hybrid tyres and have set up my gears correctly ... and my brakes no longer drag


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## Dayvo (19 Jan 2012)

Hello GITI and welcome to the forum.

Well done for getting out onto your bike - good effort. Remember, though, that it should be fun and enjoyable, not a punishment. As long as you are equipped for most weather conditions, then you'll be fine.

10 miles a day is a good distance to start with, but don't be in a hurry: everything will come in time once cycling becomes a habit/drug. 

Have a look at this thread by one of our forumers: hopefully it'll help you. GOOD LUCK!

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/an-updated-video-on-what-cycling-has-done-for-me.40775/


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## gettingintoit (19 Jan 2012)

wow hes quite inspiring. I do enjoy the rides that make me feel really worn out because it makes me feel good ... i have a shower to wake myself back up and get rid of the sweaty smell .. and i feel wide awake asif i could go all day .. makes me feel good


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## BrumJim (24 Jan 2012)

Terry Kay said:


> From my years of trawling the internet, general consensus seems to be it's best to do over 20 minutes activity but over an hour has diminishing returns..
> If you can continue at a nice steady pace then go for it? Trouble is, as I've found, it's all hills around here so I'd know if I'd done more than half an hour in the saddle!


 
Does that just relate to fitness?

If you are trying to loose weight, then keep upping the miles. The only type of exercise that will loose you weight is the energetic, sustained type. Three hours on the bike will take enough energy for an average meal (very rough figures here), so do it every weekend and it is as good as skipping one meal a week. As long as you don't carb load on lots of cake at the end, of course!


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## gettingintoit (24 Jan 2012)

so your saying just the one long ride a week along with a healthy balanced diet would help


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## Sittingduck (24 Jan 2012)

There's nothing wrong with shorter rides, at a higher level of effort. They will help you burn mucho cals, for sure. Healthy balanced diet is the most important, as you can cycle at moderate pace until you are blue in the face but it won't get the same results as reducing caloric intake, IMHO.

If I was you, I would mix it up with some longer rides and some shorter, intense blasts. Sounds like you already have some good speed, to be able to ride around 10 miles in 30 mins or so, especially if it's on that bike in your avatar.

Good luck with it - will be interesting to read about your progress.


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## Rob500 (24 Jan 2012)

Hi GTGT.
Well done on getting back on the bike. 10 miles each day is great. Doing it in 30 mins is brilliant. Keep at it.


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## BrumJim (24 Jan 2012)

gettingintoit said:


> so your saying just the one long ride a week along with a healthy balanced diet would help


 
You'll need to get up to that position in the first place, and regular shorter runs keeps your fitness levels up. But longer runs help to burn fat, whilst short bursts just use up glycogen reserves.

But, most imporantly, you must enjoy it. Exercise that is a grind won't get you thinner. It has to be something that you enjoy, want to do, and becomes a substitute for the snacking/pigging-out that is putting weight on. 10 mile rides can get dull after a while. Commuting is obviously a necessity (unless you work from home), so that is a good excuse to do the same thing (or nearly) every day, but longer rides can build up a bit of interest. Go looking for new villages to explore, new hills to tackle, sites to visit, views to enjoy. Taking part in Audax events and Sportives gets you out exploring new parts of the country, making new friends, and enjoying company, swapping cycling tales.


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## Breaker Morant (24 Jan 2012)

Don't be dazzled by what others do, some very high milage rides seem to suck the fun out of the whole thing and are more about your boredom threshold than actual fitness. 10 miles in 30 minutes is a perfectly respectable time, keep at it and vary the routes and the weight will soon drop off.


