I LOVE those kinds of rides. Erik and I have been riding downtown and along the boardwalk every Sunday for the past few weeks. Avg speed about 18-20kmh. (11 mph)Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
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I LOVE those kinds of rides. Erik and I have been riding downtown and along the boardwalk every Sunday for the past few weeks. Avg speed about 18-20kmh. (11 mph)Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
Amen!!Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
I was a little sluggish today because both wheels were dragging, I found out when i took the bike into the bike coop...
Tryin' to keep our club from devolving into a "fast riding only!" club ...
Remember, not everyone is riding for speed or for a personal best every time we click in. Some of us like to look and see where we're going (and then take photos;) )
I don't have a computer on the bike that I ride the most. And it's good that I don't. Some days I jam right along, some days I don't. But I know I am faster than last year, I am on my bike more this year than last year, and I'm being taken seriously as a "cyclist" by people at work and my own family.
I think sometimes the bike just doesn't want to go.
It's psychological.
Today I rode in to work, 25 miles, and because it was a Saturday, there was no traffic, no people, just me and the bike. And it took me ten minutes longer than it usually does.
I don't know why.
Think about this, though. Every ride is different. Sometimes, we tank up on water and maybe good food, and the combination of a good night's sleep and a tuned bike leads to a nice clip on the road. And sometimes, we wake up and we can't find our favorite shorts, and the dog won't come when called, and it's a little colder than yesterday, and our watch might be three minutes fast, and we might eat oatmeal instead of cheerios, and we might be a little dehydrated, and we might have ridden "too much" the day before, and man, it's just a drag getting on that hard little saddle and GAWD, didn't I JUST ride up that hill LAST NIGHT??? And the commute is not speedy nor is it particularly enjoyable. But it's still freakin' better than being in a car. I don't care what anyone says.
Stop thinking in terms of training.
Remember why you started doing this.
If you are like me, cycling saved your life.
So don't worry too much. Just love your bike. It's all you can do.
Usually flat rides (no hills around here :D), about 40miles, 18-20mph average.
When I go back to L.A. I usually ride around the North Hollywood hills and the speed suddenly drops - except downhill ;)
I was a bike computer junkie for first 5-6 years after returning to cycling. Kept a cycling journal plus mileage.
Let's see at that time average speed was 19-22 kms./hr. And I was cycling annually 4,000-6,000 kms. annually.
Now it's probably slower and each ride during the week, is half the distance I used to do due to impossibly convoluted and lengthy work commute that doesn't allow me to cycle the entire trip.. while weekends each ride is approx. 42-55 kms. each day. On self-loaded touring trips it increases to 45 - 80 kms. each day.
Stuation as somewhat temporary due to awkward location of my job and commuting distance. I won't be at this job forever...it ends soon.
I know the distance I ride nowadays by asking my partner who tracks his mileage religiously on Excel..with graphs. If he wasn't around, I might seriously consider using the bike computer more often. But I haven't used a bike computer for many years now. I gauge my level of bike fitness by how I climb certain hills each season, amount of weight I can cycle up and down on various routes and distances.
It isn't my cycling fitness that interests me so much these days compared to why am I munching so much more food throughout the day nowadays.. ::( Latter I consider something I must be more vigilant.
I care less about my fitness but feeling strong / enthusiastic enough to go out when the weather becomes lousier, colder and wetter. I seem to be losing my cold acclimatization this year which bothers me...since it affects how far I'm motivated to cycle.
Hmmm...you're making it sound bad:confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by indigoiis
For the Silvers, a big part of the enjoyment comes from pushing ourselves to new limits...if it's not fun, we slow down.;)
On a more positive note, my year to date miles = >210,000 calories burned which equals > 70 pounds consumed. So, since I haven't lost 70 pounds, I guess it would be said that I ride so I can eat:D;)
That's pretty much how DH and I view it, too. Challenges. Goals. Oh..and ride to eat!:pQuote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Silver
Unless you ride cyclocross, I can't imagine what you are training for this time of year!
Hey, don't forget that us folks down here in the Southern Hemisphere are in training mode!
I often say I ride to eat, also...
