I'm certainly a proponent of learning, but wouldn't having your mind engaged in paying attention to content mean it's much less engaged in the task at hand and the whole not getting run over thing?

+1

It is using my iPhone. I've got unlimited data (grandfathered in) and is relatively affordable bundled with a family plan and corporate discount.

my podcast rotation subscriptions

two johns cycling podcast
wtf with marc maron
comedy death ray radio
this american life
radiolab
freakonomics
the nerdist
doug loves movies
planet money
savage love podcast (not for everybody)
slate political gabfest
slate culture gabfest
npr story of the day
the moth

several others that i listen to irregularly but those are all pretty solid and update pretty regularly.

in a decade of 10K miles a year i've yet to be run over, and of the accidents i have had, i cant say listening to music or podcasts was a factor in any of them. if you can drive a car and have a conversation with a passenger, i cant see why operating a bicycle and listening to a podcast would be unmanagably taxing of your attention.

but its your call obviously.

I think most cyclists are introverts. You're probably an extrovert. I'm totally fine when out there on the road for 4 hours or whatever, even without music. In fact, oftentimes when I have music playing, I have to turn it off after "a while" because it's distracting me from my meditation.

Plus spring is in full swing now, so there's plenty of greenery to look at. I have no advice for you other than to keep your rides short enough to bear so you don't get burned out. Besides, 20-30 miles is plenty of time to get a good hard workout in. In fact, it's the perfect amount of time.

:rolleyes:

Bike + iPod + Open Road = good times...

Didn't realize Dan Savage had a podcast. [goes to iTunes to subscribe] Thanks.

I have solo training rides on Tues/Thurs during the week. Sat is when I have my 60mi+ fast paced group rides. The hard part of my training rides is getting motivated to get out the door after a long day of work. I usually have the same 30-40mi. route w/ ~3000ft. of climbing. When I ride solo I usually treat it as a TT and try to improve every time. I'm so focused that the thought of riding solo doesn't cross my mind.

Glad I'm not the only one who finds cycling meditative. I never listen to anything other than the wind (and unfortunately traffic) and have never ridden with anyone (the introvert part I suppose).

Thanks for the tips everybody! I am planning a new route for tomorrow's ride.

I always try to time myself but there is a huge variation in times because of traffic and signals.

I used to do a lot more rides where I saw a paved road going off to the right and decided to take it to see where it leads ... and ended up cycling the countryside, sometimes getting lost temporarily, and sometimes doing something like accidently riding a century or other long distance finding my way back. Where I live now, it's a bit more challenging to do that because this area is very hilly and you could end up on some monster climb.

However, we will look at a map and decide to head off in this direction on a Saturday to see what there is to see over there, and another direction on the Sunday to explore a different area. If there's something out there to see, even better!

check to see if any were involved in an unsolved murder.

i really do think you are on drugs

This is funny! But, next time, try wearing a Superman cape and mask. Try riding fast enough to lift the cape in the air--typically around 22-26 is where I get lift off. After the initial push you will have to work harder to keep the cape from entering the spokes and rear sprocket. But if you don't have the cape and mask, the imaginary friends would work, I guess :(

---begin rant---
I'm a little worried by the fact that people get bored riding their bikes solo. If cycling is a hobby, you need a new hobby. If it's a social thing, always ride with friends or make up your own friends or make calls with a bluetooth headset. If you cycle to get in shape, HTFU. I sit in classes everyday and wonder about the state of my peers when they can't keep their cell phone in their pocket for 50 min.
---end rant---

Nature, my own thoughts, and podcasts have always done it for me, in that order.

Add 'Stuff You Should Know' to the growing list of recommended podcasts.

I think being alone is one of the only reasons I ride. Biking is my escape from all society and everything around me. I enjoy taking the scenic wrought around farms and lakes.

I mainly ride alone, usually between 40kms and 120kms, and find that time goes really quickly on the bike. I'm usually concentrating on technique, and being a competitive kind of person I usually push myself to the point where i couldn't hold a conversation anyway. It's never boring, it's 'my time', I enjoy the freedom and the only person I'm answerable to is myself. If I ride well it's my fault, if I struggle and ride badly it's my fault too. I can stop when I want, go where I want and enjoy the experience without distraction.

i like solo rides. there are always hot girls jogging or hipster cuties on single speeds milling about. just sayin.....

setting alarm right now for 5:00 a.m. tomorrow for solo ride.

I always slow down when I pass any.

5:00 a.m.? Why so early? I never start any rides earlier than 8:00. Gonna be a nice day in SoCal tomorrow!

You don't know how slow I am :)

There are a couple of 100km loops I ride, when I get bored of them I do cross borders. I don't like the causeway with the roadbike but a ferry to Desaru, Bintan, Batam works.

I prefer solo rides, but I can't imagine riding 20 to 30 miles or more on an mup. Mapping a route will help, stopping somewhere and taking a break might also help.


It's quite amusing to me as well.

Do you really limit your rides to MUPs?

Why on earth would you want to ride with someone else?

<<<<<<<<<<<

Nope. When I started riding we only used the MUPs but now we usually ride on roads or we go mountain biking.

Both ends are traveling at the same speed. Distance=(Rate)(Time). Same speed and same time gets you the same distance. You can cross this one off the list.

Ride next to one of these. Works for me.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...hmentid=189834

No. He's talking about their circular path, rotating around the hub.