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## jim55 (24 Jan 2012)

10 ml in 30 min!!!for a beginner!!a good tt time is in the low twenties isnt it ?you must b going some ,,i commute 7 miles and it gen takes me about 30 min,,that obv includes me stopping at lights ,,,i think the only way i could do ten in 30 min is wind assisted (or an engine lol),,if ur av is 20 mph then il eat my hat ,,no way thats achievable in urban traffic (red lights and stuff)


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## gettingintoit (24 Jan 2012)

the route i take is not urban its country roads and theyre generally very easy to get up to a high speed on . ( flat with no headwind) and then off road routes and the last 3 miles of the ride takes on average 7 minutes because its mainly downhill .. if i was on urban routes with lots of traffic and big hills then it would take alot longer ..... the other routes i do consist of alot of hills and they take me considerably longer ... ... ..... me and my friend have a 32 mile country cyle ride that we are going to attemp next week or the week after


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## gettingintoit (25 Jan 2012)

when on a ten mile today with a chest infection and a motherlover of a head wind ..... took me over an hour ... i was quite dissapointed tbf


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## jim55 (25 Jan 2012)

gettingintoit said:


> the route i take is not urban its country roads and theyre generally very easy to get up to a high speed on . ( flat with no headwind) and then off road routes and the last 3 miles of the ride takes on average 7 minutes because its mainly downhill .. if i was on urban routes with lots of traffic and big hills then it would take alot longer ..... the other routes i do consist of alot of hills and they take me considerably longer ... ... .....


 well that explains it according to strava (iphone app)this morning going to work ,,i done ,,well have a look ,,my work is a wee bit further than this but i had to get the van en route


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## jim55 (25 Jan 2012)




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## gettingintoit (25 Jan 2012)

wow you hit some good speed there ,,, i presume you have alot of traffic and traffic lights to contend with .... also i think i realised why my time was so good .... i was going by the time my cycle computer told me ... i realised today that only records the time that my wheels are moving ... ... i think this would explain the time taken however my cycle computer has recorded 30 odd minute times to do the ten mile route when conditions are good with no stops ... maybe its innacurate .. i will have to purchase a stopwatch to record it accurately


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## gettingintoit (25 Jan 2012)

also records an avg speed of 18.9 mph


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## BrumJim (26 Jan 2012)

Cycling when ill is never as good as you hope it would be.

Warm still days are days you enjoy cycling. Windy days are resistance training!

Keep it up. Winter days are the worst, and then, sometime in March or April, the weather gets warmer, and you are no longer riding to build up heat, fighting the wind, and wondering how much nicer it is in the car. The sun is shining, the wheels are rolling, the bike is working well, and everything is great in the world.


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## jim55 (26 Jan 2012)

Iv just counted, there are 12 sets of lights on my commute . And I go thru the town centre and find it very hard to maintain a good speed ,they ( and conditions in gen ) must add on about 8-ten min so about twenty min non stop if I got the chance , my best so far is 21 min but even so I think I'd b struggling to do 10 ml in 30 minutes , well done


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## gettingintoit (26 Jan 2012)

i think by looking at your speeds on there if you took the same route i take you would do it in a much faster time they are very easy roads to ride in the correct conditions


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## Old Plodder (11 Feb 2012)

You've done the hardest part....starting.
Go at your own speed that is comfortable, & then steadily increase the mileage.

Eat less, exercise more is the only way to shift the weight & fat. (I'm having to do so myself)
I hit 16 stone; that was my wake up call; can do 30 miles without to much bother, but I used to do big mileages 20 years ago.


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## gettingintoit (11 Feb 2012)

well with healthy eating and my cycling ive managed to drop from anything over 24 stone ( my scales only went to 24 and when i stood on them they said error instantly) i have now gotten down to 22 st 13 ib and counting


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## cloggsy (11 Feb 2012)

gettingintoit said:


> i think i may have chosen the wrong time of year to start my cycling again .... was out on a ten miler in -4 yesterday .. that wasnt fun


 
The cooler it is, the less you'll sweat... Think about your ride again, then think 'what if it was 24°C?' I think we're past the worse of the weather & it'll only get better from here on in...

In Nov 2010 I was 21 stone, I started cycling in April '11 having already lost 2 stone. I have now lost 4 and a half stone (an counting...)

Keep it going; It'll pay off


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## Sittingduck (11 Feb 2012)

Plus your body will burn more calories, when it's really cold (so I believe). Not a bad time to start riding


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## PpPete (11 Feb 2012)

You might sweat less in the cold - but not that much. Make sure you keep drinking plenty of fluids.