But the deal about challenges is that while everyone is challenging themselves I seem to get to a certain point and then I get sick. But, like I said earlier, I'm done thinking about it. When I started riding, about 8 years ago, I had let myself get out of shape a bit after many years of intense exercise at the gym. I started slowly, but it didn't take long for me to see improvement. The thing is, is that I never consciously set out to improve my speed. It just happened. Some of it was endurance and some was the fact that i kept getting a lighter bike. So, I never "trained," like some of you do. I just rode, increasing my distance as I went. The fact that I live in an area that is not flat probably helped me a lot. I don't climb mountains, but I do climb short, steep hills on a regular basis. I didn't realize this until I started going on group rides with people who live closer to Boston; as soon as we'd get to a climb, I'd be up front! In fact, this is what got me through the only century I've done. It was flat, but with a vicious headwind by the coast; I hadn't done any rides longer than 65 miles that year, but I was able to do the century in 6.5 hours. So, while inside, I'd like to be competitive with myself, I know if I go overboard, I'll end up doing nothing.
I think it can be bad or good depending on your mindset. If getting faster, stronger, etc. becomes an obsession, training is no longer a positive thing. If you can keep it as an enjoyable activity, a way to challenge yourself without it becoming a compulsion, that's wonderful. But I know personally that if I start trying to push myself, I will inevitably push too hard, become totally focused on the numbers, and ultimately stop enjoying the activity. So I try not to worry too much about my speed, but instead focus on enjoying myself. I have had a very hard time letting go of the expectation to go a certain speed, and now that I have let go (mostly), it's a matter of constantly remembering what the goal is: To have fun. We all are here to have a good time on two (or three) wheels, and whatever that means for each of us -- no matter how different -- is great.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Silver
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernBelle
In California we ride all year long. I have a duathlon Nov. 1 and I need to do 4 more 200Ks to get my R-12. So, yeah, I'm still training.
Veronica
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernBelle
Ahem, the HILLY HUNDRED is next weekend...and why aren't you coming up to join us???
Then, it appears that we're going to do another ride across Indiana AND BACK in November. New Harmony to New Albany...want to come join us SB?
Hey Mr. Silver, I like your new avatar. :)
one of the thing I think we forget is that we have different aims for getting on the bike.
An example: RUSA or my local rando club had a discussion on the e-mail list about posting elapsed time for brevet. The faster folks wanted to (i did 200k in under 5 hours! am I a He-man or what?") and the slower folk had more of the traditional "it's not a race, and the last person to finish in the allotted get as much credit as the first". in the end - the website shows finishing times.
another time I showed up at the woman's ride after I gone by the library and checked out some books. judging from the reaction, you would have thought a homeless bum was trying to join the peloton on a huffy! "OMG, those heavy books! (i Think had two James Thom paperbacks:eek:) and I've similar reaction with showing up on Saturday with the bike rigged for errands (" you ride for fun and do errands? that's unpossible!")
I would say more, but I may have start a flame war (Been meaning to comment some threads here, but I've been holding back lesy my good intentions be mistaken:))
I don't think there's a right or wrong when it comes to keeping track of computer stats. It's different for everyone. If you are competitively training to race, you certainly need to keep track more than the average cyclist. If you don't race, then it's more of a fun tool to use to see how you're improving, For me, getting faster and seeing the numbers on the computer is what MAKES it fun. When I go faster, I can keep up with certain people and do certain rides that I couldn't do in the past. When I see that I'm at a 16.4 average near the end of a ride, like last week, and it encourages me to push as hard as I can to the end to try to get to 17, this is a GOOD thing for me. I need any motivation I can get to make myself work harder, because I can be a wimp sometimes! ;) (By the way, I got to 16.9 that day ... my fastest non-group ride ever.)
If keeping track of stats becomes an obsession and your only means of feeling good about your rides is based on what the computer says, then it makes total sense to leave the computer at home and go out and simply enjoy yourself. Right now I'm sort of in the honeymoon phase, where I'm new enough at this, that I am improving faster than someone who has been riding a long time and has maybe plateaued at a certain level, or over trained or gotten sick and weakened their fitness level. For me, the average pace number on my computer is consistently getting higher and this is hugely motivating for me to keep getting on the bike.
