Ride Time or Total Time - what do you use?

popette

Hiya,
I assumed that when quoting times/speeds, people were referring to their ride times (time spent moving & avg speed based on that) rather than the total time they were on the bike and overall avg speed. My first computer came with ride time set as the default so I just carried on with that.

When it comes to the Etape, I'm be looking only at total time as the broom wagon won't give a stuff about what my computer is telling me, but for everyday training I've been using ride time rather than total time.

What do you use on your bike computers?

Popette

NWLondoner

I use ride time (auto pause) on my GPS 205 and total time on my Cycle Computer

redddraggon

Don't stop and your ride time is accurate. I try to avoid stopping when I'm out on a ride (traffic lights excepted).

I never work out the average speed of my journey anyway, the computer just tells me the average over the total distance I've done, which includes slow commutes, long hill climbs and rapid descents, so the average means very little anyway.

SteveR_100Milers

Always total time. ride time is somehow kidding yourself.....

chrisw12

Agree with Red. Ride time=total time as I never stop.

This is great training idea and gives you an excuse to go through all trafic lights. When I go throught them I shout to the drivers 'average speed, average speed'

Those cyclists who complain about red light jumpers are the ones with speedos on auto pause, they use the lights as an excuse to stop, wimps

normanp

It's got to be total time. I imagine I could do a pretty fast hilly 200k if I did it in 5 minute sprints with a day's rest in between (or long lunches / resting while others mend punctures etc...)

Jeff Jones

I use total time, 'cos I rarely have a computer on my bike. Traffic lights and short stops get absorbed into the overall time, but I don't usually count stopping at a cafe or fixing a puncture. These happen infrequently anyway.

When I used to have a computer, I did use the auto stop/start function. As far as your fitness is concerned, it matters little.

Mettan

I reset my bike computer before every training ride so as to get an accurate reading - did a 6.85 mile loop this morning with an average of 17.4 mph - it can be frustrating at lights etc, but I tend to pick reasonable routes both in terms of obstacles and road surface were possible (also enjoy using MapMyRide now - can check out your route and elevation profile in advance).

Positron

Definitely "ride time". That way you get a better average. Also what would happed if you set off and forgot to press go? The world would end as you'd have missed miles!

p.

ut_och_cykla

Ride time for me - but with Popettes 'broom wagon' comments in the back of my mind.
If I'm just 'training' I'm usually out in the countryside and only need to stop for calls of nature or mechanicals.
normanp's comments remind me of my hubby who has ridden Vaettern rundan in Sweden (300km) with a sub - 12 hour ride time but a 17 hour total time....

Mike Willcox

None of the above.

All my rides are non stop unless mechanical failure or puncture. Anyway it is what it is. You ride, you train, you recover, you improve and you perform depending on what you've actually done. Recording a figure is going to change diddly squat

Shadowduck

There are certain fixed routes where I monitor my times to see how much (if any) I've improved (or gone backwards), so I always use ride times to give me a more realistic idea of my performance. Using total time I could put in the ride of my life and still appear slower than normal because of waits at a couple of bad junctions!

I think the longer your ride, the less it matters - all my timed routes are currently less than about fifteen miles so an extra minute or two is noticable. As I increase the distances I'll probably keep using ride time out of habit, I expect so long as you measure yourself the same way every time you'll get a reasonable idea how you're doing.

Alex_Simmons/RST

Only watch the clock to make sure I'm back in time for whatever it is I have to be back for - appointment, work, girl, drink

DaveyL

Or

E: All of the above...

phil s

Has to be ride time as I live in central London and there are so many frickin traffic lights before I get to lanes where it's non stop. I usually phase my training to have a neutral start, then a warm-up section, then the real stuff starts when I'm on the open roads. Likewise I factor in some of the return leg through central London as cool-down time.

oldwelshman

Have to agree with Mike and Jeff.
I dont even bother with times other than watching my watch to judge when it will get dark so I ensure I get home before sundown
Every day, every ride can be different depending how you feel, conditions and your effort so times are meaningless unless it is a tt.
I did reliability ride on weekend but did not bother checking it the end ( is it really worth doing to get an A4 paper with Gold on it? ) I just did it for the training.
Perhaps some one is out there looking for me as I did not check in?
I did pay my £4 though unlike some riders I noticed tagging on to ride along route at various points !!
Anyway Popette just finish your ride and get an official time

Mike Willcox

oldwelshman wrote:

Have to agree with Mike and Jeff.
I dont even bother with times other than watching my watch to judge when it will get dark so I ensure I get home before sundown
Every day, every ride can be different depending how you feel, conditions and your effort so times are meaningless unless it is a tt.
I did reliability ride on weekend but did not bother checking it the end ( is it really worth doing to get an A4 paper with Gold on it? ) I just did it for the training.
Perhaps some one is out there looking for me as I did not check in?
I did pay my £4 though unlike some riders I noticed tagging on to ride along route at various points !!
Anyway Popette just finish your ride and get an official time

Blimey that's the second time you've agreed with me is less than a week. I'm going to lose my reputation for being controversial now.

andrewgturnbull

HIi there.

