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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Twin Cities, Minnesota
    Posts
    486

    Advice on how to increase miles riddwn

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    I read the posts regarding mileage goals. How do you find time to ride 6000 miles in one riding season, let alone 2000?

    Can you answer some questions for me? Maybe riding over 1000 miles during one riding season is not a goal I can meet.

    1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?

    2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)

    3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)

    4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?

    5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)

    6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?

    7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?
    I don't use clipless or straps - - - yet.

    8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?

    9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?

    10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?

    Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!


    THANKS
    kajero
    2013 Trek FX 7.6 WSD
    2012 Specialized Ruby WSD
    2004 Schwinn (I think that is the year)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    WA State
    Posts
    4,364
    I'm not entirely sure how much I really ride... I'd guess between 5-10K/year. I currently have 13K miles on the totals on my garmin, but I'm not sure when it had it's last reset and whether or not that wipes the totals... I can say there are few weeks I ride less than around 100 miles and plenty that I do more.

    1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
    I have road and cross bikes

    2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
    I work, cook and keep the house moderately clean...

    3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
    very little keeps me in - really high winds I don't go out for pleasure, but my commute is my commute.... no matter the weather

    4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
    lots of it...

    5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
    yup - I commute and during the winter here it doesn't get light until around 8 and gets dark at 4:30

    6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
    yup - on all of my bikes

    7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?
    I don't use clipless or straps - - - yet.
    irrelevant

    8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
    roads

    9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
    a mix - it's Seattle, there are few truly flat places

    10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
    some of each

    Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!
    I use my bikes as vehicles - I rarely drive unless it's totally unavoidable. That gets me out riding quite a lot.
    "Sharing the road means getting along, not getting ahead" - 1994 Washington State Driver's Guide

    visit my flickr stream http://flic.kr/ps/MMu5N

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Houston
    Posts
    1,301

    Re: Advice on how to increase miles riddwn

    When you live in a state like Texas it's easier to get more miles in since we can ride year round.
    2012 Jamis Quest Brooks B17 Blue
    2012 Jamis Dakar XC Comp SI Ldy Gel
    2013 Electra Verse

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Oslo, Norway
    Posts
    4,066
    I'm prettty much like Eden, except I ride less. Commuting year-round, in most kinds of weather and having the clothing for it, will pile on the miles. If I commute by bike every day that's 100 miles a week. I don't usually ride in heavy falling snow or in gusty rain.
    Winter riding is much less about badassery and much more about bundle-uppery. - malkin

    1995 Kona Cinder Cone commuterFrankenbike/Selle Italia SLR Lady Gel Flow
    2008 white Nakamura Summit Custom mtb/Terry Falcon X
    2000 Schwinn Fastback Comp road bike/Specialized Jett

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    251
    1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
    I ride 99% on the road. I do a little cross and mountain, but I don't even keep track of those rides or just general "getting around town" rides.

    2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
    I'm a mother, a wife and work part-time. I keep a very clean house, cook all of our meals from scratch and used to care for my mother before she passed. I also sleep 8 hours every night.

    3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
    Sure... when I enjoy it. I like riding in warm rain, I enjoy cool and cold weather. I won't ride when there is lightning or strong winds and in the winter when there is snow or slush on the roads, I also don't ride, but down to just above freezing is OK temperature-wise.

    4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
    Yep.

    5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
    Never. Not even dusk.

    6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
    Yes, clipless.

    7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?
    I don't use clipless or straps - - - yet.
    Depends on the conditions.

    8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
    Roads

    9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
    Mostly flat. Some rolling hills but nothing compared to others... flat midwest roads with less than 1000 ft. of gain per ride, on average.

    10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
    Alone. Alone. Alone. I don't mind it much, but I enjoy riding with people too. Some ride slower, some faster, and it's always nice to have company. I just don't get that opportunity as much as I'd like.
    Last edited by velo; 10-11-2013 at 10:34 AM.
    The bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the world. ~ Susan B. Anthony

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Tucson, AZ
    Posts
    4,632

    1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?

    Road, cyclocross, and a hybrid that doesn't have a a saddle yet.
    2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
    Yes. Not so much clean but I was both working and going to school this summer.
    3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
    Light rain? Sure. Downpour? Only if I get caught in it. I also don't do very hot weather and high winds.

    4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?

    Yep.
    5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
    Yes. Only on bike paths. I bought some good lights.

    6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
    Clipless on two of three bikes.

    7. How many mph do you average?
    14-16 (road bike, flat ground); 12-14 (cross bike, pavement, flat ground)

    8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
    Back in Ohio, mainly trails. Here, roads or paths.

