Touring - Cycling before and after our tours

As cycletourists, we all ride during our weekend, week-long, month-long, months-long, etc. tours .... but what sort of riding do we do in between our tours?

What would a typical week, month, or year look like for you in terms of the type of cycling you do?

Depends on the time of year. In winter, I'm just riding for basic transportation — commuting to work, running errands, going to all those places I need to be. In the nine months that aren't winter, I'm also on day trips and evening rides to relax and unwind.

> What would a typical week, month, or year look like for you in terms of the type of cycling you do?

Every five years or so, I've taken a many months long tour. For example, 1992 across USA, 1997 across Canada, 2001 around Australia and 2007 across Russia and 2013... Just before the 2001 trip, I sold my car. On return in 2002, I decided to not get one "right away" since Spring was coming and I wanted to continue riding rather than getting back in a car... In the six years since then, I just haven't gotten around to buying a car, so...

Every year when not on major tour, I'll average two or three one-week cycling touring vacations. Between May and end of October, I'll be on a club ride most Saturdays. Between November and April, I'll do my own longer touring ride about twice a month. I'll also do my own rides about half the Sundays during the year.

I don't own a car, so normally every work day I'll cycle back and forth to work. I'll also ride my bike for groceries and other errands.

Typically this adds up to 8000-10000 miles per year on years I'm not on a long tour.

It would be easier to ask how often do I typically rent a car and drive :-)...that would be approximately one weekend every six weeks...to run errands or make visits that wouldn't be as practical on the bike.

I commute by bike every day. But my commute is only about 2.5 miles each way, so I try to get in training rides as much as possible. I do anywhere from 20-100 miles on an average week day ride. I try to get in at least one century every weekend. From March to whenever I can find time to get a tour in I consider myself to always be in training. In the fall a do a lot less in terms of training and recreational rides. I often just bike to the gym instead of going on a ride.

I've been building up a dynohub lighting system, a few components at a time, so that I can do more night riding. I did a solo double century last fall, and I hope to do a lot more brevet length solo rides in the spring to prepare for some ultra-long distance tour riding, and just for the sheer joy of doing it. My goal for the spring/early summer is to complete 400 miles in 30 hours.

One nice ride each week. Non-competitive, non-spandex, smell-the-flowers rider. Like to keep the bicycle clean and oiled. :)