Starting Bike Riding Again: My 29 km Sunday Cycling Ride After a Long Break
I started cycling almost two years ago, and at some point, Sundays naturally became my cycling days. It wasn’t anything serious or planned—just a small habit that slowly formed over time. Whenever possible, I tried to take my cycle out on Sundays.
On Sunday, 28 December 2025, with the year coming to an end, I felt like going for a ride again. I hadn’t cycled properly in a long time, but the idea of a simple Sunday cycling ride felt like a good way to close the year—no pressure, no targets, just riding.
I’ve noticed something about myself over the years: after longer cycling rides, I usually feel lighter and calmer, both mentally and physically. I can’t explain it scientifically, but cycling has a way of resetting my mood. Maybe it’s the movement, the breathing, or just being outside—but it works for me.
This ride wasn’t about performance or speed. It was about starting again after a long break, listening to my body, and enjoying the process—one pedal stroke at a time.
Planning the Ride After a Long Break
I woke up at 7:20 a.m., which is honestly quite late for cycling—especially if you’re planning a longer ride. My original plan was to wake up at 5 a.m. and start riding by 6, and I had even set alarms for it. Somehow, I didn’t hear them. Laziness definitely took over.
After waking up, my mind kept trying to convince me to postpone the ride to the next Sunday. That internal negotiation lasted for a while. Eventually, I decided to ignore it.
I got out of bed, finished my basic routine, and made a three-egg omelet with two slices of bread for breakfast. For me, an omelet is one of the easiest, quickest, and most nutritious breakfast options—especially before any physical activity.
After breakfast, I made a cup of black coffee for a mid-ride break and filled my 900 ml water bottle. With that done, I finally started my ride at 9:55 a.m.
I didn’t plan the route in detail. There’s a metro line in Navi Mumbai that runs between two stations about 15 km apart, so I roughly thought of covering that stretch and riding back. That would make it close to a 30 km round trip. It wasn’t hardcore planning—just a simple idea to get moving.
The Sunday Cycling Ride Experience
Since I was cycling after a long break, I expected the ride to feel difficult. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as tiring as I had imagined. The only part that felt challenging was cycling on flyovers, where the incline made things a bit harder.
To manage my energy, I stopped pedaling while descending from flyovers and let gravity do its job. That small adjustment helped conserve energy over the longer distance.
Google Maps wasn’t very helpful at times. It occasionally suggested wrong turns or directed me onto flyovers even when there were simpler roads below. I assume this happens because Google Maps doesn’t have a dedicated cycling navigation mode.
After about an hour, I reached my turning point around 11 a.m.
I wasn’t very tired, but I still took a 20-minute break there to have my black coffee and relax a bit.
For the return journey, I avoided the highway and chose quieter backroads instead. This route felt much calmer, with less traffic, and made the ride more enjoyable. I reached back home around 12:25 p.m.
Strava Cycling Stats: 29 km Ride Breakdown
Now let’s talk about the numbers.
According to Strava:
- Total distance: ~29 km
- Moving time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Total time: 2 hours 31 minutes
- Average speed: ~15 km/h
For a casual Sunday ride after a long break, this felt decent to me. I started the ride at 9:55 a.m. and finished around 12:26 p.m.
Strava estimated my calorie burn at 862 calories, but I don’t fully trust Strava’s calorie and maximum speed calculations. Still, the overall stats give a good idea of how the ride went.
How I Felt After Cycling 29 km
This was my first 29 km ride after almost eight months, so finishing it felt good. More importantly, I didn’t postpone the plan. Ignoring that inner voice that tells you to delay things isn’t easy—at least not for me.
Overall, it was a satisfying experience. A Sunday cycling ride felt like a peaceful and meaningful way to end 2025.
What This Sunday Cycling Ride Taught Me
There’s no deep lesson here. Just this: don’t overthink it.
If you feel like going for a ride, take your bicycle and go. The first few minutes might feel uncomfortable, but once you push past that, things usually get easier. Don’t hesitate before taking small positive steps—you’ll figure things out along the way.
