Just curious...miles per year?

[tjodit]

This will be my second year cycling on the road. I started in April or May of 2005. I'm just curious as to how many miles the newbies put on their bikes in one year? I'd be interested in knowing how many miles the experienced roadies put in too. I didn't even get 300 miles on my bike. My first love is racquetball though so I'm in the gym doing that a lot instead of riding. Also, I just couldn't bring myself to ride in the cold this winter. Is this typical or am I a poor excuse for a cyclist??

[Nanci]

I got my bike the last week of August, last year. So far she has about 3800 miles on her. I have been a slug for weeknight riding for the last four months!!! But I get in some long weekend rides. My typical week of riding, in good weather, is 20-30 miles after work 2-4 nights per week. Long ride Saturday of 60-80 miles, now sometimes 100-120 if I'm doing a Century or scouting something out, then a Sunday ride of 30-50 miles. I love riding. Plus I want to lose weight, so I pretty much have to go five days a week, at least.

Nanci

[caligurl]

last year was my first complete year of riding... my grand total for the year was 8,187.27 miles

[tjodit]

Ok, let me pick my jaw up off the floor!!! OK, so I'm a slug....a poor excuse for a human being, a wannabe cyclist!!! I'll NEVER be able to do those kind of miles! Are you people or machines??? Color me TOTALLY IMPRESSED!! I was hoping to make myself not feel so bad for not getting in very many miles. Oops! It backfired...I feel even worse. sob, sob

[madisongrrl]

I try to hit 1500-3000 miles per year. It varies depending on the type of events I'm training for.

In 2004 I was primarily training for a 56 mile half ironman relay event. So I easily put 100+ miles on my Cervelo Soloist Team each week.

2005 I focused on shorter XC mountain bike races. And since I was also doing the swim portion for a half ironman relay, I was in the pool and not on my bike as much. I probably averaged 50 miles per week on my Rockhopper hardtail (plus racing miles.)

I just bought a Trek EX 9 full suspension yesterday, so I probably won't be going for those killer 60 mile road rides that I used to do on my Cervelo. But I also got into the Chequamagon 40 this year, I'm racing a Norba National event, I'll be racing the complete WORS XC mountain bike circuit and I hope to compete in Cyclocross circuit this fall. So I will most likely put 2500+ miles on my various bikes.

What some people like to do is try to put as many miles on the bike as dollars they paid for it. So if you bought your bike for $800 dollars, then you could try to do 800 miles on it...or at least work towards it. It is a fun little goal to chase.

Have fun,

[CorsairMac]

Ok, let me pick my jaw up off the floor!!! OK, so I'm a slug....a poor excuse for a human being, a wannabe cyclist!!! I'll NEVER be able to do those kind of miles! Are you people or machines??? Color me TOTALLY IMPRESSED!! I was hoping to make myself not feel so bad for not getting in very many miles. Oops! It backfired...I feel even worse. sob, sob

don't you dare feel bad my friend! you ride whatever you feel like riding and be proud of every mile you log! do you belong to BikeJournal? We've got a Team Estrogen over there and you can see the miles most of us are logging plus it's a great tool to use for logging miles. It's also a great motivator. and I think you'll be surprised, the more you ride, the more you'll Want to ride and the miles just kinda start adding up!

As for how many miles I rode in 2005? I'll tell you only because I was shocked when I saw it - I wrote an entry to Everybody I knew coz I was so blown away but what I had done! I Still tell people how far I rode my bike and I set that mileage as my goal for this year - whether I make it or not is to be seen!

2005 = 5026 miles

[Nanci]

It's easy for me because I don't have kids at home any more. Plus I can go right from my house. Plus I like to do one long special Saturday ride, and have made that the priority for the day- so I'm not cutting my ride short trying to get home to do something else. I didn't set out to ride that much- it just happened. I couldn't stay off my bike because it was so relaxing/fun.

Nanci

[Robbin_G]

I got my bike the last week of August, last year. So far she has about 3800 miles on her. I have been a slug for weeknight riding for the last four months!!! But I get in some long weekend rides. My typical week of riding, in good weather, is 20-30 miles after work 2-4 nights per week. Long ride Saturday of 60-80 miles, now sometimes 100-120 if I'm doing a Century or scouting something out, then a Sunday ride of 30-50 miles. I love riding. Plus I want to lose weight, so I pretty much have to go five days a week, at least.

Nanci

Where do you live Nanci? (If I may ask.) I can't wait to get out of NYC....

[Nanci]

I live near Gainesville, Florida. So north central, they call it. Lowest lows are in the upper 20's, it rarely gets to 100, though it gets to 90-95 a lot, with high humidity. Lots of perfect weather in between. TONS of cycling and triathlon and running and MTBing around. Not to mention a 90 minute drive to either coast. Not to mention an eight hour drive to mountains in North Carolina, or six hours to mountains in Georgia. I _love it_ here!!! Grew up in Minnesota- left at age 38, hope to never have to move back up north. Only miss snow on Christmas Day. You should move here!

Nanci

[sydney_b]

I do keep track and am doing at least one group tour thing - BRAN (Bike Ride Across Nebraska) - so my mileage is mostly to get in shape for that. I guess I kinda have a goal ... to be honest, but it's not lofty. I'd like to put a 100 miles/week. Since most of my miles are commuting as I have 3 boys and that's the time away I've got, 100 per week is a reasonable objective.

/s

[KSH]

Since purchasing my bike in October 2004 (mind you, I don't ride when it's cold)... I have put 2000 miles on it. Nothing like the hardcore cyclists do... but I am proud of it!

What I mean is it would be comforting to know that all you biking machines started out only being able to ride 15 to 20 miles at a time and at a speed less than 15 mph.

Well, let me tell you... it wasn't until after having my bike almost a year that I was able to do 25-30 miles (no stops) at a 16 mph average. And, that was me barely hanging on to the back of the pack and huffing and puffing the whole way. It was not easy.

Now (almost 1.5 years later), I can hold a good 17 mph average for about 25 miles.

But, there are people who I know in my tri group who started riding a few months back (never rode a bike before) and they are already doing 40 miles (no stops) and holding a 18-20 mph average.

The moral of the story: Everyone progresses differently. Some are faster than others... and always will be. Just be happy with what you can do and that you are improving.

[tjodit]

Since purchasing my bike in October 2004 (mind you, I don't ride when it's cold)... I have put 2000 miles on it. Nothing like the hardcore cyclists do... but I am proud of it!

I found this online:
"For all you trivia buffs out there, the shortest distance from the East to West Coast (as the crow flies) would be 2,092 miles from San Diego, CA to Jacksonville, FL. "
So, you've nearly pedaled from coast to coast!