Fifty Plus (50+) - What do you think are short, average and long rides?

I just got back from a 33 mile loop (just over 2 hours) around your nation's capital and realized that I now consider that distance an average ride. To me a short ride is under an hour (14-17 miles) and anything over 50 (3 hours) as long. How do other 50+ BF's categorize the length of their rides? Inquiring minds, etc.:rolleyes:

I'll go with your definitions.

Amazingly, that's about how I look at riding these days too, but with 40+ still being "longer" to me.

That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100

To me it's a sliding scale.

A short ride is one in which I didn't feel challenged. Average is when I got it right and long means I had to struggle for the last few miles.

The reality is that it's all mental. If I'm mentally prepared for a 30 mile ride, 25 seems short and 35 seems long. If I'm psyched to do a 50 mile ride, 35 feels like nothing.

All I know is, if I'm almost home, 18 inspires me to take a long cut to do 20, whereas 26 can lead to 30, and so on.

That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100

Sounds about right for the MTB, Still have top find my distances on the road bike but it appears that

short= 20 miles
20-40 is moderate
40- 60 is average
and anything over 100 is a bl**dy long way.

That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100

I agree with that assessment. Was on a nice ride this morning (on a Dahon D7) but was cut short by a flat. Managed to put only 7.7 miles but I was lucky, I was just a little over a mile from home. Rushed to the LBS for a quick repair but by the time it was all done, it was midday and decided to call it a day. Will try again tomorrow morning.

Depends on the percentage of the ride spent climbing hills-at least for me!

Short: 0 - 4 miles
Medium: 4 - 14 miles
Long: 6 - 14 miles
Very Long: over 14 miles

If towing my daughter on her Trail-A-Bike (70 pounds of child and trailer) or trailer with groceries, all rides move up one cartegory

Paul

Short = 25
Medium = 50
long = 100+

I judge ride length by duration, not mileage. That tends to compensate for windy or hilly conditions.

Short < 1 hr.
Medium > 1 hr and < 2.5 hrs
Long > 2.5 hrs

I judge ride length by duration, not mileage. That tends to compensate for windy or hilly conditions.

Short < 1 hr.
Medium > 1 hr and < 2.5 hrs
Long > 2.5 hrs

I like this idea. I'm going to start thinking about my rides this way.

Sounds about right for the MTB, Still have top find my distances on the road bike but it appears that

short= 20 miles
20-40 is moderate
40- 60 is average
and anything over 100 is a bl**dy long way.


+1, I don't have enough time to do a 100. I find 40 a good day.

Sounds about right for the MTB, Still have top find my distances on the road bike but it appears that

short= 20 miles
20-40 is moderate
40- 60 is average
and anything over 100 is a bl**dy long way.


Yep except I rarely do under 10.

And if I have to do over a hundred it will be kicking and screaming, not sure about that bl**dy part. :)

As many of you know I don't ride that often during the week but the rides tend to get sort of long when I do-so:

Short: <40
Medium: 40-75
Long: >110

+1 on time
Short - < 2 hrs
Med - 3-5 hrs
Long - >5 hrs
Bl**dy Long - Any ride with head or cross winds >10mph

That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100

This is about right to me too but the 0-15 is a shopping errands run.

I dunno. I tend to measure my rides in terms of height climbed. I think a 40 miler on the flats would be easier than 15 miles going up Mt. Mitchell.

Here are my criteria:
Short -- less than 1000' climbed.
Medium -- Less than 2000' climbed.
Long -- greater than 2000' climbed.

Also, I've noticed that climbing up hills is the only time I'm really willing to suffer when I ride, probably because I can't get up hills any other way. That's why I'm developing some sort of weird sado-masochist attraction to hill work. Next thing you know, I'll probably buy a pair of leather bibshorts.

Short: 0 - 4 miles
Medium: 4 - 14 miles
Long: 6 - 14 miles
Very Long: over 14 miles

If towing my daughter on her Trail-A-Bike (70 pounds of child and trailer) or trailer with groceries, all rides move up one cartegory

Paul

I'm glad someone else rides like me. Except I wouls say long = 15-35, and anything over 35 is very long.

