What does it take to ride a bike 50 miles? Lets start with the bike and look at the you portion in a bit.

Ideally you want a multi-speed bike and a comfortable position, so a mountain bike is good. Tuned up will save lots of energy.

Teacher

What terrain will you be riding on?

Is this an urban, GP, or off-road BOK (Bug-Out biKe)?

You could ride a single speed "cruiser-style" for 50 miles if need be. Someone could pretty much ride anything for 50 miles without much more than enough clothes to disguise your birthday suit.

Need more parameters defined before the discussion can continue. 50 miles is too generic.

50 miles is not a big deal, unless you are climbing mountains with a load.

On my road, go-fast bike (no baggage), I could do 50 miles in 2-3 hours, assuming flat or small hills and not much headwind.

On my loaded touring bike, it would probably take me 4+ hours, but I can carry 50+ lbs of gear.

Off pavement, you will probably average 10 mph or less (unless it's all downhill).

As said before, it depends on terrain, road surface, headwinds, but if you are trying to get an idea of whether a bike is a feasible bug out vehicle, then yes, it absolutely can be.

Greg

Agree with Greg, 50 miles is no big. I did 30 miles in <3 hours on my mountain bike with fat tires, the terrain was a relatively flat bike path. I stopped halfway through for some water but otherwise did it non-stop. Need more details.

Ditto the environ. I've got a friend that did a weekly 100 miler. Rolling hills (some gravel roads), usually about half that paved. I think she still used a road bike, but with a little thicker tires.

And, no bags, backpack, etc.

When I bought my Mt Bike a few years back I had not ridden in quite a few years, I hopped right on and did 53 miles on a paved trail along the river then cross country all on paved roads back to the truck, some of it was up hill but not a lot. I got up the next day feeling fine, I was 48 when I did that and I have a bad back. Dirt trail is harder on your body, and your going to want to buy yourself a quality bike, learn to use the gears in your favor.

Hmmm. I'm thinking what does a person new to biking need to do 50 miles in one day, carrying some gear. Figure mostly paved roads/ trails and some dirt.

I'd vote for a good seat. After 50 miles your butt's probably gonna be sore.

A granny gear, i.e. three chain rings, one that is rather small. Some training would also help.

Absolutely!!

Look into the gloves with the padded palms. I found when I did riding the pressure on the hands was causing some nerve/tingling issues.

Ditto the gear range. I really easy gear is more important than one that will allow you to go fast. Think steep gravely hills and plan accordingly. I'm sure you are not interested in trying to set land speed records.

What do you need to do 50 miles on a bike?

Well, when I was a teenager, I did a little over 50 miles on a BMX bike from Riverside, CA to the beach. We needed plenty to drink, some money for fast food, a lock so that our 50-mile ride back was still there when we were done with said fast food, and a map so we actually knew where we were going. I also had some emergency tools and so forth in case some finicky bike part blew up along the way.

50 miles in a day. . . call it a 10 hour day, 5 miles per hour -- I run a 10K in about an hour, a little over 6 MPH. 5 MPH on a bike would be fairly easy, just a matter of mind over miles. Don't know how much water that would take, quite a bit I spose -- quart an hour sound right? More? Food, figure a few thousand calories, but if you go Austin's cycling calculator you can get a better estimate. CYCLING PERFORMANCE TIPS is another good read re energy output.

For me it would take at least 50 days

For the terrain you're looking at, my local shop recommended something similar to this when I asked that same question a few years ago. I don't remember which frame material I ended up getting.

50 miles in a day,,,,,As a training & conditioning run...

A bicycle in good condition/good repair, you pick the gear capabilities based on the terrain that you'll be covering and according to your personal tastes.

A small backpack with:
a lunch type of meal, PSK, a bicycle repair kit including a tire repair kit (& a spare inner tube), a 1 or 2 qt canteen. All of the aforementioned list can be stowed on a pannier if you equip your bike with one.

On the bicycle frame:
a water bottle (1 liter), an air pump.

