dirtbikedude

I keep reading threads about the miles riders are doing when on the road. So I got to wondering what distance most riders will cover on the road. The people I talk with from the local clubs have beginer/introductory ride that range from 25 to 35 miles. The more advanced groups seem to ride some where between 50 to 100+ mi. For my self, my short and easy rides on the road are at least 48km (about 30mi). How about the rest of you? Also, what determins the length of a ride?
Slainte
Matt

MediaCreations 

I've chosen option 1 but that doesn't really tell the story.

My average ride is just my commute to work which is 13.5 km each way.

However, I ride about 55 km each Saturday morning and a few other times per week when I can.

Then I go on longer rides a couple of times per year where I ride around 100 km a day for about a week.

Then every couple of years I go on a month long trip where I ride around 160 - 170 and up to 200 km a day.

Dutchy

Over the entire year my average is about 45kms/28miles. Most of my rides are usually 40km, with 60-70km a couple times per month and 100kms about 6 times per year. I always ride solo, so 60-70km is generally enough for me, also the terrain is hilly.

CHEERS.

Mark

cyclezealot

If my average ride is not over 25 miles, I do not see the reason to go to the trouble of getting ready.. Often my ride is over 50 miles. Tomorrow will do a 80 miler..

willic

Since I bought a road bike earlier in the year, i find my average trip is increasing at a rate of Knots.

The first month I was doing around 15 miles a ride (April)

Then it increased to 20 miles (June)

And nearing the end of this month it has surged up to over 50 miles including 3 centuries.

Obviously I am putting it down to an increase in fittness level, better stamina. and much improving cycle handling skills + greater flexibility.

The only downside to all this,is, a large weight loss, I was 150 lbs in March , when I checked my weight on returning from the last century ride I weighd in at just 138 lbs, To low for my height , I am begining to look anorexic

LegalIce

For me it's a matter of available time...by the time I get home from work I only have time for 10-15 miles before the rest of the family arrives and I need to help with the kids. I am starting to ride 30+ miles on Saturday mornings, though... It's just a matter of finding 2-3 hours to get the miles in...

Csson

My average so far this year is about 90k. The shortest route I use is 35k, and the longest ride this year was a 300k. I think I have about ten rides in the 150-230k range, and will hopefully get in a few more of these.

Of my 4500k this year, all but the 300k and a recent two-day 400k mini-tour has been solo. Unfortunately, I had neither time or money to do a long distance tour this year .

/Csson

UncaStuart

Checking my bike log, I see I have ridden 78 times since January 1, going 3066mi/4934k, for an average ride of 39mi/63k.

A lot of variety in the types of rides, from a three-miler to pick up stuff at the pharmacy, to 22-mile brunch runs, 60-mile club rides, and centuries and multi-day tours. If I weren't working out of my home, I would probably have more miles but a lower average, from commuting, since in the days when I worked for an organization my one-way varied from 17 to 30 miles.

As far as what determines the distance, when we are on the tandem, my wife pretty much feels cheated if we do less than 36 mi/58k, unless it is one of those brunch or errand-running rides. The club rides usually run between 40 and 60 miles. Last Saturday we rode to the start of a club ride that went over the hill to the coast and back and got in 80mi/128k with 6400f/1950m of climb. However, we live on the San Andreas Rift Zone, so other rides can be miles and miles of rollers up and down the valley.

But like others have mentioned, usually time is the determining factor. If I can adjust my deadlines to have Wednesday off, then I get a long mid-week ride in. Other times, I can only permit myself a shorter ride on Friday with a colleague. If my wife has no meetings, conferences, or other impedimenta, then we ride both days, sometimes with the club, sometimes with one or two friends, sometimes alone.

webist

I've only been at it for about 10 months. I try to make sure I get in an hour each day but will not let it go below 10 miles. Weekends allow for longer rides of course, but our weekend rides involve stops along the way.

Carl

Stor Mand

Generally, my time only allows 10 to 15 miles. My daughter is only little once so time with her is a far greater priority than racking up miles on the bicycle.

Guillermo

I voted 25-35. The best ride here in the city, IMO is the bike path, but it's only 18 or so miles long. I really don't like riding on the street in the city - you have to stop too much, always worrying about cabbies. They don't usually look out for bikes . I really can't stand to ride the path up and down more than twice though, so my usual ride is about 36 miles. I am looking forward to going back to Michigan this fall, as there are some very nice roads around there.

Ouch !

It's about 30 miles on average. If I know it's going to be a 30 mile or less journey then I concentrate on my speed (slowly getting faster).

If it's going to be longer then I worry about just making the distance.

outashape

guillermo,

Where's the nice roads in Michigan?

SteveE

I've just started to squeeze in a couple of weekday rides that cover about 20 mi. The weekend rides are generally in the 50-70 mile range, so I guess that averages out to around 40 miles per ride.

I am in the Bay Area like Unca Stuart, so if I head west I can get a pretty good workout without a lot of miles.

Betta

I try to at least get 25 miles in per ride. Around here the average is about 1000 ft of climbing per every 10 miles...so I feel pretty good about even a 10 mile ride with some serious grade; just to get my heart rate up. I try to get in a long ride once a week. I'll ride about five days a week. I'm very excited because I just watched my computer on my new rode bike hit 1000+ miles. Yeah!!! I would like to get another 1000 in before winter.

Who said they have lost weight?

My group of new rode riders all agreed that we have bulked up...rather than toned down. I'm trying to drop 10 pounds....10 pounds I have put on since I started ONLY cycling.

Ouch !

Betta how heavy are you ?

By nature I'm very thin, and in the winter when I don't cycle much I weigh about 150lbs but as the weather gets better and my time on a bike increases so does my weight, at the moment its 161lbs.

It's one of the reasons why I just bought a roadbike, so when the off-road conditions get to bad in the winter I can still put in the miles on the road and hopefully keep the weight ON !