do you ride by time or miles?

[Batbike]

I was looking at bikejournal and our local cycling club member mile #'s ... like TE club, there are some BIG mile #'s! I was encouraged and discouraged all at the same time -- if that makes any sense!

Anyway, started thinking about my miles and how to increase per week. Realized I ride by time, not necessarily miles. On a daily basis, I decide how much time I can ride that day and I ride that amount of time. Noticed I average about 2 hours per day, with exceptions of higher and lower. So, how do you decide your daily ride -- time or miles?

For you high mileage women, how do you get the miles in ... is there some "scheduling trick" to increase miles?

[missymaya]

Hey there batbike,
I ride by miles and I can get in 30 miles per day easily. The trick for me: commuting! I live about 10-15 miles one way from work (depending on route), so right there I have 20-30 miles in a day. Other tricks: riding during lunch (if you have a long enough lunch to put in a couple of miles) and riding in the morning or evening, especially since the sun is setting later. Hope this helps

[Fredwina]

split decsion here
weekday - hours - I'm really pressed for time and it makes it easier -usually about an hour
weekend- miles- but It usually does come to hours -60 or so on Saturday, and around 30 on Sundays
I can rememebr back when I started reading a Gref le Mond book , an he recommend traing by time instead of miles, reason being that as you got better, if went by miles, your training time would decrease.

[TrekJeni]

by heart rate!

Depending on the day, I might ride miles, hours, or by heart rate! I know, I didn't help did I?

Jeni

[im4smiley]

I usually go by miles, I ride knowing about how many miles I want to go, but if I usually try to round out my miles...like if I have done 38 miles I will ride the extra 2 miles to make 40. That's how I add on some miles.

[teigyr]

though I just got a HRM and am figuring out how to integrate it

During my work week (four days/week) I pretty much can't ride until summer kicks in and it is lighter later in the day/evening. For the three days I'm off, I try to cram in miles. It's not a good way to do it, granted. My long day now is 50 to increase to 60 -- the other day(s) I try to do 20-40/ea. There are times I get up early to go to spin class before work but I am not a morning person!

I guess, I don't know. I like seeing the miles go up on my odometer so that's why I do it the way I do it. Oh and I've been known to ride by time if I have appointments or something; I just ride for an hour or two or whatever amount of time I have.

(then again I'm not high miles and when I was way back when, I worked part time and had more of a life)

[Jenn]

I dont' know where we read it but DH said he read about this person that said he would go out and do no less then 90 minutes that is all he focused on initially. Speed and mileage come with time.....I wish I could go out and "tootle" around trust me Sunday when we had to take it easy with the little one in the trailer it was tough, because when I go out it's balls to the wall until I'm wasted and just crawl home because I only get to ride outside every so often but spin my hinder off the rest of the time.
I focus on my heart rate and time and I know it's embarassing but I average about 17 miles for every hour I ride, (without WIND).

[Batbike]

I know it's embarassing but I average about 17 miles for every hour I ride, (without WIND).

HOW can that be embarassing?? I think that is REALLY REALLY good!

[Batbike]

I can rememebr back when I started reading a Gref le Mond book , an he recommend traing by time instead of miles, reason being that as you got better, if went by miles, your training time would decrease.

If I understand correctly, if you go by time you will increase your miles in the same amount of time as your fitness improves?

Makes me wonder if that is really true -- I guess you would have to do the same route on multiple days to determine that. Would you also monitor your HR to check fitness?

... questions, questions, questions -- I ALWAYS seem to have questions!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I know it's embarassing but I average about 17 miles for every hour I ride, (without WIND).

[7rider]

Generally, we ride for miles, but sometimes it's cut short due to time -- as in "We don't have time to do that long ride, we'll have to do the shorter ride."

[han-grrl]

kilometers!

I am also saving up for a power meter. I used my Tacx Flow power meter inside, but can't afford the outside version just yet. I'm hoping for an ibike very very soon.

I also use HR, but not so religiously.

[HillSlugger]

During the week I have about 45 minutes to ride on the trainer stand and I do whatever miles I can get in. On weekends I'll usually decide on a route by miles, but other engagements may dictate what I can fit in.

[makbike]

So, how do you decide your daily ride -- time or miles? For you high mileage women, how do you get the miles in ... is there some "scheduling trick" to increase miles?

It all depends on what my schedule is for any given day. When the weather is nice I commute to work. If I have no place to be after school (work) I can knock out 25+ miles given we are free to leave at 3:30 p.m.. If I have to be someplace at a given time I have shorter routes I use. I simply adjust my milage/time on my bike according to my other responsibilities. I also try to ride with the club a couple of times each week. However, with soaring gas prices the 2-3 trips into Louisville each week may have to be cut back to weekend rides only.

Once summer starts (only 17 more school days ) I'll have even more time to explore new routes/roads and ride some of my favorite routes in this area. Last summer I typically rode 6 days a week with rides being 25+ miles each day.

In the winter months I do not ride outside. I put my bike on my trainer and leave it set up in my living room. I ride it 6 nights/days a week as well. The milage is typically 15 miles per ride but over time those 15 mile trainer rides add up not to mention adding strength to my legs/heart/lungs.

Good luck and remember it is all about having fun!

[Fredwina]

If I understand correctly, if you go by time you will increase your miles in the same amount of time as your fitness improves?

Exactly!

IMakes me wonder if that is really true -- I guess you would have to do the same route on multiple days to determine that. Would you also monitor your HR to check fitness?

I monitor my HR when I remember to turn it on
To check the level I have several set courses. I then use my Bike journal account to comapare (did same route with high avg speed. lower avg hr, etc