    9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
    Roads back home were pretty hilly in places. Trails were flat.
    Here, mixture. Tucson itself is flat, but I live further out, where it can be hilly.

    10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
    Back home: mostly by myself or with people from work.

    Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!
    Don't feel pressured to do the same thing as other people. Ride as much or as little or you want.
    At least I don't leave slime trails.
    http://wholecog.wordpress.com/

    2009 Giant Avail 3 |Specialized Jett 143

    2013 Charge Filter Apex| Specialized Jett 143
    1996(?) Giant Iguana 630|Specialized Riva


    Saving for the next one...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
    I have 2 road bikes. One is a carbon, triple, with aggressive geometry and the other is a custom, more relaxed geometry road bike that has a rack and I can use for errands. It has a compact, with mountain gearing on the rear.
    Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
    I work a flexible schedule, 80% job (about 30-35 hours a week), I cook, and have a pretty active social life. I also go to the gym 2X a week. I haven't cleaned my house since the 80's... that's outsourced.
    Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
    I will ride down to about freezing if it's sunny and not too windy. Short rides, though. I dislike riding in the rain, so if it's above 40% chance, I most likely will run or go to the gym. Wind, well, it depends on the safety factor. If the roads are clear of sand and snow I occasionally ride in the dead of winter, but last year I didn't. Generally, my riding season is March 5-Dec., whenever the first snow arrives.
    Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
    Yes! I could ride my bike in almost anything, if I had studded tires or a fat tire bike. But, I prefer to cross country ski.
    5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
    Yup. Though for me, it's more like early AM. I get quite a few miles doing what I call "dark" rides at 5 AM. Sometimes it's only 10 miles, but they add up. A great way to start my day. I would ride at night if it was more convenient for my schedule.
    6. Do you use clipless pedals?
    Yes, on both of my bikes. I had dual sided pedals when I had a Jamis Coda and I think I only used the flat side twice. I hate the feeling of my feet slipping off the pedals.
    7. How many mph do you average?
    Like above, it depends. But I'm not speedy, speedy. A fast ride for me is an average of 15.7-16+. Most of my rides are between 14.5 and 15.5, but there are many times they are 12.5-13.5 if I am 1) riding with slower friends, or 2) doing a very hilly ride.
    8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
    Roads only. We don't have an abundance of trails here and the ones that are around are dangerous... walkers, kids, etc.
    9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
    I do very little riding that would be considered flat. It's mostly rolling, with some steep climbs. But, even th rolling local rides I do have grades up to 10% or a bit more in spots. My driveway is 15%. It makes you stronger.
    10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
    I do most of my riding with DH. I also ride alone, and with another couple who we are close friends with. I occasionally ride with a couple of other woman friends. I belong to 2 clubs, I lead a couple of rides a year for one and go on 2-3 of their other rides. The other club, I've been on 4 rides with this year, but I used to do more. I am liking riding with groups less as the years pass.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Marin County CA
    Posts
    5,936
    I find I really have on and off years, sometimes not by choice. For example, this year I had to have hip surgery so I will be lucky to get 2500 miles in (I haven't looked, but that's my estimate). On a good year, I'll get 4 - 5000/year in.

    1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?

    99% road. I have a MTB but it is just a vacation thing right now.

    2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)

    I am a lawyer and run my own business, have a high school daughter and have 2 large dogs that require walking. My husband also is a cyclist. The house is moderately clean but I tend to get VERY behind on folding laundry.

    3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)

    Yes, especially if it is a ride I have planned to do. If I'm just going out for an "off" ride, it's harder to motivate to go out if it is absolutely pouring at the start of the ride.

    4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?

    Oh you bet. It's pretty mild here all things considered, but we can get torrential rain and I've ridden over 3 hours at a time below freezing.

    5. Do you ride at night?

    Yes, especially on long brevets and double centuries. I've ridden through the night, and I've done that alone in the past (riding til 2 am alone for example), but I now refuse to ride alone at night (if at all possible).

    6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?

    Yup Look Keos.

    7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?

    I agree with Eden that this is pretty irrelevant - it's also completely dependent on where you live (terrain wise). My MPH for rides totally depends on the length of the ride, terrain, wind and how I am feeling. Looking at my Strava, I'm anywhere between 12 - 17 mph. I absolutely think you can ride 1000 miles a year if you maintain 11 - 12.

    8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?

    Roads.

    9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?

    Hilly, steep and mixed.

    10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?

    Both.
    Sarah

    When it's easy, ride hard; when it's hard, ride easy.


