procrit

My body will acclimate endurance / muscle wise well before my joints, neck, etc are ready. If you’re anything like me, work up slow and be wary of any chronic dull or burning joint pain in your hips, knees, etc that carries over from day to day. I took a 9-10 year break and just now started riding again, and while my brain and body tell me I can go further and push harder, I know that if I irritate something it can potentially put me off the bike for weeks for recovery. That said, if you have no issues after a month or two of doing 1-2 hour rides, I don’t think a 3+ hour ride is going to hurt at all.

mango18

Wow.. Thank you all who responded. I truly appreciate it. I have not read them all yet. This forum is not yet part of my browsing routine.
An update. This bike was in serious mechanical trouble (gears sticking, every 3 pedal missing a beat etc) on my 17 mile ride this past Friday so I took it in. I was very lucky a bike store was open and got a great mechanic -Nick to work on it. Keep in mind this bike is like 2 weeks old and was professionally put together by another LBS and it was back in the shop albeit a different one. Between my son and I we estimate we put 400 miles on it or more in that time.
So went in for a tune up. and I took the advice of all here and got a new saddle after measurement. More on that later.
Got it back today I could not wait. Rode the bike as soon as I could get a break in the storm we are having and boy it was a amazing step up. The gears them selves were flawless they clicked in place with every move of my thumb. Gone were the sounds and glitches which used to accompany every spin of my wheel earlier. Now all I could hear was the sound of the wheels turning just like the pro level riders who passed me by every now and then. The bike wheels were balanced and it seemed like the bike wanted to keep moving even when minimal or no pressure applied. The bike felt good.
The saddle now fit better and the chafing was gone. Also with the new split seat there is no pressure in the middle down there and that feels distinctly better and a whole lot healthier from a long term point of view. The pressure points are also different with this saddle than the original. They seem to be right under my seat bones which feel correct even though the soreness has not gone away. The new saddle still feels hard even though it has a lot more cushion than the original. However I think I am going to stick with this saddle and break it in. It feels correct to me intuitively.
Nick adjusted the stem on this bike as well to provide a slightly more upright position to relieve some of the Neck pain so that was also a relief - I want to go on a much longer ride before I can gain confidence but it does seem to be a step in the right direction. The posture seemed more natural and I was not constantly adjusting my neck angle/shoulders to relive some of the pain. But it has not completely gone away which may only happen with a fitting.
So that fitting may lead to me to buy a higher level entry bike for which I am laying the groundwork with my wife - we are ahem negotiating! Something along the lines of a clean garage etc.
I will follow up with my thoughts on my 50 mile goal. Seems like there are a lot of good and sobering feedback from the members exp here. I have a lot of the same prep mindset from my hiking goals and I have put similar plans in place for a longer term goals there. I am currently following the plan of 10% increase every week on my longest ride. It just seemed that the 50 mile in 8 weeks was doable and juicy target but every weeks longest ride will tell me if I am on track or not. Combined with my current diet plan I can clearly see the dangers in energy management though. There is a lot less reaction time and faster to hit a wall here than in hiking so there is that. So that is a point well taken. It should be an interesting journey to chronicle here for sure. So please stay tuned and thank you all who responded. I have not yet read all the responses in detail yet and I will.

yamsyamsyams

Want to expand on what some have mentioned here...in my experience cycling 3000-5000 miles a year in the past 8 years, the solution for your butt pain may be a little more nuanced.

chafing? Saddle sores? Finding the correct fitted padded shorts (Hugs firmly but not tight, definitely not sagging), and chamois cream, will go a long way.

sit bone pain? Your saddle may be too squishy or otherwise not fit you correctly - try a toupe from Specialized that has different widths, or Selle SMP ones with cut outs. WTB is another good value-focused brand if you’re not looking to splash cash. Check out the forums for what others have suggested in the past. You can find many used ones for relatively cheap. Getting used to your saddle takes time so give each one at least 100 miles worth of testing before making a judgment on its fit (split 100 miles into multiple rides of course).

man-bits numbness? Definitely go with the cutout in the saddle. Helped me not pee in pain after long rides!

shoulder pain? Likely due to fitness adjustments, and/or not fitted correctly. There’s a forum on here or you can post in this thread too - once you figure out how to best pose the picture for the audience, forum members can give a good rough guess of whether it looks decent or not.

