When you first started...

[sundial]

I like to hang only one seat at a time because I'm so used to looking out the side windows rather than the side mirrors.

[Tuckervill]

Yeah, there are blind spots with the seats up. I end up putting them up and leaving them up for a week, so those don't bother me. But honestly, the blind spot I've had the most trouble with is the one directly to my left and right on the window pillars! I have a hard time seeing pedestrians unless I physically shift forward or back or side to side to see if anyone's there.

One day I was on the street approaching a trail crossing. A police car was coming towards me. Two pedestrians were already in the crossing when we approached, and I let them by and started to go...but then I saw police car's blue lights come on and my husband said, WAIT! There were two MORE peds walking up to the crosswalk and beginning to cross and I never saw them the whole time I was slowing down or stopped. That's how wide that blind spot behind the pillar is. I'm training myself to check, but I don't always know precisely when I should. Luckily the cop did not think it was a big enough infraction to stop me for--and I was so far away from the crosswalk I would have seen them in time to stop.

eta: Yes, Tango Red Pearl. It's looking shiny there because it had been raining. I don't usually keep it spit shined, but when I do clean it, something about the paint, etc., makes it extra sparkly.

Karen

[LoriO]

Don't have an element, but I do have a Ford Focus wagon... plenty of room for the dogs!!

As for the original question. When I first started out, I was lucky to survive 3 miles, but then my neighborhood is ALL hills, there is almost nothing flat.

Nowadays, a lot of my mileage is dictated by how much time I have for a ride which is often only about an hour or so. I found I can usually get in a good 10-11 mile ride in that time with a lot of hills for a great workout!

[tygab]

original question:
when I started 10 miles seemed a lot, last year (beginning)
I have since ridden up to 83 miles in a day. Hoping to hit a century soon, if time and opportunity permit. It depends on the terrain but a 50 mile ride is a decent weekend ride for us now.

<side note>
and, yeah, I got an E too. Seats are out for the summer, with a nice durable mat in. It has been hauling my bikes, kayak, and camping gear, among other things. Without the seats there is a ton of room in the back.

I love it and wish I'd gotten it sooner!
</side note>

[Geonz]

I don't need no stinkin' Element... my bike can haul kayaks if it wants to


(that's not me, though... I don't have a kayak *or* an Element

Logging my miles and just seeing improvement from one week/month to the next really motivated me. Now I'm a bikejournal junkie...