I haven't trained for distance at all this year. Can I take a rain check for next? You are hereby appointed to scout out a place for me to park my little travel trailer. All I need is an electric outlet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Silver
Hit the nail on the head. Everyone has their goals and achievements. Some of us (ME) have been riding 4 years and this year felt the tracking miles/pace/distance got oppressive. I still put them in but it is more for maintenance tracking not to see if I can put up a 200 mile week or notch yet another century like this time last year. I don't care that it has been over a week since I rode (I have been running, landscaping, cheerleading my racer husband).Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiffer
There have been past threads where the daydreamers, photographers and sight seeing riders (my current place) have been completely flamed for being slow. Right now when I do ride it is slow for where I was last year, if I were actually concerned I would be depressed but I know I am mentally in a different place. I am in better shape than last year overall just not on the bike. And you know what? I don't give a darn. I am happy, slow, playing in the dirt and puttering along taking photos Happy. ;)
I still like hearing someone is overjoyed to make a hill, do a century, have a large mileage month but this year I am not that person in 2008. Oh but the photos I have taken this year, the sites I have pedaled by, the critters and the discovery of mountain biking have made this a totally successful year. Some years our success cannot be quantified in number of miles or average speed. :D And if yours can that is good, you are happy and that is how everyone should feel when they hope on the bike.
Done! No excuses;)Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernBelle
Here you go - about 5 miles from the start
http://www.mccormickscreekstatepark.com/
Wait a second ... apart from the thread that I had posted, in what other thread have people been "completely flamed" for being slow?Quote:
Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama
And in that thread I posted, there was only one person doing the flaming, and she's no longer here (oh darn :rolleyes: :D)
Seriously, anyone who criticizes another for how slow one is has really screwed up priorities and is a bit pathetic.
But I find threads which are based on bragging about one's own speed in comparison to others a bit distasteful anyhow ... so, ciao. :cool:
I had to stop looking at my average speeds on my computer because I was obsessing over it. I have to turn that function off while I'm riding or I'll look at it constantly and obsess over increasing it. I do use my "real time" speed on my computer for hills. There are certain hills where I've set a goal to stay above 5 mph or whatever, depending on the hill. I also keep a training log spreadsheet just to kind of keep myself on track with training goals.
Like everyone is saying, comparing speeds and such is really pretty pointless, especially when you don't know the terrain where another person is riding. If I say my average speeds are usually around 13 mph, lots of people would probably think I'm slow. But I ride hills...every time I ride, hills. And more hills. Did I mention the hills? :rolleyes: (I actually like hills now...call me crazy...but when you get to the top of a hill, many times you get to ride back down the other side!)
Comparing myself to faster riders always just makes me feel worse about myself. I know my average speeds as well as my stamina improve as the season progresses and that's good enough for me.
One of the things that drew me to this forum is that there seemed to be something for everyone...Whether you sight see or compete on your bike, we are here because we have a common passion.
I have only been here a few months but I have not see a single instance of even mild flaming but I have seen tons of encouragement and pats on the back.
If by mentioning personal achievements that I am proud of, I am bragging and making anyone feel bad about theirs, I apologize.
Unless we all ride the same route under the same weather conditions there is no way to compare one rider's speed to another.
I have the utmost respect for anyone that is getting out there and getting on a bike when so many people are unmotivated to exercise.
It's all good!
Oh no that is the one I mainly meant. In fact I never posted in that one because the whole thing made me sick! I should have said there has been an instance in the past. :) Since that is the only ugly example I can think of and yes Ariel I think 99.99% of the time we are a supportive loving bunch!Quote:
Originally Posted by jobob
Heck I feel fast on paper but when I am riding with area riders including clubs not known for attacting the racing crowd I get dropped almost every time. And when I have rode in the mountains I am lucky to get a double digit average further cementing the idea that it is all relative. ;)
On a long-term basis, to keep on cycling regularily for many years ahead, it's probably psychologically better not to over-focus on just one's own cycling speed, etc. If I did, I would not stay cycling regularily up to this point in life for enough years so far. It would suck out the enjoyment of cycling.
I've heard several stories of people who competed/trained hard, then when they were injured seriously or became older/frailer...fell into a depression that took a long time to pull out.
Yeah, when I saw that link, I knew exactly which one it was, remembered the speed comments and who made them.
There are so many variables that can mess with your average speed. For instance, when I commute on my Nyala, my averages easily run 2 mph or more lower than on the road bike. I track mileage on BiJou, but hate to post the average on my commute. :p