On your person:
EDC, hat, sunglasses/glasses, driving gloves (a personal preference), a map of the area that you plan to cover and one that has sufficient coverage of areas adjacent to your route.

On level terrain and no headwinds, you will/should be able to make 6 - 10 mph without stressing or straining. Count on a trip of 5-7 hours depending on what your average speed works out to be. I prefer back country roads that although they may be narrow, they have very little traffic that generally moves slow. Any bicycle paths near your home are perfect (I am planning a trip over some of the Natchez Trace). I am not a fan of carrying an iPod or similar noise creating device since I prefer to hear AND enjoy the noises of an open road and the surrounding countryside (a personal preference).

Flat land will help A LOT!!!

Time to distinguish between road bikes and mountain bikes. Road bikes are designed to go as far as possible as fast as possible. The wheel size to gear ratio allows the rider to get the wheels spinning very fast. The narrow profile and forward leaning position minimize aerodynamic drag, while the narrow tires minimize the rolling resistance. The funky handlebars allow the rider to change hand position for long duration riding and lean into an even more forward aerodynamic position.

Road bikes are differentiated into racing bikes (extremely lightweight and incredibly expensive) and touring bikes (with attachments for luggage racks).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_bicycle

Mountain bikes are designed to allow the user to apply as much torque to the wheels as possible, which is good for crossing rough terrain. The large tires ensure good ground contact on a rough, possibly loose surface. The upright position is better position for the rider to produce absolute power, and the wide handlebars provide for better lateral control. Bar ends can provide more hand positions for longer duration riding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_bike

50 miles is a good afternoon workout to some people, but the challenge of a lifetime to others. For people who are in poor shape and not used to riding a bicycle, having a bike properly fit will be big part of preventing repetitive motion injuries.

The saddle is probably first thing you'll run up against. Those thick, padded gel saddles look pretty good when you get started, but if you ride on them over and over again for any length of time, they can start to do damage by distributing the saddle pressure over all the soft tissues. Modern long duration saddles are fairly narrow, hard(ish) and slippery, and probably have an indent down the center for pressure relief. These saddles concentrate pressure on the bony protrusions under the hip bones (the "sit bones") and reduce pressure on the soft tissues. Padded bike shorts provide a bit of padding, while the slick shorts work with the slick saddle to keep you from absorbing heat due to friction. Unfortunately, it's still going to be uncomfortable for a while. Training rides get you used to this.

For more information on general bike riding, here's a good set of articles:

http://bicycling.about.com/od/howtoride/The_Basics_of_Bike_Riding.htm

Yes it do!!! Go down to Houston and ride the Katy Flatland Century (100 miles). The tallest terrain is the highway overpasses. I liked that ride, though the home stretch was a killer.

Good guidelines, but bear in mind that both values are conditioning and heat dependent. If you aren't in condition and try to ride a long distance without downing some calories each hour, you'll "hit the wall", where you run out of available energy reserves. This is not fun. I did it twice - made it home without passing out, but slept through to the next day. To avoid this, figuring on consuming 100 calories each hour.

I did lead vehicle on a 100 mi bike rally in June where the lead riders did the whole ride without stopping on 2x 20oz bottles. They averaged about 20 mph. On the other hand, I did some 45 mi summer (107+ degree) rides through north Dallas where I burned through a 100oz camelbak 4 times in the course of the ride.

Just as an aside, I can't stress enough to leave that fashionable black clothing at home if you ride in hot summer temperatures. No reason to expose yourself to added heat stress. Also, I'd like to add that uninsulated camelbaks full of ice water are really comfortable when the temperatures reach up into the hundreds.

As far as a bike, if you are out to purchase one for a ride on mostly road and some off-road areas, for 50 miles, I would be getting a cyclocross bike. One caveat, most are not cheap. However, it has the wheel diameter of road bike, so you can get some speed, with the ability to get off the road and even handle some serious terrain depending on the rider.

