Surfer34

My average ride is about 2 - 2 1/2 hours long for overall time. On my last ride my overall time was 2:22 and my moving time was 2:14 so I "rested" for 8 minutes which was actually stopping 4 times for 2 minutes each.

My friend just did a ride that 101 miles and his moving time was 8:40 and overall time was 10:05.

WickedThump

I stop at least once per hour to check my blood sugar levels. Thats about a 5 minute break.

wahoonc

Depends...

I can ride for 2 hours straight with no stops. Or I can ride from the house to the grocery store which is a 15 minute ride and have to stop at least 3 times.

When riding longer distances I usually ride for 45 minutes to an hour then take a short stretch break. If something catches my attention, like a brew pub, desert store or ice cream shop all bets are off.

Aaron

chasm54

I don't stop to rest. I stop to get food or drink or to relieve myself, but I get back on the bike before I've had a chance to cool down. And, of course, I'll get stopped by red lights or traffic at intersections, but they are pauses rather than stops.

To give an accurate answer I've looked at the data from an organised century I do most years. I spent 6 hours 30 minutes on the bike, and my overall ride time was 6:45, so in all I spent about fifteen minutes at the feed stations. That's slightly longer than I would have expected.

mprelaw

Up to about a metric, a pee break every 2 hours or so gives me all the rest I need. On anything longer, I'll take 5 minutes or so off the bike to have some solid food, like a PB&J sandwich.

Machka 

As you've discovered ... it depends.

It depends on what kind of ride I want to do. It depends on how I'm feeling. It depends on how long the ride is. It depends on what I need in the way of supplies and facilities.

a1penguin

Where do you find rides that long that don't have stop lights/stop signs? I rest as much as I need to rest, but my rides are usually 40 miles or less. I almost always stop for an iced latte 6 miles from home :-)

Machka 

You'd have to cycle about 75 km to find a stop light around here.

Looigi

I generally don't rest at all. Most rides up to 60 miles I don't stop except as necessary for traffic or when cold to pee, or hot to refill bottles. On organized centuries etc with aid stops, I'll stop no longer than necessary to grab a bite, refill bottles and pee maybe at 35 miles and 70 miles. I find that anything more than 10-15 minutes out of the saddle makes my legs get sluggish.

Of course there are some rides that are more social, sightseeing, or touring oriented where stopping is more common and of longer duration.

mprelaw

Yup. If I'm off the bike for even 5 minutes, I find that it takes me a little time to get my legs working right again. Some of it may be age related. I'm closing in on 60.

On an organized century, depending on how far apart the rest stops are, I might only hit every other one. But it's usually grab whatever they're serving for food, stuff it in the jersey to eat enroute, re-fill the liquids, and back on the bike.

caloso

If I were wearing Depends I wouldn't have to stop at all.

TomCat_Ford

I usually stop about every hour or so to eat a banana or a protein bar (for less than 5 minutes). Because of my high metabolism, I have to eat something more often than your average cyclist from what I can tell on this forum. I once made the mistake of not eating enough during a ride and I barely made it home--the last five miles were absolutely horrendous.

As an aside, I only stop because I don't feel confident enough to peal a banana while riding.

krobinson103

Anything under 30 miles and I stop only to drink. On a 90 mile ride I won't stop at all on the first half (other than to drink or refill the bottle from the supply in the backpack. On the second half I get hungry so I stop every 30 minutes or so to drink and eat some rice crackers.

If there is something interesting to see I'll go and check it out. Its not a race and the routes I choose to ride are always very pretty so for 5 hours riding I'll end up with about an hour off the bike. I usually stop for 20 minutes or so at the midpoint and eat a few sandwiches and fruit. Once I get to the last few miles bets are off. If there happens to be a good icecream shop on the way I'll usually go there. If I can't eat an icecream after 85 miles whats the point?

alexaschwanden

I stop if needed for food or drink.

chasm54

Why do you need to stop to drink? Or to eat, for that matter?

caloso

If you can peal a banana, it is probably not ripe enough to eat.

mprelaw

Mine only peal when they're frozen.

TomCat_Ford

Fair enough, but you know what I meant. (It's no wonder threads on this forum get derailed so easily...)

DataJunkie

Rarely unless I am riding with a group.

GamblerGORD53

I'm like the OP friend then. 95 /110 mile ride days are 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours moving and 10 to 13 hours total.
I'm 58 and i'm lucky if my non-weenie bike is less than 43 lbs. with 3 water bottles, tools, extra clothes,etc. I take all day on purpose and choose towns to visit along the way. After carefull consideration of avoiding head winds, If I'm tired I will putter in the small towns and or stop and snack. I go about 25 miles and have a burger lunch. DQ mmmm Where I want supper (an hour +)dictates how far/ fast I go in the afternoon.
My biggest problem is how sore my bum gets, and I do have a newer brooks flyer. So usually an early supper and head for home with likely 1 stop for pie and then 10+ miles in my big city. It's mostly downhill and downwind on the way home. Some of these rides I barely see anyone else on a bicycle down the highway.

This year I UP- graded to a SA XL-RD5w.
It puts my hybrid 3x8 derailer to shame.

krobinson103

Because I have a bottle that requires removal of the cap and I haven't figured out a safe way to twist it off and ride at the same time. All my food is stashed in my backpack and removing that while riding would be foolish. Also I always choose scenic spots to stop at and usually take photos. If it takes longer I don't care. Who am I racing with? I suppose I could ride no hands, but I don't enjoy doing that.

chasm54

That must be a pain. Buy a bottle that you can drink from through the nozzle. Most of them are dirt cheap. And ditch the backpack, you'll be amazed how much nicer it is to ride without one. You can get ample food for a longish ride in the rear pockets of a jersey.

The Chemist

When I rode my first (and so far only) imperial Century last summer, my riding time was about 6.5 hours, but my total time was nearly 9 hours. I tend to stop every 15-20km or so to eat a banana and drink some Gatorade on summer rides when the humidity is high and I'm sweating like crazy. In the winter/spring/autumn I can go a lot further without stopping, though.

caloso

Sorry. I'd just finished editing a report when I read this and my typo glasses were still on.