Advice on how to increase miles riddwn [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

kajero

10-11-2013, 10:24 AM

Eden

10-11-2013, 10:54 AM

I'm not entirely sure how much I really ride... I'd guess between 5-10K/year. I currently have 13K miles on the totals on my garmin, but I'm not sure when it had it's last reset and whether or not that wipes the totals... I can say there are few weeks I ride less than around 100 miles and plenty that I do more.

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
I have road and cross bikes

2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
I work, cook and keep the house moderately clean...

3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
very little keeps me in - really high winds I don't go out for pleasure, but my commute is my commute.... no matter the weather

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
lots of it...

5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
yup - I commute and during the winter here it doesn't get light until around 8 and gets dark at 4:30

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
yup - on all of my bikes

7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?

I don't use clipless or straps - - - yet.
irrelevant

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
roads

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
a mix - it's Seattle, there are few truly flat places

10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
some of each

Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!
I use my bikes as vehicles - I rarely drive unless it's totally unavoidable. That gets me out riding quite a lot.

thekarens

10-11-2013, 11:07 AM

When you live in a state like Texas it's easier to get more miles in since we can ride year round.

lph

10-11-2013, 11:18 AM

I'm prettty much like Eden, except I ride less. Commuting year-round, in most kinds of weather and having the clothing for it, will pile on the miles. If I commute by bike every day that's 100 miles a week. I don't usually ride in heavy falling snow or in gusty rain.

velo

10-11-2013, 11:32 AM

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
I ride 99% on the road. I do a little cross and mountain, but I don't even keep track of those rides or just general "getting around town" rides.

2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
I'm a mother, a wife and work part-time. I keep a very clean house, cook all of our meals from scratch and used to care for my mother before she passed. I also sleep 8 hours every night. ;)

3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
Sure... when I enjoy it. I like riding in warm rain, I enjoy cool and cold weather. I won't ride when there is lightning or strong winds and in the winter when there is snow or slush on the roads, I also don't ride, but down to just above freezing is OK temperature-wise.

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
Yep.

5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
Never. Not even dusk.

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
Yes, clipless.

7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?
I don't use clipless or straps - - - yet.
Depends on the conditions.

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
Roads

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
Mostly flat. Some rolling hills but nothing compared to others... flat midwest roads with less than 1000 ft. of gain per ride, on average.

10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
Alone. Alone. Alone. I don't mind it much, but I enjoy riding with people too. Some ride slower, some faster, and it's always nice to have company. I just don't get that opportunity as much as I'd like.

Owlie

10-11-2013, 11:54 AM

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?

Road, cyclocross, and a hybrid that doesn't have a a saddle yet.
2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
Yes. Not so much clean :o but I was both working and going to school this summer.
3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
Light rain? Sure. Downpour? Only if I get caught in it. I also don't do very hot weather and high winds.

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?

Yep.
5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
Yes. Only on bike paths. I bought some good lights.

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
Clipless on two of three bikes.

7. How many mph do you average?
14-16 (road bike, flat ground); 12-14 (cross bike, pavement, flat ground)

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
Back in Ohio, mainly trails. Here, roads or paths.

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
Roads back home were pretty hilly in places. Trails were flat.
Here, mixture. Tucson itself is flat, but I live further out, where it can be hilly.

10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
Back home: mostly by myself or with people from work.

Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!
Don't feel pressured to do the same thing as other people. Ride as much or as little or you want. :)

Crankin

10-11-2013, 12:04 PM

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
I have 2 road bikes. One is a carbon, triple, with aggressive geometry and the other is a custom, more relaxed geometry road bike that has a rack and I can use for errands. It has a compact, with mountain gearing on the rear.
Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
I work a flexible schedule, 80% job (about 30-35 hours a week), I cook, and have a pretty active social life. I also go to the gym 2X a week. I haven't cleaned my house since the 80's... that's outsourced.
Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
I will ride down to about freezing if it's sunny and not too windy. Short rides, though. I dislike riding in the rain, so if it's above 40% chance, I most likely will run or go to the gym. Wind, well, it depends on the safety factor. If the roads are clear of sand and snow I occasionally ride in the dead of winter, but last year I didn't. Generally, my riding season is March 5-Dec., whenever the first snow arrives.
Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
Yes! I could ride my bike in almost anything, if I had studded tires or a fat tire bike. But, I prefer to cross country ski.
5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
Yup. Though for me, it's more like early AM. I get quite a few miles doing what I call "dark" rides at 5 AM. Sometimes it's only 10 miles, but they add up. A great way to start my day. I would ride at night if it was more convenient for my schedule.
6. Do you use clipless pedals?
Yes, on both of my bikes. I had dual sided pedals when I had a Jamis Coda and I think I only used the flat side twice. I hate the feeling of my feet slipping off the pedals.
7. How many mph do you average?
Like above, it depends. But I'm not speedy, speedy. A fast ride for me is an average of 15.7-16+. Most of my rides are between 14.5 and 15.5, but there are many times they are 12.5-13.5 if I am 1) riding with slower friends, or 2) doing a very hilly ride.
8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
Roads only. We don't have an abundance of trails here and the ones that are around are dangerous... walkers, kids, etc.
9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
I do very little riding that would be considered flat. It's mostly rolling, with some steep climbs. But, even th rolling local rides I do have grades up to 10% or a bit more in spots. My driveway is 15%. It makes you stronger.
10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
I do most of my riding with DH. I also ride alone, and with another couple who we are close friends with. I occasionally ride with a couple of other woman friends. I belong to 2 clubs, I lead a couple of rides a year for one and go on 2-3 of their other rides. The other club, I've been on 4 rides with this year, but I used to do more. I am liking riding with groups less as the years pass.