Many years ago, I used to participate in the Multiple Sclerosis charity rides here in the Bay Area (CA). I started out with my mountain bike with the knobby tires, then I graduated to using slicks for efficiency on the road. What a difference that made. I finally broke down and bought a road bike- which made all the difference in the world compared to riding a mountain bike on the road. I rode a total of 200 miles; 100 on Sat. and 100 on Sun.

If I had one one choice, I'd keep my mountain bike because of its versatility and ruggedness. However, on the road, the road bike is KING.

To do a long distance ride, and everybody has a different definition of long distance, I would:

1) Train- Work up to the distance by putting miles on. I find that you have to earn "bike butt", that is, being able to stay on the saddle for long periods without ill effects. Believe me, biting off too much (as far as time/distance) can be a deal breaker. Incidentally, a soft wide seat will only prolong the period to earn "bike butt."

2) Keep eating and drinking- I can't stress this enough. Electrolytes and food in constant supply will help keep you from "hitting the wall" (aka "bonking"). Drink before you're thirsty.

3) Knowing how to make common repairs to your bike- You'll find that as your mileage goes up, you sometimes find yourself quite a ways from help. Being that you're on this website, I won't go into being prepared. Know how to fix a flat tire, put your chain back on, field fix a bent rim, etc.

4) Know the proper riding position- It's very common to see people with the seat too low, which is hard on the knees after a while. Mass produced bikes aren't set up for everybody. A good bike shop will show you a good starting point, but mileage will give you experience, and experience will help you with the fine adjustments.

5) Learn pedaling technique- You'll end up with your shoes somehow attached to the pedal (clipless pedals or clips). I learned this the hard way. For a long time, I did not use any type of attachment to my pedals. I ended up with a phantom pain in my knees that doctors could not explain, and the pain went on for months. I was finally referred to a sports doctor who figured it out in 10 minutes after asking simple questions. Turned out that I only used the down motion of pedaling, which developed only my hamstrings. This caused my knee to somehow be tensioned to the point that it caused the pain. By building my quads and learning proper pedaling, I became pain free.

"All you gotta do... is do it"

Very well put!!!!

I would recommend the use of panniers ("saddle bags") instead of a backpack. It makes the ride much more comfortable: you're more aerodynamic, your back won't get hot, and your shoulders, wrists and seat all get a load taken off.

Mootz's points are spot on. 50 miles on a bike isn't all that hard to do with just a bit of training. Easy for me to say, I bike a fair bit in a year. Start slow and work up to the miles, worry about speed later. If you are riding on roads you won't need a lot of gear, so don't weigh yourself down too much. Eventually your butt gets used to it.

A Brooks bike saddle is worth every penny it costs and will last a lifetime. If you change bikes, keep the saddle.
http://www.brookssaddles.com/brooksengland.html

I own three bikes and all three have a Brooks saddle with springs. If I find a fourth bike I'll buy another one.

You don't need an expensive road bike for a 50 mile ride, a road bike is just faster. You can do this on any bike, mostly you just need to train.

A couple of other things, wear a helmet, bike gloves are a good idea to prevent road shock to your hands and protect your palms if you wipe out, and padded shorts help as well.

These are nice as you wear them under regular shorts.
http://www.rei.com/product/732756?cm_sp=prod*desc_rel_item*element
They provide the padding of bike shorts but you wear them under say nylon cargo shorts so you still have pockets. I started using these last year and really like them.

Good luck, with some training you'll do fine.

I used to ride about 200 miles per week. Like Mootz, I began riding a mountain bike, then switched to a road bike. Still own both, as well as a 1970's muscle bike with a banana seat. If given the choice, I'd ride a road bike for any distance over a mountain bike, but 50 is doable on a mountain bike. You're going to put in about 150% of the effort someone on a road bike puts in. A cyclocross bike is somewhat of a middle ground between them, and you could put tires close to a road bike's on one.

