Originally Posted by
cubewheels
You just need to have a proper warm up. Warm up is what really works. Take it easy when you start the ride. Start slow, avoid going fast at the first two miles, use easy gears (install lower / easier gears on your bike for that purpose). And definitely avoid grinding hard gears at the first two miles of the ride.
The benefit you get from stretching is the warm up it causes. So why not go straight to the guy and do proper warm up on your bike?
I'm really out of shape, because I start to get tired after 2 miles and can't really go much more than 3.5 before I'm stopping at the first place I can to rest. I'm also now using a 24-speed bike with 3 gears on the pedal and 8 on the rear wheel, since when I was bike shopping I couldn't find any 10 or 12 speeds. It was either 5-speeds, 21, or 24 and the 24 was a little cheaper.
The only time I start in a higher gear is if I have to stop suddenly and don't have time to shift, and even then I try to shift by lifting up the rear wheel and pushing down on the pedal. However, I rarely use the major gear shift on the pedal and leave it in the highest gear.