maillotpois

10-11-2013, 12:05 PM

I find I really have on and off years, sometimes not by choice. For example, this year I had to have hip surgery so I will be lucky to get 2500 miles in (I haven't looked, but that's my estimate). On a good year, I'll get 4 - 5000/year in.

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?

99% road. I have a MTB but it is just a vacation thing right now.

2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)

I am a lawyer and run my own business, have a high school daughter and have 2 large dogs that require walking. My husband also is a cyclist. The house is moderately clean but I tend to get VERY behind on folding laundry.

3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)

Yes, especially if it is a ride I have planned to do. If I'm just going out for an "off" ride, it's harder to motivate to go out if it is absolutely pouring at the start of the ride.

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?

Oh you bet. It's pretty mild here all things considered, but we can get torrential rain and I've ridden over 3 hours at a time below freezing.

5. Do you ride at night?

Yes, especially on long brevets and double centuries. I've ridden through the night, and I've done that alone in the past (riding til 2 am alone for example), but I now refuse to ride alone at night (if at all possible).

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?

Yup Look Keos.

7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?

I agree with Eden that this is pretty irrelevant - it's also completely dependent on where you live (terrain wise). My MPH for rides totally depends on the length of the ride, terrain, wind and how I am feeling. Looking at my Strava, I'm anywhere between 12 - 17 mph. I absolutely think you can ride 1000 miles a year if you maintain 11 - 12.

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?

Roads.

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?

Hilly, steep and mixed.

10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?

Both.

Triskeliongirl

10-11-2013, 12:07 PM

I don't have time to answer 10 questions, but I can tell you that for me the single best way to increase mileage is to bicycle commute to work. And yes, I work with a demanding job, and ride. But not at night or in the rain. I live in south texas so its mild all year, so I own lots of layers that I can switch out to accomodate varying temps.

ny biker

10-11-2013, 12:41 PM

I have no idea how many miles I ride per year. I ride twice a week from spring through fall because that is what I like to do.

My house is a mess. But as a cycling friend recently said to me, when you're old you will not sit home and remember the times you stayed home to clean.

If you want to ride your bike more, then just do it. Buy the clothes and equipment you need to be happy and comfortable, then ride.

tulip

10-11-2013, 02:05 PM

Commute to work by bike. You can make it work if you want to. Be creative.

Ride your bike for transportation. Every time you get in a car is an opportunity to ride your bike.

Catrin

10-11-2013, 03:01 PM

I read the posts regarding mileage goals. How do you find time to ride 6000 miles in one riding season, let alone 2000?

Can you answer some questions for me? Maybe riding over 1000 miles during one riding season is not a goal I can meet.

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
A custom rigid mountain bike frame/drivetrain with a road fork - she is complicated :)

2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
Certainly! I do work for a living, spend 3-4 hours a week at my gym, my house is moderately clean and there are other hobbies I have. :)

3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
I don't ride in rain, temps below 37 or winds greater than 21-22 mph

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
Yes, outside of rain

5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
No

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
I currently use Speedplay Frogs, but the year in which I rode the most miles - over 2,000, I rode BMX flat pedals.

7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?

I don't use clipless or straps - - - yet.

I average between 11-13

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
Roads, though there were 2 seasons I also rode on the trails

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
mainly roads, flat to mixed terrain (think basically flat with short and STEEP hills)

10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
Solo

Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!

In the end, all that matters is you ride your bike! It doesn't matter how many miles you average per year. Nothing is wrong with 500 miles, and nothing is wrong with 6,000! Just ride when you can, take what opportunities you do to ride. My mileage was so low this year because I am in a long-term neck recovery but in the end, I don't really care what my mileage is - as long as I ride!

OakLeaf

10-11-2013, 03:28 PM

It's been a while since I had a >5000 mile year. And I didn't have a job the last time I did it. But the first few times I did, sometimes a pretty demanding job (60+ hours a week), sometimes two jobs, and before that, some years when I was a full-time student living off campus and working part time, with all the same household chores as a working person. The one thing I don't have, is children. I would think someone would be hard pressed to get that kind of mileage with small children at home unless it was all commuter miles.

Averaging 100 miles a week isn't that much. Commuting does boost the total quite a bit, even a short commute - five miles one way gives you 50 mpw if you work five days. But even if you get to work some other way and all your miles are recreational, that's just one weekend morning (50 miles) and a couple of quick evening rides (25 miles each). Lots of people count their trainer "miles" if they ride indoors when it's dark or when the weather's nasty.