I would however were bike shorts and nothing else. I'd go buy a decent pair with real chamois in the crotch and not worry about showing off my wares or any camel toe. If you chafe during the ride in a regular pair of shorts, you might be miserable. Bike shorts should go far in preventing chafing.

Get bib cycling shorts, they are much more comfortable than regular cycling shorts. A good pair of cycling shoes (Sidi Genius) and clipless pedals (Time or Look) are highly recommended too. Good bike positioning is also required. Set the saddle height to the point where the heel of the foot is just touching the pedal when the leg is fully extended. This will get you into the ball park area where you can fine tune the saddle height wihtin a few millimetres. If you are getting a road bike make sure the seat tube angle is not greater than 73-74 degrees. A more relaxed seat tube is favoured for longer distances (typically around 72 to 73 degrees). A good saddle is required - Brooks saddles are excellent but they need time to break in - typically about 1000 miles. My personal favourite is the Selle San Marco Rolls saddle with Ti rails.



Handles bar are important, I prefer the classic Cinelli 64 Giro D'Italia handlebars.



Campagnolo or Shimano equipment. - Shimano gear has always been slick but for durability Campagnolo Record equipment is difficult to beat for reliability and long term use. Shimano Dura Ace gear is excellent as well. Both cost an absolute fortune though. Campagnolo Chorus and Shimano Ultegra provide much of the capability of the top end groupsets but at much reduced cost.



Campagnolo Record rear derailleur is a beautiful piece of engineering but costs nearly $300.

Now onto Bicyle frame materials. They don't make custom bespoke Reynolds 753 frames anymore . Its now mostly Carbon and Ti or aluminium. The classic road bike was a custom 753 frame with a Campy Record C Gruppo with Mavic tubular rims and Vittoria Corsa tubs finished of with Cinelli Handlebar and Stem and a Rolls saddle. (ooh cycling heaven )

Campag Ergopower or Shimano STi combined brake and gear change levers are excellent but again it is worthwhile to try to pay to get the top end equipment simply because they work so well.

My Brooks saddles were broken in with far less than 1000 miles. 200 miles is likely a closer number from my experience.

Ha! I don't know of too many touring cyclists who wear bib shorts (or have full Campy record setups). Of course, we're an eclectic group, so their may be some, but most of us try to avoid the spandexed-out racer look. Off the bike it isn't very practical.

I suppose it depends on why you want to ride 50 miles. Just wanting the exercise, training for a race, trying to get from here to there, bugging out of a hurricane zone, or riding across the country, or just seeing the sights.

All are perfectly valid. Some may demand more specialized equipment. Some could be done on a 10 spd from Goodwill. Don't let equipment (or lack of it) stop you from getting out and riding. You will be better for it no matter what your application.

Greg

When I was younger and dumber, some friends and I decided to ride down to the beach. The only problems was, we didn't live anywhere near the beach. None of us had special training or bikes, we weren't enthusiasts or serious riders, we just hopped on whatever we had and started riding. The 50 miles going to the beach was pretty easy, mostly level or slightly downhill, with the winds at our backs. Coming back nearly killed us, agaist the wind with a very slight, but noticable elevation gain. We made it to within a couple miles of our starting point and just collapsed on the side of the road.

So I'd say it's highly dependant on terrain. For an average person, 50 miles can be reasonably accomplished on flat ground, but add in some hills or wind and people will start to have trouble after a few miles.

Greg,
Mine's a vintage bike - It's Campy Super Record (well, Super Reduced, as I did NOT want the Ti bottom bracket or peddels, besides the price, they had a history of snapping)

I won't comment on the Campy stuff, as I have never ridden with it. By reputation it is great stuff, but I know it's not cheap.

The difference between wearing bicycle shorts and not is I think larger than the difference between bicycle short and bibs. Getting into a pair of shorts designed not to chafe while riding is big. I prefer bibs, because they are more comfy and never slide to threaten to give a view of the so-called "carpenter's crack." But, I think one could prefer to go without the bibs.

