Do you keep a log?
 

We started keeping a log of our rides to keep track of our trainning and progress as a team. We include max speed, avg speed, distance and time in the saddle. I have also put notes as to the weather, wind, and terrain. I feel this will give us an idea as to when we will be ready for some longer tours. Does anyone else do this or am I just getting way too into it?

Check out the thread Do You Keep A Training Log?

Since I bought a tandem I have been interested in just historical records. Just for the heck of it. I have a spreadsheet on my PC at work so I can send you a copy of it if you are interested.

Hi,
This is from an old thread, but I though it may be a good one to bring up again. It's great to keep a log. It's also a good idea to make note of temperature and other significant weather conditions...AND the clothes you wore and whether they were appropriate for the ride. That way, when you encounter similar conditions, you'll know what to wear. Also, food info, for the same reasons... OHB

The HAC 4 that I use on our tandem downloads all the ride data to the Hactronic and Ciclotrainer software on my laptop. I dump it about once a week and it allows me to go back and compare (actually overlay graphs or look at data tables) previous efforts on the same route with current ones. You can compare your HRM, speed, cadence, etc.. as well as the ambient temperature and any other data that you decided to manually enter into the record, e.g., weight, resting HR, how you felt in three data boxes as well as a free form text box.

They're not cheap, but it reduces the time involved with doing manual spreadsheets and record to a mindless download effort, file save, file import, and file save. It all **** all your HRM performance, vertical feet gained, and a few other interesting pieces of data by week, month, and year so that you can know in an instant how many miles you rode in the last 12 months as well as how many vertical feet you climbed.

Debbie's Polar S720i has similar features but I do my occasional analysis with the Ciclosport products.

Have kept a log on distances and repair/replacements on riding tandem since 1975.
It is nice to be able to refer to some of that when writing an article. I also keep a diary . . . and have kept one when since the '50s. Most of them are still around and filed away, but can come in handy when trying to verify something.

We use The blank but outlined log book "Bicycling Notes" by The Mountaineers.
They publish a few note taking helpers for stuff like hiking, biking, canoeing photography etc....

For us it's not a training log, it is just trivial ride information book.

In our ride log book we just enter in our longer rides, rallies and charity rides.
When we enter a rides data, we do total time, riding time, distance, average & maximum speed, total vertical gain and a brief ride description and then anything else that was interesting or note-worthy.

It has been very helpful on planning outings when we can look back and see just how long certain rides take, when we broke a chain, changed brake pads, made adjustments etc....

We like doing the log book, but we don't always use it. YMMV

Have Fun,
John
Cannondale mtn tandem, Tsunami road tandem

30 years ago when I first started riding, I kept a log. I don't do that anymore. I don't even have a functioning computer on my tandem.

I've been keeping a cycling log since I started biking in 1989. Each year I ride, I simply open up my last riding season's log in Excel, blank it out, and start over for the new season.

I reallly enjoy comparing where I am in the current season with where I was in past seasons. I include not only bike information, but also my weight, temperature, riding conditions, road conditions, etc.

It's great info ... and I don't mind taking 30 seconds to log it each evening.

Yes. I got a cheap 5 or 10 dollar one off palm.com. I really just like keeping tabs on my monthly and quartely miles, jsut for the fun of it.