I was just wondering how much planning goes into your rides? In the 3 months I've been hanging around I have read threads where people talk about they just head out without a plan "oh I'll just head north" or one thread talking about they don't mind getting lost!

DON"T MIND GETTING LOST...are you kidding I fear getting lost!

First I have to admit I have the world worst sense of direction and can't tell you how many times I picked the way. My smart phone has been a big help but I can even still mess up using it.

A little catch up I just turned 57 two weeks ago and just returned to cycling about 3 months ago. I needed to lose some weight and have always loved riding it's fun exercise. I have lost 15lb in the 3 month of riding and eating right. I purchased a Cannondale hybrid Quick, you know someone at a LBS told me this is a fitness bike not meant to be road for more then 25 miles. And that what I did at first, would throw it in the car go to the local bike path and do 15 -25 miles. Well now I have been venturing out. I'm riding up to the bike paths and back, my big rides are up to 45-50 miles and would like to even do more. But since 50 is a lot to me I NEED TO KNOW WHERE I'M GOING. and what I'm going to encounter as in big hills. I have my friends or sons drop me and the bike off places and I ride back. Now I sent for a MTA bike permit.

I research maps, use Google bike direction, I go ride segments of the ride with the bike and make sure I know all the connectors, not all the paths are so well marked. Once I've been through an area well no problem but I'm always wanting to go new places.

I need a plan, and a destination winging it doesn't work for me.

So do you plan or wing it?

I've always just headed out for a ride. I check the weather (rain, wind, temps) before leaving but that's about it.

I hate planning my rides. I typically just go out and randomly pick directions. I know the surrounding area well so getting lost is not a concern.

I did 90 miles that way a few weeks ago. I discovered many new roads/hills that way.

I do both. Once a week I do a long ride around a century. These days all I do is try and be back on roads i know before dark. Getting lost with shorter run times on my headlight was annoying in the middle of nowhere. Now I have enough light time with me and back up headlight and tail lights. I have enough light to make it until dawn. That is very reassuring. I still bring a map and a compass. Been a long time since I have used either one. On new roads, at some intersections that I will be coming back through in the dark, I turn around in the day light and look at the intersection to be sure I can recognize it in the dark on the way home. Only been lost once this year, and, soon I found a road I knew for the way home.

I don't plan much, but ride in a rural area where I know all the roads so I really couldn't get lost if I tried.

Not much planning unless in training for an agressive group ride. I bike right out my front door and get all the riding that is needed for that (hills and hills).

Otherwise, on a regular schedule I only plan from one ride to the next on what's needed.

I'm with the OP - if I don't already know the area, I plan day-long rides and overnight tours meticulously, using Google Maps, Street View, etc., putting all the info onto a spread sheet, along with mileages and estimated times. My info sheet will even have bus and ferry schedules, nearby motels, restaurants, bike shops, alternate routes, etc.

The groups I ride with always have a plan (kinda need to in case we get separated ... we know where to hook up). But when I ride myself, I pretty much follow my whims.

"A good traveler has no plans, and is not intent on arriving." ~ Lao Tzu

That's what I would say if I was trying to get you to buy a more expensive bike.

As my rides are rarely longer than 40 miles I don't bother planning them, other than having a rough idea of the sort of route I can do in the time available.

Perhaps I ought to plan more - a couple of years ago I set out to do a century, but after a couple of spontaneous route changes I later found out I'd only ridden 98 miles!

Sometimes I plan, sometimes not. But If it's an unplanned ride I make sure I have water, food, phone, and cash. Also, now that smartphones with map access are a thing, I'm a little more daring, and can choose an alternate, safer route if I find myself in a bike UN-friendly traffic situation.

Ain't that the truth....

My wife and I are doing a 2+ month self supported tour of Eastern Europe starting next moth. We will start in Copenhagen, and have 6 countries we want to visit; but other than that we have only the first 4 days' route planned. However, with our track record that will likely change. A few years ago we were starting a 3 month tour in Lisbon, Portugal, and only had the first day, leaving the city, planned. That plan changed when we were buying ferry tickets, and the clerk showed us a better route.

We do put a little more effort into our annual 1-2 week tours with our daughters: "The Girl's Tour". They both have limited time off work, and we need to be a little more structured than normal. We also want them to have an enjoyable experience so they will do it again next year.

This was a windy answer to a short question. No, we don't put a lot of effort into planning our rides, even our recreational rides near home. However, we do plan enough to have a map and a rough idea of our intended route. With the new phones it is all but impossible to get lost for very long.

Not working still happy with my choice. The last bike I owned was a road bike with friction shifters on the down tube. I'm enjoying the more relaxed ride and thumb sifters. The 70x32's handle the dirt sections of MUP's and yes use my 28 in the front for big hills. I put effort into my riding but will stop and take pictures of interesting things I pass. I changed the saddle to one with a split in the middle and more padding and put on Click R pedals.

WOW is there such a thing as a getting lost phobia....lol

I personally don't need much in the way of planning. Even if I'm riding in an unfamiliar area, just keeping track of the cardinal directions via the position of the sun* and, if available, the most basic landmarks (a river, highway, mountain, etc.) is enough for me.

But if that's not your way, then I suggest studying routes on mapmyride.com and ridewithgps.com. You can even print out cue sheets from these and take them with you.

* A few years ago I was in Australia for a time, and i really had no clue about the local geography. I didn't mind- I was able to figure out how to get home for the most part. BUT, when I first arrived, I could not get it through my head that the sun was in the NORTH at noon. That really screwed me up.

I plan almost all of my rides. Unless they are rides I use for training and I have done them several times.

If I am going to "explore" a new area I will sometimes load the ride into my Garmin so it will be pretty hard to get lost.

I hope this doesn't sound pedantic, but why not just do an out and back? Doing loops is always more interesting, but if getting lost is a source of stress, go half the distance you care to on that day, and then turn around.

I'm like the OP. I'm almost 58, have just started riding after 20yrs+ and am almost always focused on having a plan. Not because I'm afraid of getting lost, but because I want to know what to expect. I need to know the weather sure, but also approximate distances, routes and thinking through likely traffic situations. It's not a bad thing to be prepared, and I also let my family know where I'm going and when I might be expected back. It's just being considerate of others.

Rain ruined my plan for today's ride so I'm hanging out.

Yes I started with cyclemeter but have now started checking out mapmyride also downloaded a google map app.
For now I have mounted a Sigma bike computer but might mount my smart phone. You can read pages till your eyes fall out in the sub forums on the subject.

Out and backs are ok, loops are a little more fun. Guess I like touring around

Yeap agree 100%

I'm a real beginner and am out for my first 2hr+ ride tomorrow. Might not surprise you to know I've got some new bike shorts, looked into food/drink, mapped my route on Google and told it to my wife. Never know where I might sag so if she's looking she'll know where to find me. Wish me luck on my planned route.

Good luck and enjoy the ride.
I wear the shorts, the right tool for the right job. Extra padding don't hurt and it soaks up sweat you don't want to be rubbing and get saddle sores.

I've lived in my area for 54 years, I couldn't get lost if I wanted to.