The miles I ride at night have never contributed much to my yearly mileage. I will occasionally run errands or go out to dinner on quiet village streets/MUPs. Never rode anything longer than 6 miles in the dark in my life, and it's usually much shorter.

Besides my current injury, the main thing that's contributed when I don't have a lot of miles on the bike, is other cardio, whether it's the running I do now or the years I was a gym rat. Seven or eight hours of cardio a week is kind of a minimum for my sanity, really, not to mention my physical health, whatever activity I get it in. If you'd rather get your cardio some other way, if you even have a job that's physically demanding that counts, I don't think there's anyone here who's going to look down on you for not having foul-weather riding gear or whatever.

shootingstar

10-11-2013, 03:30 PM

Kajero: I think you can ride over 1,000 miles in a riding season. I assume you don't cycle in the winter? However more mileage can be boosted by making cycling more part of your daily lifestyle.

Can you answer some questions for me? Maybe riding over 1000 miles during one riding season is not a goal I can meet.

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride? Hybrid. I have 4 bikes...with one of them a folding bike.

2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
I work full time. I've been cycling to work daily for past 2 decades. Where I live now, in the winter my cycling goes down to 70% of the days because of snow, ice. I am car-free. So cycling is part of my lifestyle --shopping, errands,etc.

3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.) If I am returning home, yes I will ride in downpour, high winds, high temperature. But if I have a choice to start off cycling, then most likely I choose not to bike in severe downpour, etc. I like cycling in light rain if it's not far. In winter, I cycle as cold as -25 degrees C --as long as there's very little ice/snow on roads/paths where I am. I just bike to work, shopping. That's my limit in terms of cold. And that is cold: it is nearly at frostbitten face warning.

Keep in mind we go touring by bike with our loaded panniers, several times per year. You have no choice not to bike. Then yes, I've cycled in 5 hrs. of pouring rain ...several different trips, etc.

I bike in high temp., high humidity but try to start off quite early in the morning.

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather? Yes, summer and winter. Both extremes. I spend more money on cycling gear compared to fashion clothing. I didn't plan it that way initially!

5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do) I like only cycling at night on roads/paths that I am familiar. Under 1.5 hrs. of cycling time. Cycling in a big city at night, to me, requires being extra alert. In the winter, I have no choice: it is still dark when I start cycling to work and dark after work when I cycle. I'm probably one of the most northernly TE members. (But I don't beat our Norwegian lph TE member.)

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals? I've been using toeclips/toecups for the past.....22 yrs.

7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?
I don't know maybe 16-24 km. per hr. Usually on bottom end of speed.

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads? Roads/paved surfaces/paths

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture? In Calgary 80% flat with hills rest of time. It's the headwinds in the flat prairies which can really make cycling a work-out.

10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups? A lot of the time solo....it's part of my lifestyle. I can't wait around for others when I need to do daily stuff. It has depended on where I've lived, etc. When I ride with someone, it tends to be my partner. I've learned a lot on new local routes from him....

Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!

Then build in cycling to work several times per week if you can. The convenience is that one can bike abit farther after work to do stuff or enjoy a ride. If you make cycling more and more part of your lifestyle, you will achieve more mileage.

Also tour-cycling 2-3 times per year or take in 1-2 group day rides on a weekend will also increase mileage.

Note: I know the approx. distances where I bike but I don't obsess over the total mileage. I think now I'm cycling under 3,000 km. annually. Other years it's been over 7,000 km. annually...when I was unemployed.

The most important thing: Is try to bike daily, or several times per week. No matter how short the distance. After awhile, your body naturally becomes addicted to cycling. :) Then the total cumulative mileage becomes secondary to you...because you're enjoying cycling.

Grits

10-11-2013, 07:11 PM

I don't set an annual goal for miles, but I do try to schedule a long ride every year that I need to train for. I don't care how many miles I ride during the year, just that I am able to comfortably ride in that event. This year it was Tour de Cure ride with rolling hills. Most years it is a flat MS ride with multiple ride options from 25 - 100 miles. I don't ride in bad weather, at night, or when it is under 45 degrees. I ride for fun and not for speed. Don't worry about the goals others have set. Just enjoy riding your bike your way. I know from experience that when you try to meet someone else's goal, cycling becomes something you dread instead of something you enjoy. As long as you aren't racing for a sponsor, then do what you enjoy! As you ride and get more fit, more miles will come naturally. If you want to increase your miles so that you can enjoy longer rides, then add a few miles on each week until you are able to ride somewhere you want to go, maybe to the end of a greenway trail or to participate in a charity ride somewhere. Most charity rides have multiple options for miles - anywhere from 10 mile rides and up. It is much more fun to set a goal to be able to complete a ride to a particular place than to set an arbitrary number of miles for the year.

lph

10-12-2013, 01:07 AM

ny biker

10-12-2013, 02:09 AM

OakLeaf

10-12-2013, 03:15 AM

Yes. What they both said.

