Iride01 

Sometimes my legs just don't feel like they work at all till I get 20 or even 30 miles behind me. So unless you were having knee pain or such, you might just push through it if it is just tired feeling legs.

Some of my better times for certain climbs have been after 30 miles of riding.

CyclingBK

Thanks for the encouragement!

I only started last August after not riding a bike for about, 25 years, lol. My riding frequency when I started was 3 or 4 times a week and over a few months I got to 17 miles and just got to 20 once.

Then it got cold and I didn’t ride much at all this winter.

Its just been about a month that I really have been riding much, about 3 or 4 times a week. But I’ve been focused on intervals to get the best workout in the 45 minutes to an hour I usually ride.

Today, I figured I’d give 20 miles a shot, no intervals but pushing a bit, maybe should have paced myself. I know what you mean about not feeling warmed up and pushing through some soreness but for me, that’s way less than 20 miles.

Also, I do a “leg day” strength training routine twice a week. Squats and deadlifts. I know it could interfere with cycling but it’s important to me. I often can only rest one day after leg day. That could be a factor as well.

This year I’m hoping to get 20 miles nailed down as a “standard” ride and then build from there.

FatRap64

I'm 56 and just starting again after a 25-year hiatus. One of the first things I think of when I wake up in the morning is how much joy I'm going to experience when I get to jump on the bike!

CyclingBK

Nice, FatRap! They’ll be calling you SlimRap in no time ; )

The great thing about cycling is it’s not only great for fitness but it’s actually so enjoyable. Total game changer for me since I hated “gym cardio”.

TikaLayne

I'm 56 years old and LOVE riding..Just started about a year ago..

FatRap64

Yeah, I hear that. I do the gym stuff for awhile, but for various reasons I've never been able to stick with it long-term.

CyclingBK

Happy Memorial Day Weekend ladies and gents!


I had a nice breakthrough today. Weather was beautiful and off work so I set out to do 20 miles and I pulled it off nicely.

Very cool ride, warmed up then tried to ride at 60-80% for about 15 miles then took it easy to cool down for a couple of miles.

It felt great, not just physically but that nice content feeling that lasts all day.

Hopefully, it’s a good milestone and I can keep doing 20 and progress from there.

Treating myself with a nice meatball pizza dinner and some kale on the side to keep it healthy ; )

CyclingBK

Ok, think I’m in business. Back to back 20 mile rides for the first time and I think I can build from here.


Appreciate the encouragement and great advice from everyone on this thread and the forum ; )

Im not sure if Ill try for longer rides or try to ride harder/do intervals for 20 miles. But I guess that’s the great thing about cycling, the limitless possibilities 😊

Tpsfoto

I just turned 64 and in March when we were faced with this pandemic....I bought a cheap bike....couldn't do more than 3 miles....now at an average of 18 miles a day....sold that bike (for more than I paid for it?) bought a barely used, perfect sizing Specialized Carbon frame flat bar road bike....700cx28, two chain rings and 10 in the rear....great bike ...for a great price......did 25 miles today and could have done more....but the wife needed me back earlier today ....will be out early tomorrow

CyclingBK

Good stuff, that’s great progress. My gains got a bit stunted by the winter but now I finally got in a good groove and it feels great to be getting better.

I never knew how incredible cycling is for your cardiovascular system. The fitness level of some of the members here amazes and inspires me. And the best part is how much better it is as far as allowing you to do cardio for over an hour ( and I know some ride double that or more) with low impact and having fun and not being bored out of your mind on some step machine 😂

I’ve been amazed that my resting heart rate, which was 65bpm when I started has dropped. It got to 60 just cycling 30-45 minutes a few times a week and is now getting down in the low 50s as I have ramped up my time and effort. One of the best moves I have ever made was getting a bike ; )

And congrats in the new bike! Sounds like a serious ride. I’m pretty happy with my cty 1.1. It’s got all I need for now and is very comfortable and I can just hammer away.

CyclingBK

Had my first race! Lol, well if you can call it that.

I ride this loop and was doing these sorts of intervals at certain points. I was just pedaling easy getting ready to hit the next interval hard and this guy was kind of next to me going easy too. So, I “hit it” and started pedaling hard and getting speed and I hear him behind me like he was pedaling hard too.

So, I got too the hill part of the interval and just as I get to the top, there he is beside my going as hard was he can, lol.

He passed me just at the end of the interval and I could see he was spent. I was too but of course I had to pass him now!

