How Far - when you started?

[Batgirl]

I did a ride down to the bottom of our hill, around a supermarket car park, and back.
I thought I would keel over!
My next ride was a very slow 5 miles and I just kept doing the same route until I felt comfortable, and then gradually added more miles to it.
My regular ride is now 15 miles and the most I have done is 33.

I started riding again last October to get fit and lose weight. I have been on a medically restricted diet for 2 years and since cycling, have lost over 2 stone, to add to the 2 I had already lost.
My 20 year old son comes with me a lot of the time and I was struggling to keep up.
Now I can beat him to the top of hills and hold my own, matching his speed. I'm 50

Well done you!! The weight loss is a benefit I really want to see so am restricting my eating not stupidly but enough to see changes. I'm on medication that can cause gain and have gained (on different medication) the last year so it's part of the appeal.

 

[Batgirl]

you may be suprised, being bike fit is somewhat different to some who is fit through running or whatever , using different muscles etc. dont under estimate yourself .

Thanks I ride my horse, and have been a competing powerlifter my last competition was last summer - I've gained weight since stopping training (it's why I like a 'plan' I think) - I still compound lift occasionally and do supplementary weights and cardio at the gym, so hopefully won't be totally unfit but I'm sure my legs (and butt) will feel it. lol

 

[Doc333]

Started with 8 miles but my arse thought I'd done 80 miles. Over the next couple of weeks i started fooling my behind and got up to 16 with said btm thinking I'd done 20. been doing around 20 miles per ride for a few months and yesterday did 37 and I know I'm getting fitter, stronger and healthier. I'm late 50's and doing well so do what you feel comfortable with and carry on doing that. Guaranteed to be flying in a few weeks, good luck

 

[ScotiaLass]

Well done you!! The weight loss is a benefit I really want to see so am restricting my eating not stupidly but enough to see changes. I'm on medication that can cause gain and have gained (on different medication) the last year so it's part of the appeal.

It was my main reason too, along with getting out and meeting people etc, as I'm quite quiet until I get to know people but I won't go out my way to make friends.
Keep at it, you will build up the miles and fitness without noticing!

 

[Batgirl]

Started with 8 miles but my arse thought I'd done 80 miles. Over the next couple of weeks i started fooling my behind and got up to 16 with said btm thinking I'd done 20. been doing around 20 miles per ride for a few months and yesterday did 37 and I know I'm getting fitter, stronger and healthier. I'm late 50's and doing well so do what you feel comfortable with and carry on doing that. Guaranteed to be flying in a few weeks, good luck

Thanks and @ScotiaLass

I love the fact there are so many great riders on here who started later in years.

For now I'm off to a Madness tribute band locally with OH.. no cycling tonight I'm designated driver!

 

[LimeBurn]

I started at about 10 miles on my mountain bike my butt hurt like hell but legs not too bad I was an unfit 18ish stone, after a year or so of going out once or twice a week I bought a road bike and increased it to about 20 miles and lost over 3 stone in about 12 months. Unfortunately im back up to over 16 stone but can still quite happily ride for over 30 miles without too much drama but start to feel it when I throw in a lot of hills on the route.

 

[Donger]

I'm lucky enough to be spoilt for choice for quiet lanes and different routes with interesting scenery where I live, so I mixed it up a bit right from the start. I would suggest that you measure the distances to local landmarks, and also drive for 10, 12.5 and 15 miles in any given directions and note where that gets you. I have a staple route of exactly 20 miles (10 miles there, then back the same way) and another of exactly 25 miles (to and from somewhere exactly 12.5 miles away). If I don't feel up to going that far, my favourite viewpoint on the Severn is 6.5 miles away, so I end up doing a 13 miler. This means that, at any time, with or without whichever bike that is set up with your computer, you can hop on any bike and do an exact known measured distance and gradually improve your times. When you want to mix it up, you can then vary the distance and always know how far from home you are to measure out a sprint finish. In my case I always know that Longney is 5 miles from home, Elmore Court is 2 miles, a patch of road alongside the Severn, where it often floods is 1 mile etc, etc. When I go further afield, I often finish my rides along the same lanes, so that I know how much more effort is needed and how long it will take to get home.

 

[ColinJ]

My first ride as an adult was 15 miles with a couple of decent hills on it. Most of the rides for the following year were 10-20 miles with several hills per ride.

 

[bpsmith]

I started out at 20 miles, from having done very little exercise for the past 10 years. Relatively flat routes though. Have increased mileage since then, along with speed. I just got addicted from day one!

 

[Big_Dave]

I never plan anything, its a bad omen in my bookJust go with the flow and explore, you will have good days when you feel like you can ride forever and bad days when you just can't be bothered to go far at all. make a little circuit up and keep add to it, make short cuts and long cuts and vary the routes to your mood. Keep your route local and circular so there is always a short cut to your house until your fitness levels and confidence grow. Do a few miles to start with and see how you go.

 

[Batgirl]

Thanks all

 

[Coggy]

My first ride in March was a 6.2 mile loop in 42 mins. Felt like a massive achievement and coughed my lungs up for about an hour.

Have now done a couple of 50 milers, regularly do 20-25 milers after work or on Sat mornings and yesterday tried out that original 6.2 mile circuit.

March = 42 mins

Yesterday = 22 mins

 

[Batgirl]

Nice drop in time! Bet you were chuffed. Also increases in mileage are great going.

 

[slowmotion]

I hadn't done any serious exercise for decades when I bought a bike in June 2009. I started to commute to work every day, just five miles or so each way. The first trip felt as if it would kill me but it slowly became easier and quite pleasant. I began to enjoy the buzz of riding in traffic.
After ten weeks, I did a charity ride of twenty miles with my wife and fifteen year old daughter. They were both far better than me.
Two weeks later I caught the night ferry from Harwich and cycled the flat sixty five miles from Hoek van Holland to Amsterdam into a blasting headwind with ten kilos in my panniers. It was exhausting but exhiliarating.
Now, I just resent any day when I can't go out on the bike. Strangely, it gets under your skin.

Have fun.

 

[Batgirl]

I hadn't done any serious exercise for decades when I bought a bike in June 2009. I started to commute to work every day, just five miles or so each way. The first trip felt as if it would kill me but it slowly became easier and quite pleasant. I began to enjoy the buzz of riding in traffic.
After ten weeks, I did a charity ride of twenty miles with my wife and fifteen year old daughter. They were both far better than me.
Two weeks later I caught the night ferry from Harwich and cycled the flat sixty five miles from Hoek van Holland to Amsterdam into a blasting headwind with ten kilos in my panniers. It was exhausting but exhiliarating.
Now, I just resent any day when I can't go out on the bike. Strangely, it gets under your skin.

Have fun.

Wow impressive progression Holland must've been pretty cool.

Thanks for sharing, really humbling to read everyones comments.