The same thing is true now, on the road bike. That bicycle is over eight years old, and I’ve put well over 28,000 miles on it; but my cruising pace still averages only 12-13 mph on most rides. Now that I’m thinking of doing a 100-miler in October, I’m working to improve matters.

I’m not aiming to ride a sub-five hour century, goodness knows; but I want to finish in less than eight hours’ pedaling time. Nobody can say what the weather will be like on the big day; and if it’s windy, I’ll need the strength and stamina to ride against that wind for miles on end.

So you see, “ride lots” is about more than just miles. It also includes riding faster than you usually do for longer and longer intervals; and it means working to increase your cadence against a hard gear, to develop better strength.

Don’t forget to have fun, though! If it all starts to seem like drudgery, ease up for a few days; and then you’ll be ready to ride lots again.