When you first started...

[RoadRaven]

About 3 years ago when I started I was doing 3-4 rides a week - mostly about 10kms and my longest ride each week would be about 20kms.

Now I ride 6 times a week...
This includes a race of about 30-35km each week (unless its a TT which is only 20-25km) plus a warm up and cool down of about 15-20kms as well.

I try and do one ride of about 50-60kms when the weather is nice, and the other rides are about 20-25kms, or an hour on the spin bike.

Not getting much outside time at the moment due to midwinter light and bad weather so am on the spin bike more than I like.

[Kathie]

Sundial!! Are you my long lost sister?! LOL!! The main reason I got the Ele was to haul our dogs! If you look at the right hand corner of the window, you can see my spay/neuter sticker like yours!



We have two dogs and a foster with us right now. You and I will have to talk about GSD's some time. I've fallen in love with my friends GSD. She has an import that she and I "share"...or so I tell her she's sharing him with me! He's been partially trained as a police dog but then became her pet so training ceased. We still get the bite sleeve out on occasion and let him have his fun! I'm really hoping my next dog is a GSD.

Here are my babies!

This is Buddy...he's just started agility training.


This is princess Abbie sleeping in the ele.



This is our foster Lucky....



Back to cycling... the rack I bought is a Yakima King Joe. I like the Thule basket. That would be great for road trips with the dogs. Their stuff takes up alot of space!

[Kathie]

Oh my gosh, that is so cute!!!

My boyfriend just bought an Element. I told him now we can get a dog since we have a proper dog car.

Your pictures are very inspirational!

Kate

The Ele is the perfect dog car!

Kathie,

I started riding last year and did about 4-5 days a week, maybe 15-30 miles on weekdays, up to 40 miles on weekend days.

Come to think of it, that's about how much I still ride. Only now I actually try to find the hills. In Minneapolis, that's a challenge.

Congratulations on your new obsession. I hope you get hooked as much as I have!

Cheers,
Kate

Thanks Kate...so on a weekend day you now do 40 miles in one day! WOW! I wanna get strong enough to do that!

'04 green Element here too! We stash our bikes inside (back seats removed). DH built a little rack for them in there. Great vehicle!

/thread hijack

Emily

Hijack away! It's a great car!

About 3 years ago when I started I was doing 3-4 rides a week - mostly about 10kms and my longest ride each week would be about 20kms.

Now I ride 6 times a week...
This includes a race of about 30-35km each week (unless its a TT which is only 20-25km) plus a warm up and cool down of about 15-20kms as well.

I try and do one ride of about 50-60kms when the weather is nice, and the other rides are about 20-25kms, or an hour on the spin bike.

Not getting much outside time at the moment due to midwinter light and bad weather so am on the spin bike more than I like.

Thanks for you post. I like seeing where you started and where you are now. I'm all about setting goals and it helps to see what others are doing.

***********

Sundial...I posted back with pics but awaiting a moderator to approve it!

[indigoiis]

I started a fitness endeavor in March and worked the cycling in in May... I ride 3 x a week (alternating with jogging days and weightlifting days) and take Saturdays off. We have a farm so I am constantly moving when I am home, anyway.

I ride about 6-10 miles on "my" mornings midweek, and 18-25 miles with the Mister on the weekend.

I will probably up this routine in due time. But I do like the cross training - I feel like I am getting everything toned.

[mimitabby]

when I started I thought 5 miles was a long long tiresome ride.

[sundial]

Wow, so many E lovers here. Kathie, you'll increase your mileage in no time. It doesn't take long with muscle memory kicking in.

Emily and Lisa SH, I'd like to see your interior bike holder. Do you have to pop the front wheel off to use it--like Honda's bike rack? You can PM the pics so as not to hijack this thread further.

Well I'm off to ride. I'll check back later.

[IFjane]

*Insert whine here* I want an Element!!

[RoadRaven]

Kathie, you are so very right about setting goals.

One of my 'mistakes' when I first started was to set my goals too high: to climb this hill in this time, or to race with that average.

I've realised now that with cycling, the fitter you get, the smaller the improvements for the same ammount of effort. And as I can't find more time in my days to make "more effort" than I have to settle for small but steady improvements.

So I guess I'm saying, make your goals achievable.

For example, 3 years ago I wanted to ride 50kms.
2 years ago I wanted to ride a 50km race and complete it within a time based on my training times.
This year I have a definite time I want to be finished in and am training and doing club races over those roads so I am really familiar with it.

If you are interested in goals etc I have a thread in the Race Results forum which has plenty of goal setting and readjusting in it.

Stay focused and enjoy... enjoying is critical.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily and Lisa SH, I'd like to see your interior bike holder. Do you have to pop the front wheel off to use it--like Honda's bike rack? You can PM the pics so as not to hijack this thread further.

I PM'd you...

Emily

[Tuckervill]

I posted pics in this thread of my Element with the bikes inside.

In addendum to that post, I put my son's mtb and my road bike on the little rack (that's my mtb on the right in the pics) last weekend. I didn't pull the seat out completely, just flipped it up. I actually had both seats up, and there was plenty of room. But then I had to pick up my grandson who needs a car seat, and I was afraid the other seat wouldn't go down. But, it did!

I didn't make canvas wheel bags, either, as stated in that thread. I happened upon some at Nashbar for just $10 so I bought them. I hang those from a hook or just stick them in there.

The little board DOES slide around a bit if there's nothing wedging it in place. I put some kind of grippy feet on the bottom, but that didn't really help. So I just took a little wire and wired it to the tie-down loop at the back of the car. My son's bike tire ends up resting against the back of my seat so that keeps it in place, too.

Notice that I staggered the bikes so as to nest them together as closely as possible to get as much room for other cargo. I wouldn't go for the Honda bike rack, as that requires you to put your bike smack dab in the middle, and you can only put one in because of the way it is attached to the spare wheel cover. But if one bike is all you need to put in there, then go for it!

Here's a pic of my E doing its other job:

Karen