Just curious...miles per year?

[nuthatch]

Tjodit, we have no lives, haven't you figured that out yet? HA!!

Ask us what's not getting done because we love our bikes - I've got laundry piled up, no dinner made, sticky floors, unbrushed dogs, etc., etc. It's a sickness!!

[short cut sally]

tjdoit, I purchased my road bike last year also and found like nuthatch stated, there was piles of laundry, unkept house, and a new appreciation for Racheal Ray's 30 minute meals or anything that could be prepared in that time frame. I don't have a computer on my bike to give me exact miles, calories, etc. I just rode and rode and had fun with every day I was out. I will guess somewheres around the 1500 range, maybe more, who knows. All I know is that I had fun riding and developed some great muscle tone to my legs by the time summer was over. This years goal is to ride more, do a couple centries, and enjoy life. Enjoy your bike, shellyj

[Veronica]

Tjodit, we have no lives, haven't you figured that out yet? HA!!

Hey, I have a life. It just revolves around biking. I do laundry so I have bike clothes. I cook and do dishes to fuel the machine. Okay to be honest - if it can't go in the dishwasher, Thom washes it.

V.

[caligurl]

Hey, I have a life. It just revolves around biking.

now THERE's a quote (and motto) for the majority of us on here!

[sydney_b]

I do keep track and am doing at least one group tour thing - BRAN (Bike Ride Across Nebraska) - so my mileage is mostly to get in shape for that. I guess I kinda have a goal ... to be honest, but it's not lofty. I'd like to put a 100 miles/week. Since most of my miles are commuting as I have 3 boys and that's the time away I've got, 100 per week is a reasonable objective.

/s

[Popoki_Nui]

Ask us what's not getting done because we love our bikes - I've got laundry piled up, no dinner made, sticky floors, unbrushed dogs, etc., etc. It's a sickness!!

LOL! Oh, how true is that?! This morning I'm staring at a sink full of dishes, unmade beds, and enough fur on the carpet to make another cat. What am I going to do? Go riding, of course. If this is a sickness, I don't wanna be well!

~Sherry.

[tjodit]

Tjodit, we have no lives, haven't you figured that out yet? HA!!

Ask us what's not getting done because we love our bikes - I've got laundry piled up, no dinner made, sticky floors, unbrushed dogs, etc., etc. It's a sickness!!

This REALLY cracked me up!!! Guess I just haven't gotten the bug as much as the rest of you. I can understand though...I spend anywhere from 8 to 10 hours a week playing racquetball. If I spent that time riding instead of playing racquetball I'd log well over 5,000 miles a year on my bike.

Oh if there were only enough time to do both! I need to win the lottery so I can quit my day job!

[Robbin_G]

I got my bike the last week of August, last year. So far she has about 3800 miles on her. I have been a slug for weeknight riding for the last four months!!! But I get in some long weekend rides. My typical week of riding, in good weather, is 20-30 miles after work 2-4 nights per week. Long ride Saturday of 60-80 miles, now sometimes 100-120 if I'm doing a Century or scouting something out, then a Sunday ride of 30-50 miles. I love riding. Plus I want to lose weight, so I pretty much have to go five days a week, at least.

Nanci

Where do you live Nanci? (If I may ask.) I can't wait to get out of NYC....

[Nanci]

I live near Gainesville, Florida. So north central, they call it. Lowest lows are in the upper 20's, it rarely gets to 100, though it gets to 90-95 a lot, with high humidity. Lots of perfect weather in between. TONS of cycling and triathlon and running and MTBing around. Not to mention a 90 minute drive to either coast. Not to mention an eight hour drive to mountains in North Carolina, or six hours to mountains in Georgia. I _love it_ here!!! Grew up in Minnesota- left at age 38, hope to never have to move back up north. Only miss snow on Christmas Day. You should move here!

Nanci

[CorsairMac]

Oh if there were only enough time to do both! I need to win the lottery so I can quit my day job!

bike commute! that way you get to do both And keep the day job!

[tjodit]

bike commute! that way you get to do both And keep the day job!

I've thought about that...but how does one realistically do that? I live 15 miles from work but I get there by interstate...so I don't know how far it would be by bike, taking the back way. Also, I sweat...and I don't mean perspire...I mean sweat...as in water dripping off of me and my clothing soaking wet. You can actually wring water out of my pony tail when I'm done. There are no showers at work. Also, I live in TX so it will be in the upper 80s within a month or so and possibly in the lower 90s in the summer...all adding to the sweat factor. So is there a way I could actually do this without looking a wreck at work?

[CorsairMac]

yup

I live in New Mexico - I don't get the humidity you do but the summers here can be over 100 degrees. Couple of things you could do: go to your LBS and talk to them about biking alternatives to your job - there may be bike routes and/or trails between you and the office that they would know about....or even a map put out by one of the local biking coalitions with marked trails on it. or

get in your car on the weekends or at night coming home and look for different routes home that will get you to point B from point A. If I remember right, don't most of your interstates have secondary roads or parallel roads that you can use?

as for the sweat - tell me about it....on my lunch rides in the summer I sweat so much my waistband doesn't always get dried before I have to commute home - great, wet sweaty bikie clothes for my evening commute! lol but Anyway - I keep WetOnes at work or something like that are hypoallergenic. I use them like a washcloth and wipe up pretty much everything. I also keep deodorant, a hairbrush (hair down past my waist), and a towel at work. On the days my hair is dripping wet I'll use a WetOne to wipe my hair down, towel dry and brush it out. I don't have a shower at my office.

I'm lucky in that I"m the only woman in my office so I have hooks in the ladies bathroom that I hang all my bikie clothes on. If you're not that lucky - one of the ladies here on the board says they know of a woman that lays her bikie stuff under her desk to dry out between rides.

I also use a backpack and a trunck rack (in the winter) to carry my clothes, lunch whatever back and forth but I think V uses panniers for her schoolstuff so one or both options may work for you.

It'll take some planning in the early stages and it may take a couple of rides to work out all the kinks but (whining aside) I wouldn't trade my bike commute for anything: it's the best way to start my day and like someone here said, the ride home at night leaves you ready to face whatever your evening has in store for you! and in the summer when the days are longer - it could potentially take you twice as long to get home in the evenings coz - ya know - just add on a few more miles here and there!

[tjodit]

CM-You've definitely given me something to think about. I have my own office so I could hang my stuff on the back of my door. The wet ones are a good idea too. I could just keep all the stuff in my office to clean up. I think I know a good route to take but will have to try it on a weekend first to see how long it takes. The access roads have no shoulders so I don't think I would be comfortable riding there. A plan is starting to take shape. I may just have to give it a try. Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

[CorsairMac]

Good luck and let us know how it goes! There are quite a few bike commuters here on the board and I don't think any one of us would trade that ride in for our cars if we have a choice! It is Such a great way to start and end your day!

[RoadRaven]

Well... also feeling a little daunted by some of the miles here... I'm a numbers gal too and like to keep track of distances, averages etc etc, but mainly so I can (hopefully) see progress in my cycling ability...

In my first year I did 2532 km on the road (plus some time indoors on the trainer).

My goal for this, my second year, is at least 3500... I have made a good beginning as for the first three months I have managed 751km - not bad considering how demanding work and family have been on my time thus far...