SethAZ 

I just wanted to say that if you've hit the wall before in hiking or running, that's what bonking is in cycling, only it probably happens more rapidly in cycling because the calorie burn rate is so much higher. As an example, I've recently gotten a power meter on my bike so I now know how many calories I'm burning on my rides, and at a decent cruising speed I'm probably burning between 600-700 calories per hour at moderate pace that I can repeat day after day, or over 700 calories/hour at a pace that requires a recovery day after a ride. When I walk briskly I'm probably burning 300-400 calories per hour tops. Since my body can break down bodyfat during exercise for energy, that can satisfy at least some of the calorie requirements, but my observation (not scientific fact, this is what I think I've observed, but could be mistaken) my body cannot break down fat fast enough to cover those 600-700 calories per hour. The difference is made up for by calories already in my system from whatever I ate before the ride, plus muscle glycogen, plus calories eaten or drunk during a ride. When the other calories in your system and the muscle glycogen are exhausted, that's when you "hit the wall" or bonk. That's when the calorie burn rate you've been maintaining exceeds what is available from all sources, which quite literally means you cannot maintain it anymore. Furthermore, your brain attempts to protect itself and its own substantial calorie requirements by signaling your muscles to just stop using calories. You hit that wall and come sliding down it.

What I mean to say is this: since you haven't got the experience yet to know how far you can go without supplementing your energy requirements with things eaten or drunk just before and during the ride, if you want to keep pushing the distance out, you might just set a distance as the max you'll go for now without energy supplementation, and if you want to go further, just plan on supplementing. I use Gatorade powder mixed in my water bottles for energy supplementation on rides that I know will be longer than 30ish miles at a fast pace, or especially if I've been eating a calorie-reduced diet for weight loss purposes, and if the ride will be further out or much faster (say, a hammering 55-mile group ride at my threshold heart rate for most of the ride). You haven't asked for specific advice, but I'll offer this up for your consideration. Keep up your 10% increase off mileage per week if you're otherwise feeling like you're coping well with it, but make a decision that for any rides past 25 miles you'll bring at least one calorie source and eat/drink it during the ride, just to be on the safe side. That's a fairly conservative approach, and it's possible that you won't be going fast enough or far enough to truly need it, but it's also one way to make sure that energy issues aren't the thing standing in the way of your progress, or to bonk unexpectedly and find yourself in serious trouble on the side of the road. Let it be something else like muscular and aerobic endurance, getting adequate rest and recovery time, your butt or neck or whatever still not being quite used to it, etc. As you get a lot more miles behind you you'll figure out what you actually need to sustain these longer-distance rides.

mango18

So did 32.5 miles today in 2 Hrs 49 minutes including a water/pic break at halfway point.It was a great day to ride here in Norcal and with very few people out (perhaps due to it being an Easter weekend as well?) Anyway Both the neck pain and butt pain were much less and manageable although they were more pronounced at the end of the ride. The thing is with work pressures I was only able to ride after a 3 day gap and that seems to have helped my body both in terms of energy stores(since I am on a strict 1500 cal diet) and niggling neck and butt pains. I did a ride 3 days ago and did 23 miles then. But my energy levels were flat on that ride. Not so today. I was actually surprised when I reached my midway point and had not slowed down once. So overall I fell I am staying on track for my eventual goal of 50 next month. But it is not going to be easy to prepare for 35 and then 40 and then 45 and finally 50. But hey here I am after 33 miles under my belt feeling none the worse for the wear. However thanks to the feedback here I am paying more attention to my carb intake esp on the day of my longer weekend rides. If I dont -I know I am going to "bonk" ( to borrow a technical term by Sethaz) having come close to it on my 23 mile ride for sure. Thanks for listening and if the admins dont mind I am going to continue to post on this thread (till I hit my goal) to keep me on motivated and get any feedback with great appreciation. Since I bike alone for now this is a good brotherhood right here even though I am beginner

Maelochs

One note (or maybe more, knowing me ... )

neck and back pain takes the longest (in my experience) to get past. If I am feeling good, I pedal enough to lower the stress on the rest of me .... but at the end of the ride, as I tire, the legs get soft, the weight leans forward, and hands, elbows, shoulders, and neck take the brunt. Since they are being worked unusually (compared to sitting or standing) all through the ride, the added stress when they are already tired increases the discomfort. There have been rides where I absolutely needed a five-minute break because my lower back could not take the pain .... even though I could keep spinning the pedals without much problem.

Like any muscles, those muscles will develop. But as with any muscle, overstressing them when they are already sore does a little damage, and unfortunately, at the end of a long (for me) ride, they have to work harder because the rest of me is tired. I try to measure my rides by what my back can take instead of what my legs can do ....

You seem to know what you are doing here, though,.. You have experience, and you have a program. if you proceed sensibly and listen to your body-0--which you already know how to do---I see no reason why you could not reach your goal.

mango18

THIS . Can confirm thats where I am at. End of the ride the numbness started on the right hand although I could have gone for a few miles more in terms of legs. Makes me wonder if adding weight training to the mix would help. Not at this time though since my gym is closed. I will continue onward with caution and adding rides as many days as possible time permitting.

