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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.

My 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 though, 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?

Edit I'm 24. Last year I tried a 30 km distance, my legs were gone after 20 and I had to step off my bicycle and walk a bit, as it seemed easier than cycling. That was my only real exercise I've done in a couple of years.

I really have all day and can take as many rests as I want. I'd say I have a solid 8 hours. Is it doable if I go on a gear that doesn't require a lot of push?

Criggie
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endofroad
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    Why not start with a smaller distance, or at least do a route that has some bail-out points in case you don't feel up to the full 50km? – Nuclear Hoagie Apr 05 '19 at 13:03
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    Yes it is possible, just don't over exert yourself if you are not use to the exercise. Make sure you have food, water, a phone in case you or the bike breakdown. Have a rest every 10km if need be. I would recommend doing a tester first though and build it up. If you go "all in" and find it hard it might put you off trying again. Do something easy and build it up, see how you find each trip and adjust hte distance and difficulty settings accordingly – Andy Stannard Apr 05 '19 at 13:07
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    You probably can, but you probably shouldn't without building up to it :) – Andy P Apr 05 '19 at 13:27
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    Call me overcautious but I would not do 50km on a bike that has been sitting around for a dozen years without having it properly checked and even have some vital parts replaced (tyres, tubes, cables and brake-pads a.o.) – Carel Apr 05 '19 at 14:19
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    @Carel I refuse! Your level of cautiousness is entirely appropriate. – David Richerby Apr 05 '19 at 14:25
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    You'd do much better trying something like 5 km first - and try to do it without stopping. Don't push hard at all - riding a bicycle non-stop is not as easy as it might seem if your body isn't used to doing it. – Andrew Henle Apr 05 '19 at 15:25
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    This has started to pick up close votes as "primarily opinion-based". Literally speaking, this is true, but everyone seems to be of the opinion that the answer is really "no", and we're not seeing the kind of discussions and arguments that closing opinion-based questions is supposed to avoid. – David Richerby Apr 05 '19 at 15:53
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    Bicycle fit is important to consider (i.e. saddle, handlebars, etc... position). Bad bike fit can hurt even a physically fit rider. A local bike shop should be able to help, maybe when getting a pre-ride tune-up. – Evan Apr 05 '19 at 16:45
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    Too short for a full answer: in addition to everyone else's points, if you haven't ridden a bike at all in years, you're going to get really saddle-sore pretty quickly. – Reinstate Monica -- notmaynard Apr 05 '19 at 17:37
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    Also too short for answer: If the bicycle has gears that are small enough, you can do the 50km over a whole day at less-than-walking effort, with a couple hours of rest in the middle. Fit would be the main problem. – Nobody Apr 05 '19 at 17:52
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    When I was 20something, I did 100km after 8 months off the bike (due injury then laziness) with no training. In the years before that I had done a couple of centuries (160km) so had been bike fit. It hurt at the time, it hurt more the next day, and still hurt a week later. No regrets about doing it then, but would not advise it, and would not do it now I am 25 years older and much wiser. – mattnz Apr 05 '19 at 19:37
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    Depending on your physical condition, your crotch might be the source of most of your pain (a bike seat can be painful for untrained crotches). – Remi.b Apr 06 '19 at 18:40
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    @endofroad No. I agree with the top voted answer. You can probably do it, but it's probably not a good idea. You can get bloody sores from bad fit if you go at it a whole day, for example. That wouldn't kill you, that still counts as "you made it". – Nobody Apr 06 '19 at 19:08
  • I have both ridden on long disused bicycles and ridden long distances after a long time out of the saddle. I hadn't realized either would ever act as a credential, but I guess that's where we are. – Ion Freeman Apr 07 '19 at 13:45
  • Consider that doing 5 or 10 km at a faster pace may make you feel at least as good as doing a 50 km slog. – Mr_Thyroid Apr 07 '19 at 20:52
  • A few test rides, not even conditioning, can help a lot. Learn how to shift the gears so you can climb hills more comfortably. Many people who don't ride have no idea. Most courses of 50 km will have at least some gentle hills. Shifting should be unconscious-as your pedal speed slows down you shift to a lower gear. As it speeds up you shift higher. Of course, training is even better, but just a few days will help a lot. – Ross Millikan Apr 08 '19 at 02:46
  • How about you include cycling in your daily schedule (to work maybe) and see how you feel about doing 50 km in June. – Erik Apr 08 '19 at 07:25
  • Sand will make you feel absolutely miserable . Even just 500 meters. Avoid that. – EarlGrey May 16 '20 at 20:11
  • Watch a David Goggins podcast before you set out ;) – mattb Jul 13 '21 at 12:10

13 Answers13

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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.

