What counts as "Doing" a given distance?

Gizmo_

As per the title really... just curious on the view of the throng.

For the distances I'm doing at the moment, if I'm going to claim that I've done a ride of X distance, I mean that I've done it essentially non-stop. Maybe the occasional couple of minutes' breather at the top of a hill or somewhere I've stopped to take a photo. But no half-hour stop, sit down, eat a sandwich, snooze in the sunshine for a bit sort of breaks?

Clearly for a 400km Audax you must take some breaks, and I wouldn't dream of saying someone had failed to 'do' LEJOG because they stopped for sleep a few times.

But as I ramp up my long-ride distances I might do 50km to the coast, have a bag of chips and then ride home again. Does that count as the 100km milestone done or not?

houndlegs

Don't know if it counts as "the distance",but a trip to the coast and a bag of chips sounds like a good day out to me

guy.spartacus

I wouldn't count it

It should definitely be 100km flat out at over 80% max heart rate

thecrofter

It up to you really. Given your example i would class that as 100k ride.

Cleat Eastwood

the coast and chips sounds like a great ride - I did the cheshire cat this year and must have waited about 20 mins just stopping and taking pickys - the scenery was amazing - i'd rather do a ride that I can look back on with fondness - stop as long as you like; its your ride - your enjoyment - as long as you got something out of it your enthusiasm wil shine through and hopefully inspire others.

CiB

Stops are allowed. If I ride to the in-laws (108 miles over some big hills) that's a 108 miler in my book, even if I stop for half an hour at Monyash. Anyone who wants to claim otherwise is wrong.

wheezee

I'm not sure stopping is much of an advantage anyway. Stop for too long, and starting again can be harder.

Gizmo_

wheezee wrote:

I'm not sure stopping is much of an advantage anyway. Stop for too long, and starting again can be harder.

I only ever stop at the top of hills. Something I learned when I started mountain biking as a kid... You stop halfway up: you failed. You stop halfway down, you're breaking Rule 85. Stop at the bottom, and you've wasted momentum. At the top, you can look back and survey your achievement

ShutUpLegs

Roughly 3 hours depending on intensity

topcattim

Gizmo_ wrote:

You stop halfway up: you failed. You stop halfway down, you're breaking Rule 85. Stop at the bottom, and you've wasted momentum. At the top, you can look back and survey your achievement

Your mention of Rule 85 gives me a chance to quote my favourite cycling motto Rule 10: "Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired."

Sadly, my gorilla is clearly not getting enough sleep!

Bozman

If I stopped I'd never start again, then again I generally only do 50-60 miles, if I did 100 miles it might be a different matter.

springtide9

There are no rules, apart from your own rules. If you consider the ride continuous, it's continuous.

thefd

I think it counts. If you ride for 8 hours and stop for 1/2 an hour - in my book it all counts. If I ride to work there and back (15 miles each way) - I've still done 30 miles that day!

klep

A cakestop does not interrupt your ride.

P_Tucker

I think the important thing to remember is that no-one except you cares whether you stopped or not.

CiB

TheFD wrote:

I think it counts. If you ride for 8 hours and stop for 1/2 an hour - in my book it all counts. If I ride to work there and back (15 miles each way) - I've still done 30 miles that day!

This stretching it a bit though. Two rides separated by a working day hardly constitutes one ride. Stopping for a break or a short rest is one thing, stopping to do something entirely unconnected for more than a short while is a step too far to claim it as a single ride. As above tho, who cares?

klep

There should be a Velominati rule on this...

thefd

CiB wrote:

TheFD wrote:

I think it counts. If you ride for 8 hours and stop for 1/2 an hour - in my book it all counts. If I ride to work there and back (15 miles each way) - I've still done 30 miles that day!

This stretching it a bit though. Two rides separated by a working day hardly constitutes one ride. Stopping for a break or a short rest is one thing, stopping to do something entirely unconnected for more than a short while is a step too far to claim it as a single ride. As above tho, who cares?

Not saying it counts as a single ride...I agree with you on that. But as I say I've still done 30 miles that day!

Gizmo_

P_Tucker wrote:

I think the important thing to remember is that no-one except you cares whether you stopped or not.

This is a good point.

rolf_f

TheFD wrote:

Not saying it counts as a single ride...I agree with you on that. But as I say I've still done 30 miles that day!