It was hilarious because I’m not even very fast but what was cool is that I pushed myself much sooner after the interval than I ordinarily would have.

I can really see what people mean when they say it’s totally different riding with someone/others to push each other.

zacster

Tell ya what, meet me in the park tomorrow or Sunday? I'm in need of a longer ride too but every ride starts in Prospect Park. Give me a time and I'll let you know if I can make it. I haven't looked at the forecast so I don't know which day is better. We can do a couple of laps.

CyclingBK

Sent you a PM. But, be forewarned...I’m pretty slow ; )

zacster

That was my point, to make you not slow. You need to get up to a tempo type ride, a steady pace you can keep up for a while. I'm not exactly the fastest guy in the park these days either, but I can keep up.

shed

There's been a couple of times in my life, when I've not cycled for a few years, and then when I get on a bike, I'm like a kid, and just delighting in how much I love it.

zacster

Hey, good riding with you. We can do it again.

CyclingBK

Absolutely, very cool ride, I’m feelin it. Hope I didn’t slow you down too much ; )

MrPeabody

CyclingBK, Just found this thread. I'm about the same age and trying to get back into this after 30+ years away, so your posts are inspiring. Once I can find the right bike that is. How do you like your CTY in the time you've had it?

rydabent

As I told another member cycling is fun, and it will keep you young. If you set you rust.

CyclingBK

Sounds great, happy to provide a positive outlook.

The cty 1.1 has been fantastic. Was a great value for the price and perfect for my needs. Once I got the fit right, I could just pound away. I can ride it hard or easy and the comfort is excellent. I pretty much just ride on the road.

That said, be sure to do your research. I went to the store and saw the actual bike I’d be getting but I noticed that on the REI site, there were a couple of complaints that one of the brake discs was warped when the bike was delivered from online purchase.
But most reviewers are great and echo my experience.

CyclingBK

Saw the aftermath of a terrible bike accident today. I was riding the 3 mile loop in the park, it’s open only to bikes, walking/running.

I was coming down ”the hill”, it drops a bit over 100ft in a half-mile and close to the bottom, a guy was off his bike alerting people to slow down. I initially saw a bike on the ground with about 5 people crowded around, no EMTs yet. And as I got close and went by slowly, a woman on her back, looked unconscious, and a stream of blood about 3 feet long and a couple of inches wide coming from her head.

It was shocking. I did not stop, I don’t have and medical expertise and there were a number of people there. There was nothing they could do, I don’t think anyone wanted to move her at all.

She did not have a helmet on so I don’t think she had been wearing one. I doubt anyone would have taken it off of her.

I continued my ride, saw the ambulance and fire truck coming, and as I came back around about 10 minutes later, she had been taken to the hospital but the fire truck was still there. People were getting off their bikes and walking them around the scene and then getting back on.

The bike was still in the road, the front wheel had beeen severely bent and I spoke a bit with a guy who was a 30-year cyclist and former EMT and he thought the bent wheel was caused by momentum change as opposed to it being impacted.

Was a terrible thing to see and a reminder to be careful.

zacster

This is the reason I've slowed down my descents in the last few years. When people want to "race" me down I just ignore them now. Anybody can ride fast going downhill. There are too many cyclists and pedestrians that mingle at the bottom of the hill. I wonder if she hit the front brake and did an endover? It doesn't sound good though.

CyclingBK

Im with ya. There is way too much going on down there and kids, on bikes or not, and adults unfortunately, can be totally unpredictable. I was down the hill once and this Little kid literally ran across all the lanes without looking, parents nowhere To be seen. That freaked me out so, now, I take it easy on the hill.

Actually works out perfectly because it comes not long after an “interval” I go hard on so I need a nice rest and breeze anyway. Plus, it’s great scenery to glance at as the lake comes into view ; )

Hey, let’s fire up another ride in the next couple of weeks!

zacster

Sure thing on the ride. But the temps have to be below 85. I went out yesterday to ride the new bridges in New Jersey and I was done after the first climb up the Bayonne Bridge. I had planned on going to the Goethals as well but turned around at the top of the Bayonne. It was just too hot. The Bayonne Bridge is a much steeper bridge than the rest of them in the NY area at a consistent 5%. You can see it from a distance too. It's a real climb!

CyclingBK

Man, you take some serious rides. I agree, been sticking to the mornings before it gets too hot but with the humidity, still feels like you’re boiling.