Well done on the weight loss and for taking up cycling buddy
30-50 miles rides will certainly be marginally easier once you try one if you have a good bout of 1 hour-ish rides behind you.... but you will still struggle until you have worked up to and done those distances. Marathon runners don't run 10K's for a while and then just go and try a marathon. You need to work up to it. Whilst you most likely will be able to complete 30-50 miles of course, you can make things much easier on yourself if you build up to it progressively.
Just enjoy riding the bike at this point. Do 1 hour, do 90mins. Fair enough looking on the data after you finish the ride but most importantly just enjoy riding and the heaps of natural fitness gains (and weight loss!) you will see as you go. It really is a joy when you first get going
Set yourself a target. Lets say 2 hours riding. Once you achieve that then progress that target to a 30 mile ride with your friends. As you inevitably achieve these things you keep moving that target a little more and then looking back in a few months to come you will truly see laid out in front of you just how much you ave progressed over time.
But truly try to appreciate the joy of being outdoors on a bike and what it brings. So easy to get caught up in negatives with riding bikes from all angles but at the root of it, being out in the fresh air, mooching about on a bike is deep rooted awesome.
but seriously why would you not want sleeveless in the summer? it's great? I guess you dont get the sharp tan lines so it's hard to flex?