Paul Barnard

I hope you'll keep us posted. I want to see you hit your goal.

Classtime 

Pretty cool that you can have so much fun with your kids bicycle😊
Your neck is getting stronger and can hold your head up for longer and longer rides. It is likely to fatigue and be uncomfortable on your long rides -- until it doesn't. I recommend that you do something simple like sit ups, planks, and stuff on days you don't ride. Just 10-20 minutes to strengthen the core.

When you want your own bike, get a previously owned one. Great deals out there.

MinnMan

Welcome.

Like you, I wasn't a cyclist at all (except for that goofy kid stuff) until middle age. I discovered it at age 48, and now, a little more than 10 years later, it is more or less everything to me.

People have given you lots of practical advice, but I would add something different. though it's nice to have a goal - your 50 miler- in the long run it's more important to make sure you keep finding the joy. Ride often, but don't worry too much about how far and how fast. Don't ride the same route all the time, or at the same pace, or with the same goal. Vary all these things and you'll stay hooked. The aches and pains will work themselves out as you improve your gear, tinker with your fit, and get more used to riding.

You may think your goal is 50 miles next month, but your real goal is to keep it fun and to keep doing it. If you do that, then one day you'll look back and be amazed that you once thought 50 miles was such a significant accomplishment.

The risk is that if you overwork yourself or injure yourself on your way to that short-term goal, then you'll win that little battle and risk the long term benefit to your physical and mental health and to your happiness.

MinnMan

This is really important. Before cycling, I had no idea what I might do with myself upon retirement. It struck me as a useless and lonely time. Now, I can hardly wait for it.

mango18

If and when I get to 50 I will post a pic of the bike. It will be well deserving of the machine now being flogged twice a day sometimes.

mango18

Looking forward to that time with all the niggles gone and on a bonafide military jet rather than the humble rickshaw I find myself on. Participating in "Fondos" (well at at least one for the food mostly?) without any niggles and down by at least 25 pounds from where I am today. Ha one can dream right?

mango18

I am very lucky to live right next to a world class bike trail bordering a river with woodland areas on both sides and going on for at least 30 miles ie the length of our city. Add to that all the local bike trails that originate from there into local municipalities and this is a real urban gem. So at least for now I am happily staying away from roads and traffic and dodging mostly walkers and the occasional cayote or turkey. Enough for building a base level of endurance easily for now.

MinnMan

That sounds great. Though the Twin Cities are also blessed with excellent trails, at the moment most of them are too full of people for cyclists to navigate with appropriate social distancing. So locally and temporarily, the roads are safer.

Eric F 

I get numbness in my left hand on occasion. I just ride one-handed for a little while while I relieve some pressure on my left hand. I usually shake it out a bit and clench a fist a few times. This has been the same for me no matter my level of fitness.

jimmyodonnell

I cannot offer much advice in the more technical topics of muscle development and pain points relevant to stretching your distance, I can only trust / agree with those who advise caution and moderation so you don't incur injury that defeats the purpose of riding for fun and fitness. I'll just offer my own perspective as my current experience is not much different than that of the OP . . .

I've returned to road cycling after a 20-year absence, I'm also now in my early 50s. I ride a lightweight singlespeed I've outfitted with road / clip pedals and lightweight wheelset, and because my routes here are BOARD-FLAT I am able to ride at a cadence that feels very familiar to the middle range of gears on a regular road bike. I've accomplished a 40-mile ride and I too have my sights set on 50 miles soon, whenever I have the time and the right mentality to try for 50 (!)

I just plan to ride the 30/35 miles at my typical cadence and then slow my pace as my body tells me to do so, and I'm planning a 15/20 minute break rather than try to push through. my goal is 50 miles and I'm not racing anyone or trying to accomplish a time goal, I just want to regulate my effort to give the best chance of making 50 miles. and I'll bring along a second water bottle and a couple clif bars for replenishment.

now, my experience riding single speed has taught me that slowing down sometimes causes me more effort overall, maintaining the slower pace, than powering on at a quicker pace (!) . . . when I slow down like when I ride into a headwind, I have to push harder just to keep from slowing down so much that I"m "pedaling squares". But I'm confident I'll make 50 miles soon, maybe within weeks, and you will too, if you avoid injury as you train toward it.