    2011 Volagi Liscio
    2010 Pegoretti Love #3 "Manovelo"
    2011 Mercian Vincitore Special
    2003 Eddy Merckx Team SC - stolen
    2001 Colnago Ovalmaster Stars and Stripes

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    San Antonio, TX
    Posts
    2,024
    I don't have time to answer 10 questions, but I can tell you that for me the single best way to increase mileage is to bicycle commute to work. And yes, I work with a demanding job, and ride. But not at night or in the rain. I live in south texas so its mild all year, so I own lots of layers that I can switch out to accomodate varying temps.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    I have no idea how many miles I ride per year. I ride twice a week from spring through fall because that is what I like to do.

    My house is a mess. But as a cycling friend recently said to me, when you're old you will not sit home and remember the times you stayed home to clean.

    If you want to ride your bike more, then just do it. Buy the clothes and equipment you need to be happy and comfortable, then ride.

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Between the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay
    Posts
    5,203
    Commute to work by bike. You can make it work if you want to. Be creative.

    Ride your bike for transportation. Every time you get in a car is an opportunity to ride your bike.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    10,889
    I read the posts regarding mileage goals. How do you find time to ride 6000 miles in one riding season, let alone 2000?


    Can you answer some questions for me? Maybe riding over 1000 miles during one riding season is not a goal I can meet.

    1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride?
    A custom rigid mountain bike frame/drivetrain with a road fork - she is complicated

    2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
    Certainly! I do work for a living, spend 3-4 hours a week at my gym, my house is moderately clean and there are other hobbies I have.

    3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.)
    I don't ride in rain, temps below 37 or winds greater than 21-22 mph

    4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather?
    Yes, outside of rain

    5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do)
    No

    6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals?
    I currently use Speedplay Frogs, but the year in which I rode the most miles - over 2,000, I rode BMX flat pedals.

    7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?
    I don't use clipless or straps - - - yet.

    I average between 11-13

    8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads?
    Roads, though there were 2 seasons I also rode on the trails

    9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture?
    mainly roads, flat to mixed terrain (think basically flat with short and STEEP hills)

    10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups?
    Solo

    Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!

    In the end, all that matters is you ride your bike! It doesn't matter how many miles you average per year. Nothing is wrong with 500 miles, and nothing is wrong with 6,000! Just ride when you can, take what opportunities you do to ride. My mileage was so low this year because I am in a long-term neck recovery but in the end, I don't really care what my mileage is - as long as I ride!
    Last edited by Catrin; 10-11-2013 at 02:05 PM.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Uncanny Valley
    Posts
    14,498
    It's been a while since I had a >5000 mile year. And I didn't have a job the last time I did it. But the first few times I did, sometimes a pretty demanding job (60+ hours a week), sometimes two jobs, and before that, some years when I was a full-time student living off campus and working part time, with all the same household chores as a working person. The one thing I don't have, is children. I would think someone would be hard pressed to get that kind of mileage with small children at home unless it was all commuter miles.

    Averaging 100 miles a week isn't that much. Commuting does boost the total quite a bit, even a short commute - five miles one way gives you 50 mpw if you work five days. But even if you get to work some other way and all your miles are recreational, that's just one weekend morning (50 miles) and a couple of quick evening rides (25 miles each). Lots of people count their trainer "miles" if they ride indoors when it's dark or when the weather's nasty.

    The miles I ride at night have never contributed much to my yearly mileage. I will occasionally run errands or go out to dinner on quiet village streets/MUPs. Never rode anything longer than 6 miles in the dark in my life, and it's usually much shorter.



    Besides my current injury, the main thing that's contributed when I don't have a lot of miles on the bike, is other cardio, whether it's the running I do now or the years I was a gym rat. Seven or eight hours of cardio a week is kind of a minimum for my sanity, really, not to mention my physical health, whatever activity I get it in. If you'd rather get your cardio some other way, if you even have a job that's physically demanding that counts, I don't think there's anyone here who's going to look down on you for not having foul-weather riding gear or whatever.
    Last edited by OakLeaf; 10-11-2013 at 02:39 PM.
    Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Western Canada-prairies, mountain & ocean
    Posts
    6,984
    Kajero: I think you can ride over 1,000 miles in a riding season. I assume you don't cycle in the winter? However more mileage can be boosted by making cycling more part of your daily lifestyle.


    Can you answer some questions for me? Maybe riding over 1000 miles during one riding season is not a goal I can meet.

    1. What kind of bicycle(s) do you ride? Hybrid. I have 4 bikes...with one of them a folding bike.

    2. Do you do anything except ride during the riding season? (work, clean house, cook, take care of parents, etc.)
    I work full time. I've been cycling to work daily for past 2 decades. Where I live now, in the winter my cycling goes down to 70% of the days because of snow, ice. I am car-free. So cycling is part of my lifestyle --shopping, errands,etc.