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## jim55 (11 Feb 2012)

Uncle Mort said:


> Jim, sorry to go off topic, but how do you find Strava?
> 
> It's available on Android as well, and I was thinking of giving it a go.


yeah ,,i find it better than endemondo ,,,if u go to the website it shows you your climb on a side elevation and its a more user friendly site i think,,iv got both and since downloading strava i dont use endemondo any more


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## gettingintoit (15 Feb 2012)

went for a 17 mile ride with my friend today ... took about 2 and a half hours ... his pace was very slow unfortunately ... on a brighter note i have dropped a stone off my total weight and im already feeling a serious boost in my fitness and general health


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## e-rider (15 Feb 2012)

keep at it and try and increase your ride length rather than intensity at this stage. Longer rides will help build a good base fitness (and burn plenty of fat). Once you have a decent base fitness you can start to think about increasing intensity - I think that's still a little way off yet but something to aim for in the future. Good work.


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## gettingintoit (15 Feb 2012)

im not looking at intensity yet i just cycle along at a comfortable pace around between ten and twenty mph usually but with my friend today i was stuck around 7-8 mph


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## smutchin (15 Feb 2012)

gettingintoit said:


> im not looking at intensity yet i just cycle along at a comfortable pace around between ten and twenty mph usually



I think you should just keep up what you're already doing for now. Sounds like you have exactly the right attitude and approach. Don't try to push yourself too hard too soon or you'll take the fun out of it, and then you'll feel less inclined to keep it up.

However, you will sooner or later find that your increased fitness and reduced weight make the ride you're doing now too easy, and you may well hit a plateau in your weight loss. That's the point where you really need to think about upping the intensity and/or duration of your exercise if you want to continue getting the same benefits. 

d.


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## gettingintoit (15 Feb 2012)

thets the reason i went on the 17 mile ride today ... the ten mile ride just felt too easy


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## gettingintoit (15 Feb 2012)

also hills my god i encountered a real hill today .... its about 1km long and must take you about 400 m higher


edit .. just done a calculator turnes out its 800 metres long with a 15 percent gradient


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## BrumJim (16 Feb 2012)

Great to hear the progression. Even better to hear that 10 miles is getting too easy. Looks like you need to find some new cycling buddies too!


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## gettingintoit (16 Feb 2012)

New riding buddies would be fun ... My freind is gunna start cycling with me more ... He weighs less than me (21 stone) .. But I think his fitness level is lower .... Hopefully due to the weifght difference he will soon be able to go at my pace instead of constantly under ten ... Eiher way its more fun too ride with somebody else .... Sorry for any mistakes im on my phone.


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## ColinJ (17 Feb 2012)

Not being funny, _gii_, but you definitely have your computer set to imperial units do you? I accidentally had mine set to metric units when I first got it, and I thought I was going 60% further & faster than I actually was until I noticed that!


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## MattHB (17 Feb 2012)

jim55 said:


> yeah ,,i find it better than endemondo ,,,if u go to the website it shows you your climb on a side elevation and its a more user friendly site i think,,iv got both and since downloading strava i dont use endemondo any more



Jim does it have ant+ support?


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## jim55 (17 Feb 2012)

MattHB said:


> Jim does it have ant+ support?


 
eh ???that sounds like a techy question ,,i can ise it but as for ant +,,er,,,,pass


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## S1mon (17 Feb 2012)

Seems cycling when you get the bug is the best thing for weight loss.
I lost 10 stone last year put bike away after illness and a quiet serious op so no exercise for months got on scales 2 weeks ago and 2 stone back on!!! I'm gutted but last Friday got the all clear from my op and hit the gym. Now my fitness isn't what it was in September but it is much better than I thought did 25k on exercise bike at 100 rpm on mid level in just over an hour ... So finally get all clear got bike back with my shiny new di2 ultegra all my lovely tight gear... And it's going to rain ! Buti have booked my self on Evans ride next Sunday do I just start at the 30 or try the 50 it's on my route I was doing last summer and my best miles before my op was 49 (cock up in measuring suppose to be 50) and good luck with your own journey I was 25 stone plus when I started I got to 14 12 in September and increased my miles and hills by 10% a week roughly


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## S1mon (17 Feb 2012)