2 notes I'll offer that I think are relevant to the OP's goal of reaching 50 miles --

the bike fit and riding posture are critical to maximizing your stamina without incurring unnecessary fatigue through a bad riding position. so ideally you get a good fitting session that confirms your proper heights for stem an saddle, and even having the proper cleat tension can be helpful in saving off fatigue on your way to 50.

also, regarding saddle soreness, I have recently bought some Assos bib shorts and the chamois they use is noticably better than what I've been riding with in my Pearl Izumis and my Sugios. I did 35 miles today in my new Assos bibs and noticed near the end of my ride that my saddle comfort was 100 pct start-to-finish, not a concern at all.

so I recommend Assos on the comfort of the chamois alone. they are pricey but I've read that some pros have taken their bibs to Assos to have the Assos chamois installed in the bibs of other brands the pros ride based on team sponsor deals . . . the team doesn't pay for this but the riders pay for it personally, and apparently everyone looks the other way despite the contractual issues! I ride the Evo line which are race-fit but apparently the Mille GT line are more suited for endurance / all-day riding. the Mille are simply to big for me because the inseam comes to my knees, while the shorter inseam of the Evo line suits me better based on height (or lack of height, in my case). Their highest-priced bib shorts are called Camionissimo (or similar), and I've not tried those on, but I've read some testimonials / reviews calling them the best shorts out there for comfort.

mango18

Thanks jimmyodonnell . Yes other members on this thread have mentioned these as well. So I will add it to my every growing list of items to pick up.

mango18

So an update on my journey.
I have upped my training to 4 days a week with rides of anywhere between 15 to 22 miles per day time permitting followed by increasing mileage rides on the weekend.
So last weekend my Easter ride was 32.5 miles up from 25 miles the weekend prior. And today I managed to ride 42 miles. Yes the end of these rides are hard and pain in different areas of the body but so far thankfully not showstopping yet. My list of complaints are the same - neck pain and butt pain that have become better than in the past and seem manageable but not completely pleasure filled.
Today I was finally able to ascend a short but 18% grade from the bottom of the reservoir to the bridge. Other riders were very appreciative about it. So happy about that.
Thats it I will continue to work on my 50 mile goal.

Bah Humbug

So much of this. Over in my world (triathlon), I made the mistake early on of going from sprint tris (~75 minutes) to Olympic-distance (~2.5 hours) and thinking that because that was mostly "the-same-but-longer" that I could go and do a half-Ironman and just keep going. Forty miles into the bike it all fell apart and the rest of it was a death march. A "strict 1500-calorie diet" is only going to make that more likely. Proceed carefully towards your goal, and heed warning signs and lessons on the way.

This, btw, is why I regard Ironman as a different sport from the shorter-course triathlon; the importance of nutrition and pacing switching from "if you don't get them right you'll be a bit slower" to "if you don't get them right your day will be wrecked" is a bigger shift, and bigger challenge, than the additional fitness. The same, in many ways, applies to cycling. Have fun but be careful.

Maelochs

Awesome for you!

I can barely walk an 18% grade. You are doing great.

mango18

Completed my 53.8 mile ride today and did it on Trek Emonda s5 2017. Yes I upgraded mostly because my son's bike (Trinx Tempo) needed to be serviced and all LBS's were out 2 weeks to a month on tuneups. So I puled the trigger early on the Trek (Craigs List -$1200). I am glad I did it because its a great step up and I got it very lightly used (LBS opinion not mine). And the bike did not require a tune up. Anyway I digress.I was very happy to pull off my goal 2 days shy of my target date. It was not easy. The last few miles were hard and slow but pushed myself to complete it. The ride was eventful. I fell twice!! Because you see I also had to switch to cleats and biking shoes which I just tried out the day prior and all was ok but not today. Luckily the bike was fine since I fell over from a standing position. I was glad I carried my toolbaag and was able to make minor repairs to realign the seat and a stuck rear brake. Yesterday I completed a 23 mile ride with cleats (uneventfull) and today was supposed to be slow day before my big ride. However I learnt it is supposed to storm here in Sac the next two days so I decided to push my schedule up to today. It was difficult the first 5 miles but I settled in and took a few extra breaks along the way to drink my sports drink and kept going. The wind was fierce and it made things harder when I was still completing leg one and maybe it helped on the return leg but to tell you the truth it was seemed against me the whole way. Recovering now with a sore rear and some assorted muscle pains but I am very glad I got thru that without major issues although my times could have been better.
Thanks to all who responded here and this community in general. Could not have done it without the collective wisdom. Now if you will forgive me I need a nap :-). Oh the whole 53 mile thing was because I turn 53 on Monday. Greatfull I am still here and able to be healthy.

Bah Humbug

No pics, didn't happen.

mango18

Lol of course,

Started in the middle went east 10 miles turned around and went past my starting point 30 miles, turned around at my westmost point and went back to starting point.

Zoom in to see the rafts on the river. Had my first fall here unable to clip out my left foot in time.

West most turn around point right under the 80 Freeway.

Tower bridge downtown Sac. My second fall here.

Me with my Trek Emonda. Just before starting from home.

The first bike - Trinks Tiempo served me well

My east most turn around point Lake Natoma Dam

Downtime Sac Railroad station

mango18

Apologies for the large pics. Will do better next time