Why not bonus miles?
 

OK, hang with me on this one as I attempt to build an argument.
I just got back from a tough ride. Just above freezing with wind gusting up to 25 mph. Four layers of clothing and still feeling cold riding into the wind. As I was headed into the home stretch, I thought the ride felt four to five miles longer than it was. This triggered the following:

1. If pros in the major tours earn extra time for top place finishes or other "incentives" during a given stage, why shouldn't I earn extra miles for especially difficult rides?

2. Everyone knows that circulation begins to slow once past 50 and this results in a whole host of disadvantages when it comes to performance in cold weather. Not the least of which is a serious reduction in motivation.

3. So, 50+ riders should be able to add one extra mile for each 20 miles ridden when the temp and/or wind chill factor go 10 degrees below freezing. (This is only a suggested formula. It is open to debate and review by other 50+ members.)

4. Disqualification would occur should the rider take in any performance enhancing substance during the ride. Hence, a stop for coffee and blueberry pie would wipe out any extra miles that might have been earned. (Or tea and biscuits.)

here's an example of the variance in wattage and caloric burn as a temperature variable is applied. Air density is higher and requires greater wattage, as does temperature regulation for the body.
http://xs110.xs.to/xs110/06494/Calctemp1.jpg
http://xs110.xs.to/xs110/06494/Calcremp2.jpg
72℉ = 83% of the effort of -25℉ as the images indicate
http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm

Wind is another wattage variable as well. Play with the site and see your results!

Few faults in your argument

4> pie is a part of the bike ride and in fact a bonus should be earnt for 2 or more pieces

3> We are all over 50- except for a couple of honorary members- so age should not be a consideration. Unless you are riding with mere younsters of 40 or so- and then they should be made to pay for your pie.

1> Bonus points should only be gained when you have played dirty and worn out the younger riders with your antics to slow them down to your pace or worn them out so that they can no longer go at your pace. Good ways of doing this are continually drafting them so they do all the hard work except for the last 3 miles or so when they are absolutely shattered and you have to give them a tow.(They only remember the end of a ride)-- pointing out to them that it appears that their back wheel has a wobble, or is it the tyre. This mentally attacks them so they worry about the bike and come off the pace a bit. I am sure there are other ways to "Knobble" the fituns but I know these two work.

Now number 2 I can agree with to an extent. The main problem being the extremities of the hands and feet and What I find works is that I go out with my summer gloves right from the strat of the ride. I immediately start moaning about how cold my hands are und it is not long before one of the riders gives in and offers to swop gloves with you for his Polar Full mitts with the heated panels in them. This immediately puts one of the opposition to rest as he can't ride with no feeling in his fingers.
As to motivation-You only have to think of DG and he only stops riding when it snows. If he can go for a ride today, without worrying about how cold it is, Then so should the rest of us.

Those Inclement weather rides are hard- but the ideal situation in which to build your reputation as a real Cyclist. A little bit of 30mph wind or 2" of rain per hour just add to the kudos of an git on a bike that rides all the time.

By the way- Crying off next sundays ride as I have a sore toe and it might get aggravated when I hit that 20% hill with a 30mph headwind and the horizontal rain into my face.

So, does your logic apply to us folks who regularly ride in 100+ degrees in summer
All these 'hardships' build character.
A mile is a mile is a mile . . . now smile!!!

You must round up your mileage? Just kidding. Of course it is harder to ride in those conditions and your body will benefit or maybe suffer from it. Your buring more calories just trying to stay warm. Did a nice 36 miler the other day. 25 mph wind and my feet felt like they were frostbitten. Should I log it in as a 40 or 50 mile ride, no but I feel better just knowing I'm back home warm and safe after the ride. Additionally come spring I'll be ready to keep up with the big dogs.

Being an accountant, I follow the good old GAAP principle of conservatism. I always round DOWN my kilometrage just so I know I've done the kilometers, just in case the computer is reading high. So if the computer says 19.85 km, I record 19 km. The only exception might be if the computer reads higher than .98, then I just might round up. So at the end of the year, there's always a discrepancy between my recorded kilometers and the odometer. Like last year, I booked 19,000 km, but the computers added together were over 20,000.

This sometimes leads to dysfunctional behavior. Like if I see 19.75 km as I'm approaching home, and I know I've got .15 km to my front door, I just might ride past the house and make a u-turn another fifty meters down the road just so I'll get a reading one km higher.

It would probably make more sense just to round, but to use .6 km (instead of .5) as the mid-point to account for the computer error.

- L.

NOS88,

I think your plan is a great idea. No need to make it so complicated--- guys! When I snow shoe I always increase the recorded miles by a factor of how much fresh snow is on the trail. If any of you have snow shoed, you know what I mean!

I hereby officially award you 50 extra miles to be used in any way you might like. If you need more official miles, please let me know.

Go ahead and "fool"yourself. if you think "making up" training result information makes you a better rider - go for it.

I often estimate what my trainer mileage would equal in "real" mileage, but I never add it to my mileage log. However "time spent" training logs keeps track of how much work I do overall.........

Just track you training time, quit screwing with "made up" mileage which serves no training purpose.

How about bonus points for towing a child?

Paul

How about getting extra miles for putting a lot of effort into making sure one's logged all one's miles. That's worth something! ;)

Usually just spin the front wheel to get the mileage up to the desired point.

I need another 264 official miles please.

You got 'em

Plenty more where that came from.

Hey NOS88 - why don't you change the setting on your computer so you get more miles for each spin of the wheel. That's the easiest way.

Sorry, folks. I guess once I got past 65, I just can't take this stuff very seriously.

Anywat, it is 62F here and the wife and I are going to do a few "easy" miles on the bikes. Do they count less?

Hey, How come its 62 in Parker? Let some of that warm air head my way! I checked out some local roads today and there are still some ice patches.

On the bonus miles, claim what you want. I cannot see what difference it makes except for general bragging. But, since my last trainer ride was so difficult, I think I rode 50 miles in 1hour and 20 minutes. I'll log that.

Well, according to the weather service, it is now 53F. And the 62F was off of my car thermometer. [EDIT: I just checked the weather service records and it was 57F when I left] It is likely wrong. Anyway, had a great 20 miler, and just a couple of patches of ice right where I expected them - on the shady side of the bridge underpasses,

If I set the whatzit to kph, can I still count it as miles?

No extra Miles !!! Its your fault you dont live in Southern California !!! On second thought take all the extra miles you want. Its getting overcrowded here anyway. Iwont ride when its under 55, raining, Santa ana Winds or if my neighbor's cat does doodie on my lawn...still managing to get close to 7000 miles for the year