How far do you ride?

Flasheart

Hi guys n gals

I was wondering how far on average you cycle per session. Still being new to all of this road cycling lark, I manage my 25 mile route fairly easily. Today with the weather being so nice 8) I decided to go further afield...I did 38miles. at the same pace as normal (and yes I'm feeliing it) I see other road cyclists(usually gouing the other way :? ) but I don't know how far they are going.
I'm wondering how far below the average i'm doing

gergusmcbergus

i just go till i'm tired really.
as soon as i a bit start feeling fatigued, i loop round and come back home.

Chris Swansea

I managed my first (flattish) 50 yesterday and I'm chuffed to bits. It seems about 3 hours is my realistic (pushing it) limit at the moment.

dg74

Not far when I haven't eaten

sylvestermorgan

I only started cycling recently. I did my biggest to date on Saturday, 50 miles, with a 700 feet hill to spice things up. The thing is, it took me 5 hours, which compared to the times other people talk of on here, seems rather slow! That said, I have a hybrid bike so frequently get passed by the roadies but overtake the MTBs. So maybe its a bike thing rather than me!

DomPro

I usually do a 25 mile loop. Its good to do the same route and see how much faster I do it each time (or slower).

Fifer

Usually do about 70 miles in 4 hours 30mins. Mostly on flat roads though.

Frank the tank

Totally depends on the amount of time available. I would say my mid week raides are between 30-40ish miles and I like to get one longer one 60-100 at the weekend, but I've got to the point in my "programme" where it's gonna have to be upped.

pneumatic

My preference is to ride for 4 or 5 hours (100-120 kms for me) but you don't get the chance to do that very often unless you live alone and have a job that lets you experience untimetabled daylight hours.

Sometimes, I wonder whether it is worth going out for just an hour, if that is all I have got, but I am always pleased when I make the effort. I just ride flat out and try to include a tough hill.

Best of all is to ride 7 or 8 hours a day for a week or two or three on some massive long tour. However, for the above reasons, I don't get that chance very often.

someone famous said that it doesn't get any easier, it just gets faster.

chunkycyclist

I have been cycling for a year and 3 months now and started the same 40 & fat, etc.

I have 3 regular routes and use them for different reasons
1- a 45 min loop with a couple for a short climbs for a short sharp blast when time is not available
2- a 38 mile undulating A-road return loop for a cadence high/low or blast one way slower return ride (normally for Saturdays & Sundays)
3- 41 mile commute 3 times a week (summer only) set pace with a couple of Hampshire hills thrown in

This has seen me lose 4 1/2 stone last year and I also a bit faster than when I started. My advice would be to keep building mileage as it adds up a lot quicker than you would think (I started with zero fitness after a 3 month layoff due to a serious back injury). The base fitness you build becomes the key for then getting faster and better at hills. Also I expect my mileage to be higher than most, as the commute is 41 mls each way.

Frank the tank

Congratulations on losing 4 1/2 stone in 15 months that's excellent.

Flash 72

I usually try to get about two or three rides in during the week with the distances varying from 20-40mi but it all depends on how much time I have left after doing all exam revision which at the moment as cut my mid-weekk rides right down (only 4more weeks )

And then on a Sunday I will do a club run which is usually about 60-80mi but yesterday I did my first centaruy which I was very happy with.

But there is one thing you have to remember and that is to make sure you enjoy yourself it dosen't matter how far or fast you have rode as long as have enjoyed yourself and you feel happy with yourself remember don't let your hobby turn into a choir.

kingrollo

Commute to work as often as possible - usaully at least 3 times a week - then between 25 -45 miles on a weekend. Im going to try and do an extra evening 25 now the lights nights are here !

11 replies and no ones mentioned a turbo trainer yet !

Shezzer

Lord Flash ... woof!! That character used to have me laughing out loud. Ahem, back on topic.

Distances by themselves are only part of the consideration ... you also need to think about pace and how hilly the route is. A 20 mile hilly lung-buster at pace will be a lot harder than ambling along on a 50 miler on the flat ... but both have their benefits.