Helmet and sunscreeen, eat before and during, water breaks often, ...

Fifty miles a day on a bike is actually quite easy - given a good bike and a conditioned rider with some experience. Fifty miles would be tough for a neophyte.

If I ever pack a bugout vehicle, my touring bike will be included, because a bike can go when and where a car cannot, can travel self contained, and can cover a surprising distance, given the proper motivation.

My preferences are a touring frame with wider tires (37cm), low gearing (around 20 inch to grind up hills),front and rear bags as well as a personal waist pack, helmet and riding gloves, properly mated shorts and bike seat, dark glasses, and lots of water and energy food. You can easily pack forty pounds of gear, food and water, but compared to backpacking, you can cover five times as much distance. Count on a sore butt.

Additional note: In my local newspaper today was an article outlining a plan to build a 25 mile bike/jogging/hiking trail between Lafayette to Breaux Bridge to St. Martinville.

I have no doubt that this will be the usual paving of an anbandoned railroad right-of-way. This will provide an excellent conditioning route to be used weekly.

Also of note, I have looked at 2 different Goodwill stores so far with negative results irt bicycle touring accessories. My thanks to the poster of the bicycle accessory website. I think I'll just cut the BS and order what I need.

Yeah - racks and panniers don't come up often. If you have time search ebay, rei and craigslist. But its probably easier to get new touring gear on a used bike

It's a lot faster either by yourself or with others of equal gear and conditioning. On pavement, as others have pointed out, anything that fits you will get the job done. Unless you're in really horrible condition, 12-13 mph with a meaningful load on a mountain bike on gravel path (essentially flat) is an easy pace to sustain all day - YMMV, but that's my experience.

If it's a BoB bike, then hardtail mountain bikes rule against the possability of having to go off-pavement. Stay away from softtails for a long ride anyway - unless you really want a work out.

My bike is set up with full toolbag under seat (includes CO2 inflator, several 12gr, spare tube, glueless patch kit, etc etc); Beefiest rear rack available (I had to design & machine a 7075 block to properly mate this setup to my downtube, but that's up to your frame and how you're configuring everything - they usually fit as-is)); expandable top bag on rear rack; easily removable "grocery sack" style panniers; small bag lashed onto handlebars; bottle cage; and I keep a Camelbak Ridgerunner (100oz) on my back. Helmet and padded fingerless gloves a must. Also really good seat (skinny and "correct" for male). Needs a better pump mounted - after I'm sure my boys won't "borrow" it <grin>.

Bike currently has BMX Mosh pedals and I will NOT put clipless pedals or toe clips on it because it has a BO role. The only bad thing about those pedals is that they positively maim your shin if you screw up (once is enough). This lets me wear the most appropriate walking/hiking/whatever footgear for the season/conditions with confidence that they will not slip off the pedals.

This is NOT as efficient a setup as a road bike with clipless pedals running on smooth pavement. I travel slower for equal amount of effort. OTOH, it's positively flying compared to walking.

Highspeed downhill runs are crazy with that sort of set-up, though - if heavily loaded like that, most mountain bikes become very unstable as speeds rise over 30mph (mine sure does!). They have relatively short frames (for agility) and the heavy rear weight bias when loaded like that gets hairy and scary going fast. (So slow down). One thing I would like to do is come up with a bomb-proof no-tool lock-out for my suspension (front), then figure out a quick-mount mount rack and other bags up front. As it is now, I pretty much max out things on the rear when fully loaded for a camping trip.

Anyway, 50 miles on pavement is generally well within most people's grasp with just some common sense and a bike that won't break apart in that distance. Folks on road bikes (with support crews for gear) often do twice that or more in a day in moderate terrain.

My rule for bike trips is: Have fun! I save the grueling stuff for hiking.

