cycle ride in june

[Effyb4]

Hi

I'm new to cycling and am still pretty unfit. I started off doing about a 5 mile round ride and am now able to do a 20 mile round ride. My question is: I have a cycle ride planned at the end of June with my husband, who is a keen cyclist and thinks nothing of doing a 50 or 60 mile ride. Do you think I have enough time left to be able to do a 60 mile ride in June or should I am for the 25 mile ride. I get out every weekend, but find it much harder during the week to get the motivation to go out on my own, plus the rainy weather at the moment doesn't help.

 

[musa]

Well At The end of the day if your determined enough then why not? Each weekend perhaps (weather permitted) increase the mileage by 5. Go up by small increment your comfortable to do

 

[daSmirnov]

Shouldn't be a problem. I think if you just did 25 miles you'd be wanting more on ride day.

20 miles is a big step in the right direction. Once you're doing 20s, the rest is within reach. When the weather is dry, just try doubling a 20 up, do one in the morning, if you're shattered have a rest for an hour or so, and do another 20 mile. Then it's just a case of putting them all together.

 

[on the road]

If you can get up to at least 40 miles before the end of June then you might be able to squeeze the extra 20 miles out.

 

[derrick]

Go for it.

 

[BrumJim]

Weather has been really against us this year so far. March was sunny, but still very cold, and since then it has been no warmer, but a lot wetter. Hopefully we will have a break in it soon, and you will get those lovely warm days that make cycling so much of a pleasure.

Go for it. 20 to 60 takes a couple of steps - one to 30 miles, and the next to 45. Give yourself plenty of time to recover after each next big ride, and then after a couple of days or after the legs stop hurting, hop on the bike again and do another 5-10 miles just to get the legs working again.

 

[slowmotion]

Of course you can do it, no problem. I started at the beginning of June 2009 and the first five mile ride felt as though it really would kill me. I was gasping, nauseous and dizzy with one more mile to go. I rode eleven miles several times a week for seven weeks, and then went on holiday. At the end of that August I rode a twenty mile charity ride with my family, the longest I had ever attempted by far. Two weeks later I rode a sixty without any training. Little and often, and then a bit of a stretch seemed to do the trick. Not ideal but workable! I am pretty ancient and not an athlete. Have fun and report back.

 

[machew]

Should not be a problem, bought a bike in the summer last year and did a 70 mile cycle trip in march

 

[Effyb4]

Thanks everyone. You have made my mind up. I will have a go at the sixty mile ride. Watch out for the slightly overweight woman, who looks out of breath on the hills (slight slopes).

 

[snorri]

That's the spirit Effyb4.
Just remember it's not a race, let the whippets go on ahead and leave you to enjoy your day out.

 

[johnr]

Let your husband go his own way! My partner and I are in a similar situation. She either gets very tired and cross trying to keep up, or livid that she's being patronised if I take it easy. We can only ride together if I'm on the single speed and she's on her road bike!

I'd agree with the step ups approach. Maybe start using energy gels/food. When I started doing longer distances, getting the nutrition right was the answer to most of the problems.

 

[Banjo]

You will do it if you want to. You havent said if the ride is an organized event or just a leisure ride with your other half?

It is easier both physically and mentally to break any ride down into stages.

Ride 15 miles stop and have a drink /stretch /rest ride the next 15 maybe stop for lunch, etc etc. If you know its only a few miles to a rest stop you will feel motivated to keep going,if you think its still a huge distance to the finish you may give up.