Mountain Biking - Honestly, how often do you ride?

First off, I have a career that works me 40+ hours a week, I'm married and have a 3 month old daughter. With that said, I read all the time on here where you guys are riding like 2 times a week. I'm lucky to go once a month (on actual trails). I'll ride my bike on the streets about 2 times a week, but it's obviously not the same thing. I'm a 205 lbs guy...not in shape at all...and staying in shape to ride a trail is hard for me to do between my job and watching my daughter when my wife goes to her job. I guess my question(s) are (1) is anyone else out here like I am? and (2) what can I do to get in shape so that when I do get a chance to go on trails I don't get winded so quick? Thanks for your help guys!

I have not touched a bit of singletrack since mid-december. The weather here is not exactly condusive to off-roading, unless you can afford a set of studded tires. Looking forward to the local group's first ride of the season on April 2nd or 9th. I ride my fixed gear bike on the road everyday, but its only usually 4-5 miles.

i'm not huge on riding trails...they're just not convenient to me. I ride roads 2-5 times a week.

I work 40+ hours a week, have 3 kids, and my wife works shifts as a nurse. Even on days when I'm not working late, I have kid pickup and dinner duties a lot of the time.

For me, any time in the saddle is good. If I have 20 minutes, I'll suit up and spin around the hills in my subdivision. If it's too cold or wet, I put my wife's road bike on the trainer, grab my son's portable DVD, and watch movies in the garage while spinning away.

Is 20 or 30 minutes a day helpful? Physically, I don't know. Mentally, absolutely.

I probably get on a bike 5 days a week.

I'm 35, work 40+ hours, divorced and dating again. What that means is that I don't have a whole lotta time to ride. Plus I live in Florida. The closest trails are a 1 hour drive away.

I ride as much as I can, but it's usually on my cyclocross bike or my road bike during the week. I like my CX bike because there are some dirt paths that satiate my dirt addiction. I haven't ridden off-road in over a month and a half. I have my son every other weekend, so that's only dirt paths or parks. Then on my weekend without him, I usually go on Sunday. Three weekends ago the weather was crap, this past weekend I visited my parents out of town.

So, yeah, it sucks. But at least I have a VERY VERY VERY VERY small trail network if I start jonesing (sp?) too badly near my work.

Im in college so I only get to ride about every other day, In highschool I rode EVERYDAY.

bwhite220, I certainly understand, when my kids were young, if I got 2 rides a month, I was lucky.
It gets better as they get older, hang in there.

I am truly fortunate, I work from home in moutains west of Denver, working east coast hours, so I am done by 4 pm, so I can get 3 weekday rides and at least one weekend ride.

I got in 754 trail miles last year, shooting for more this go 'round.

In the summer i get out 7 days a week, after work in the eves when its still light is such a great time to ride :) During these cold wet and dark winter months i can only ride on sat and sundays. Im so sick and tired of having to wash my bike everytime i go out on it lately, the bloody wet weather and mud are killing my chain and gears :mad: roll on summer time, if we get one this yr anyway(please please please please....)

7 days a week, with an occasional day off.

I'd venture to say that a lot of the guys posting here don't ride much. People that ride a lot aren't online reading messges in forums....they are out riding their bikes. With that said however, I do ride about 3-5 times/week. I have a 3 mile trail right next to my house and I ride that often. Usually just a 2 mile ride there and then 1 time around. It ends up being about a 7 mile ride, which is a good workout and keeps me strong and sharp on the bike.

People that ride a lot aren't online reading messges in forums....they are out riding their bikes.

Or at work.

People that ride a lot aren't online reading messges in forums....they are out riding their bikes.

I read on here when I'm at work and there is nothing to do. I'm sure a lot of people on here do the same or they get on here somewhere else. You can't possibly ride 24-7 like I'm sure you think you do. Thanks for the stupid attempt though.

I'd venture to say that a lot of the guys posting here don't ride much. People that ride a lot aren't online reading messges in forums....they are out riding their bikes. With that said however, I do ride about 3-5 times/week.

Last I checked it's January, a month in the season called winter.

I'm lucky, I live right next to my school, as in 100m away, so I go to bed nice and early, get up at about 6:40 and do 15-20 miles on road. I havn't been out for a week due to ice, but tomorrow I'll be out again. Also, in Ipswich, winter, apart from the colder temp, is basically non-existent - all year riding...yay! I also ride my azonic most evenings and jump at the weekends. This isn't all bs, honest. But I'm 15, so I have time after hw and music. Won't last long though.....:(

I dont ride much at all.. which is depressing. Own IT company, a farm to run, and a family to spend time with cuts into my riding times deeply. I'm looking forward to riding with my son, though. He is just 4, and just got his first bike. Working on it.. :)

Right now I ride 5 to 6 hours a week on my trainer. Mid season anywhere from 10 to 30 hours depending on the week. All of that on trails. I work a 40 work week. Usually on my weekend I ride 3 to 5 hours both days and then 2 to 3 hours a night. It depends on energy and how work is going, sometimes I am working OT so it pulls from my precious ride time :)

I'm looking forward to riding with my son, though. He is just 4, and just got his first bike. Working on it.. :)

I bought my wife a mountain bike for christmas. She actually said she wanted one. Our daughter is only 3 months old, but I cannot wait unit the three of us can go out bike. Obviously not going to be anything fast, but it's doing what I love with the girls that I love. Can't beat that!!

