Shall we try 20 miles?

[Smudgley]

This is our 4th week of cycling. We've been doing 10 miles at a time. I did 11 once. We are ready to step up now & I think we should try 15, but my husband suggested trying 20 on Saturday. He said we could take it steady. Should we have a go at 20 or is that a little ambitious. We are very new to all this. I'm 36 & he's 48.

 

[Spinney]

This is our 4th week of cycling. We've been doing 10 miles at a time. I did 11 once. We are ready to step up now & I think we should try 15, but my husband suggested trying 20 on Saturday. He said we could take it steady. Should we have a go at 20 or is that a little ambitious. We are very new to all this. I'm 36 & he's 48.

Can you work out a route where you can decide at (say) 12 miles whether the whole 20 will be possible i.e. a circular route with a short-cut home across the middle?
I often find that if I have the option of cutting something short if I need to, I then don't need to! (My mind works in very strange ways sometimes!)

And if you go for the 20, give yourself a nice long lunch stop, pref at a cafe with nice cakes!

Age is irrelevant! It's how you feel that counts (so by some accounts I'm still a teenager )

 

[Smudgley]

Lunch whilst out. I don't think I could eat whilst on a ride. What should you eat? Just a small snack? I could maybe eat a banana, but I wouldn't fancy anything more, we always take plenty of drinks but never any food, but then we've only been going 10 miles as yet.

Great idea though about doing a 12 mile ride and having another 8 miles tagged onto it if we feel up to it. I think we will do that.

 

[rh100]

Go for it - just give yourself plenty of time and stop as often as you feel like. Make sure you are Ok for food and drink or take cash for the shops/cafe.

 

[purplepolly]

do the 20

but plot a route that will take you past as many cafes as possible and use the extra mileage as an excuse to stop half a dozen times to replenish your energy with cake.

 

[Spinney]

Lunch whilst out. I don't think I could eat whilst on a ride. What should you eat? Just a small snack? I could maybe eat a banana, but I wouldn't fancy anything more, we always take plenty of drinks but never any food, but then we've only been going 10 miles as yet.

Great idea though about doing a 12 mile ride and having another 8 miles tagged onto it if we feel up to it. I think we will do that.

When you get up to longer rides you will need to eat something on the ride or you will run out of energy. Most eat small snacks often.

However as it is your first 20 miler (hopefully), have tea and cake at lunchtime, and sit around long enough for it to go down.

When I started getting the mileage up, it was a sore bum that was the main problem. Padded cycling shorts (with no knickers underneath!) sorted most of that out. The main problem after sore bums will be keeping your energy levels up and not letting muscles get too knackered - so plenty of rests as you are building up the miles!

Let us know how it goes!

 

[Cubist]

How about planning a route which takes you somewhere interesting, or deciding to make a day of it if you have to? Make sure you don't see it as a race or a trial, just cycling for the pleasure of it. You'll be amazed how quickly you can rack up a few more miles if you don't treat it as a huge barrier getting past your current level. (Trust me, it won't be!) Enjoy.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Do the 20. Take it easier than normal and you'll find that it's more in the mind than in the legs. Have a nice cake-stop and a cuppa after 10miles and amble home. No problem.

Good on you for taking-up cycling. keep at it and you'll soon laugh at 20 miles!

We'll need a full report of course. What are you riding on?

 

[HLaB]

As other have said you'll manage a 20 miler no problem especially with a nice cafe stop half way

 

[Smudgley]

thanks everyone for your comments.

I'm riding on a .... I don't know if I should say. I've no idea if it's a good bike or a rubbish bike (well I'll guess it's pretty rubbish compared to what most people on here ride) but it's comfy & I love riding it & I got it at a good price. It's a saracen savage. Or as someone said the other day reading the stickers on it " is your bike called a sausage?"

 

[HLaB]

thanks everyone for your comments.

I'm riding on a .... I don't know if I should say. I've no idea if it's a good bike or a rubbish bike (well I'll guess it's pretty rubbish compared to what most people on here ride) but it's comfy & I love riding it & I got it at a good price. It's a saracen savage. Or as someone said the other day reading the stickers on it " is your bike called a sausage?"

If its comfortable for you and does the job its a good bike

 

[HJ]

Lunch whilst out. I don't think I could eat whilst on a ride. What should you eat? Just a small snack? I could maybe eat a banana, but I wouldn't fancy anything more, we always take plenty of drinks but never any food, but then we've only been going 10 miles as yet.

Great idea though about doing a 12 mile ride and having another 8 miles tagged onto it if we feel up to it. I think we will do that.

Why not, just cycle out to a nice wee pub, have a lazy lunch and a gentle ride home, no problem...

 

[HJ]

thanks everyone for your comments.

I'm riding on a .... I don't know if I should say. I've no idea if it's a good bike or a rubbish bike (well I'll guess it's pretty rubbish compared to what most people on here ride) but it's comfy & I love riding it & I got it at a good price. It's a saracen savage. Or as someone said the other day reading the stickers on it " is your bike called a sausage?"

So long as you enjoy riding it, that all that really matters, don't let the bike snobs tell you other wise. Just enjoy

 

[Arch]

If its comfortable for you and does the job its a good bike

hear, hear!

I'd agree, plan a route that gives you a short cut home if you need it, and then you probably won't. On the other hand, if the weather turns against you, or the wind is very much in your face, don't be discouraged if you do have to short cut.

Definitely have a lunch stop. Either a nice cafe, or take a packed lunch (but it might be chilly this time of year, and a cafe will have tea). Don't have anything too heavy, and give it time to settle. Soup is good.

Raisins are a good snack to carry too, if you like them. In fact I didn't used to like them much, until I started taking them along as a handy sugar boost.

I think it's great that you're doing this together - company makes rides so much easier. You'll soon pile on the miles.

 

[Arch]

One other thing, looking up the Savage (I like the idea of calling it sausage though!), does it have knobbly tyres? Do you ride mainly on tarmac or hard packed surfaces? If so, swapping knobbly tyres for smoother ones will make the bike roll very much more easily - knobbles act like glue.