/edit Most mtn bikes come with tires that are WAY too knobby for most uses. I have much more reasonable tires on mine and they have a "pavement" rib in the center and Kevlar in the carcass. Much less rolling resistance and frankly, if they slip (never have), I'm in such shmutz that I'm going to walk the bike anyway. One of my boys is a bike nut, er, expert, so I consult with him... his advice has been spot on so far. /end edit

Tom

My bike is similar to what Ayers describes, Cro-Moly frame mountain bike, looks a lot like a road bike but the tires are 2" wide slicks with a high center instead of the fat knobby tires you find on most MB's or the narrow road tires you find on typical road bikes. The tires are nice in that on pavement there's maybe 1/2" on the asphalt, but when you get off pavement they sink in and you have the full 2" width for traction.

I've never had a problem with stability going fast, but maybe it's because my frame is more like a road bike's.

I have raced triathlon and MNT Bikes for years, and I am currently in the military so I have done my fair share of forced marches with a heavy ruck. If you are going to be carrying a lot of gear and may need to make it farther than 50 miles total, I would approach them the same way. Ride for about 50 minutes and rest for about 10. This will keep you going over the long haul.

A few thoughts on components and misc cycling equipment. If there is any possibility that you are going to be off road, a road bike will simply not due. Maybe a cyclocross, but unless you are racing cyclocross, why spend the money on that kind of bike. If you are looking for all around fitness, and real possibility as a BOK, I would get a decent MNT bike and two sets of wheels. One with slicks and one with knobby. Train on pavement with the slicks, and if the time comes, you can switch easily and while the knobby tires are more resistence, they allow you to ride pavement or off road.

Cycling shoes: You are definately not going to want to ride any kind of long distance without having your feet attached to the petals. Especially if you are looking at using this as a form of exercise as well. If you get mnt. bike petals and clipless shoes, you will be able to walk fine for short periods (i.e. scrambling up slopes) and you can just carry your hiking boots with you if the need to abandon the bike arrises. Even using boots with clips is not a good idea for long periods of time. The real key to cycling shoes is that they have a stiff sole. This means that all of the force that you are applying to the pedals is actually being used to drive the bike forward. With flexible shoes, you are not only going to lose energy with each stroke, but you may also get sore soles of your feet.

Groupo: If you feel the need to get a higher end groupo, 99% of people will be well suited with Shimano Ultegra and it will save you a bundle over the other higher end groupos, and you will not notice the difference unless you have been riding a long time.

Handlebars: you are definately going to want bar ends for a ride this long on a mnt. bike. These are short peices of pipe that attach to the end of your straight mnt bike bar. It not only gives you an additional hand grip, but I often rest my forearms near my elbows at the corner of the bars for a more relaxed position. However, if you are not used to aerobars or riding in a low position you may not find this as comfortable as I do.

Suspension: On mnt bikes, you have three options for suspension. No suspension, front shocks, and front and rear shocks. The full suspension is really designed for down hill racing, where absorbing shock is critical. If you are riding a long distance off road, you will probably appreciate the front suspension, but if you are trying to mount a front rack for equipment, you may find that this causes problems. Just another thing to consider.

Final note, be careful about going to a bike shop as they are often more interested in selling you something you may not need then really giving you what you are looking for. Not all are this way, but as I learned more about cycling, I learned more and more that the local shops were trying to rip me off. YMMV.

Bottom line, find what works for you and your intended purpose and go with it. But I would definately get out and ride, if you are considering this as a means of transportation.

Smackdaddyj

You can do fine on a road bike, if it is set up for touring. This means wide (37mm or so) tires. These ride fine on pavement, crushed rock, and dirt roads - probably not so good for hiking trails, a situation where mountain bikes indeed rule.

I prefer clip pedals and low cut hiking shoes. This combination allows me to do 70 to 80 miles day after day with an occasional 100 mile ride, all with one shoe that I can hike in forever and still use on the bike. Clipless pedals are just too fiddly and adjustment prone in my opinion. I get the impression that some clipless rigs also tend to cause knee problems. I read comments on bike touring forums from other riders who feel the same way. The are many options for pedals and the best thing to do is start riding and see what works for you.