My distances vary from 25 - 65 miles and the intensity varies depending on what sort of ride I have planned (tempo, recovery, long distance etc). I'm concentrating at the mo on building up the distances gradually to 100 miles, strictly obeying the 10% rule. Had knee surgery last year and really don't want to see the consultant again. If you decide to build up the miles then do it gradually.

I guess you do whatever miles you have time for and to support whatever your goal is this year. Are you looking at improving your 10 mile TT, doing a century, averaging x miles per week ... do the training that supports your goal. If you only have an hour to spare then even a short ride is better than staying in.

Good luck!

trickeyja

I have a number of afternoon rides which I rotate and decide upon depending on how much time I have. The average distance is around 25 miles. Living next to the Cotswolds, most include quite a bit of climbing. If I have a longer timeslot, there isn't really a limit - my longest day so far is 140 miles.

julietp

I do a 22 mile loop which takes in as many hills as possible in essex which admittedly won't be comparative to ooop north and the like. I just try to beat my time and improve my average. It normally takes me about an hour and 20mins although being by the coast if the wind is strong (as it nearly always is) and up against me at the end my time can really suffer.

Occasionally (about once a month) I'll do a 60miler although I prefer to do those on organised rides as I get bored going out on my own for that long (4hours).

julietp

sylvestermorgan wrote:

I only started cycling recently. I did my biggest to date on Saturday, 50 miles, with a 700 feet hill to spice things up. The thing is, it took me 5 hours, which compared to the times other people talk of on here, seems rather slow! That said, I have a hybrid bike so frequently get passed by the roadies but overtake the MTBs. So maybe its a bike thing rather than me!

Hardly surprising - I have a hybrid and my average speed on that is about 4mph slower so over distance can make a significant difference. I try not to use the hybrid over long distances although when I do it's better exercise as much harder work!

bobtbuilder

I am trying to get back to being able to do 100 mile rides after 2 years of miserable injuries. I have one day free at weekends to ride, so I have been increasing my distance by 5-10% per ride, and last Sunday managed 86 miles.

With the lighter evenings, I hope to start getting out once or twice for shorter (20-30 miles) rides to work on my speed.

Feltup

I commute 10-13 miles each way three to four days a week and have been doing a longer ride on the weekend as training for the Fred Whitton Challenge. I started cycling last year to get fit and because a group of us decided to do the Dunwich Dynamo (120 miles through the night from London to the Suffolk Coast). Then just before Christmas I decided to have a crack at the FWC as I have spent so much time hiking and climbing in the Lake District I wanted to see it by bike. My hardest ride so far was two weekends ago when I did 93 miles with 10,500ft ascent in the Peak. Hopefully that will stand me in reasonable shape for the FWC. Most of my rides this year have been 80ish miles with 3-6,000ft ascent.

redddraggon

Rarely below 30miles, majority above 40miles, Average about 50ish miles, maximum normally about 70miles, although sometimes I do do more.

A lot of my rides seem to be around the 55miles mark, unfortunately just shy of the Metric century....

CiB

Mine is a 20 mile commute when I can, 2-3 times a week during school term but more in the hols, and this takes around 1h 5m - 1h 15m depending on everything, altho it's just dropped down to 1h 4mins, then 3m & then 2m over the last week - have once done it under the hour so currently trying to get there again. It's a reasonably flat route, but a couple or three climbs depending in which way I go gets the HR up a bit.

Weekend rides are around the 50 mile mark and seem to take about 2h 40m up to 3h 15m, again reasonably flat with the odd climb. Avg speeds are high teens for the shorter rides (18-19mph & more occasionally), and around 17 for the longer ones. Cadence is usually mid to high 70s on both.

il_principe

I aim for a pathetic 7 mile commute 5 days a week (with a few 20 mile early morning weekday rides in summer) then either a 50, 75 or 100 miler at weekends (less in the winter). 75 miles will usually see around 4000ft of climbing and takes around 4:30 or less depending. I have no family commitments atm so I can normally find time for this, not sure what'll happen in the event of marriage, kids etc though!

scapaslow

My rides are usually dictated by how much time i've got. During the week i usually get one or two 2 to 3 hour rides in.
At the weekend i try to pick a route and go for it rather than plan a specific mileage.

