further

When you head out on a ride do you stick to a route or two, or do you take whatever turn strikes your fancy? I have a couple routes I ride regularly as a benchmark of how my condition is but also like to try new roads or the same road from the other direction. I'm lucky to live in an area with a lot of rural, low traffic roads. Drivers in this area have become much more aware of, and polite toward, cyclists, which also helps.

BSLeVan

I tend to do both. However, when the ride is a planned training ride, the route is pre-determined to create the desired effect for that session. My rest and recovery days tend to be more exploratory in nature.

Floyd

I, too, live in small town america with not much traffic and that what is, is friendly... so I do not 'have to' pick and choose where I ride...that being said there are some major streets that I usually ride, however even though I may have a route in mind, in the middle it can be changed ona whim... don't know if you have seen a whim lately, they are easy to find if one is distracted.
peace

wrafl

My curiousity sometimes take me out of my usual planned route. And that add more miles to my ride for that day. It usually gives you a variety of routes and new challenges when you do this on a whim.

Terrierman

Lately it seems like I do more wandering. Which is more fun. And sometimes gives the ride a frickin big hill that you didn't know was there.

Digital Gee

I have a 5 mile or so ride, when I've only got a half hour to squeeze something in. I have a ten mile, a fifteen mile, a twenty mile, and a twenty five mile route. I have two different 18 mile routes. All of these can be varied as much as I want, but I usually find myself choosing a route I haven't done in a while, and doing it again.

maddmaxx 

There are planned routes but the best days are head out and decide as the spirit moves me.

The Weak Link

I can get lost in a phone booth. The Garmin tells me where I can and can't go.

freeranger

Unless I'm riding with The Weak Link, I seldom have a route preplanned. Have a general area I'll start in & go from there. And I ride so that I can take any number of ways back, so distance can vary depending on how my ride is going. And even with the Garmin, I'm not so sure TWL is sure about where he's headed, either!

MichiganMike

Little of both for me. I have some routes I do from my house. I tend to wander though if something looks interesting. I am usually looking for a set number of miles so I am not picky how I get them.

BluesDawg

I probably have more routes and variations of routes drawn out than anyone in this county. Most of them come from looking at maps and picking out roads to try riding or from seeing a side road and riding down it to see where it goes. I usually head out with a plan of where I'll be riding, but I often change plans as the ride progresses. If I have all day available, there's no telling where I'll end up. When I have some place to be later, I stick closer to the plan.