I judge ride length by duration, not mileage. That tends to compensate for windy or hilly conditions.

Short < 1 hr.
Medium > 1 hr and < 2.5 hrs
Long > 2.5 hrs

I've been thinking about that and it just doesn't work for me because it ranks intensity backwards. I have a 14 mile loop I do sometimes when I want to get in a ride but don't have time for a longer ride. I consider it a short ride. It is mostly gently rolling with one hard hill about 1/2 mile long.
If I ride it hard, it takes me about 50 to 55 minutes. If I take it easy it takes a little over an hour. So it would be a medium ride if I rode it easy and a short ride if I rode it hard. So I consider difficulty seperately from distance. Short is short. No matter how fast or how hilly.

Not that it matters worth a hill of beans.

Short rider - under 5 feet tall
Medium rider - 5-6 feet tall
long rider - 6 feet or higher

I dunno. I tend to measure my rides in terms of height climbed. I think a 40 miler on the flats would be easier than 15 miles going up Mt. Mitchell.

Here are my criteria:
Short -- less than 1000' climbed.
Medium -- Less than 2000' climbed.
Long -- greater than 2000' climbed.



I have done century rides in south Georgia that would be short rides on your scale. They sure seemed long to me ;)

Perhaps we need some way to measure in watts.

I ride by time not distance, also, but always like to make 25-30 miles. If I find a nice place to ride to, a lesser distance is OK, but I prefer 30 miles as average. My next goal is over 50. I work to ride!

For me, right now:

Short: 10-12 miles
Medium: 13-20 miles
Long: 20+ miles

All I know is, if I'm almost home, 18 inspires me to take a long cut to do 20, whereas 26 can lead to 30, and so on.

My version on this comes from the charts I keep. I've got a couple of colorful charts that "grow" after every ride. 18 miles becomes 20 because it looks better on the chart. 37 becomes 40, etc. It's all about how it will look on the chart. It probably adds 10 - 15% to my yearly average.

Sounds about right for the MTB, Still have top find my distances on the road bike but it appears that

short= 20 miles
20-40 is moderate
40- 60 is average
and anything over 100 is a bl**dy long way.
Maybe for cross country on a MTB, but I find that a little incredible for an advanced technical trail.

Originally Posted by BluesDawg
That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100

Originally Posted by stapfam
Sounds about right for the MTB



Maybe for cross country on a MTB, but I find that a little incredible for an advanced technical trail.


I was thinking the same thing. 30-50 miles on a MTB would be a very long ride for me.

Short rider - under 5 feet tall
Medium rider - 5-6 feet tall
long rider - 6 feet or higher

Thank you for placing me in the medium catagory.

OP - Ride catagories just about nails it for me.

I only realy do a few rides; 20mi Tues-Fri, 62mi on Sundays or 40mi when the conditions are not up to the 60 miles. I don't really like to get off the bike when I ride so doing much more than 60 miles is all my tuckus can handle.

Short rider - under 5 feet tall
Medium rider - 5-6 feet tall
long rider - 6 feet or higher

Wow! For once in my life I'm not short:D

Or even

1 day short ride
3 to 7 days average
1 month or more moderate
over 3 months long

each to their own

just as long as you get out and ride


may last 4 "short" rides
95 miles , very hilly
70 miles extremely hilly
70 miles lots of climbing
60 miles undulating

george

Perhaps we need some way to measure in watts.

Watts that again?

Short=Can we go again

Medium=I need some food and a waterbottle refill

Long=Out of the saddle for the rest of the trip.

Maybe for cross country on a MTB, but I find that a little incredible for an advanced technical trail.

All our XC tracks take in some Single and technical riding. Except the big one and after 50 miles it all feels technical but that is one ride where I would love to have some Smooth trail occasionally.

The South downs Way is hard and a history of how it started is on the link.

http://www.randonnee.org.uk/

That trophy mentioned is one of my most treasured memories. All it says is Survivor and it does not need to say any more.