That's not very relevant though!

Anyway, madness to invent a rule that stops you enjoying a ride. I did a ride last year - probably about 70 miles. At the top of the climb over from Clapham to Pendle, I stopped and dozed on the heather, in the sun for half an hour. It was lovely. It was still one bike ride. It would be a sad sort of person that would over-rule that sort of stop for statistics.

mattshrops

Rolf F wrote:

TheFD wrote:

Not saying it counts as a single ride...I agree with you on that. But as I say I've still done 30 miles that day!

That's not very relevant though!

Anyway, madness to invent a rule that stops you enjoying a ride. I did a ride last year - probably about 70 miles. At the top of the climb over from Clapham to Pendle, I stopped and dozed on the heather, in the sun for half an hour. It was lovely. It was still one bike ride. It would be a sad sort of person that would over-rule that sort of stop for statistics.

true but i guess the point is where do you draw the line. How long does the break have to be to become two rides?2 commutes(there and back)in a day.
But the suns shining and ive lost interest now wibble wibble

amaferanga

guy.spartacus wrote:

I wouldn't count it

It should definitely be 100km flat out at over 80% max heart rate

Wow you're just so fecking cool :roll:

Gizmo_

Well, sod it.

62km interrupted by a ten-minute pause to leech at some girls in jodhpurs and ten mins to shove a Chomp in my face when I started bonking at 55km...

alihisgreat

Its kind of like the distinction between scalar and vector quantities...

Its fine saying "I did 300miles"... but that isn't very descriptive without extra info eg. "I did 300 miles last week"

so you can't really say what counts and what doesn't count.. you can only give more information on what's been done and a judgement will be made upon that.

I'd rather spend more time on the bike (or in the gym if its still raining!) than use the time to think up a set of rules and regulations that say unless I ride my 40miles in s specific manner, it doesn't count!

rolf_f

mattshrops wrote:

true but i guess the point is where do you draw the line. How long does the break have to be to become two rides?2 commutes(there and back)in a day.

Ahh, but this is what life is all about - working out where to draw the line. It's fun! Otherwise, you just go for the absolute approach and say that it only counts if there are no stops at all. And woe betide you if you hit a red traffic light 100 yards before you've made 100 miles

BillyMansell

Okay, the autistic me asks what is 'Doing a given distance'?

A given distance is a given distance, you either do it or you don't.

Doing the miles, on the other hand, in an expression I use and frequently hear and relates to just getting out there and riding. Distance, time or performance aren't necessarily relevant on these occasions.

neeb

If you do it all on the same day, don't change out of your cycling kit at any point and don't return to your original starting point until the end, I reckon it counts.

TKF

Gizmo_ wrote:

Well, sod it.

62km interrupted by a ten-minute pause to leech at some girls in jodhpurs and ten mins to shove a Chomp in my face when I started bonking at 55km...

I'm assuming the blood you took from them helped with fueling?

Nice work on the retro Chomp btw. Haven't seen one in years.

majormantra

Ok, I'll propose a rule: it counts as one ride if you don't take your kit off.

So even if you have a 2 hour lunch stop, it still counts as one ride. On the other hand, riding to work, changing, working for 8 hours, then changing again and riding home counts as 2 rides.

Yes?

Gizmo_

TKF wrote:

Gizmo_ wrote:

Well, sod it.

62km interrupted by a ten-minute pause to leech at some girls in jodhpurs and ten mins to shove a Chomp in my face when I started bonking at 55km...

I'm assuming the blood you took from them helped with fueling?

Nice work on the retro Chomp btw. Haven't seen one in years.

Oops, missed that. iPhone-auto"correct".

Went for the Chomp purely on the grounds that it was pretty much the first chocolate I saw as I walked into the shop... but at 20p each, I actually bought five. The others will live in the saddlebag for emergencies...

Gizmo_

MajorMantra wrote:

Ok, I'll propose a rule: it counts as one ride if you don't take your kit off.

So even if you have a 2 hour lunch stop, it still counts as one ride. On the other hand, riding to work, changing, working for 8 hours, then changing again and riding home counts as 2 rides.

Yes?

What if one goes for a ride with a person of the female persuasion, who is so enamoured of one's finely toned calves and carefully matched seat, handlebar tape and pixie-boots that she requests a brief stop for immediate satisfaction?