Crankin

10-12-2013, 04:42 AM

And this is why I am good with riding 1,000 miles less this year. The first time I set a goal of 2,500 miles (in 2005), I missed it by 99 miles. I was crushed. I rode over 3,000 in 2006, but 2007 and 2008 were re-building years for me. I did a lot of errand and farm stand rides those years, as well as some commuting, along with my regular fitness/recreational riding. In 2010, I did a 6 day tour in Spain, early in the season, and then I started doing longer rides every week with Hirakukibou. I rode 3,100 miles that year. We had no winter in 2011, and I rode about 3,400 miles. Last year, much less (2,700). This year, I was away for 2 weeks in August and we didn't ride on our trip to the Berkshires, because of weather. If I start putting pressure on myself about this, it's not good.

Catrin

10-12-2013, 05:12 AM

I agree. Very well said.

Having a mileage goal can also backfire, and can end up stressing you out.

Yes, this! I've had it happen myself which is why I focus more on riding when I can and for as long as my body is happy with it. I do pay attention to the numbers when I ride as that is just how I am, but I don't worry about the cumulative totals any longer. My 1,500 mile goal for next year is simply an incentive to get out there - I've competing physical activities ;)

Veronica

10-12-2013, 05:36 AM

A quick look at my logs shows that in 2006, I rode 5,800 miles. This year I've got about 350 miles and most of those have been on my mountain bike. My overall fitness and body composition are much better than they were in 2006 because I've chosen to branch out and now do other things besides ride my bike. Goals are nice. I'm a huge fan of goals, but it's important to ask yourself what do you really want.

My job is pretty stressful. I have 30 5th graders, 6 of whom read at a 2nd grade level and are lacking basic math skills. I also have 4 students who receive resource assistance. I'm the lead teacher for my grade level which gives me extra responsibilities. The state just changed the rules of the game about testing but hasn't provided the tools (curriculum or computers) to accommodate the change, so I'm scrambling to figure out what to do. I may plan to ride after work but seldom do because I need to spend the time on something for work. While my state testing scores are pretty decent, our overall school's scores fall short. I deal with teachers who insist that they are doing a good job, but have no evidence to back up their claims. Since the scores are dropping, we have more meetings and a longer paper trail to create. That's my life during the school year.

I'm happy to get in my two pre work sessions with my personal trainer and another on on Saturday. We also run on Saturdays and ride on Sundays. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

Veronica

kajero

10-12-2013, 08:53 AM

I would like to add that having a mileage goal just for the sake of it doesn't make much sense to me. What I mean is, once you know what kind of bike riding you enjoy and want to do, you can set a mileage goal to give yourself a little extra motivation, but miles are just miles, and don't have much value alone.

I agree. This makes much more sense to me that wanting to ride an unachievable goal of 2000+ miles for me.

And I also agree with what ny biker says, "Having a mileage goal can also backfire, and can end up stressing you out."

I wish I could have commuted before I lost my job. It was 16 miles each way, but I never could figure out a safe way to ride to work. There were two very, very, busy streets about 1/2 mile long with no bike lanes. I felt it was too dangerous to ride during rush hours. It wasn't worth the effort to load the bike and unload it for about 3 miles. Doing all that would have been a real stressor for me.

Thanks for the answers to all the questions. It really helped me. I learned there are a lot of things I can do to add a few miles to the total.

Thanks to all of you I already feel better about the number of miles I rode this season. :) It isn't a competition; It was what I feel comfortable with and what I want to achieve.

velo

10-13-2013, 04:13 AM

Crankin

10-13-2013, 04:22 AM

Well, speaking for myself, even though I know I do more, in terms of physical activity, than 99% of Americans, it makes me feel *bad* to hear about all the 5-10K a year people. There's nothing wrong with my self esteem, but truth is, even my DH wonders about this, and he is a very strong rider... but we just think we are wusses. I mean, if I do a 50-60 mile one day, I will not be doing that again the next day, unless I am on a tour. And people who routinely ride 100 miles every weekend? Well, if you are a racer, sure. If not, then you surely can't be doing anything else besides riding. So, even competition with myself doesn't work so much, because I often just set goals that are high. I am generally an extremely disciplined person, organized, etc., but even being around others who talk about this stuff makes me kind of annoyed.

nuliajuk

10-13-2013, 06:38 AM

I don't set mileage goals. For one thing, I don't have a way to measure mileage since I decided not to use a computer any more, for another, I have other activities that I do (swimming, cross-country skiing, a little running) that are just as important to me as cycling. I aim to get at least 6 hours of aerobic exercise per week as a base, then focus on increasing a particular activity if I have a plan for it. I'd love to do another Swimtrek tour, for example.
For this coming winter I'm on the fence about riding in or not. On the one hand, it's good for bike handling skills, on the other it isn't really enough to qualify as very much exercise; I have to do a lot of planning and clothes packing for just 20 minutes or less of actual riding each way. I can get a higher quality workout in on the turbo trainer. If I can figure out a way to carry skis with me, maybe I can ride to a park with ski tracks and get another workout in that way.
I was actually thinking of running to work 3 times a week between November and March (well, running with a lot of walking breaks). It would take at least 30 minutes and be much more intense than riding.

