Hipcycler

I like reading the posts of the different types of riders here. It seems there are some mostly younger guys that are quite serious, fast, and into some racing. That's cool, because I could never do that. I'm not THAT into it all, and at 46 with a career and wife there is only so much time to devote to this.

That's why I think I'm in the other group of people here....a little less serious, but certainly no less committed to training, staying in shape, and loving the bike and your time on it like me.

For those in the second cat. like me, what is your basic routine for the season?
Just wondering how much and how hard you go.

For instance:

I ride my basic 26-mile out and back route 4-5 times a week each morning, averaging 16-17 mph despite lots of intersection stops and some multi-use path portions of the ride.

You?

Retro Grouch 

Sounds to me like you need a coach. It sounds like you do pretty much the same ride every day. That's OK, but you're not going to improve much very quickly. You probably need to put more variety into your program, alternate some absolute killer sprint and hill workouts with some seriously easy rides.

AllieP

I am a 40 year old female rec rider with about the same goals as you. I've lost 63 pounds but gained a whole heck of a lot of good health through riding, nutrition and lifestyle changes over the past 2 years. So what does my routine consist of? I try to ride 3 days a week which usually ends up from 15-22 miles at an average speed of 14-15mph. On weekends I try to get around 30-35 miles with an average speed of 12-14mph. I've been maintaining this for one year. But I agree with what the other guy said. On some days, particularly windy days I shift my route to a place where I am full into the wind and even though the mileage is shorter there (10-12 miles) I really try to up my speed and do intervals. I use windy days for shorter, harder rides. Then if the weather isn't cooperating I weight train a couple days a week at least. VARIETY! Your body, your muscles really get used and adapt fairly quickly to doing the exact same thing day in, day out. At least that's what I've read and been told. I spend a good amount of time plotting out new routes which incorporate more hills or something different than my usual route. I am also working towards my goal of two 50 milers back to back in October. So I've mostly been working on my endurance - not speed. I have no interest in racing either. Just endurance and good health.

Grasschopper

I am 30 going on 31, recovering fat guy. I ride for fun and exercise and have a bunch of different rides I do. There is a 20 mile loop that I like with a couple of climbs. There is a 25 mile loop with one really big climb and then fast decent. There is a 40 mile "fast loop" which is about as flat as you can get here but still isn't flat. There is a 35 mile ride with lots of climbs and there are all sorts of ways to add 5 miles here and 20 miles there. Working up to some of the other longer rides in my area this year.

I ride some of these. but have my own as well and the local centuries (there are 2 or 3 that a lot of people do) aren't on here.

Surferbruce

i'm a rec rider but still try to mix it up. typically a week might look like this:
sunday-40-60 mile endurance ride
monday-easy 10 mile recovery ride (fixed gear)
tuesday-lift weights
wednesday-30-40 mile ride either on or off road(with climbing)
thursday-20 mile tempo(fixed gear) flat
friday-lift weights
saturday-rest day (always work saturdays!)

Ceiliazul

I'm young, but not into racing. For me it's about health and happiness. I'm averaging about 100 miles a week including some nice loops on the Columbia River and some vehicular cycling. This will be my first full season of riding, I'm actually working my way up to several big rides this summer, including Seattle to Portland (STP) in July.

Maybe by the end of this summer I will have changed my outlook. On club rides, people often mention how many newbie kids like me they've seen who suddenly got serious and moved into racing.

bkbroil

I think we're living the same life!

I started doing my out and back route at 15 miles and did this for about 6 months......then the winter hit hard and there was alot of snow on the MUP that I ride....so I equipped my 15 year old Mountain bike with Nokian studded tires and started riding a singletrack course through the forest. Totally different kind of ride than road biking...Not bad, not better.....just very different.... My course was 11 miles..

11 miles on a mountain bike through singletrack with alot of hills is SO much more anaerobic! Anyhoo, I did this all through the winter and now I'm back on the Road bike in the MUP...

Like the others have said...that small change in my routine for approx 2 months has allowed me to jump up to 25 mile daily rides and I've increased my average speed for that ride to 19mph....

When I started riding on the MUP last June, I was the guy everyone passed....now....I'm noticing that I'm the one doing the passing....(but it's still early in the season....and not everyone is out there yet....I'm sure I'll be getting passed before you know it. )

Bolo Grubb

I am 36 and ride for health and fun.

