gerv 

Since this is my first year of bike riding and since I'm in the 50+ league, I'm kind of curious about how many miles you ride in a week. I keep reading that "rest days" are a good thing, but lately the weather has been so nice, I've been out every day.

I usually ride 15 miles during the week, round trip to work. Then.. weekends, whatever I can fit in. I've never gone over 150 miles, but have had some days when I was biking and probably should have rested. Lately, every week is up around 150 miles and I'm aching to do more. [Perhaps "aching" isn't the best choice of words here...]

What's your story?

Digital Gee

I completely agree with Big Paulie.

The other day, I started feeling guilty because I didn't feel like riding. And if I didn't ride, I'd get behind on my mileage goals.

Then I remembered -- ride when it's fun. Don't ride when it's not fun. Goals are nice, but screw 'em if they can't take a joke.

A day or two later, I couldn't wait to get back on the bike. And yes, it was fun.

Garfield Cat

Bike riding can be addictive like gambling or watching too much television or spending too much time on the internet. Bike riding takes up a lot of time so I have to balance my time between the things I need to do. Routine exercise is definitely a need. I know its enjoyable but it should be kept in perspective. Professional riders do it as a vocation. Recreational riding is another matter.

Grampy™

Do we have to tell the truth in this forum? Haven't 50+ Elitist Bastards earned the right to fib a bit?

Ok.... I'm doing about 80-100 miles a week till it warms up more.... but if any of the young-ens ask I'm doing 150.

DnvrFox

About 125-150, if I am lucky. Lately the wife's medical stuff has taken a lot of time.

But, I also walk a lot - by this I mean 3-5 mile walks several times per week, and do weight lifting. I like to count my overall exercise, not just my bicycling.

Blackberry

Much as I love cycling, it doesn't do much for your upper body and can, if overdone, contribute to muscle tightness, back issues and other problems. (Don't ask me how I know this). A good stretching program and hitting the weight room can help. Also, it's good to balance hard rides with rest or recovery (easy) rides during subesquent days (Now if I can only take my own advice) Some think you should have an entire recovery week every six weeks or so.

BTW, a rule of thumb (I don't know who came up with this rule, but you hear it a lot) is never increase your mileage by more than 10 percent a week.

stercomm

Cycling like anything in this world can become addictive. I too often have the urge to do more, especially in trying to beat my personal mileage goals. I tend to set monthly goals as opposed to weekly goals, for 2006 I'm averaging between 350-500 miles a month with the lower range being during January and February. I think the key is listening to your body as well as those close to you. If you are hearing the "you're never around anymore" might be time to back it down or try an earlier ride. I agree with Blakcberry that cycling does very little to nothing for your core of your upper body so you need to factor in additional exercise to keep the body balanced (not that I'm very good at doing that as if I have a choice I'll always jump on the bike).

gerv 

Problem is, if I could ride as much as I wanted, I'd never get off the bike! Fortunately, the body tells you when it is time for a rest. And I've been trying to take at least one day off a week [usually when it rains...].

On the other side of the equation is that I am also trying to use the bicycle as transportation, as well as weekend recreational tool. So I try not to do so many weekend miles that I cannot make the 15 mile round trip to work on Monday.

That's why I was wondering what everyone else's brink of "over-training" would be...

stapfam

Depends on the quality of your rides- Main point is to enjoy them and not let them be a necessity.
I am in calm down mode right now and went for a gentle 30 miler offroad- Did not push anywhere, took it steady on the downhills and started even steadier on the uphill bits. Kept well within my comfort zone- Till Those uphills. It was the only place I worked and even then just kept myself working hard and not "Going For It" If I had done a road ride- I would probably done a 50 miler in the same way. Then I also get out on wednesday nights-still call it night as the lights are still needed towards the end- for a 20 mile offroad or a 30to 40 miler on the road. Then in a couple of weeks I will just be doing a few trips to the coast and back- about 20 miles on cycle paths.

