When you first started...

[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.

[Kathie]

*Insert whine here* I want an Element!!

Woul you like cheese with your wine?

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.

Thank you so much for your input. I'm going to check that thread out. I hear what your saying though. I don't want to set my self up for failure. I feel as if I've found something I'm connected to and I don't want to mess that up.

BTW...I rode 16 miles today! That's a first! I'm really drained now. It was so hot.

[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

[sundial]

Karen, your E is very nice! Tango Red?

When I'm headed out with my bike, I just unfold the one seat and hang it out of the way and roll the bike in with the handlebars resting over the head rest of the other seat. If it's both of our bikes, I hang both seats out of the way and bungee in the bikes. It works for us but I've got a Thule rack on the way.

A few years ago hubby made me a platform for the cargo area and covered it with auto carpet (found at O'Reilly's). He made it so that the large dog crates could set above the wheel wells in the back. I wonder if I could make it work for the bike accessory.

[emily_in_nc]

You gals who fold the Element seats up against the windows, you don't find that it really hurts visibility when driving? I did that exactly once in my E and felt like I had HUGE blind spots. So, the seats are hanging with rope and pulleys my DH rigged up near our garage ceiling most of the time, and the back of the E is just wide open for bikes, luggage, whatever! We also have Thule racks for the top for kayaks.

My E stays pretty dirty from living on a gravel/dirt road, which gets muddy when it rains, so I won't post a photo here!

Emily

[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...

[indysteel]

When you first started cycling, how many miles were you riding per day and per week?
I've had my bike a couple weeks and am riding about 5 times a week and 8-12 miles per ride. I want to set some goals. Did you set goals based on # of days you rode per week or mileage?

Both...I think. It's all a blur now, even though it was just last June! How sad is that? If I recall, my main goal last summer was to increase how long I could spend in the saddle at any one time. Then--as now--I seem to ride on average about 4 days per week assuming good weather. Much more than that, and I start to have dead legs and my performance goes down. And again due to time and daylight constraints, my weekday rides are usually no longer than 30 miles. That's left the weekend to work on riding longer and longer distances. I don't think I had a specific number in mind last year but this year, I wanted to do my first century in the very least (which I did in May). I also wanted to become a stronger climber (I'm still working on that) and faster (ditto).

As for setting mileage goals, build up gradually by adding no more than 5-10%each week to your total mileage and to your longest ride. I would further recommend, using your fourth week (if you think of your training in 4-week blocks) as a bit of a rest week by bringing your total mileage volume and/or intensity down a bit. Then start again. Above anything, listen to your body. I've learned from experience that when I start to feel run down or overly tired, it's time for a day or two off. Your performance will improve more steadily if you make rest part of your training plan.

In thinking about goals as a new cyclist, I would encourage you to add some non-mileage related things into the mix. Bike handling, safety, group riding, climbing, cadence, a good spin, speed, and bike maintenance, are all things to also consider as you work on becoming a good cyclist.

Most of all, have fun!

K-

[Torrilin]

I started biking in May. I could comfortably do 12 miles in a week on the bike or walk around 15-20. I can now do 30 mile weeks (tho asthma coming back to haunt me has put a damper on adding miles for the moment). My only real goals right now are to be able to do a ride longer than 8 miles, to climb my nemesis hill, and to be able to (eventually) ride to Target and back. That will mean a 16 mile ride is doable . I don't have time limits on most of these goals, because I'm more interested in being able to do them reliably than in just making the goal.

I'm also starting to add regular swimming in, which feels really good. I am still horribly out of shape. Got in the pool and went "waitaminute" when I was tired and out of breath after a very short swim. But I'm getting better on the bike, and I'll get back to where I should be in the water.

I've already met one of my very first goals. I wanted to be strong enough on the bike that I could handle grocery shopping and other regular errands on the bike. I can do that now .