I have lost 35 pounds or so since getting into cycling a year ago

I have several different routes I ride and do everything for a 9 mile ride to a 30 mile ride during the week. On weekends I do anything from 20 miles to 80 mile

oboeguy

30.5, never raced, love bike riding. No consistency in my riding, unfortunately. For example, when commuting to my summer '04 job, I put in 100-140 or more miles per week (including a long ride on Sundays), but most of the spring I hadn't ridden at all. Took a long break in the Fall of going out maybe 1-2 times per week. Now I'm looking to do another century so I'm out almost every day, building mileage per week.

karlfitt

I am 44, I ride three days a week.
I have two 30 mile loops i do, both include some climbing (I am in Colorado after all).
Right now I am working up to my first Century, it will be June 5th.
I started riding again last year in March, so I have been at it a year. Over the winter I had trouble getting in three rides a week. I didn't really loose any weight over the winter, but I didn't slip too far back in fitness cause i also cross country ski.
So in the last 12 months I have lost 25 Lbs, but gained a lot of fitness.
I am still trying to change my eating habbits, I am finding it hard to give up some of my bad habbits, but on the up side, I haven't had McDonalds (or the like) for 6 months.
With the nice weather returning to the area, I will get back on the bike and start shedding the pounds again.

foehn

I, too, am a rec-rider and also like to mix things up. I live on the side of the mountains and some days I ride cross-wise the hills for an hour to an hour and a half. Twice a week I try to go up hills at least two times during my ride for about 1-1/2 miles each time (or longer, depends on where I go--and how fast I want to get back). Once a week I like to go out for distance only, for about 20-25 miles. I will ride for errands, if I have enough time to get back up the hill to my house. I am starting to mix in sprints to help increase my speed on the flats and such.

My latest ride of real length was from our house to a soccer complex in the city of Riverside. It was about 25 miles and I averaged about 16(maybe 17) mph. <sigh!> It was mostly down hill though. . .!

nesdog

Generally, I ride for the health and fun of it. Last summer I rode to work (28 miles rt) once a week. As the days get longer, I'll be starting that up again, especially if gas goes to $3 per gallon!

Weekend rides average anywhere from 20-40 miles. I add in two 3-4 mile runs per week on the high school track where I work and generally a 2000 yard swim. No, not really interested in doing Tri's, just cross-training because it breaks the boredom and feels better on my body. Now training for my first century, I've dropped the runs off for the next 6 weeks.

We got my wife a new road bike a couple of months ago so she can join me now, as well as our 10 year old. Same issues as you, of course. Work, family, et al. I'm 51.


Sheldon

terrymorse 

Well, we're the same age, married, and we've both had hip work done. I may ride more miles than you do, but I don't consider myself serious. I dabble with a race when it looks like the race will be fun. It's all about the enjoyment for me. Hammering up a long climb -- that's fun.

I ride about 20 hours per week, a little more when I'm getting ready for a long event, a little less when the weather's bad.

'nother

35, do about 100-150 miles/week which amounts to about 6-10 hours. Looking to get 5,000 miles under my wheels this calendar year (right at 1200 so far).

Not into racing and have no intentions of ever doing one (that doesn't mean I don't goose my riding partners into a little friendly sprint every now and again -- I'm just not into the whole racing mystique and culture).

I prefer to ride alone or in very small groups (less than 5 people).

I don't "train" rigorously, but I do have an informal general program that I follow most of the time. But I'm not a slave to it; if a buddy wants to do a ride that doesn't fit the program, the program gets the boot, not the ride

squeegy200

Im 43 and a recreational rider.

I try to maintain 100 miles per week. Usually by riding on the weekends and a midweek ride after work. In between I spend on a stationary trainer using some sort of workout DVD.

My training goals have no definitive object in mind except enjoyment of the experience and the occasional race or organized ride.

I've done time trials, Centuries, Adventure races, and am now exploring the idea of a team 24 hour race.

I mix up my weekly rides to include climbing and vary my routes to keep it interesting. I'm fortunate, because I usually can easily find a riding partner on any of my routes to accompany me. Even on the trainer! That really makes the difference in my consistency.

mnutini

39, I do about 100 miles a week.