If there a reason to ride a lot- then It would be Sunday- tuesday and Thursday rides and a gentle one on saturday afternoon to check the bike(s) over after the weekly maintenace in the morning. Yo-u ride what and how you want. Just make certain you enjoy it, and in the manner that you want to aswell.

Litespeed

Distance is a function of time available and desire. Pushing your limits is a part of that desire, but just because you've accomplished a certain distance in a day or week, that doesn't mean you are obligated to repeat it!

It seems so simple, but it's hard for many adults to give way to child-like impulse of doing what we want, when we want.[/QUOTE]

I agree 100%. Sometimes I just simply am not "in the mood" for riding, maybe just because I have done so many other physical things during the day. Sometimes the weather just looks dreary and that sets my mood. If I feel like riding, it's a guarantee that I will have a wonderful time. Keeping track of mileage is fun to brag about to non-bicycles, but I am certainly NOT going to make it my absolute goal. If I do 70 miles in a week, that's good for me. I'm out there just to have fun

stapfam

Thought It was- but I have just seen an alternative meaning to my post. "Don't let it be a necessity".

Don't feel that you have to do a ride or do lots of miles by peer pressure. That is what I meant it to be.

However- There are times when you have to do a ride when not really feeling up to it.
Part of a training programme. Part of a keep fit requirement or for health reasons- Or Just because its Tuesday -I have to do a ride, because if I don't I am going to kick the cat because I need my adrenalyn fix.

jcm

Anywhere from 120 to 200 miles a week. 170 is about average.

Trogon

I started keeping track (seriously) in 1999. Over the course of the last 7 seasons, I've gone from 2138 to 2454 to 4242 to 5646 to 6555 to 8002 and ending last year at 8315. Those numbers represent 41, 47, 81, 108, 126, 153 and 159 miles per week, respectively.

I ride all year long, regardless of weather.

This year, I'm burned out. The last two years, at 8000 apiece left me feeling very one-dimensional. It seemed like I was riding to beat personal bests instead of riding for the fitness, pleasure and mental clarity I value. This year, I'm on a pace to average about 100 per week with a year end total in the mid 5000s to low 6000s. I'm starting to feel much better and I'm beginning to look forward to my rides. Sure, I'll still have the 200+ weeks in June and July when the weather and daylight combine to give me more time, but that period will be balanced nicely with winter and spring riding in the 50 - 100 mile per week range.

It's really a personal choice, I marvel at the people who do 20,000 miles a year (I'm a member of bikejournal.com) but that level of dedication at the recreational level also makes me wonder what else those people have in their lives. I like a lot of different things, and cycling needs to fit in the hierarchy of my list of activities. Certainly, it's at the top, but not to the exclusion of everything else.

If you start riding because you "have to", you might be riding too much. You should always ride when you want, but give yourself a break and skip days when you simply don't feel like it. That's what's working for me.

jwbnyc

About 200 a Week.

Trogon

Yea, I think we all need to find our sweet spot. I set a goal for myself way back when that in each new year I would surpass the monthly total for that given month in all the previous years. Which is how I too found myself riding 700-1000 a month throughout the summer. Heck, last year I did 700 miles in November, and I live in a place with a winter!

It was too much. My fitness plateaued (although I was at a record low weight) and my mental game was trashed. The goodness is now coming back and I'm glad for that.

cruzMOKS

My mileage varies but I am adding more as the year progresses.

Starting with this past week I did:
50
108 - 2 weeks ago
73 - 3 weeks ago
86
63
80

For me I will ride more miles if its fun then if it is a rule. I push but take a day off if I feel tired. Today I took a day off.

