Keep up the good work jrhoneOC. I hope you enjoy your rides and reach your goals. My wife and I started going on what we call "long" rides about six weeks ago. We are both 60, so we thought our 10-mile ride on week one was a BIG deal. Over the next few weeks, we extended out to 12, 14, and by week four 20 miles. I was able to do 26 miles yesterday with my nephew (the wife's out of town this weekend) and it feels great. You don't need to go for any speed records to get the cardio benefits of biking. Just like other activities, riding slow and long can bring you much pleasure. Happy biking!