Advice on how to increase miles riddwn

[spokewench]

I looked at your basic question and your goal is to ride 1,000 miles in a season. Probably depends on how long your season is, but say you can only ride 6 months out of the year, that is approximately 26 weeks. That means you need to ride approximately 40 miles a week. 40 miles a week should be doable on any type of bike if you just ride three times a week at 13 miles a day.

[kajero]

I looked at your basic question and your goal is to ride 1,000 miles in a season. Probably depends on how long your season is, but say you can only ride 6 months out of the year, that is approximately 26 weeks. That means you need to ride approximately 40 miles a week. 40 miles a week should be doable on any type of bike if you just ride three times a week at 13 miles a day.

I am kind of a wuss. In Minnesota, I only ride from the beginning of June to the end of September, and that depends on the weather. It can't be raining or too cold or too hot.

So in my mind, I can only truly count on a 4 month riding season with extra days added in occasionally in May and October. I looked back in my diary and did find I rode a few times in March and April two years ago; the weather was a fluke. I probably could have ridden more that year except for the stupid bike accident.

I think I can set a goal of riding between 18-20 miles three days a week. It will definitely take some discipline! One of my favorite routes is 17 miles. I don't know why, but I ride it much faster than other routes even though it has a of hills. I'll just have to go around the block a few more times before I put the bike in the garage.

I have done the ride to my Dad's grave twice now, I did get it down to from 63 to 51 miles last time because I only got lost 3 times (instead of a lot more). It's a gorgeous ride and should only be 47 miles round trip. (Maps don't help . . . I keep missing certain turns.) If I do that once a month, that will help, too. Besides, I think my Dad likes me to come out there and talk to him.

I am going to go clipless or wear straps on the pedals next year. I am sure I can do better if I could keep my feet from slipping off the pedals all the time. Right now when I ride I try to imagine I have clipless pedals on and plan ahead what I need to do. I hope this makes the transition easier. I also have a trainer with a different bike on it. I plan to practice clipping in and out of the pedals we put on it.

If I go to spin classes does that count? My instructor says we get 18 miles for the hour class -- except I have never ridden 18 miles in hour in my life (unless Garmin could be wrong???) . I would only use 12 MPH which is higher than my average, but not by much.

Thanks again for all your help. I am going to ride just for the enjoyment of it. Hopefully, though, I will also have a goal to make sure I get out there and ride, but I am not going to get disheartened if I don't make it. I decided to look at like, "I don't know anyone my Facebook page who even rides a bike. Anything I do is beyond them"!

[Crankin]

Sounds like a good plan.
But, I think you can extend your riding season, by buying some nice merino wool tops and a pair of tights and/or leg warmers. A lightweight merino top with a base layer doesn't have to be cycling specific, you can wear it under your jacket, and can wear it for walking, hiking, whatever. Look on discount web sites. Arm warmers, leg warmers, and skull caps are relatively cheap, in terms of cycling clothes. Spend the $ on a good pair or pairs of gloves. Before I accumulated a whole bunch of different levels of long fingered gloves, I used the Terry light weight long fingered gloves, and wore thin merino liners under them, or silk liners.
There's a lot of riding to be done in April and May, as well as October and November. You don't have to ride in the rain or bad weather, just cooler temperatures.