David Richerby
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  • Lets say my legs get wasted after 20 km, how long would i need to rest them before i can get back on my bicycle again and continue? – endofroad Apr 05 '19 at 14:49
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    @endofroad No idea -- it depends on how your body reacts to physical exertion. But if you're exhausted after 20km, you really won't want to do another 20km and then another 10km after that. And, unless you rest long enough that you're as fresh as you were when you set off (i.e., at least a day), you're not going to manage another 20km without getting exhausted and having to stop again. – David Richerby Apr 05 '19 at 14:54
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    @endofroad If you need to ask how long it will take for you to recuperate after a 20km ride, you aren't ready for a 50km ride. – chepner Apr 05 '19 at 16:04
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    Three hours plus at least an hour for breaks, more likely two hours. I'd plan time for at least 2 to 4 breaks on such a trip if I were new to biking. When I was a kid and my family went on biking journeys, we'd get an average about 10km/h including the breaks. We took our time, and we had fun with it because we didn't have much of a pressure to be quick. And that's the most important part: Always bike in a way so that it's fun for you. If you overdo it, you'll loose the fun, and consequently the interest to continue. Otherwise, this answer is spot on :-) – cmaster - reinstate monica Apr 05 '19 at 20:58
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    Oh, and you might want to add this to your answer: Check that the saddle is high enough, or more generally, check whether the bike fits the rider. But saddle height is by far the most important imho. A saddle hight that allows the feet to reach the ground when seated feels like riding up a slope constantly, it really hurts the speed you can sustain. The correct height is when the forefoot is just able to reach the pedal comfortably throughout the entire stroke. – cmaster - reinstate monica Apr 05 '19 at 21:12
  • @endofroad, if you get exhausted after 20 km, you won't be able to complete the loop. Stop, rest, and then turn around and slowly make your way back to the starting point. – Mark Apr 05 '19 at 22:09
  • There are people who do the MS-150 without any training. They don't sit for a few days after the ride, but they manage. – EvilSnack Apr 06 '19 at 03:01
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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.

Argenti Apparatus
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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.

David D
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8

I think this question is a little more complicated than it appears at first pass. I will demonstrate by answering two forms of the question.

Q1: "Is it possible that, despite not having regular training, I would be able complete a 50km without it being a traumatic event?"

To this question, I say absolutely! Riding on fairly flat pavement at low speeds is not too difficult, so as long as you pace yourself properly, this is totally manageable. Never try to push yourself too hard and stop for snacks every hour and it may even be fairly enjoyable.

Q2: "Is it possible that riding 50km, not having regular training, would be extremely miserable?"

Also yes! If you don't ride often, there are a lot of potentially very unpleasant things that could happen on such a ride. This includes:

(1) Extreme fatigue. If you don't ride regularly, it can be very easy miss-pace yourself. It might not feel like your pushing that hard at 0-10km, but suddenly you can find yourself having trouble keeping the same pace around 15km. That's a real problem when you have 35km more to go!

(2) Very difficult terrain. Riding on flat pavement at a relaxing rate is not so bad. Going up hill at any rate can be pretty taxing, especially if you don't ride much. In my opinion, going over sand is considerable harder than riding up hill. If even 1km of that ride is over sand, for many reasons, I can pretty much guarantee it will not be a pleasant experience. I highly recommend not riding over sand in your first ride. Actually, I highly recommend never riding over sand ever; see next issue. Gravel is somewhere inbetween concrete and sand in terms of physical effort required, also raises probability of sliding out and getting hurt.

(3) Mechanical breakdowns. There's a chance something might happen to your bike. You might get a flat tire, the chain might break, or you might ride it through sand, destroying just about every moving part of the bike. If your bike is well maintained, the probability of this happening on any single 50 km ride is low (assuming you avoid sand), but the probability of this happening on one of 20 such rides is pretty high. For a bike sitting in a garage for years, the probability of this happening on the first 50 km ride is actually quite high.

(4) General discomfort. If you haven't been riding for awhile, getting used to a saddle can be...uncomfortable. Not a big deal is you're going 5km, but really starts adding up around 20km, meaning potentially completely unbearable around 30km, and you've still got 20km to go.

