nrowensby

When you guys started riding, how far/long were you able to go??

I seem to be exhausting myself after only about a mile, ~10 minutes of riding... Is this normal or am I riding wrong? (Avg 9mph)

I read other stories about people doing 3-5 miles or even more on their "first" ride... I feel like I may be doing something seriously wrong...?

10 Wheels

When I first started I went with a five mile plan.

Ride 5 miles rest, do another 5 miles, rest >>>>>>>

Did 80 laps around the block for 40 miles one day, 5 miles at a time.

10 Wheels

Normal YES

Do not worry about speed untill you get passed the first 500 miles.
Takes a long time for your body to adapt to the bike.

Neil_B

Probably not. How long have you been riding and what was your physical condition when you started?

BTW, my first ride was a mile.

nrowensby

I have just started riding as an adult... I'm quite a bit overweight (5'9" - 280lbs) and haven't really worked out besides walking short distances (less than 1 mile) in ~2 years.

That's reassuring... All the stories I read made it out like people start at 5 miles and work there way up from there... Me barely being able to do a mile really made me feel like I was doing something wrong.

nrowensby

I'm not worried about my speed, but I didn't want people to think I was trying to push 15+ mph for my single, sad mile... (JK, I really enjoy my ride... no matter how short it may be.)

Wolfwerx

As long as you don't fall over, you're doing it right.

Penny4

When I got my first bike (a Diamondback comfort bike), I think my first ride was probably around 1.5 miles. I had no idea how to use my gears properly, so I had to get off and walk up a few hills. I HATED biking. After a few more attempts that summer, I put the bike away and forgot about it.
A few years later, a friend convinced me to start riding with her. I started researching how to use the gears properly (youtube, sheldon brown, etc) and realized that most of my struggles on the bike were related to lack of knowledge. Things got so much better once I understood how to use the bike properly. I would say my first "real" ride was about 7 miles. It felt like 70, but I was so happy that I did it, that every ride after that, I strived to go just a bit farther.
Do you have lots of hills where you are riding? WHat kind of bike are you on? Does it fit you properly? Are you using your gears to your advantage?

nrowensby

Thanks... I do feel like the bike was much steadier on my third ride than it was on my first ride. My first ride, I thought something was wrong with the bike; it looked like it was wobbling all over the place, after a couple more ride, I see it getting more steady, I realize it was probably me shaking,

10 Wheels

Took me a along time to learn to relax my grip with my hands.
Also helps to look futher ahead, and not at just the front wheel.

Neil_B

You are an adult beginner too? Wow. So I was. My first ride was five years ago last week. I rode a mile, had a mailbox jump in front of me - PA needs a mailbox leash law - and went down as I swerved. The chain fell off. I walked home thinking I'd ruined my new bike......

Ten months after learning to balance, avoid mailboxes, and put the chain back on, I rode a century.

DnvrFox

The thing you are doing RIGHT is riding your first mile. Congratulations. Soon it will be 2 and then 5 and then 10 miles. Pat yourself on the back. We all started with a mile.

nrowensby

Where I'm riding is not flat, but I wouldn't call it hilly... As for the gears, I am getting a better feel for them, but I'm sure there are times I could probably be shifting better. Any recommended reads on this?

The_DK

https://sheldonbrown.com/gears.html

nrowensby

I rode a lot as a child -- Elementary school/early middle school years, but haven't touched a bicycle since then. I rode motorcycles up until this past summer, not really the same though.

I too, lost my chain on my very first ride -- That's when I did my first short read about gearing, was shifting and pedalled backward slightly and the chain slipped right off. Luckily, I figured out how to quickly put it back on and pedalled home.


Thanks... Will do!

Penny4

I was going to post the same Sheldon Brown link that DH did above. That is a great place to start, and there are lots of other helpful articles there. When I started, I didn't understand cadence (Sheldon's article explains it), and I usually rode in too high of a gear. As someone once explained to me, "If it is hard to pedal, make it easier. If it is easy to pedal, make it harder." You dont' want to spin your legs wildly, but you also don't want too much resistance.
In the beginning, I also did a lot of searching on you tube..."Shifting gears on comfort bike", etc.

The_DK

It's so hard to resist hard pedaling. Getting a speedometer will help break you of it once you realize you can go 3-4mph faster for so much less work

nrowensby

My wife bought me one for Christmas, but I don't pay much attention to it when riding, I checked out my average speed when I got home yesterday, but didn't pay it any attention during my short ride.

Crazydad

Congrats on getting out there. Just stick with it and soon you will think 5 miles is just the warm up portion of the ride! We all had a hard time on that first (and second, third, fourth, ...) ride.

As far as watching your average speed during the ride, I personally never worry about it. All I watch during the ride is my RPMs and find that if I keep those where they need to be then the speed takes care of itself.

nrowensby

By RPM's, I'm assuming you are talking about RPM's of the pedals (cadence) correct? I don't think my $20 computer does that.

Crazydad

Sorry, I am talking about cadence. As far as not have cadence on your computer, don't sweat it just watch the miles go by (instead of speed). Before I got a computer, I just concentrated on keeping the pedals moving fast enough that I wasn't pushing too hard to keep them moving while not spinning so fast I wasn't doing anything. This will come easier as you get more comfortable with using the gears to keep your spin in the sweet spot. But the key is to keep getting out there and putting in the miles

Seattle Forrest

I honestly don't remember ... I've been cycling almost all my life. But I can say that my idea of what constituted a long ride has changed/grown over time.

jlp1976

My first ride was just under 5 miles. My lungs burned, legs ached, and I thought I was going to die. Then it just gets easier and easier the more I do it, except by behind hurting. I think I need a new saddle.

CraigB

My first ride as an adult was on my brother's new road bike. I went about a mile down a flat road and wondered how in the hell I was going to get back.

XR2

My first ride on my current bike after 10 years or so of not riding was about a mile. I don't have a computer nor is it likely I'll get one again. I'm riding for enjoyment. Even when it beats me up. Don't think I've ridden more than 10 miles in one shot yet.