Crankin

10-13-2013, 06:52 AM

That sounds fun.
I am about where you are, Nuliajuk. I am doing other things now, too.

shootingstar

10-13-2013, 07:16 AM

For certain, I wouldn't have stayed cycling for the last 22 yrs. as part of my car-free lifestyle if I always had an annual mileage goal in my head. I think I might be appalled how much less cycling I did for certain years.

The loose goal I do have is: bike daily. If it's too icy/snowy on pavement on certain days to start off, forget it. I walk or take transit. The other goal is at least 1 touring bike trip for several days per year by cycling with my own pannier weight.

I also gauge my cycling fitness to relation to my health every new season. All of this helps me enjoy cycling year after year, decade after decade. :D

(I did track my mileage for first 5 years when I returned to cycling. It was initially a great motivator, then it started to wear me down psychologically when I didn't cycle much.)

ny biker

10-13-2013, 09:04 AM

I think setting goals is a great way to see what you are capable of doing. I set goals for many things that help me through life. I set them for work because they help the community I serve. I set them at home to help the family I love. But they never stress me out and really they never have. I think they are great as motivation but each person has to do what is best for their own comfort level. I know several people who will hit 10,000 miles this year. I know two people who moved from riding paved trails to road riding in traffic. I don't think there is a person here who would qualify those accomplishments. It doesn't have to be a competition for people to work outside of their comfort zone and push themselves to expand and grow. The feeling that it's a competition comes from within. I love seeing what other people do in all areas of life...not just cycling...because they are where I'm heading and where I've been and it's nice to know the possibilities and also how I can help.

I think the important thing is that what works for one person could be a disaster for another person. If someone is indicating they feel they have to ride more simply because people on the internet say they have ridden a certain number of miles this year, then I think a mileage goal could turn out to be stressful for that person.

One of my cycling friends rode more than 11,000 miles last year. But he didn't do it because it was his goal. He did it because he loves to ride his bike. He rides almost every day. He considers riding a century to be the best possible way to spend a day, and he'll get up and ride 50 or more miles again the next day because he just wants to.

Setting goals can be good motivation in the right context, but they can also backfire. Unless you're a professional racer getting paid to ride your bike, I think it's important that any cycling goals you set have an underlying element of fun. It can very easily go from something you enjoy to something you have to do even though you'd rather be doing something else.

BikeDutchess

10-13-2013, 12:11 PM

@kajero

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
I mostly ride my road bike and my commuter bike. I haven't ridden my MTB in at least a year.

2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
I work full-time, my house is a bit of a mess (but it would be whether or not I ride - I'm not much of a housekeeper). We eat out a lot. We're empty-nesters and our family lives out of state/country.

3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
I'm somewhat of a fair weather rider. I don't do well in extreme heat. But an occasional drizzle is OK. I don't ride in the snow either.

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
Over the years I've built up a decent collection of gear for a wide range of temperatures and some precipitation.

5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
Yes. I have lights and reflective gear. I generally ride at night only for commuting purposes.

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
Clipless on my road bike (Speedplay Frogs), flat pedals on my commuter.

7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?

I don't use clipless or straps - - - yet.
I don't have an annual mileage goal, but you can absolutely ride 1000+ miles a year at that speed. I checked my stats on Garmin Connect just now - in 2012, I rode 1197 miles @ 11.5 mph; this year so far I rode 1061 miles @ 13.3 mph (new wheel set). That's only the miles for which I used my Garmin, I'm sure there are more miles for commutes.

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
Roads

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
Mixture

10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
Mostly with 1 or 2 others or with our bike club, some alone (commutes).

Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!
Just enjoy the ride and don't focus too much on the stats!

Catrin

10-13-2013, 02:00 PM

I think the important thing is that what works for one person could be a disaster for another person. If someone is indicating they feel they have to ride more simply because people on the internet say they have ridden a certain number of miles this year, then I think a mileage goal could turn out to be stressful for that person...

I remember my first year cycling, which was 2010. I had just learned to ride and convinced myself that a 200K brevet that fall was just the ticket for me! I focused on getting as many miles as I could, I even started to ride metric centuries most every weekend. Now, my body wasn't ready for all of that, and instead of riding the brevet as planned, by that date I was off the bike entirely for close to 6 months due to over-use injuries. Due to that, and mountain bike injuries the following year...well, I will likely never meet the miles I rode that first year and that is OK!