Oh sorry for babbling


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## gettingintoit (18 Feb 2012)

Not being funny, _gii_, but you definitely have your computer set to imperial units do you? I accidentally had mine set to metric units when I first got it, and I thought I was going 60% further & faster than I actually was until I noticed that! 



not sure how to quote so ill see if that worked 
im pretty sure its definatley in mph not kph it shows the speed and avg speed in mph for definate


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## MattHB (18 Feb 2012)

S1mon said:


> Seems cycling when you get the bug is the best thing for weight loss.
> I lost 10 stone last year put bike away after illness and a quiet serious op so no exercise for months got on scales 2 weeks ago and 2 stone back on!!! I'm gutted but last Friday got the all clear from my op and hit the gym. Now my fitness isn't what it was in September but it is much better than I thought did 25k on exercise bike at 100 rpm on mid level in just over an hour ... So finally get all clear got bike back with my shiny new di2 ultegra all my lovely tight gear... And it's going to rain ! Buti have booked my self on Evans ride next Sunday do I just start at the 30 or try the 50 it's on my route I was doing last summer and my best miles before my op was 49 (cock up in measuring suppose to be 50) and good luck with your own journey I was 25 stone plus when I started I got to 14 12 in September and increased my miles and hills by 10% a week roughly



Di2 oooooooo nice. And go for the 50  just ride your own pace


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## Sittingduck (18 Feb 2012)

S1mon said:


> I lost 10 stone last year put bike away after illness and a quiet serious op so no exercise for months got on scales 2 weeks ago and 2 stone back on!!!


 
That's epic work! (Last year's loss, I mean)


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## jdrussell (18 Feb 2012)

gettingintoit said:


> not going to lie i let my weight spiral out of control ... i have now reached 24 stone ... i have just gotten back into cycling and im hoping it will help me lose weight and get to my healthy weight of 16-18 stone ... i do a ten mile cycle ride in about half an hour but then feel like i could go do it again ... my question is should i stay doing just ten miles for a while or go for a longer ride ...


 
When I first started riding I was doing about 8 miles each way on the commute. Then as the summer months started, I realised I wanted to stay on the bike for longer. So I extended the route, leaving home earlier to complete it. That ramped the miles up to about 14 miles each way. Then I started going to a velodrome in South London and started track cycling on a Saturday morning, and then last year road cycling on a Tuesday night. 

The weather has put me off a bit recently, but I have got about 5 sportives coming up this year. First one this Sunday.

Good luck, and you can do it ! I didn't know it at the time, but cycling really did change my life health wise. It's a great life choice.


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## gettingintoit (18 Feb 2012)

jdrussell said:


> The weather has put me off a bit recently, but I have got about 5 sportives coming up this year. First one this Sunday.


 what is a sportive


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## BrumJim (19 Feb 2012)

Bunch of middle-aged blokes pretending to race.

Seriously, if you need motivation to get out on a ride and do distance, and benefit from companionship, there are two options:
1) Audax. You get nothing more than a route card. This directs you to the control points, where you get your card stamped, and often there is a café where you can buy cakes and drinks. If your bike breaks down, you have to sort it out yourself. They tell you your course time, but no one else knows. The advantage is cost (#£5), and the sociability. They are run by cycle clubs for the fun and history of the sport.
2) Sportive. The route is signposted on the road (unless locals pinch the signs) and feed stops are free, offering bananas, cakes, energy bars, energy drinks, etc. There is a mechanic that you can call to sort out any bike problems. You get a number for your bike, and a photographer takes a picture of you with red face and bursting lungs as you crest that climb, and you get a chance to buy that photo later. You carry a chip, so your time on the course is recorded, and everyone's time is posted on the web site. They are run by commercial organisations or charities, and tend to cost £20-£50.

Sportive riders will scoff at the amateur nature and poor facilities of an Audax, and claim that you have to wear sandals and have a beard, fit mudguards and hanker after the days of steel frames. Audax riders will shake their head at how much a Sportive costs, and question why you would want an energy bar when a big slice of chocolate cake is so much more enjoyable!


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## gettingintoit (19 Feb 2012)

i see .... the audax seems much more like my kind of thing .... sounds less competetive


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