My first twenty mile ride!

[Feek]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this so I'll see how it goes. I'm sure if it's wrong, someone will tell me.

I know this won't be much of an achievement for many people here but I'm quite proud of myself. I've not owned a bike for around thirty years but recently bought a bike through C2W (I wrote about this here).

This morning I completed my first twenty mile ride. I set out to do twenty miles, I did twenty one

Most of it was on cycleways shared with public footpaths (National Cycle Network #150) so I couldn't go particularly fast but that wasn't my goal. My aim is to improve stamina at the moment by riding longer distances and I'm sure speed will come later.





I didn't get off the bike with jelly legs at the end and I wasn't exhausted, I could have gone further. The only unattractive thing was the amount of sweaty dampness around my vest, polo shirt shirt and shorts. No, I'm not wearing proper cycling gear, I was just in a pair of shorts, standard cotton vest and a polo shirt on top.

Good fun was had and I'm sure my distances and speeds will improve.

[Si]

Well done - 20 miles is more of a challenge to someone who has never done it before than 100 miles is to a regular rider so you should be proud of what you achieved!

WRT the sweaty clothing - you can get clothes made of hi-tech fabrics that looks like normal loose casual ware. It's more comfortable to ride distances in but doesn't make you look like a space alien.

[Feek]

Thanks Si, that's interested about the clothes, what exactly should I be searching for please? I'm not even sure where to begin looking for "hi-tech fabrics that look like normal loose casual ware"

[Si]

For shorts things like the Endura 'Humvee' shorts are popular although a little pricey, companies like Tenn do cheaper similar things.

For tops you can look at either MTB tops, or running tops. the only real difference between loose fit bike and running tops is that the bike tops are a smidge longer at the back as you'll be leaning forward on the bike.

[PH]

20 miles is one of those magic numbers, further than most people think possible on a bike, for many years further than I thought it possible I'd ride.
Your speed looks OK, 12mph on cycle lanes is good going, you can cover a lot of ground at that speed.
Were you comfortable? I like flat bars but get wrist ache if I don't have alternative hand positions, bar ends are a cheap and simple addition.
If you have a Decathlon near you, they have plenty of decent priced sports gear that'll be better than cotton stuff, likewise Go Outdoors.
What next?

[Spinners]

Well done mate. Glad you enjoyed it that's the main thing.

[peske]

Yes, well done indeed. I can still remember my first 20, although it was many years ago. I found the next step up to 30 easier than I thought. I found a coffee shop 15 miles away. Worked a treat [emoji16]

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my Hudl 2 using hovercraft full of eels.

[martin biggs]

Thanks Si, that's interested about the clothes, what exactly should I be searching for please? I'm not even sure where to begin looking for "hi-tech fabrics that look like normal loose casual ware"

well done i restarted cycling about 10 years ago and due to personal circumstances i am restricted to being out between 2 - 3 hours at maximum and its only in the last couple of weeks that i have managed to do a 50 miles ride first time since the late 70's .

As for clothing the Aldi/Lidl range of clothing in my honest opinion is good enough for my kind of cycling and i cant see it being any different for you

[IanH]

Well done on your 20 miles! I'm slightly envious that you only had to climb some 300 ft. Leaving home in Wellington, I climb 300 ft in the first 3 miles, just to get to the Monument to the Great Duke!

[mjr]

Well done! As others have pretty much suggested, look at walking gear. If you ride leant forwards, buy it slightly longer than you would ordinarily.

[bovlomov]

Whenever I start on a 100mile+ journey, the first 20 miles are the hardest - psychologically and physically. I reckon once you can do 20, another 20 is well within reach (if you're so inclined. Otherwise, don't bother!).

You don't mention any posterior/saddle problems, which is the greatest challenge for many people.

[[XAP]Bob]

12mph is no mean feat for a first 20 miles.

It's *far* faster than I managed (when I restarted) - and I had mine split in two by a day's work...

[whoof]

Sounds like you did a really good job with your pacing. There's probably a fair few nice places for tea and cake within a 20 mile loop which is a real bonus.

[Feek]

Thanks everyone.

Regarding the altitude gain - I live by the sea, I planned my route all the way along the seafront and back on purpose because it's flat!

No problem with wrist ache, I do think it might be a good idea to add some method of giving myself alternative hand positions though. What sort of thing is available for a bike with flat bars? Surely not some kind of drops?

Also no issues with my bum or any discomfort in my unmentionables. It really wasn't difficult and I'm sure that if I'd planned further, I'd have completed it.

I like the look of the Hummvee shorts but they really are expensive. It would be nice if I could find a local shop to actually try them on first, the same goes with some kind of cycling jersey as well. They all seem to be snug fits though and at the moment, I don't have the shape (seriously, I lost a bucketload of weight and have the loose skin issues).

What's next? Probably a thirty mile ride and that might happen this weekend, weather permitting. I'm planning on nailing a Garmin 520 to the handlebars as well. Can't hurt to track this sort of thing and all the associated metrics properly.

[gaz]

What sort of thing is available for a bike with flat bars? Surely not some kind of drops?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=bar+e ... CoYQsAQIYw