I like 60 milers or 4 hours approx the best at the moment. I'm trying to get used to longer 80 miles to century rides but i'm finding them a lot harder at the moment. Especially when a nasty climb looms at 90 miles in.....

on the road

I usually do round about 55 miles give or take about 30.

roger_merriman

i tend to do 50 or so miles a good distance for my fittness at the moment, trying to make hilly as possible. though north downs so not that hilly! before anyone as what mountains i'm climbing!

houghse

I'm doing 80 miles a week on my commute to work. I don't own a car, so I have no choice but to cycle, rain or shine, summer or winter. Takes me about 30 mins each way. There's lots of flats, but with Bristol, quite a lot of hills as well.

zedders

Working 50 to 60+ hrs a week! the misses! the dog! the housework & the garden! & just being nackered all the time! I'm happy to get out two or three times a week. I normally do 25 - 30 miles each ride = 50 - 90 miles. I honestly start to get a bit board & out of breathe after a couple of hours anyway? At the weekendI'll go a bit further if I have time, up to 40 or 50. Come the summer I'll ride to work Tues & Thursdays = an extra 60 miles a week(4x15) as I did last summer.

fuzzynavel

I am currently happy doing laps around a local hill.....

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/3509375

I start cramping in my left hamstring after 11 laps so that is my limit at the moment before heading home...I will keep persevering and try to extend further.

Another one that I do is this next link.....a bit flatter but not so repetitive.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2407695

I need to find a new longer flat ride whilst occasionally increasing the laps of the hill....

Don't get de-motivated by the apparent greatness of others....I accidentally found a thread that I started before I got my road bike and I could barely manage a lap of the hill that I use....now I am pushing 11 laps and only stopping due to cramp....Once I get that sorted out (hopefully with electrolytes) I will move on to 12, 13, 14 laps and so on and hopefully get faster with each lap....I only started this in August last year...
here's the thread http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12581285

I am probably going to do my first century next month too.

Flasheart

Thanks for everyone's input.
Fuzzynavel, yes I was thinking OMG I'm so slack. But I know that after just 4 weeks on a road bike I'm not going to be in the league of Lance Armstrong or Chris Boardman (or ever will be for that matter :P ), thanks for the encouragement.
I'll keep doing my 17 or 25 mile route after work a couple of days a week, (depends on workload and time I finish as this varies,) and do my longer rides on the weekends and I'm sure I 'll see progress.
The weight isn't coming off as fast as I'd hoped but my body shape is changing noticably according to my wife. I have noticed a huge difference in my fitness though and my asthma is really under control compared to how it used to be.
Speed-wise I'm trying to keep my HR at around the 140-150 area so avearge speed is 16.9 mph.
One thing that I was wondering about is how accurate these Cycling computers actually are. On Monday on my ride I passed a sign saying that a certain tourist trap was 1mile ahead, so I looked at my Polaris and it said distance so far was 13.8m. By the time I actually passed the entrance it read 15.2m. I think I'll take my car out an measure a stretch of road accuratly. I maybe going further than I thought

nicky_7751

Am 57 & have been riding for just over a year now having started when I gave up smoking, had mountain bike to start & longest ride with that was 25 miles which nearly killed me as quite hilly where I live, now have road bike & ride every weekend and couple of evenings now the weather has improved. Average between 30 & 40 miles on Saturdays & Sundays depending if on my own or with a few mates, normally more if on my own. Have done quite a few 50's & a couple of 60+ @ an average of around 15-16mph next target 80! Do a 16.5 loop against the clock during the week, best time last night of 57m 28s @ 17.3 mph.

oldwelshman

It depends what I am preparing for.
Generally in the winter, weather permitting, do about 90 on a saturday and 70 on a sunday and if possible a ride or two midweek, 30 to 50 miles.
In the summer if not racing, the same but more rides midweek at higher intensity between 30 miles and 50, and if weather bad on weekends will do a longer ride in evening up to 70 miles.
The weekend rides are with a group so steady with some fast bits before cafe
Now I have been made redundant and the weather is good I am already up to 280 miles for this week