Once again I'm agreeing with Mike, Jeff and the old welsh fellow. I must be getting old myself...

When I first started out I bought every gadget I could afford - and fit on the handlebars. These days I make do with a wristwatch - if I remember to put it on. Although I do have a computer on the TT bike.

Rides go down in the diary as hours and minutes - I don't see the point in recording speeds or distances unless it's a specific interval set.

Old Welshman - whaddya mean you didn't check at the end of your reliability ride? How did you get on in the sprint? These are races right? ;-)

Cheers, Andy

ps I'm organising a reliability 17th Feb in Stirling for any locals - see this link for details:
http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk/ClubEvents ... fault.aspx

Mike Willcox

The problem as I see it, from training to a predetermined schedule, is that there are assumptions made re the rider's recovery and state of fitness. This is governed by what happened yesterday and the days before. For a rider to fulfill a scheduled amount of training then they have to exercise discipline over their intensity levels. Easier said then done.

I wll set out later this morning to ride for approximately 2 .5 hours at a moderate intensity but my route will consist of different circuits so that if at any time I get too cold or feel heavy legged then my direct route home will be 45 minutes at the furtherest most point. In this way I'm not going to get stranded with no energy miles from home.

I have a theory there is a well that you draw from which is labelled "testing yourself to the limit" and it's resources are not infinite neither is it the way to improve from a training perspective.

oldwelshman

Mike Willcox wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

Have to agree with Mike and Jeff.
I dont even bother with times other than watching my watch to judge when it will get dark so I ensure I get home before sundown
Every day, every ride can be different depending how you feel, conditions and your effort so times are meaningless unless it is a tt.
I did reliability ride on weekend but did not bother checking it the end ( is it really worth doing to get an A4 paper with Gold on it? ) I just did it for the training.
Perhaps some one is out there looking for me as I did not check in?
I did pay my £4 though unlike some riders I noticed tagging on to ride along route at various points !!
Anyway Popette just finish your ride and get an official time

Blimey that's the second time you've agreed with me is less than a week. I'm going to lose my reputation for being controversial now.

I have agreed lots of times Mie, think your getting me confused with Alex, must be your age 8)

Mike Willcox

oldwelshman wrote:

I have agreed lots of times Mie, think your getting me confused with Alex, must be your age 8)

Actually you're right. But is it me or has Alex been agreeing with me on some issues and Andrew a couple of times as well? Even Toks was talking about RPE the other day.

Have I changed my views or have others come around a tad?

I believe I'm saying the same things now that I was two or three years ago, when I was getting attacked from all sides for being old skool and a luddite. This tended to make me grumpy and it all got a bit personal. Maybe we've all matured a bit now and can see the other's point of view.

SteveR_100Milers

blimey, training is turning into one big love in......

chill888

i use metres climbed

jhop

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Always total time. ride time is somehow kidding yourself.....

Agreed I get a bit frustrated to hear of apparently fantastic times achieved on Sportives only to find that when food stops etc are included the 'real' time is much greater.

Lets face it we could all do a fast 100 with enough stops but who would we be kidding and to what purpose.

As others have posted start- ride - finish keep stops to a minimum.

On the etape and similar big rides however it is fair enough to quote times from when the rider passes the start mat rather than the 'real' start as you often remain static for quite a while.

SteveR_100Milers

jhop wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Always total time. ride time is somehow kidding yourself.....

Agreed I get a bit frustrated to hear of apparently fantastic times achieved on Sportives only to find that when food stops etc are included the 'real' time is much greater.

Lets face it we could all do a fast 100 with enough stops but who would we be kidding and to what purpose.

As others have posted start- ride - finish keep stops to a minimum.

On the etape and similar big rides however it is fair enough to quote times from when the rider passes the start mat rather than the 'real' start as you often remain static for quite a while.

It's highly significant for a 100 mile TT believe me....but your point about sportives and similar events is valid.