VERY weak beginner.

jdraughn said:

I am feeling much better about this all after going on a longer ride which was mostly flat. I rode 14 miles total in a little over an hour. It didn't tire me out too bad, just this one little hill I had to go up on my way back, and it about killed me. It was probably the hottest spot too, the blacktop was just radiating heat. It looks like hills are my bane right now, but if I keep this up consistently then I should start shedding some pounds which will make everything even easier.

Thanks all for the advice, I am sticking with it.
James

Hey, James. I wouldn't exactly call that a "very weak" beginning. 15mph average isn't bad if you've got any hills at all. 14mph over an hour is a good pace - especially on a mountain bike. 10mph coming back on a hill you're working on? That's not bad either. Remember, the other beginners you see here might have been riding for at least a couple of months. The first few months will do wonders for your stamina. Just put in the time, and you will see the results.

Oh, btw, the discrepancy on your odometer comes to around 153 feet. You can spend that just crossing the street a couple of times, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Lots of good advice here. I would say the best advice you've been given is to just continue to ride. Time in the saddle is the key. I'm 51, soon to be 52, and decided to start cycling seriously back in May. As of today, I have about 93 hours in the saddle and 1,275 miles. If you had told me that back in May, I would have said it was impossible. Just remember to eat well and get proper rest. The miles and the improvements simply happen along the way.

James, I have been following your thread since the beginning and your improvement is trully impressive. Keep up the execellent work!

So, we haven't seen a post for a bit - how's it going? To this point sounds like you're doing great! Still breezing up those hills and looking for more?