Avg. Distance

[Aggie_Ama]

Again it varies. During the months when it is light longer, I was riding 15-20 miles 3 times during the week. On the weekends we usually do a couple longer rides. We usually do 30 miles on Saturday and 40-60 miles on Sunday. Everyone once in a while we do an organized event, usually 60-70 miles.

[BeeLady]

I'm sitting at home now basking in cycling nirvana after having just completed a 15-mile ride in the country will hills and headwind, wonderful temperature and beautiful scenery . And wondering why I didn't ride another 10 or 15 miles, which surely I had the time and energy to do.

One reason I didn't is that I don't want to do too much too fast. I'm 51 and do not have a very good bicycle (12-year-old cheap steel bike - heavy and not very road worthy) so I don't want to set myself up for bad cycling experiences when I'm just getting started. I also didn't have usable bike pump and although I'm out in the country this weekend where everyone has a compressor, I didn't want to have to walk my bike 2 or 3 miles in case of a flat. (It gets hot out here fast!)

Last weekend I rode 36 miles in an event and will ride either 30 or 50 miles in an event next weekend (on a new bike!!). The event will have SAG (which I don't intend to use or think I'll need) and rest stops.

During the week I use my bike for errands so ride 5 to 10 miles 3 or 4 days a weeks and do a 14-mile group ride once a week. I want to work my way up to a consistent 100-mile week and then add 10% or so a month until I am a well-conditioned cyclest with proper (or at least improved) technique.

Ultimate goals: 1) many years of healthy cycling at 300+ miles ea month; 2) at least one or two multi-day tours a year; and 3) able to do one or two centuries or MS 150 rides each year.

If I was 25 these goals would be different and I could just ride til I dropped, knowing I could and would fully recover and be ready to go again in a day or so. At my age, recovery and gradual increases are the plan as well as a necessity in achieving my cycling goals.

[Bad JuJu]

I think our average distances depend on our goals, and even for any individual, goals may change over the season or year. I like to average about 50 miles a week, but I'm doing longer weekend rides now in preparation for an upcoming metric century (2 weeks from now ). But generally, I try to do one or two 20-mile rides during the week, then a longish ride on Saturday and maybe a short, easy recovery ride on Sunday.

But again, it depends on your goals.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Between all the members here, some of whom ride 150 miles a week or more, others who ride 5 miles two or three times a week...figuring an "average" is kind of meaningless.
But individual averages are more practical to look at I think, so here's mine at this point in time:
Been riding about 4 months now. From Monday-Friday I usually do 2 rides of 11 miles each, plus one +/- 20 mile ride with DH. Then on Saturday and Sunday we average maybe one 35 mile ride somewhere in there, because sometimes it's raining and sometimes we are out of town or busy with non-bike obligations. So I guess that adds up to about 75 miles a week for me right now, counting rain and cancelled rides. (gee, it's more than I thought!)

[eclectic]

As it was mentioned before it depends on your lifestyle and goals. My rides started out 10 - 15 miles then I got a new bike and decided to go on a tour

Now my closest average per ride would be about 19 miles, but upped it to about 30 when I was getting ready for the tour I was going on, then we threw in some 40-60 mile rides on a regular basis.

I'll plan on just going for an hour but usually end up going further once I am out
For some reason I can ride by myself for hours , the same old routes and not get bored. I am usually working on technique such as shifting/ spinning, standing to climb part of the hill, sprinting etc or just daydreaming and dawdling. I even notice the scenery once in awhile

[Bike Goddess]

As all of you have said in one way or another- this is really an individual thing. A lot depends on what you do off the bike, the weather, time of year, family etc.

As for me, I generally do at least 2 metric centuries (62.5 miles?) a week plus an early morning ride before I work that is (because of time changing morning light) a little over 10 miles. However, I also work out at the gym 1-3 days a week in the morning before I go to work. I consider my gym time as strength training for my cycling which is why I mention it here.

I do think having goals are a great way to keep you going and to help focus your efforts to the end result.

[Geonz]

well, first off, there's no such thing as normal

Also, miles aren't the same... five miles for me, on the easy plains of Illinois, are a different animal than a place with hills.

I do lots and lots of miles - but nobody would call me normal . In our bike club, we've got people who do 300 miles a year, lots of folks who do between 1,500 and 3,000 and year, and then those of us with a bicycle lifestyle who end up with 7000+ because our bikes are how we get most places and we like to ride for fun, too. THe addiction starts slowly ...


a typical ride distance would be anywhere from 15 to 40 miles. Longer takes more planning.