Mrthfx

I'm considering to do a 50-55 km distance on a mixed surface. Mostly asphalt and gravel, maybe even a little bit of sand. Haven't done any training or exercise, basically been sitting at home all day, everyday for years. Don't know why but suddenly had an urge to go on a journey. Bicycle is quite old, 12 or so years, not in a great condition either but nothing is falling off so far. That wouldn't be my concern tho, my concern is will my legs be able to cycle for 50 km in one go without any previous leg training. Is it advisable for me to do this? Will my legs be stiff after the first 10 km? What do you guys think.

A fit person can do 50km without too much difficulty, though they'll probably be sore from the effort if they don't cycle much, just because cycling uses different muscles to, say, running. It wouldn't be easy, but it wouldn't be too hard.

It sounds like you're not very fit. If you were determined, you could probably make it around 50km but I doubt it would be enjoyable at all. I suggest that you start with shorter distances. Try riding 10km and see how that feels. Once you can ride 20-25km fairly comfortably, doing 50km will be a nice challenge: not easy but an achievable goal that you can look back on with pride. Note that gravel and especially sand are more work to ride on than the equivalent distance on the road.

Since your bike's not been used for a while, you should get a bike shop to check it over. Depending on how much it was used and how it's been stored, it might need things like a new chain, new cables and new brake blocks. Possibly new tyres if they're in bad shape.

If you're going far from home, make sure you know how to repair a puncture (bring a spare inner tube so you don't have to use patches unless you puncture twice) and that you have a way of getting back if everything goes wrong. Rather than cycling to somewhere 25km away and then coming back, consider arranging your ride as more of a circle so there's a shorter route home if things don't go well.

Make sure you bring water and snacks with you, since your first 50km will probably take at least three hours.

It's probably not a great idea. Start with a shorter route and see how you do. Pick a flat route without hills. Make sure you have a bail out and a way to get home (public transport, a friend, Uber etc.).

You probably should get a bike shop to have a look over your bike for any issues, you don't want to get stranded by something going wrong or have any safety issues.

How far and fast a new cyclist can go depends on a number of factors - how old they are, if they are overweight and by how much, genetic disposition, whether they were fit before becoming inactive.

To answer your questions -

• "Is it possible to do 50 km distance without any previous training? -
  Yes, it is possible, assuming by no previous training you mean
  cycling training. If a person has been active in running or other
  aerobic activity using their legs it is possible to ride 50 km
  without any previous bicycle training. In your situation it may be
  possible but it is less likely.


• "Is it advisable for me to do this" - No, it is not advisable.


• Will my legs be stiff after the first 10 km? - Yes, your legs will be stiff.

All that aside, cycling is great fun.

You've had an urge to go riding - you should act on that, but ease into it. It's better to have several short rides with a positive. experience than one big one that wipes you out.

Argenti offers some great advice and there are lots of articles on how to ease into cycling.

Here is an example of a beginner's cycling plan.

My friend did 60 km previous weekend but he says it was a tough day. He does not exactly train but he is quite frequent casual rider. I would only take the challenge if it is possible to end the ride at few places along the route (at train stations, etc). You may also need to do this because of your old bike failing rather than you.

While the riding itself will probably take 5 hours at most, you may need to rest multiple times so start early and be sure lights are working.

Hills matter. 30 km can be a lot of different levels of effort, cuz the hills. Traffic can also make it somewhat more stressful. If you just inflate your tires and go, you'll probably be fine, if the hills are moderate and the traffic light. You should be prepared for some flat tires, and there's a fair chance you'll break a chain or do something worse, so you'll need a plan to get yourself and your bike back home if plan (a) fails.

Your legs won't be sore until the next day, and they'll be worse the day after that -- that's really what you'll get for being undertrained.