In summary, a 50km ride without practice may go really well and be fun. But there's a lot of potentials for it not to, especially if you're not just a bike nut who hasn't ridden in awhile. As such, I personally would recommend giving it a try, but with a solid backup plan. For example, maybe there's a bus route you can ride along (make sure they allow bikes!), so in case any of those issues come up, you can easily bail out.

Also, do not ride over sand and I would advise avoiding gravel. Finally, get your bike checked at the local bike shop.

Cliff AB
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  • You forgot mention the incredibly sore muscles! – Daniel R Hicks Apr 08 '19 at 01:31
  • There is no sand on my selected route but about 50% of it is on gravel, i would like to call it a washboard gravel because it has these wavelike ridges and it's quite shaky. Been on this route once before but only did 30 km. The seat issue is real, crotch was hurting after 20 km and the last 10 were a real grind. Even tho the seat was big and foamy, the kind of seat old women have on their bikes, it still hurt. Perhaps big and soft isn't the right way to go here? I also have a typical BMX seat that i can use, should i opt for that one instead? Seems like it would feel worse to be honest. – endofroad Apr 09 '19 at 12:23
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    @endofroad That kind of gravel sounds really energy-sapping. Definitely don't try to ride any distance at all on a BMX -- they're designed for short rides where you barely use the saddle. Big foamy saddles are usually much less comfortable than they look, as you discovered. – David Richerby Apr 09 '19 at 16:17
3

I can share my own experience.

When I was young, maybe around twenty, I went on a 50-60 km bicycle trip without previous training. Of course I had occasionally used a bicycle before.

After about 20 km my legs started to cramp and I was forced to make some short stops (5-10 min) to recover.

So I was able to finish my trip, but it was hard.

Another time (maybe 10 years later) I did a 90 km trip. Before this I had used my bicycle almost every day (5-10 km).

So I did this 90 km trip (which took me almost all day) and I didn't have any problems except sunburn on my legs and arms.

Conclusion: it's possible to make a long trip without training if you can stop and rest at any time, but it would be much easier if you had some training first.

PJTraill
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Alexan
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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.

nightrider
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My 88 year old mother cycles 10 km in one hour, goes shopping, and cycles back in another hour. Any healthy adult should be able to cycle 50 km in eight hours, assuming the route is not hilly.

Just go in stretches of 10 km, then take a break. E.g.:

  • 10 km
  • 30 min break
  • 10 km
  • 30 min break
  • 10 km
  • 90 min break
  • 10 km
  • 30 min break
  • 10 km

That's 50 km in 5 hours plus 3 hours of breaks. You'll likely be drop-dead tired at the end of the day and sore on the next, but you should be able to do it if you really want.

As for the bike, blow the tires and see if they hold the air for 24 hours, check the brakes, and you should be fine. Bikes don't suddenly break apart from not being used.

Don't forget to take enough to drink (3 liters minimum if it's warm, more if it's hot) and food with calories. Fruit is great, especially bananas. You should expect to be really hungry after half a day for something like a big plate of noodles. Don't eat "heavy" food that will make you tired (e.g. pizza with lots of cheese), or you won't be able to go on after lunch.

Tale a mobile phone to get help if you plan to leave busy roads.

Have fun.

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I had abandoned my first transportation love for 31 years. In 2009, I began riding everywhere I could, but these were only short runs of two miles or less. After meeting members of and joining the local Major Taylor CC chapter, I had a dream of completing an annual century ride with them. I would occasionally get up for the 6:30 a.m. meetup at a local park and ride the circuit with them for about an hour. Ultimately, I did a 40-mile charity ride in 4 hours. I knew that I needed to get my speed up to at least around 15 mph. I was working at it, until an early ice storm. This was October, 2015. I did not ride again, until this year, when I took my steed out for a test ride.

I have a 1970s or 1980s vintage Nishiki Sport road bike, which I had bought in the late 1990s at a garage sale. It was 2009 when I finally began riding regularly. I kept procrastinating, because I wanted to redo the light system.

So much for my riding history. I was in my 50s when I did the 40 mile (~62 km). My legs were like rubber for hours. However, this was after two to three years of reacclimating myself with the road.

My answer would be NO! Forget about the legs. I think you would make it. However, I also think you have not prepared your cardio-respiratory system for this kind of challenge, unless you have been athletically active in other ways. I see that you are not yet 30, which is in your favor. Nonetheless, I would not advise it without a few months of challenging endurance rides culminating in not less than 20 miles round-trip.

