This morning I only rode 21 miles. When I posted my mileage on the Did you ride today thread over on the Southeast forum I was quite disappointed in my performance. My average ride this month is 34 miles and my average ride this year is 31 miles. I find that if I don't do at least 30 miles I don't feel like it is a successful venture. So 30 miles moves the needle for me. I am curious, do you feel a need to do a certain distance, if so what moves the needle for you?

2,000ft of climbing in 20 miles will do- Followed by a flaterr finish to the ride.

But the more hills the better. Up to a point but there can be a hill too far. If that happens too soon in the ride- The needle doesn't move- it just digs in and irritates.

15mi/day would be plenty for me. Circumstances often force me to ride more than that.

I'm very demanding of myself.

I have to enjoy the ride or it was of no value what so ever.

The way this year has been going, my definition of a "good ride" has dropped quite a bit. I've had to be content with a couple of 20 mile rides a week, in addition to my commuting, too often this year.

Hate to ride fewer than 20 miles. A 30 mile or more day is better.

After-work rides: 20
Saturday rides: > 45
Sunday rides: 30

For an evening ride in good weather, I feel let down if I don't get in at least 20 miles. For same on a weekend, the needle would start at 30 but I'd be happier with 45-65. For crappy weather, even a 5 miler might seem like a major accomplishment.

30 just about does it for me too.

After doing only 21 this AM and then starting this thread I felt compelled to go out tonight and do another 21. That made the needle move for me.

That sounds about right for me too. A very high percentage of my rides are 20 to 30 miles. Wind and heat can be big factors in what satisfies me though. I generally don't feel it is worth my time if I cant ride for at least 90 minutes or so. But none of this is to disagree with the "fun" advocates of course... I'm all for that.

There's no distance limit. As long as I complete the mission -- get to work, get groceries, whatever -- it counts.

Paul

Nope. Sometimes I go out totally unplanned, and the miles add up, sometimes not. I enjoy it all.

Whatever I want to do at the time. There are days I feel disappointed if I don't do a century. Other days I can be happy about a 3 mile cruise around town.

After-work rides: 20
Saturday rides: 45
Sunday rides: NO rides. Sunday relax.

I also like just noodling around downtown on my little townie bike, meeting people and having a glass of sweet tea. Thats about 5 miles round trip.

By the shortest and most direct route, my commute is only 4½ miles each way. I enjoy every one of them, even going to work.

Now what makes me physically feel best afterwards is a combination of miles and intensity. Ten to 25 miles at zone four intensity really feels good.

But even a trip to the grocery store (0.88 miles round trip) does it for headspace.

Zone Four intensity? It even sounds rough. Wassat?

PS I went and looked that up. It means working really hard for as long as you can, until you nearly give out. Right?
There were an awful lot of calculations, discussions of heart recovery rates and lactase in the blood - but this suffices.

In past years I would have said 40 was my magic number. This year is totally screwed up because I did a SR brevet series in the spring, then maybe 250 miles total until this past weekend, then a 100 mile ride Saturday. I guess I'd say any ride I enjoy is a good ride. That could be my 1.5 mile commute on a perfect morning or a 400k brevet with friends.

Not quite that hard, but nearly so. The reference I use is "race pace". The end result is that when I get off the bike I go, "Wow! What a workout!", as opposed to, say, "Lizbeth, I think it's the big one!"

In a word: Fun

One of my Life Mottoes is:
Do it for Fun;
Do it for Survival;
Or;
Don't Do it At All.

I have goals to enhance the fun and give my rides some structure. But, they are strictly kept in check so as not to interefere with enjoying the journey.

My needle moves anytime I'm on the bike. Generally, however, I ride as long as that for which I have time on a given day.

When someone moves the IV Bag trolley.

I used to then I realized that it took the fun out of riding. Now I just go out and have fun. After all, isn't that the point?