Now that I can no longer ride at full capacity (if I ever really did) I focus on the joy of riding. I do look at my numbers at the end of a ride but don't even bother to write them down. My bike computer tells me my seasonal miles, and I do use it to keep my cadence in a knee-friendly range. I really enjoyed my "simple" hour long ride yesterday - and at one time I would have been very frustrated at not being able to spend 3-6 hours on the bike, but you know, that is ok! I do other things as well, and focus on over-all fitness and doing what I can. THAT is what matters.

shootingstar

10-13-2013, 04:07 PM

Setting goals can be good motivation in the right context, but they can also backfire. Unless you're a professional racer getting paid to ride your bike, I think it's important that any cycling goals you set have an underlying element of fun. It can very easily go from something you enjoy to something you have to do even though you'd rather be doing something else.

Yup.

For velogirl: I've set goals for my career, for saving money to buy a home, etc. It's been helpful to me, but cycling needs to be stress-free for my own mental equilibrium..so yea, cycling is for me, time to chill out. The very fact that I'm car-free, cycling sometimes does have daily goals...for transportation and to get something else done (work, shopping) and piling in my mini-fitness ride at the same time. But I don't think of "goal' every time I mount on my bike. I do often think of "destination"....instead of mileage.

I just have survive and live daily....by getting food to feed myself. And I do it by bike. Hope this makes sense to those who bike for transportation a lot.

My partner is also a long term cyclist and car-free like myself. He tracks his mileage faithfully since 1992. Sometimes he tells me his mileage when I ask. Most of the time, he seldom offers it because it's just for him. (Frankly I'm amazed he is so modest when he's with other cyclists and says nothing, but praises others. This year he's done 11,000 km. so far. You have to understand he's done over 250,000 kms since I've known him! He's my dearest used car. :) But again he only offers it ...when I ask him. )

He's super supportive of my cycling and has never put me down on my annual mileage. Of course, he's retired, I'm not. I'm not sure what it would be like to live with someone who constantly obsessed over their mileage.. I probably make encouraging noises and tune out after while. After all, one loves a person for who they are, not their mileage.

Owlie

10-13-2013, 08:17 PM

I remember my first year cycling, which was 2010. I had just learned to ride and convinced myself that a 200K brevet that fall was just the ticket for me! I focused on getting as many miles as I could, I even started to ride metric centuries most every weekend. Now, my body wasn't ready for all of that, and instead of riding the brevet as planned, by that date I was off the bike entirely for close to 6 months due to over-use injuries. Due to that, and mountain bike injuries the following year...well, I will likely never meet the miles I rode that first year and that is OK!

Now that I can no longer ride at full capacity (if I ever really did) I focus on the joy of riding. I do look at my numbers at the end of a ride but don't even bother to write them down. My bike computer tells me my seasonal miles, and I do use it to keep my cadence in a knee-friendly range. I really enjoyed my "simple" hour long ride yesterday - and at one time I would have been very frustrated at not being able to spend 3-6 hours on the bike, but you know, that is ok! I do other things as well, and focus on over-all fitness and doing what I can. THAT is what matters.

I didn't set a mileage goal this year. I was sort-of hoping to do 2000, but I knew that between an unhappy knee, schoolwork, work (weekends and random days during the week) and a cross-country move, I'd be very lucky to get near that. So I "focused" on riding when I could, for however long I thought my knee could handle, usually 15-20 miles. By the way, the unhappy knee? Brought on by riding too much without other activities to balance it out. Just have fun. :)

Melalvai

10-14-2013, 03:43 AM

As others have noted, commuting will really pile on the miles. My Dad & I were both training for a 4-day self-supported bicycle tour. He's retired & got in a lot of longer rides. I commute to work and rode less than 10 miles a day, but every day. I was not able to find time for longer rides, and I was worried about that. But we were both in pretty good shape. He thinks because I was out there every day, and got the same # of miles in as him, just spread out over more days, that we had roughly equal training.

So commuting or a short daily ride can be very effective training.

Cyclingfun

10-15-2013, 06:12 AM

:confused:It's been fascinating to read the different 'takes' on cycle mileage and goal-setting on this thread - so thanks to all who replied and thanks to Kajero for asking the question! As I'm in my first year of road biking, and not in the first flush of youth, I haven't set any other goal than to see how far I can get... And so far I've done over 1500 miles. Admittedly I can get out quite often because I'm retired but I'm unlikely to be able to go out for more than a few hours at a time, partly limited by having an elderly husband at home and partly by my own fitness limitations; also, I've never achieved more than 12.5 mph - so far! Some of my riding is a lot slower than that because I'm very slow up hills (but now very rarely have to get off :-) ). Our terrain is mixed, some fairly flat by the coast, inland a bit more rolling and in some areas there are terrifically steep, long hills though I've only just begun to tackle the easier of these recently. Main thing is I love doing it! I have a carbon road bike and a steel cyclocross-type bike and love them both too - and even love messing about with them (cleaning, adjusting [sometimes mess things up but can always get help from my bro, or friends, or the internet - or TE, of course!] etc). Happiness is definitely bike-shaped!

Boudicca

10-15-2013, 07:35 AM

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
Road/cyclocross

2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
Full time job, full time life

3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
Sometimes

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
Yup. Gear junkie extraordinaire.

