Is it possible to do 50 km distance without any previous training?

Question

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?

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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?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

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.

Answer 5

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.

Answer 6

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.

Answer 7

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.

Answer 8

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.

Answer 9

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.

Answer 10

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.

Answer 11

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).

Answer 12

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.

Answer 13

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.