Around 10 hours per week, 60% road.

During season I ride about 6 days a week. Now with more than a foot of snow in the woods I havent rode singletrack in what seems like WAY too long. its warming up a little though, hopefully it'll all be melted enough that we can ride out there pretty soon... hopefully.

I use the trainer for a few hours a week, but have trouble getting myself motivated enough to do it by myself, so my friends and I will ride the trainers and do a spinervals vid every once and a while. Those things are a workout! I was surprised. I wish I could do them more, but it's the middle of hockey season so I'm on the ice every day and too tired after practice.

Work and Family commitments mean that at this Time of year, Sunday mornings are mine, so thats when I ride. 25 to 30 miles XC and that is enough. Not enough to keep me fit so Gym twice a week until the Evenings get light enough to do a 2 1/2 hour ride instead of 2 hour gym. So in the summer it might be 9/10 hours a week over 3 rides, or it might still be one long ride Sundays, and gentle recovery at the Gym again.

3-5 timea week. year round. I can relate on the children and spouse not being there when you are. my kids are from 14-10 now so I got much more time. when my oldest was old enough I got a seat for the back of my bike and took him riding .it kind of got handed down to the next 3 after that. I envy your future with your young un'. the look on a kids face when they ride the first time.... and then the training wheels come off man what a rush for them and you! I work near a national park with about 16 miles of single and double track that is pretty sandy so I can ride when I have time without regard to trail conditions. one day without rain and its dry as a bone.today was too wet due to the ice from yesterday starting to melt. tomorrow will be excellent(damp hardpack sand and dirt is fast). I usually ride about 45 min. to 1 1/2 hours during the week and longer on the weekend.the lack of riding time now will be worth it as your child gets a little older. I walk 3 miles every evening for cardio fitness

I try to ride a bit a few times a week, but most of that is on the road on my commuter/town bike. I try to get to a trail once a week at least, but it's diffcicult sometimes with scheduling, especially in the winter with short days and bad weather. In the summer I should be able to go once or twice a week.

I'm 14 and ride as much as the weather will permit me. But during the summer I ride about 20 miles a day on the road, and on weekends I hit the singletrack. If I can't get out to ride, I will get on my dads stationary bike and go for about 10-20 miles. The stationary bike really helps you get in and stay in shape.

I'll try 2 keep this short & sweet....

Working 8 days/week (it seems). No, actually 45 hrs./wk when I have W/E's off, 53 hrs/wk when I work W/E's.... I alternate W/E's off.

I'm married also (20 yrs. to my 1st Wife) have 3 Kid's below age 8, ride 3x EVERY week year 'round.... 2hr/ride on average, about 15 miles/ride. I make time for myself, period.... Enuf said.

Wow congrats killer. 1st wife (25yrs...dang man) and buttloads of kids and tonnes of riding. Thats an achievment (seriously).

Wow congrats killer. 1st wife (25yrs...dang man) and buttloads of kids and tonnes of riding. Thats an achievment (seriously).

*******************************

ThankX
:beer:

Since its winter i can only ride 1-2 times a week at rays park or other indoor places. During the summer i try to either dirt jump or ride street atleast 4 times a week.

hmmmm. 3 times a week on pavement commuting to and from work.

3 times on trail in the last week. dry trail/better weather i'd say i average 4-5 days of dirt a week. more like 5-6 days of riding if you include my commuting to work, and road rides on non-dirt days.

sometimes i'll go for a several months with dirt hitting my tires at least 5 days a week. summertimes, when trails are nearly always dry.

i work a 36 hour week 93 x 12 hour nights), live with the girlfriend and 2 cats, no kids. her numbers are pretty much the same, but running instead of riding.

I commute 25 miles every day, half of which is double track and half road. I get out 2-3 times a week on either a made up route or an organised site. I'm lucky, cos my kids are all grown up and the grandson is too young to be dumped on the grandparents:- so far.

Commuting hit 18 miles a day. do a weekend ride every 3 weeks or so. Ride 6/7 days a week to whereever I go. 3 kids, 3 dogs love the bike

I'm looking forward to riding with my son, though. He is just 4, and just got his first bike. Working on it.. :)


I taught my son to ride last Christmas, he was still 3. I put knee pads, elbow pads, gloves and a helmet on him. He was scared to do it, so I pushed him to the ground. Seems mean, but I gave him a gentle shove. He got up, I asked him, "Did that hurt?". "No" was his reply. I said, "that's worse than any falling you'll do." Then he climbed on his bike and within a couple hours he was riding a couple hundred yards without falling.

