Beginning Bikers? Or Advanced with tips

I'm with ya! I felt/feel the same way. But over time it has gotten easier and easier. You're training your body to do something it probably hasn't done since you were a kid. You'll start covering more miles and bigger inclines over time. Your husband had to start where you are too and now he's racing...it just takes time sweetheart!

Just keep at it! And be proud you are even trying it.

I've been riding a road bike for a year and a half now, and I vividly remember feeling like you do now. My husband has been amazingly encouraging, and now I've come into my own. I think the mtn bike being a lot heavier will make it harder for you at first, but it will also help you get that much stronger because of it. I used to find hills especially intimidating becasue where I live is completely flat, but learning technique and how to quiet my mind has made all the difference. And just simply lots and lots of time in the saddle. I know most consider it a torture device, but I highly recommend using a trainer to help you get the most imrovement in the least amount of time. I'll send you FR:)

Make sure you have a good bike. Wal Mart doesn't cut it. You can get a decent hybrid, like a Zebrano, which can handle both on and off roads for about $500. Try riding a Wal Mart bike for 5 minutes and then a real bike for 5 minutes. You will immediately see the reason for the price difference. Even a $500 bike will be a bit heavy. If you have the money, you can drop $1000 or more on a decent road bike. You won't be able to go off roads, but you will be amazed at how much easier/faster a quality road bike is than even a $600 hybrid. Since your hubby is into biking though, you probably already know this.

But overall, for a new person, I'd say don't try to jump to long rides too quickly. Add on a mile or so each week. Don't jump from 8 miles to 20 miles and expect your body to accept it. Also, the thing I like best about biking is that you can go on some of those trails that you are talking about, and enjoy the scenery. You don't have to keep a 17 mph pace. I have a rails to trails paved trail close to me that winds along a river through a beautiful forest, and has gently sloping hills. I ride it myself, or with friends, or with my kids. Gives me a chance to take in the beauty and get a workout in at the same time.

If you haven't already get a proper bicycle fitting done. Maybe you husband knows the specs but a local bike shop will have a tech that can help get everything adjusted to fit your body which will help.

Keep you tires inflated properly to reduce rolling resistance especially if you are on road. Some other tires instead of the off road knobbies may be in order if you ride on road most.

Get some bike shorts to reduce bum fatigue and take ibuprofen or the like for the first few weeks until your rump gets used to it.

Moderate your breath and your pedal cadence. Specialist say that the most efficient cadence is about 80 pedal revolutions per minute. Higher than that and you are not applying effective power and below that you are over powering your legs. There are sweet bike computers that monitor and alarm this for you if you are inclined.

I have tips and tips as I have been riding non stop since I was a child. I currently commute to work on a single speed fixed gear but own several other bikes for mountain, road, and even an adult tricycle for booze cruises.

My husband is an avid cycler as well, though doesn't compete. He bought me my first road bike two years ago because he wanted cycling to be something we could do together. I too struggled with the hills especially when I first started but could manage the miles pretty well. We live in Wyoming, where pretty much everything is hilly, but after a little experience and some confidence building in the first year, I grew to love it as much as him. I was always worried that I was slowing him down and that he wasn't enjoying the ride, but it turned out that he just wanted this to be something we could do together.

We're now both avid cyclists and put on many miles each year. We even did 75 miles on our vacation together last year in Montana and hope to do some big rides this summer as well. I'm gonna "earn" my third road bike by the end of the summer!! You'll definitely build more confidence the more miles you complete!! It's fun and also great exercise and a chance to spend time with the hubby. Strength traing has helped me a lot too as well as training on my cycle trainer in the off season/winter.

You can do this!!

Slowly add more distance, when I started cycling I could only ride a mile or so. Now just 8 months later I am training for my first century. If you are a member of a gym with a spin class try it out, thats a really good way to learn about cadence and get used to climbing, other than that just get out and put some miles in.

Hope you enjoy!

Also, this group is a little slow but good.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/361-bicycling-road-and-mountain

My biggest problem is worrying about going back up the hill I just came down if I have to go back the way I came.

Don't worry -- soon you'll be so good at climbing that you'll start worrying about going back down the hill you just climbed up. :noway:

Hi! I'm also a newbie to bike riding. I had a goal of when I reach 250lbs to get a bike.
First of all to all the bike purist, I would love a very nice bike, but right now as a student and not working, a $500 bike is so out of reach ( that's almost half of my monthly income) so WalMart or Target are the options. I managed to save $100 for a bike and so far it's great and rides good. Maybe in another two or three years when my income increase, I can look at the option of another bike.
I got a women's bike and did get another seat (thanks for a gift card from a relative).
The first time getting on, couldn't even stay on the bike! It been over 25 years since riding a bike! I had to learn how just to ride in the driveway!
About a month ago start riding around the neighborhood three days a week 20 minutes. That's when noticing there are quite a few hills and rises! Like you, I had to get off and walk my bike half the way because no way I could ride it.
But each day I took it in strive. I also tell myself once I get to the top of that rise, it's over and done with.
I'm riding 40 minutes everyone other day and amaze myself how far that I can ride in that 40 minutes. My goal is to ride five days a week for at least one hour.
Set short goals! I started with 10 minutes at a time. The hills and rises are easier and I get a little rush and "pat" on the back. There's two parks a distance away that have great bike trails that in another month I want to venture out and enjoy. But the neighborhood is a great workout right now!

I only ask because I've seen several mention it, but never saw you confirm it, and because I've seen plenty not know how so they never did it.

You are shifting, right, to make it equal effort when the road goes up, right?

85 - 95 cadence, rpm, is good, higher if your cardio is decent and you just don't have bike legs yet. If good muscle strength just keep applying good spin methods.

Practice pulling back on bottom of stroke like scraping mud off your shoe, it'll help in spinning better circles and unweighting the leg that is coming up so the force of the one pushing down is all for forward movement.