Originally Posted by
livedarklions
Or she could just buy a set of dumb bells and do some simple exercises at home. I use the gym, but I don't have an aversion to it. Telling people they have to go somewhere they hate to do the exercise they need really isn't helpful.
BTW, that 2-3 hours figure seems really slow to me, even for a beginner. Most beginners I've seen can average better than 12 mph, which would beat that, and with some normal progress would go faster after a few weeks. And how did 20 miles get to be a magic figure?
I agree you need a secondary activity if you have a winter you won't ride in, but again implying it has to be the gym is not going to lead to anything sustainable for someone who hates the gym.
Read the o.p. again to see where I got the 'magic' 20 mi. figure. Since you use a gym you 'get it'. That disqualifies you from criticising my advice. At least I am not a hypocrite. This "I'm o.k., you're o.k" only helps those who are really o.k. Averaging 12mph is not as easy as it sounds. My numbers are realistic. Of course it doesn't have to be a gym but ... dumbells? Is that what works for you? I keep asking you to put me on ignore. I might have to insist.