I just started in Sept so I'm trying to get my speed and skills up while dropping pounds. My goal this year is to do a century or two, maybe a double. I like long rides.

I have a plan and personal goals, but it comes down to enjoyment. I'd sooner shave my ears than my legs.

platypus

I'm 33, a recovering fat guy, and most of my milage is logging on my 28 mile (rt) commute, averaging about 15-16mph. On the weekends i like to mix it up by going out for hard rides up into the hills (still working on being able to climb all the way up moody rd). I'm slow as heck but i love riding (and it's a lot cheaper than the car racing I used to do for fun!).

Uphill Battle

41 and currently fat. Ride like a dog. Early on this year doing 20 T 20 Th 35 Sa 40+Su. Putting in time and changing up tempo. Climbing and flats. Hanging at LT for 30 minutes.Still haven't lost a pound. My legs are getting bigger though. I'm sure it's cause I keep shoving stuff in the ol' pie hole. Ride most days to and from work also. (Only 3m RT)

snowy

I'm 30 years old, soon to be 31 YIPPIE!!! A girl roadie and I ride whatever miles my partner tells me I'm gonna ride. All I have to say IS CROSS-TRAIN, CROSS-TRAIN, CROSS-TRAIN. I'm pretty fit I think, but I have always workout and just doing one thing all the time is NOT going to make you better. You have to push pass your thresh-hold point.

spinhappy

Snowy, what else do you do? I'm 49, just started riding in the last few months. Do 1-2 spin classes a week, 2 class of weightlifting (light weights, 5-12 pound range, crunches, lunges, etc.), then ride on the weekends usually 20-25 miles at the time.

I'm thinking about Pilates because my legs and arms are getting stronger, but I think my core is weakest link in the chain.

snowy

Spinhappy it sounds like you are getting lots of stuff in. Do you do any upperbody weightlifting?? This too is important. Keep doing your classes and such, but do increase your weight some when you do your weightlifting. If you can't feel it and your not sweating then its time to increase some weight. I'm not saying do it to where you feel pain, but you do want to feel like you are getting a workout.

The biggest problem people have is that they get comfortable with what their doing and they never change it.

terrymorse 

Don't belittle a 15-16 mph average. That's either respectable, or I'm slower than I think I am. Today's ride was crusing with some old riding buddies through Los Altos and Portola Valley, then I broke off to do some hill work (Old La Honda East, Kings Mountain, Old La Honda West), then home. 60 miles, 5079 ft., 15.4 mph average. I wasn't racing, but I wasn't noodling, either.

ks1g

49.75 here , got back into cycling 2 years ago and really got going last year (1st century, about 2,300 miles total for the year). Plan to ride 3 centuries and work up to about 3K miles this year. I get miles in commuting to work (11 miles round trip, can add about 15 more if I take the "long way home") 2-3 times a week, and I try to do a long ride (2-3 hrs) on weekends as the weather improves. No racing, but I hope to get faster so I can eventually keep up with the local club's weeknight "B" hammerfests instead of getting dropped at mile 3! Obligations to wife and kids put limits on my time on the bike (although I'll be doing a week long bike trip with my son and his Scout troop this summer and my daughter likes riding with me to the local Dairy Queen). And my wife appreciates my being in the best shape I've been in years (now if I could just get her riding...).

ggg300

31 yrs old. I have been riding off and on as of 1996 or so. I just got done with law school and passed the CA bar so my life is more steady again. I do DVD training at 6am in the morining for 45-55 min and at night for 45-70 mins every day but friday now. I try and do at least 40-90 mile hilly type rides on the weekends with friends and family. This year I want to do a lot of events and I think I'll race in a year or so. I'm thinking about rollers or a fixed gear to improve more. I'm just really into it.

CAAD5AL

I'm 37, raced as a junior and a little in college, then discovered beer and mostly mountain biked and did an organized century or two each year, with occasional years where I'd get into it and maybe log 3,000 or so. Most of the time, though, biking was something I did when I had time, or just wanted to go have some fun, and considered my serious days behind me. Last year I got back into the swing of it after a career change and I'm totally hooked again, and actually renewed my license (if you can call it that after 15+ years, I guess "got a new one" is more like it) and have about a half dozen or so events planned. I'm currently getting in about 12 hours a week, and following a program to keep me honest and interested.