I started with a touring bike frame (basically a longer wheelbase compared to a road racer). It is quite elderly now and I find over the years I have replaced a lot of original components with mountain bike equivalents. Since I have about 40-50 pounds of gear with me, depending upon the water I am carrying, I paid significant money for 40 spoke rear wheel, 36 spoke front wheel with Phil Wood hubs, custom built at my local bike shop. About ten thousand miles and not even a hint of a problem. A lot of my gear and clothing comes right out of my climbing/backpacking closet. If I ever had to abandon the bike, I would just rearrange the load and hike on. If you are used to riding it, a bike is a very feasible way to bug out. If you are not used to riding one, after a week or so, you will be....

I cycle 50 miles a day 5 days a week, 25 miles each way to work, it takes around an hour 15 each way.

Yes your bum hurts but you learn to look after it and wear good quality shorts. Your legs will hurt till you get used to it. Increase your food intake to match the miles, and eat high protein early in the evening, your body will use that to repair and build new muscle overnight.

Any average fit person should be able to easily cycle 100 mile in a day. A Scottish guy has just cycled 18000 miles around the earth in 195 days, he cycled approximately 100 miles a day for 180 days, the other 15 days were rest days or transit days between Continent's.

The funny thing is the food experts said he needed to eat 8000 cals a day to maintain his physical fitness but the only place he managed to do that with ease was as he crossed the US.

Apparently Mark Beaumonts worst day was when he was cycling through Louisiana when he was ran over and then robbed on the same day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7208875.stm

You can view his route and get some info on his bicycle here at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/outdoors/programmes/pedalling_around/map/

I have thought about a folding bike in the trunk to get home. Faster than walking, especially if you opt for multiple gears.

The one downside of folding bikes is they are usually smaller tires which means not as efficient over bumps and such so you need to practice and train accordingly.

If your used to riding and in shape 50 miles is doable, if your out of shape its not going to be easy. I've been busy with other things for the last few years and finally got on my bike last summer and rode 15 miles in about two hours and was tired and sore for a week.

Also mountain vs road vs hybrid bike, the mountain tires have a lot more rolling resistance so its a lot more work for the miles. That being said for training and getting back into shape I'm using my mountain bike and those tires work as more resistance to help build up strength and endurance.

I bought my Cro-Mo steel mountain bike when I was stationed at the Pentagon. Not a lot of off-road riding in NOVA or DC so the first thing I did (right after the test ride, but before I took it home) was replace the knobby tires with 2” slicks. The knobs were awful on cobblestone streets, but 2” slicks could handle the streets & potholes, bike paths and occassionally grass lawns with ease.

The three tires I’m looking at now are the Serfas Drifter City Tire - 26 x 2.0, Continental Town and Country Tire - 26 x 2.1 and Electra Townie Original Bike Tire - 26 x 2.0. On all three the center line of the tire is smooth and if on pavement that’s your point of contact. Move to gravel, grass or dirt and the not so smooth areas of the tire make contact.

Yes, Mountain bikes are beefier- better for dirt, gravel and off roading. They are usually more comfortable to ride, too

We have saying here: it´s not the distance that kills you but the speed.If you had taken it a bit slower and rode that distance in, say three hours, you would perhaps not been so tired and sore.

This is my 3-gear bike: https://www.pyora-pori.fi/WebRoot/vilkas..._sininen_ml.jpg

Herman30, you are absolutely right. I've done fifty miles on my bicycle at my own pace and felt fine, whereas when I did it trying to keep up with a group (and admittedly on a very hot day) it wrecked me.

Montague make full sized folding bikes, have coveted their Paratrooper for some time.

https://www.montaguebikes.com/product/paratrooper/

The new round of electric bicycles make this even more useful - something to consider.

Even as an avid biker, I consider it just one possibility -- and really only useful under very specific conditions. (And would likely need some mods to carry more gear.)

I forgot all about this thread, but I did a 50 mile ride last summer
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/5601100638