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What do you think are short, average and long rides?

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What do you think are short, average and long rides?

Old 05-19-07, 08:49 AM
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What do you think are short, average and long rides?

I just got back from a 33 mile loop (just over 2 hours) around your nation's capital and realized that I now consider that distance an average ride. To me a short ride is under an hour (14-17 miles) and anything over 50 (3 hours) as long. How do other 50+ BF's categorize the length of their rides? Inquiring minds, etc.
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Old 05-19-07, 08:54 AM
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I'll go with your definitions.
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Old 05-19-07, 09:06 AM
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Amazingly, that's about how I look at riding these days too, but with 40+ still being "longer" to me.
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Old 05-19-07, 09:08 AM
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That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100
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Old 05-19-07, 09:41 AM
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To me it's a sliding scale.

A short ride is one in which I didn't feel challenged. Average is when I got it right and long means I had to struggle for the last few miles.

The reality is that it's all mental. If I'm mentally prepared for a 30 mile ride, 25 seems short and 35 seems long. If I'm psyched to do a 50 mile ride, 35 feels like nothing.
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Old 05-19-07, 10:25 AM
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All I know is, if I'm almost home, 18 inspires me to take a long cut to do 20, whereas 26 can lead to 30, and so on.
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Old 05-19-07, 11:41 AM
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Originally Posted by BluesDawg
That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100
Sounds about right for the MTB, Still have top find my distances on the road bike but it appears that

short= 20 miles
20-40 is moderate
40- 60 is average
and anything over 100 is a bl**dy long way.
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Old 05-19-07, 12:41 PM
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Originally Posted by BluesDawg
That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100
I agree with that assessment. Was on a nice ride this morning (on a Dahon D7) but was cut short by a flat. Managed to put only 7.7 miles but I was lucky, I was just a little over a mile from home. Rushed to the LBS for a quick repair but by the time it was all done, it was midday and decided to call it a day. Will try again tomorrow morning.
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Old 05-19-07, 01:45 PM
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Depends on the percentage of the ride spent climbing hills-at least for me!
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Old 05-19-07, 03:15 PM
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Short: 0 - 4 miles
Medium: 4 - 14 miles
Long: 6 - 14 miles
Very Long: over 14 miles

If towing my daughter on her Trail-A-Bike (70 pounds of child and trailer) or trailer with groceries, all rides move up one cartegory

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Old 05-19-07, 03:17 PM
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Short = 25
Medium = 50
long = 100+
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Old 05-19-07, 03:22 PM
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I judge ride length by duration, not mileage. That tends to compensate for windy or hilly conditions.

Short < 1 hr.
Medium > 1 hr and < 2.5 hrs
Long > 2.5 hrs
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Old 05-19-07, 03:40 PM
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Originally Posted by NotAsFat
I judge ride length by duration, not mileage. That tends to compensate for windy or hilly conditions.

Short < 1 hr.
Medium > 1 hr and < 2.5 hrs
Long > 2.5 hrs
I like this idea. I'm going to start thinking about my rides this way.
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Old 05-19-07, 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted by stapfam
Sounds about right for the MTB, Still have top find my distances on the road bike but it appears that

short= 20 miles
20-40 is moderate
40- 60 is average
and anything over 100 is a bl**dy long way.

+1, I don't have enough time to do a 100. I find 40 a good day.
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Old 05-19-07, 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by stapfam
Sounds about right for the MTB, Still have top find my distances on the road bike but it appears that

short= 20 miles
20-40 is moderate
40- 60 is average
and anything over 100 is a bl**dy long way.

Yep except I rarely do under 10.

And if I have to do over a hundred it will be kicking and screaming, not sure about that bl**dy part.
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Old 05-19-07, 06:57 PM
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As many of you know I don't ride that often during the week but the rides tend to get sort of long when I do-so:

Short: <40
Medium: 40-75
Long: >110
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Old 05-19-07, 07:19 PM
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+1 on time
Short - < 2 hrs
Med - 3-5 hrs
Long - >5 hrs
Bl**dy Long - Any ride with head or cross winds >10mph
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Old 05-19-07, 08:10 PM
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That sounds about right to me. Maybe an extra category like so:
short - 0-15
moderate - 15-30
average - 30-50
long - 50-100

This is about right to me too but the 0-15 is a shopping errands run.
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Old 05-19-07, 08:27 PM
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I dunno. I tend to measure my rides in terms of height climbed. I think a 40 miler on the flats would be easier than 15 miles going up Mt. Mitchell.

Here are my criteria:
Short -- less than 1000' climbed.
Medium -- Less than 2000' climbed.
Long -- greater than 2000' climbed.

Also, I've noticed that climbing up hills is the only time I'm really willing to suffer when I ride, probably because I can't get up hills any other way. That's why I'm developing some sort of weird sado-masochist attraction to hill work. Next thing you know, I'll probably buy a pair of leather bibshorts.
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Old 05-20-07, 06:20 PM
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Originally Posted by PaulH
Short: 0 - 4 miles
Medium: 4 - 14 miles
Long: 6 - 14 miles
Very Long: over 14 miles

If towing my daughter on her Trail-A-Bike (70 pounds of child and trailer) or trailer with groceries, all rides move up one cartegory

Paul
I'm glad someone else rides like me. Except I wouls say long = 15-35, and anything over 35 is very long.
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Old 05-20-07, 07:17 PM
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Originally Posted by NotAsFat
I judge ride length by duration, not mileage. That tends to compensate for windy or hilly conditions.

Short < 1 hr.
Medium > 1 hr and < 2.5 hrs
Long > 2.5 hrs
I've been thinking about that and it just doesn't work for me because it ranks intensity backwards. I have a 14 mile loop I do sometimes when I want to get in a ride but don't have time for a longer ride. I consider it a short ride. It is mostly gently rolling with one hard hill about 1/2 mile long.
If I ride it hard, it takes me about 50 to 55 minutes. If I take it easy it takes a little over an hour. So it would be a medium ride if I rode it easy and a short ride if I rode it hard. So I consider difficulty seperately from distance. Short is short. No matter how fast or how hilly.

Not that it matters worth a hill of beans.
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Old 05-20-07, 07:22 PM
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Short rider - under 5 feet tall
Medium rider - 5-6 feet tall
long rider - 6 feet or higher
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Old 05-20-07, 07:22 PM
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Originally Posted by The Weak Link
I dunno. I tend to measure my rides in terms of height climbed. I think a 40 miler on the flats would be easier than 15 miles going up Mt. Mitchell.

Here are my criteria:
Short -- less than 1000' climbed.
Medium -- Less than 2000' climbed.
Long -- greater than 2000' climbed.
I have done century rides in south Georgia that would be short rides on your scale. They sure seemed long to me
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Old 05-20-07, 08:02 PM
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Perhaps we need some way to measure in watts.
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Old 05-20-07, 08:16 PM
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I ride by time not distance, also, but always like to make 25-30 miles. If I find a nice place to ride to, a lesser distance is OK, but I prefer 30 miles as average. My next goal is over 50. I work to ride!
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