5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
Yup, but only when I'm commuting

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
Clipless

7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?
About 12 mph, sometimes more, occasionally less. You can definitely ride 1000 miles at a 12mph average. One longish ride at the weekend and 4-5 short rides a week and you are there and laughing.

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
Roads

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
Mixed

spokewench

10-15-2013, 02:34 PM

kajero

10-15-2013, 07:53 PM

I looked at your basic question and your goal is to ride 1,000 miles in a season. Probably depends on how long your season is, but say you can only ride 6 months out of the year, that is approximately 26 weeks. That means you need to ride approximately 40 miles a week. 40 miles a week should be doable on any type of bike if you just ride three times a week at 13 miles a day.

I am kind of a wuss. In Minnesota, I only ride from the beginning of June to the end of September, and that depends on the weather. It can't be raining or too cold or too hot.

So in my mind, I can only truly count on a 4 month riding season with extra days added in occasionally in May and October. I looked back in my diary and did find I rode a few times in March and April two years ago; the weather was a fluke. I probably could have ridden more that year except for the stupid bike accident.

I think I can set a goal of riding between 18-20 miles three days a week. It will definitely take some discipline! One of my favorite routes is 17 miles. I don't know why, but I ride it much faster than other routes even though it has a of hills. I'll just have to go around the block a few more times before I put the bike in the garage. :D

I have done the ride to my Dad's grave twice now, I did get it down to from 63 to 51 miles last time because I only got lost 3 times (instead of a lot more). It's a gorgeous ride 16744 and should only be 47 miles round trip. (Maps don't help . . . I keep missing certain turns.) If I do that once a month, that will help, too. Besides, I think my Dad likes me to come out there and talk to him.

I am going to go clipless or wear straps on the pedals next year. I am sure I can do better if I could keep my feet from slipping off the pedals all the time. Right now when I ride I try to imagine I have clipless pedals on and plan ahead what I need to do. I hope this makes the transition easier. I also have a trainer with a different bike on it. I plan to practice clipping in and out of the pedals we put on it.

If I go to spin classes does that count? ;) My instructor says we get 18 miles for the hour class -- except I have never ridden 18 miles in hour in my life (unless Garmin could be wrong???) . I would only use 12 MPH which is higher than my average, but not by much.

Thanks again for all your help. I am going to ride just for the enjoyment of it. Hopefully, though, I will also have a goal to make sure I get out there and ride, but I am not going to get disheartened if I don't make it. I decided to look at like, "I don't know anyone my Facebook page who even rides a bike. Anything I do is beyond them"!

Crankin

10-16-2013, 04:48 AM

Sounds like a good plan.
But, I think you can extend your riding season, by buying some nice merino wool tops and a pair of tights and/or leg warmers. A lightweight merino top with a base layer doesn't have to be cycling specific, you can wear it under your jacket, and can wear it for walking, hiking, whatever. Look on discount web sites. Arm warmers, leg warmers, and skull caps are relatively cheap, in terms of cycling clothes. Spend the $ on a good pair or pairs of gloves. Before I accumulated a whole bunch of different levels of long fingered gloves, I used the Terry light weight long fingered gloves, and wore thin merino liners under them, or silk liners.
There's a lot of riding to be done in April and May, as well as October and November. You don't have to ride in the rain or bad weather, just cooler temperatures.

SheFly

10-16-2013, 05:38 AM

I'm going to answer your questions here, because I think they are valid. I will, however, echo the sentiments of others in the thread - why do you have a mileage goal? I am a cyclist, and I LOVE to ride my bike. I don't set mileage goals (though I do track to see if I am ahead or behind last year) - I ride because I love it. If you set a goal, and you only ride o achieve that goal (and not for the sake of riding), then it seem pointless to me...

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
Road/cyclocross/MTB/TT

2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
I work full time and maintain 3 homes. While I don't have children, I do have all of the household chores as well as increased planning depending on what location we will be in.

3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
Yes. I've ridden in rain, thunderstorms (though not on purpose), snow storms and on ice. I also ride from January through December despite living in the Northeast. Being prepared with equipment and apparel is key here though. And again, I ride because I love it! I will also ride indoors if the weather is particularly awful out.

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
Absolutely. Over the years I have accumulated all of the gear for riding in any type of weather - cold, wet, windy, warm. Having the right clothes is important to continuing to enjoy the ride. Bad clothes can make a fun ride miserable in a hurry.

5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
Yes. At this time of year, and through the winter, I don't have a choice. We have great lights and will go out for a couple of hours in the dark. I did my first dark MTB ride of the season just last night. Again, this helps to keep things fun, since it changes the regular routines and routes.

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
Clipless

7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?
I'm with Eden on this one - this is irrelevant. Your average speed depends on too many variable to compare with other people not riding the exact same routes that you are.

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
I ride anywhere my bike will take me - roads, gravel roads, MTB trails...

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
Mixed here, and I will occasionally ride places where there is no flat.