And for those who have not read of my failure

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=197532

Originally Posted by BluesDawg
That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100

Originally Posted by stapfam
Sounds about right for the MTB





I was thinking the same thing. 30-50 miles on a MTB would be a very long ride for me.
I agree with the road distances above, but the amount of climbing is a big factor. More climbing=more time. I have spent 8 hours on a 30 mile off-road ride/hike and 11 hours on a 75 mile road ride.

short ride = thoroughly pissed off that the cat puked on the carpet & my wife insists we go out this weekend with a couple of egocentric bores.
medium ride = mildly annoyed at the cats... I can do this for my wife.
long ride = Perhaps if I brushed the cats more often they wouldn't puke their furballs & maybe I'm up to the challenge of steering a conversation with this couple to something other than their recent purchases.......

Short=Can we go again

Medium=I need some food and a waterbottle refill

Long=Out of the saddle for the rest of the trip.

+1, you absolutely nailed it:p

I just got back from a 33 mile loop (just over 2 hours) around your nation's capital and realized that I now consider that distance an average ride. To me a short ride is under an hour (14-17 miles) and anything over 50 (3 hours) as long. How do other 50+ BF's categorize the length of their rides? Inquiring minds, etc.:rolleyes:

Capitol Crescent by chance?

< 10 aint a ride, it's just piddlin around
10-30 short
30-60 medium
60-100 long

average ride on weekdays is 15
weekends is 60

As I posted before (posting No 10) : DG's question, some time ago (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=162976&highlight=rain+long)

As I posted before (posting No 10) : DG's question, some time ago (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=162976&highlight=rain+long)

Everything that goes around, eventually comes around. :D

Capitol Crescent by chance?

< 10 aint a ride, it's just piddlin around
10-30 short
30-60 medium
60-100 long

average ride on weekdays is 15
weekends is 60

Actually, the Capital Crescent Trail has become so busy, that I have pretty much quit using it. Been articles in the Post about conflicts between joggers and bikers. Each blames the other for all the troubles of the world:eek:

Everything that goes around, eventually comes around. :D

Hey DG, please help me:
I can't understand this term. Does it mean: "maybe something has changed meanwhile"
or does it mean: "it's all coming again and again"
or what?

Please help me to learn a bit more english...

marmotte

(I would not change my No 10 posting, I feel exactly the same)

short ride = thoroughly pissed off that the cat puked on the carpet & my wife insists we go out this weekend with a couple of egocentric bores.
medium ride = mildly annoyed at the cats... I can do this for my wife.
long ride = Perhaps if I brushed the cats more often they wouldn't puke their furballs & maybe I'm up to the challenge of steering a conversation with this couple to something other than their recent purchases.......

What you need is another cat that doesn't cough furballs.

I have just the one for you. No furballs but she does like to chew corners off throw rugs, knock everything off tables, eat dining room table centerpiece, etc. She would be a wonderful addition to your house:)

Short is to the local shops. 0 to 5 miles

Medium is my commute rides. 7 to 22 miles

Long is when my body starts to hurt.

> 20 = short rides
20-50 = average rides
50+ = long rides

I think as the season progresses the range of miles within each groups increases. I know after a long cold winter those first 20 mile rides seem really long:)

Hey DG, please help me:
I can't understand this term. Does it mean: "maybe something has changed meanwhile"
or does it mean: "it's all coming again and again"
or what?

Please help me to learn a bit more english...

marmotte

(I would not change my No 10 posting, I feel exactly the same)

It means, everything that gets asked on BF will get asked again, eventually, and everyone will forget that it was already asked way back when... :D

(And I'm as guilty of this amnesia as anyone here...)

Short - To the store and back
Average - To work and back
Long - To downtown and back

What you need is another cat that doesn't cough furballs.
I have just the one for you. No furballs but she does like to chew corners off throw rugs, knock everything off tables, eat dining room table centerpiece, etc. She would be a wonderful addition to your house:)

No thanks... Two of the mangy rodents are plenty. But thanks for the offer! :)