Machka 

On the long rides we do, there are all sorts of stops.

-- intersections, traffic lights, etc.
-- take the jacket off
-- put the jacket back on
-- use the toilet, refill the waterbottle, grab a bite to eat
-- take the jacket off
-- put the jacket back on
-- more intersections, traffic signs, etc.
-- use the toilet, refill the waterbottle, grab a bite to eat
-- take the jacket off
-- put the jacket back on

You try to make the stops as short as possible, and you try to do as much as possible all at once so you don't have to stop too often, but it is still stop and go all the way.

Liz33

@Machka lol

fastk9dad

1.5-2hrs. Mileage varies depending on terrain.

OldTryGuy

For fun, a personal challenge or competitively, they're all good reasons to "go the distance."

It is a measure of self determination, of proper planning, of "going where one has not gone before."

I actually enjoy my long, non-stop rides. Rides where I specifically plan on mounting the bike, clipping in and not stopping or touching the ground until the distance is achieved. Being self sustained on the bike and not stopping for a "personal break" as is done in the Tour de France IS the challenge. My other distance rides are a version of that with a caveat being a PUM or P ride. Those rides I plan on not stopping; HOWEVER, I will stop to Pick Up Money or Pee.

One of the easiest ways to extend the mileage between stops is to group ride. On those rides you can draft behind others which reduces the overall effort (energy) one needs to put in to finish the ride. Increasing slowly helps to minimize injury, soreness and deflated egos.

Go for the gusto and keep us posted.

SkunkWerX

i agree!! 100%

chaadster

I don't see what "how long you can hold your pee" or "how long you can go without money" has to do with cycling; you can sit around your house or go out n a car road trip and "challenge" yourself-- as you say-- in that way, too.

Hell, I go 6-8hrs every night without peeing...BFD.

canklecat

Now that I think about it, most of my brief stops are to take photos or check out road swag to see if it's worth taking home. So far I've found a nice Polar bottle, a working Bontrager red LED, some tools, and a couple of bungee cords.

I try to keep my stops under five minutes or I'll need to warm up again, even in hot weather. The legs start to tighten up remarkably quickly in longer rest stops.

Wait'll you hit age 60 or older.

OldTryGuy

Prostate cancer makes it even more of a challenge.....ask me how I know

I-Like-To-Bike

All good reasons for riding; sometimes cycling is just about cycling for enjoyment and with no compulsion to ride any specific distance without stopping.

Some cyclists have no need to include "intensity", "proper planning", or setting of arbitrary personal "challenges" to just get on their bikes and ride.

OldTryGuy

66 on July 10th with 77 non stop miles starting at 1:13AM then a break for shower, dry kit, replenish and out for another 64 miles

SkunkWerX

Chaadster, Not saying to be uncomfortable or be unhealthy. Or not pee if you have to. That is not the point. As OldTryGuy was saying, it's about making a plan, prepping for it, and trying to achieve it. Or, just seeing if it's possible.

I have a longer ride planned, coming up. I went out yesterday with a few things in mind. One of them was how far can I "reasonably" go between stops on a warm summer day. The other was how much water ....for a fully self sustained trip without carrying a barrel of water with me.

The course I rode was the first leg, or so, of my longer trip. I now know how far, I know a places that would be good for a break, and I know how far I can go. All useful info.

In terms of a new cyclist setting goals, it's just a good way to learn. If I don't go my set distance, then i ask why? If it is because i had to pee, then so be it! At least I know. On my longer trip i will run out of water...but, how far can i go with what I plan to carry? It's more than just "Go this far without stopping". There are details behind it that do matter, that we can learn from.

I still don't know how far I can go. I did 32.7 miles non-stop. I still had 24 ozs. of water in reserve, and I still felt like I had a few more miles left in me. Maybe 40 miles is a good number? I'll be putting that to a test at some point, I think.

When Liz started riding, she said she was the kind of person who does better setting a goal.
5, 10, 20 miles are all fairly reasonable milestones.

caloso

In road races there is literally no stopping unless you crash, have a mechanical, or the group agrees to take a nature break. I think this one might be the longest I've ever done.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17926617/overview

2012 Dunnigan Hills E3 race: 88 miles

mrodgers

I can plan all I want. I plan that I can't keep moving and reach back, unzip my trunk bag and pull out my 2nd water bottle.

I regularly ride a 15 or 18 mile loop in hills and take 2-3 bottles with me. I only have 1 cage so I carry the extra in the trunk bag on the rear rack. For the 15-18 mile loop, I generally only stop to pull the next water bottle out.

Occasionally I'll put on 22 or 24 miles if I'm exploring new roads. Again, only stop to pull a bottle out of the trunk bag.

With the group I ride with, we typically ride 40-60 miles and end up stopping around every 15 miles for 15 minutes or so. Lunch stop at a restaurant is usually in there some time at the halfway/turnaround point.

Cheddarpecker

About ten seven to ten miles depending on the wind.

rydabent

I might add that riding longer distances between stops is far easier to do on a recumbent.

That is why many cross country riders are switching to recumbents. The web site "crazy guy on a bike" has a large number of ocean to ocean riders riding bents.

fietsbob

Sometimes I can catch all the lights while they are Green

Liz33

@rydabent I checked the website, that's a very nice website . Thanks

one4smoke

I can go about 30 miles without any type of break. Although normally, I take one around 15 to 20 miles. With me, the key is not take too long a break though. If I take much longer than 5 minutes, I feel worse instead of better.

Heathpack 

I get it that people don't understand not stopping. But it's excruciating to me to ride with people who want to stop frequently or for long periods of time. If I'm going to devote 4 hours of my day to cycling, I'd rather get in 3:50 of ride time rather than 3:00. I don't need much rest, I'm good at eating on the bike, let's move people! Lol.

My limiter is a restroom break and the food/water I can carry on the bike. No idea how long I've ridden without stopping, three hours probably if it's cool out. When I do a long ride, 100-200 miles, I'll carry enough hydration & nutrition to last three hours, so I'm usually planning a stop every 3ish hr.

caloso

Yeah. The ride I do most Saturdays has a regroup after the outbound sprint, but it doesn't really stop. If you need a nature break, you have a chance to do so, but the group is doing a neutral roll and you better get back on before the pace picks up again.

Heathpack 

One of my friend's 16 year old son is a pretty elite junior- he will probably take a couple of golds at junior track nationals next week, has enough points to upgrade to cat 2 on the road (but Dad says no until he actually wins a cat 3 race), he's gotten "letters of interest" from colleges already re: his mountain biking- your basic boy wonder type.

He has done some track racing in Europe, met an elite Dutch kid who wanted to come to California to ride for a month in the winter. This kid was aghast at the level of socializing that occurred on the "serious" group rides here in the states (I'm talking about the local racing guys, although our local scene is actually particularly friendly). He could not fathom the regroups. Eventually, he just did zero group rides- his attitude was if you're out training, you're out training. Not chit chatting, not making friends, not socializing. It was eye-opening for Boy Wonder. Not something he was that interested in emulating, but eye-opening nonetheless.

caloso

If you can't ride without chit chatting, don't go to Europe.

bargeon

Two hours, give or take. I can go farther and longer with a stretch break. And it feels good.

prj71

7 hours and 26 minutes with one 10 minute break. 95 mile gravel race on my fat bike.

dim

on my training route (a dedicated cycle path which is 12 miles one way) .... I do it there and back without stopping ... i.e. 24 mile stretches without stopping .... then I have to stop and pee and normally take a few minutes break

I could do the route twice (48 miles without stopping) if I'm after a strava personal best time