Don't keep the training wheels on for very long. Less than a day if you can spend the day with him. They quickly become dependent on them. My buddy kept his son's on and it's now been over a year and the kid is terrified to take them off.

Find a grassy area with a gradual downhill. Suit him up and get ready to do a lot of chasing after him.

Within one week of first taking his training wheels off, he was riding a white line in a parking area. You just have to get them excited about wanting to learn and then just spend as much time as is needed.

I actually drove somewhere, away from my home. I didn't want him to get tired and want to do something else. We drove to a park and spent a couple hours working on it.

This year he's riding singletrack, and starting to race BMX. He'll be 5 in April.

Go for it, they can do it. It'll make you proud and give him a huge confidence boost!

2-1 hr runs yesterday, around 30 miles flatland.

A2, that's seriously cool. Well played ma' man!

So far I've ended up going around once a month since started. It takes a few weeks for the trails to dry up around here and it's keeps raining.

I train atleast 6-8 hours a week and ride trails 2ce a month in the winter and 2ce a week in the summer.

I ride everyday, but only once or so a month off-road... Generally I get in about 17-20 miles a day commuting and on my off days, I'll ride 15-20 miles a day. Occasionally I'll take a day off and do absolutely nothing. This week I didn't ride Monday but rode 35 miles on Tuesday. Unfortunately almost all my riding is road.

Congrats killer :)

A2- And thats a great story about padding up your kid.

No pavement around here to teach my kid to ride.. not without a roadtrip. We live out here in the sticks, and the nearest pavement is the highway next to our home... Not good riding :)

Sort of wish pavement were easier to get to, seems a bit easier to get the hang of pedaling on a smooth surface, instead of in the grassy fields.

ThankX Jallen....
I'm livi'n my dream right here in Western, N.C.

Is my # up yet ????

separated and getting a divorce. funny enough, i always wanted to mtb but never had the time until my ex-wife walked out on me.

currently i am working ~40hrs/week, dating 2-3 times a week, and (except for the weather at present) riding a minimum of 2 times per week.

i have great trails within 2 miles of my place, both single track with a good many stunts and ~7 miles each.

local fat-tire society is currently building a freeride trail which will open in the spring.

as for training - everthing i have read has suggested that riding (trainer, spin class, at the gymn) is the best way to stay in shape, and that cross-training (jogging, walking, etc.) is not as efficient in preparing you specifically for riding.

by the way - any of you other single guys out there noticed how hard it is to find an attractive female who is into mtb'ing?

clunger

<snip>
by the way - any of you other single guys out there noticed how hard it is to find an attractive female who is into mtb'ing?
clunger

I've noticed the same thing... I've also noticed that girls don't seem to like the idea of a possible significant other NOT having a car. I commute via bicycle and see no need for a car... but yes... MTB chicks are few and far between

separated and getting a divorce. funny enough, i always wanted to mtb but never had the time until my ex-wife walked out on me.

Just over 3 months since mine was over. Sucks man! If you want to talk, PM me!




by the way - any of you other single guys out there noticed how hard it is to find an attractive female who is into mtb'ing?

clunger

My ex did ride, ended up cheating on me with a riding buddy of mine! I'm sticking to ones that DON't want to ride, but understand that it's still important to me!

[quote]"Find a grassy area with a gradual downhill. Suit him up and get ready to do a lot of chasing after him."[/quote ROFL...that's great

I'm livi'n my dream right here in Western, N.C.

Is my # up yet ????[/QUOTE]
Fer sure Killer! I'm married 17yrs with 3 kids.We ride about 2 times a week in winter and 5 starting in spring.It's great when your kids can go out with you.My son is 12 and super harcore,my girls are older and ride to stay in shape for basketball but we're still out riding.Being 5 min. from dupont and 15 from Pisgah is great for riding. :D

I work 40-50 hours a week, have a wife who is great fun to be around (although she WON'T RIDE...refuses to) and have 2 other small, small businesses on the side. I still find time to ride, though. If I didn't, I would be INSANE or COMATOSE from a nervous breakdown.

If the weather allows, I ride the trails 15-20 hours a week. During summer, it's a must!! During the weekend, I ride road, as right now, it's the only time of the week I have daylite. Even if the weather doesn't permit it so much, I still get on the trainer .5-1.5 hours a nite.

The biggest key to making it work is to MAKE TIME. MAKE YOURSELF suit up, pump up the tires and at least ride the trainer. Even if the weather is good, I sometimes don't have time to load up the mtn. bike or enuf daylight to get on the road. However, the trainer is in the basement.

The best way to get into good enough shape to ride without getting winded so easily is to ride regularly. Before I made riding a daily priority, I rode about as much as you. My occasional rides were filled with stops to catch wind and water. They usually became desperate attempts to just make it back to the truck halfway through.

At some point though, I realized it was gonna take a commitment and I made it. Not that I don't get winded, but I have more fun, and I know more about pacing. The more you ride, the more you learn about how your body will react.