Mojo Slim

As I was adding to my bike journal this morning, I got to wondering what ya'll keep in your journals, if you keep one. I know many of you use an on-line journal that keeps track of mileage, etc. And I know several do on-line blogs (that may include stuff other than bike-related).

I don't do either. Mine is just a continuous Word Document, now about 180 pages long (largely because of pictures and charts). I keep lots of charts, because: 1), they're fun and 2) they help motivate me. Here's my "table of contents".
1. An Excel chart that keeps a weekly, monthly and yearly total, plus miles to go to my goal. I add destination, ave MPH and calories burned to each entry. BFer cyclintom sent it to me.
2. My original chart that does roughly the same thing, "by hand" Also includes total hours exercised in a week (weight training is added).
3. Colorful charts for weekly miles, ride lengh, how many miles on Mondays, Tuesdays, etc., cummulative miles. (These charts are the REAL reason for the journal. There are 8 total.)
4. I keep track of bike-related expenses. Sometimes I don't want to know. But I spend less on my hobby than my wife does on hers . . . quilting.
5. I keep track of repairs, replacements and servicing: date and mileage. (This has been real handy.)
6. Finally, a narrative of memorable rides, usually a picture or two added. Notes on training goals, problems, trips, etc. Every flat tire I've ever had.

OK. A little compulsive, but I'm retired and I can do whatever I want!!!

BluesDawg

nothing

BlazingPedals

I use bikejournal.com and just keep some basics. I've got weather and comments, but mostly I'm just interested in which bike, how far, and how fast.

maddmaxx 

I have the type of personality to keep journals, spreadsheets, goals, accomplishments and what time I got up this morning on record.

I force myself to do none of these things lest cycling start looking too much like work. I make no claim for whether or not these things are good. I just live for the days that I start out on the trail with no idea where I'm going or when I'm coming back. I need this hobby to restore my sanity, if I kept a journal that would be the end of me.

Louis

I'm kinda like Maxx. I do jot down the miles, however, so at the end of the year I have some idea of mileage. I've tried keeping a detailed log but it was more trouble than it was worth, for me. There were a few years in the early '90's when I didn't even bother to write down mileage.

Beverly

I download information from my Garmin to SportTracks. They provide a place to enter notes about the ride but I seldom use it.

I don't keep detailed records for the bikes or rides. I do have pictures from special rides organized on the computer and I keep the receipts from work done at the LBS.

I ride with a lady who takes record keeping to the extreme. She carries a little notebook and enters everything about a trip or ride. She keeps start time, all stops, where she ate, what she ate, costs of food, etc. We're always teasing her about it and asking her if she's entering things about us.

Digital Gee

Timely topic for me. Since I stopped recording EACH and EVERY ride on bikejournal.com, I think I'm riding less. I am planning to start journaling again on May 1st (I like starting new habits on the first of the month, first of the year, etc.)

I keep track of the distance, time, where I rode, and wind speed. There aren't too many other options for a free account.

Catweazle

I've been writing up reports of my more enjoyable rides and posting them on 50+. Which reminds me.......

lighthorse

I have kept journals of my long tours. Nothing else. I even took the heart rate monitor off my bike. Just too much stuff. I know where I am in terms of fitness and just let it flow for my current circumstances. Only when I am getting ready for some specific adventure do I draw up a training program that I follow.

cyclinfool

Mine is a mental journal. I make a mental note of how many miles I ride in a given week - that is my motivation to not slack off and I keep a mental note of my average speeds so I know if I am improving. Other than that I fight the type A tendency to over analyze everything.

Bud Bent

Since January 1st, 2005, I've been recording the basics on bikejournal.com. For a year now, I also have more detailed info from my Garmin 305 in my Training Center software.

doctor j

I record data from the bike computer in a 4" x 6" spiral notebook. If it is cold or windy, I record weather conditions, what I wore, and how well the apparel worked to fend off the uncivilized weather. I may add a comment or two about unique rides. I keep a spreadsheet of mileage etc. but have not updated it in a while. The idea of a Word.doc with narrative and pics sounds interesting.

Litespeedlouie

I have a 3 ring binder with a simple form I print; 2 weeks on a page. Basic info, date, miles, time, avg speed, route, notes. I set up the form to correspond to my computer sequence readout. I started this before, ahem, it was worth it to use a PC for something like this, let alone the interweb.

Test rides of less than a mile or so, I do not enter.

CW Spook

It's never occurred to me to keep a journal, any more than I'd keep a journal of evening walks with my wife or my trips to the grocery store in the Jeep. I do let the bike computer keep a running odometer, but I do nothing more than glance at it after a ride to see how far I've ridden, just as I do after a long trip in the car. I lived a professional life that required more than enough minutiae. One of my retirement goals is to avoid any more of that for as long as the good Lord allows.

Louis

Right on. I think that's mainly what motivates me to be unmotivated.