Hexenmeister

Just curious, do you tend to ride the same routes week in, week out?

Or do you find new places to ride much more often?

DataJunkie

Every few weeks. I have ridden most of the routes near me and have my favorites. Every so often the wandering bug bites and off I go.
Random centuries are my thing.

eshvanu

Mostly a commuter, so I tend to ride the same route. At times on a weekend ride I'll explore a bit, but limited time means I find what works for me and stick with it.

Riverside_Guy

All depends on where one lives. I only have 2 routes, the Hudson Greenway and Central Park. BUT, I'm talking about easy to get to and very local. Yes I could expand the choices, but I will NOT ride the streets unless I absolutely have to (as in I have to do .6-.7 mile to get to Central Park)... I might ride the streets if cops could legally shoot any car driver yakking on a cell phone, texting, putting on makeup, filing their nails, etc. As a pedestrian, walking 100% legally, I have been nearly creamed by each example!

But thnat ain't gonna happen, so...

Jim from Boston

The Boston area has a lot of routes. I commute and I have essentially four different routes for that. When I'm training for a century, I choose routes by mileage, Over the past few years I have some selected routes that I can vary because there are a lot of roads in the vicinity; just look at a map of Boston. One hindrance though is that is easy to get lost following backroads, and often my cycling time is limited, so I do tend to stick to well known routes. I have enough in mind for various distances to not get bored.

BTW, see this thread peripherally related to the OP, "Trying First Solo Century, Boredom?":

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/574111-trying-first-solo-century-boredom.html (my post about boredom is #29) .

Hexenmeister

It's funny. I'm in the same boat as you even though I live in a small town.

I tend to stick to bike paths or residential streets seeing as the highways around here and very hilly and have no shoulders. I've tried riding them a couple of times but felt very unsafe each time a truck or SUV came buzzing past me at 60 mph.

Unfortunately, using bike paths tends to limit the routes you can do. I've also got two main routes. One is an 11-mile out and back which utilizes the 5k bike path in town, plus some side streets to and from my house. The other is a bike path around a lake that I have to drive to. I can do a 40-mile out and bike on that one if I choose.

Still, I've found out and back routes can get old because you're seeing the same scenery twice on each ride.

Bianchigirll 

unfortunatly I have one or two basic routes. I am working out of town for the summer and just found a 20 mile or so loop out in the country (if you beleive 'country exists in So Jersey). also I have 'issues' with sun exposure so I try and not stay out more than an hour.

arej00dazed

I have a bike path that I can access right down the street or from my back yard. So I travel that quite often. But every now and again, I'll take my bike somewhere different......when I can sneak out without my kids seeing me load up the bike.

stapfam

Every time I stop concentrating and miss the turning.

I have plenty of small country lanes North of where I live and I use the SUN. I know I live south of these hills and just take a right- 3rd left and left again and get lost. No idea where I am but I know if I head South- I will find somewhere I know- so new route found.

But I still have my favourites- The 40 miler with one hill in it- The 25 miler with 2,400ft of climbing and the 100 miler offroad that kills me.