Yesterday I rode 6 miles down to the Municipal Airport. I wanted to ride intervals on its 3.8 mile outer loop. When I got to the airport loop I started my 30 second intervals. I would coast and spin for 2 to 3 minutes and do another one. I did 10 altogether. This was different type of ride for me.

buelito

Most of my miles are commuting-- 46 miles each day I do it-- I'm over 2000 commuting miles and over 3300 miles total for the year so far-- I have averaged around 6500 miles per year for the last 7 years--unitil last year, when I jumped to over 9000. I used to do triathlons, but had to stop running because of back problems-- they don't affect my riding (my guess is that the biking is probably at least partially to blame for the back problems...), and I really enjoy riding.

This morning was a prime example- I left the house around 7 for an 85 mile training ride (lots of hills--as I'm signed up to do the "Mountains of Misery double metric" in 3 weeks). About a mile and half out, I glance down and notice my bottle cages are dirty--and EMPTY-- my bottles are on my kitchen counter. At that moment, my phone rings-- I pull over and anser it-- my wife calling me to tell me the bottles were by the sink. So I turn around and go back home to get them.

I got back out and it was a gorgeous day-- almost no one on the road (early on a Sunday morning), and it is cool--arm warmers, knee warmers, vest). About 15 miles later, I hear someone in the other direction call out my name-- I slow down, stop and wait for him to turn around. It's the shop owner (PEdalshop) where I bought my fixie. I have never seen Mike on a bike before-- except playing around the shop and the parking lot. So we ride together for a few miles-- his first question was 'what are you doing on a geared bike??" He turns around and I keep going. Lots of hills on this ride-- Meaadowlark, Hamilton Station Rd, Stumptown and Taylorstown-- and then all in reverse. Once out on the roads I saw no other cyclists. On the way back, once I got back on the trail (MUP-- W&OD trail) there were lots of people-

It was just one of those days-- ended up with a little over 88 miles, in a clock time of 5 hours. I surprised my wife by getting home a lot earlier than I expected. I guess when you ride alone you don't have to wait for anyone (or no one has to wait for you), and stops are a minimum...

This is what biking is all about-

train safe-

NOS88

Winter miles - 40 to 50 week.
Rest of lat year averaged 128 week.

Can't wait until retirement.... 200+ a week?

PaulH

Almost all my miles are commuting -- about 50 miles (90 km) a week, year round. During the summer, I drop my daughter off at day camp and my milage can go as high as 75 miles a week, some of which is pulling a Trail-A-Bike.

Paul

ken cummings

40 to 60. Loose average. When working I reach 100 to (max) 210 miles. When I reach towards 200 in commute miles I cancel most oif the fun rides to spent more time with the wife. on vacation once I went over 450 miles in a week.

stonecrd

During the week I have to work within the time I have available so 20mi Tues-Fri. Saturday is cut the grass and family day and Sundays I get out early and do 50-60mi with a club, Mondays are off days like Sat. So I currently have 2038 logged since Jan in bikejournal (my goal is 5,000) of course I can ride every day in the winter down here. I find that if I try to do more than this I have to talk myself into going for a ride sometimes and I don't get the recovery time I need to feel good on each ride. I believe moderation in all things is important.

HAMMER MAN

usually anywhere from 100-150 miles per week depending on schedule and family

jazzy_cyclist

I'm limited by having a job and daylight -- I envy you guys that have to time to do those big miles. I'll do 150-175/wk in the height of summer when I can ride before and/or after work, but zero in the dead of winter unless we have a nice day.

oldbikeguy

Kids are grown and moved out. I'm able to get in around 125/week April through October. Anything November through April is gravy.

nmichell

Wow, most of the posters here ride much more than I do. My weeks seem to vary from 40-100 miles. A little longer right now because I'm trying to be ready for a century in a couple weeks, but not much more. I do other fitness activities as well. Saturday I did a 3hr hike in the nearby Nat'l Park with my wife and daughter -- that was great fun. Most weeks I do a couple of aerobic workouts as well. I would probably ride more if I were retired. And I'd certainly get more miles in if I were faster ...