Sorry for the long post.

LeonJr
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I'm 31, 2 years ago I quit my 5 years of smoking but I still vape, no exercise for 7 years and I eat a lot, I'm now 82kg from my usual 65-70kg, I'm 5'7".

I tried cycling recently with my brother in law who had a knee surgery, we've managed to get 30km for 4 hours first try, we had to rest every 30min because of his knees. I was using MTB with broken shifters (fixed to 32T and 11T), 27.5x2.1" tires, around 15kg -- when I sprint for just 30sec or we reach the hills with around 10°-30° elevation, I was gasping for air. When we got home I still have the energy and didn't have body pains the next days. 5% asphalt hills, 10% gravel and 85% asphalt flat.

On my next ride, I went solo for 1hr and I've managed to get 18.2km with 5min of rest halfway.

I think 50km is achievable on fairly flat roads even without training, given that you rest from time to time, stay hydrated and enjoying the ride.

kazinix
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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.

Ion Freeman
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    If you just inflate your tires and go, you'll probably be fine Huh? What do you base that on? Have you ever tried to ride a bike any distance at all after years of "[h]aven't done any training or exercise, basically been sitting at home all day, everyday for years." I don't think it's reasonable to expect someone who literally hasn't done any exercise for years to be able to pedal a bicycle for the three+ hours it's going to take to go 50+ km. – Andrew Henle Apr 05 '19 at 19:27
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    And have you ever ridden a bike that hasn't been touched for more than a decade? (Regardless of how fresh you were at the time.) And, heck, I get sore much faster than the next day if I go for a hard ride. – David Richerby Apr 05 '19 at 19:33
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    I suspect OP is after the adventure of a ride, not the adventure of a failed ride. A bike safety check beforehand is pragmatic, and strongly recommended. A careful run through https://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-you-can-do/cycling/your-bike/bicycle-maintenance-made-easy/m-check-your-bike-11-steps should show up any severe problems. – Criggie Apr 06 '19 at 21:04
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Ok, I just joined this community to say I made 50km on a bike with my father when I was 12 years old without any training before.

EDIT: I'm 36 years old now and 93 kg, 176cm so a little bit overweight. It was quite easy back then. We biked back the next day. I use my bike nowadays not more than 10 times a year. I never tried 50km again but when I bike now, I don't even feel significantly tired after 20km despite low frequency of rides and carrying extra 20kg (namely my daughter in a child seat).

ElmoVanKielmo
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    Great work. Could you expand your answer using edit? How old are you now? Is your fitness level similar to OPs? (ie relatively low) and could you do the same thing at your current age ? – Criggie Apr 06 '19 at 21:03
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    OK but most 12-year-olds run around and play outside and are fitter than a 24-year-old who says they've done no exercise in years. – David Richerby Apr 07 '19 at 18:46
  • @DavidRicherby maybe it's different in some counties but where I stand physical excercises are mandatory also at the university, so I'm surprised that 24 years old person is just sitting still all the time. – ElmoVanKielmo Apr 07 '19 at 22:28
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    @ElmoVanKielmo I've never heard of such a thing in the UK or US. – David Richerby Apr 07 '19 at 22:36
  • @DavidRicherby it's a standard in Poland. Besides forget about me being 12 years old. My father was biking with me and he was 46. – ElmoVanKielmo Apr 07 '19 at 22:38
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I did this in 2021, when I wanted to visit a nature reserve. Back then I had a 50km distance to do, I was in a hurry to do the first 25 because the reserve opened at exactly 8:30am, and on top of that I was cycling back and forth for the most part of 2 hours. I never did this before. This I did effortlessly, felt no tiredness at all (although my legs were a bit wobbly afterwards when I came home and lay down), despite previously being exhausted after just 5 miles at high speeds in other countries. So yes, very much possible. With practice I can now do 80km and not feel it at all afterwards.

hypercolius
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Yes, I'm 60 and just did 50km quite easily in 2 hours on an old CX bike. I'm not an athlete, just a fat 60 year old guy.

user49544
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    That you were able to do this does not show that everybody can. My uncle still did 200km rides in his 70's. But that was someone who trained serious bike rides (road racing style training) every day all his adult life. OP is someone who does not ride at all and did not use his bike for years and has an earlier experience with a 30 km ride which showed that he had problems with that distance. – Willeke May 17 '20 at 09:41