Good questions for sure, but again, make sure that you are riding and setting these goals for the right reasons. Loving the ride is more important than how far you rode. :)

SheFly

goldfinch

10-16-2013, 07:16 AM

kajero

10-16-2013, 08:34 AM

I have mileage goals. I can be on a roll that lasts for months where I exceed goals and ride because I love to ride. And then I can get bogged down and not want to do anything but sit on the couch with my dog, computer and food. The goals help me a bit to get off the couch. But that is me. This fall I have not wanted to do anything but I have at least a minimum mileage goal of 200 a month and I will do at least that amount until the weather gets too bad. Then I will go south or do something else.

I think a mileage goal may be important to me because as you said, "It helps me get off the couch." Being unemployed it's so easy for me to sit around and say I will do it tomorrow.

tulip

10-16-2013, 11:10 AM

I think a mileage goal may be important to me because as you said, "It helps me get off the couch." Being unemployed it's so easy for me to sit around and say I will do it tomorrow.

Since you are not working, seems like you have a great opportunity to use your bike for transportation every day. Go to a cafe, a museum, the library, the store, meet a friend, have lunch, volunteer somewhere...those miles do add up quickly.

If I lived in a very cold place, I would have an ice bike with studded tires. I used to have one, but then moved south and there's not much ice. Actually if I lived in Minnesota I would love to try a fat bike on the snow. Or just get some XC skis for winter.

shootingstar

10-16-2013, 11:46 AM

Kajero: The last time I was unemployed but actively looking for work, I did make it a temporary goal, that I bike my favourite (and scenic) routes daily --choice of a 40 km. ride or a 20 km. ride (a different route) if I was feeling crappy. I tried to do the ride in the morning and get done then..to get my motivation for other things started up each day.

I did do 40 kms. daily most weeks for 3 months (but geared down when weather became rainy often or I was busy doing other stuff ie. volunteering for cycling advocacy group). The daily route included 2 hills @8-10% grade.

Susan Otcenas

10-17-2013, 07:22 PM

I have over 6000 miles already this year. All but ~600 of those by August 1st! :eek: I'm taking the second half of the year mostly off, as I train to run a marathon in March.

1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?

Custom steel Sweetpea, mostly. I also have a custom carbon Sweetpea and a Felt TT bike. Also a cruiser and a mountain bike don't see much use.

2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)

Yes and no. 99.9% of those miles are weekend only. So, on the weekends, no I don't do much else. Mostly just eat, ride and sleep. But I don't ride during the week, not even to commute. So, I work, cook and try to scale Mt. Laundry from time to time. Very little housework, though. I mean, the place is generally tidy, but deep clean? Um, no, not so much.

3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)

Yes. Hot, cold, rain, sun. Everything but ice. Though, I've ridden on snow covered roads as long as they weren't icy.

4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?

Yup! ;)

5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)

Yup, all the time. And sometimes all night. Night riding is a wonderful thing, and not nearly so dangerous as you might think. IN fact, I am SOOO reflective and lit up, that I'm way easier to spot at night than during the day. Plus, there's so little traffic at night that I actually feel much safer riding at night than during the day. Good lighting helps, too.

6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?

Yes, Shimano SPD.

7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?

Depends on the terrain. But I keep all my rides recorded on Strava, so I can answer this pretty well. On 200Ks (125 miles), my overall moving average might be anywhere between 12 mph & 15 mph. At 12 it means it's pretty hilly/mountainous terrain and at 15 it's probably pretty flat. Note that this is overall moving, not just what I see when I look down when I'm just cruising along.

Can you ride 1000+ per season? Depends on how you define season, I guess, but really the answer is YES, absolutely. If you rode just 50 miles per weekend at a pace even as slow as 10mph, you'd hit 1000 miles in 20 weekends. That's less than 6 months.

8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
Almost exclusively on roads.

9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?

All of the above. Strava says I've climbed over 234,000 feet this year. It adds up fast!

10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?

This year I rode mostly in small groups or with one other person. But that hasn't always been the case. Some seasons I ride solo more. Depends on my goals. But in general, riding with others is fun, and can help you pace yourself a bit better, or maybe even push yourself to go longer or faster when you might otherwise want to quit.

---

As for general advice, perhaps you should think about time on the bike rather than miles ridden as a goal. Maybe make it a plan to ride a certain number of hours every weekend, instead. Let the miles build naturally. Speed will come with fitness and time in the saddle.

kajero

10-18-2013, 03:36 PM

I went for 6 mile ride today. It was cold for me (51 degrees and no sun) and sprinkling. I dressed for the cold, but the sprinkling . . . well, let's just say I was lucky it wasn't raining. I don't normally ride in this kind of weather so I want to THANK EVERYONE for the ideas, advice, and encouragement. I felt like I would be doing a disservice to everyone who took the time to reply to my post if I didn't at least try to ride some more even if in my mind I think the season is over. After all, that is why I posted it!

I rode to pick up a prescription and to the library to return and pick up some audiobooks that were being held for me. I discovered a beautiful new trail totally by accident. I decided to do a new supposedly shorter route to the library and got lost again. I have lived in this area for 20 years and never knew those pond/lakes were there!