    3. Do you ride in bad weather? What kind of weather will you not ride in? (i.e., severe downpour, high winds, temperate, etc.) If I am returning home, yes I will ride in downpour, high winds, high temperature. But if I have a choice to start off cycling, then most likely I choose not to bike in severe downpour, etc. I like cycling in light rain if it's not far. In winter, I cycle as cold as -25 degrees C --as long as there's very little ice/snow on roads/paths where I am. I just bike to work, shopping. That's my limit in terms of cold. And that is cold: it is nearly at frostbitten face warning.

    Keep in mind we go touring by bike with our loaded panniers, several times per year. You have no choice not to bike. Then yes, I've cycled in 5 hrs. of pouring rain ...several different trips, etc.

    I bike in high temp., high humidity but try to start off quite early in the morning.

    4. Do you have apparel to ride in all kinds of weather? Yes, summer and winter. Both extremes. I spend more money on cycling gear compared to fashion clothing. I didn't plan it that way initially!

    5. Do you ride at night? (something I absolutely refuse to do) I like only cycling at night on roads/paths that I am familiar. Under 1.5 hrs. of cycling time. Cycling in a big city at night, to me, requires being extra alert. In the winter, I have no choice: it is still dark when I start cycling to work and dark after work when I cycle. I'm probably one of the most northernly TE members. (But I don't beat our Norwegian lph TE member.)

    6. Do you use clipless pedals? Does anyone only use plain pedals? I've been using toeclips/toecups for the past.....22 yrs.

    7. How many mph do you average? If I average between 11 mph and 12 mph do I have any hope of ever achieving a goal of 1000+ during a riding season?
    I don't know maybe 16-24 km. per hr. Usually on bottom end of speed.


    8. Do you ride mostly on trails or on roads? Roads/paved surfaces/paths

    9. Are the trails/roads or flat, hilly, steep hilly, or mixture? In Calgary 80% flat with hills rest of time. It's the headwinds in the flat prairies which can really make cycling a work-out.

    10. Do you do most of your riding alone, with someone else, or in groups? A lot of the time solo....it's part of my lifestyle. I can't wait around for others when I need to do daily stuff. It has depended on where I've lived, etc. When I ride with someone, it tends to be my partner. I've learned a lot on new local routes from him....

    Any other things you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I would like to increase my measly 500 miles to at least 1500 next year!

    Then build in cycling to work several times per week if you can. The convenience is that one can bike abit farther after work to do stuff or enjoy a ride. If you make cycling more and more part of your lifestyle, you will achieve more mileage.

    Also tour-cycling 2-3 times per year or take in 1-2 group day rides on a weekend will also increase mileage.

    Note: I know the approx. distances where I bike but I don't obsess over the total mileage. I think now I'm cycling under 3,000 km. annually. Other years it's been over 7,000 km. annually...when I was unemployed.

    The most important thing: Is try to bike daily, or several times per week. No matter how short the distance. After awhile, your body naturally becomes addicted to cycling. Then the total cumulative mileage becomes secondary to you...because you're enjoying cycling.
    Last edited by shootingstar; 10-11-2013 at 03:20 PM.
    My Personal blog on cycling & other favourite passions.
    遙知馬力日久見人心 Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse; over a long period of time, you get to know what’s in a person’s heart.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    492
    I don't set an annual goal for miles, but I do try to schedule a long ride every year that I need to train for. I don't care how many miles I ride during the year, just that I am able to comfortably ride in that event. This year it was Tour de Cure ride with rolling hills. Most years it is a flat MS ride with multiple ride options from 25 - 100 miles. I don't ride in bad weather, at night, or when it is under 45 degrees. I ride for fun and not for speed. Don't worry about the goals others have set. Just enjoy riding your bike your way. I know from experience that when you try to meet someone else's goal, cycling becomes something you dread instead of something you enjoy. As long as you aren't racing for a sponsor, then do what you enjoy! As you ride and get more fit, more miles will come naturally. If you want to increase your miles so that you can enjoy longer rides, then add a few miles on each week until you are able to ride somewhere you want to go, maybe to the end of a greenway trail or to participate in a charity ride somewhere. Most charity rides have multiple options for miles - anywhere from 10 mile rides and up. It is much more fun to set a goal to be able to complete a ride to a particular place than to set an arbitrary number of miles for the year.


    Grits

    2010 Trek 5.2 Madone WSD, SI Diva Gel Flow
    2002 Terry Classic, Terry Liberator

 

 

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