Nate Posted March 13, 2014 Share #1 Posted March 13, 2014 so this time of year a lot of folks are getting out for the first time this season, or even the first time ever, and you can hear a lot of talk about miles other people ride so how many miles should you ride? Like a lot of things, there's no simple answer. you see, your body doesn't really register miles, but it does register how much time is spent at what level of exertion. When you are starting out, it really is WAY better to ride more often than it is to ride really far. The truth is that pretty much any human in decent physical shape could pedal a bike 100 miles. The question is how much are you going to enjoy it and what are you going to feel like tomorrow and the day after that! There is also always the chance of an injury. If I am 20 miles from home and on the wrong side of the ridge when my knee starts hurting, I'll have to tear it up to get back home. So on a long ride where you are far away from any form of salvation, you can actually hurt yourself There is a rule of thumb that you can always ride 3 times your daily ride distance without worrying about hurting yourself. so before you go on a 50 mile group ride, you would want to be riding 15-20 miles a day Another thing about miles goes back to what I said earlier, your body doesn't know how many miles you rode, just how long and how hard you were riding them! That means 20 miles through the mountains is more like 40 miles in the open farm fields for your recovery You also don't have to ride the same distance every day. In fact, breaking it up is better for you. For example, I might ride 5 days one week. One ride was 45 miles, two rides were 25 miles and hilly and two rides were 15 miles of easy riding. That's a 125 miles for the week, 500 miles for the month. That's a lot of miles, but I took 2 days completely off and had 2 rides of just an hour. that's what I'm talking about. In a week I like to have a hard day on one of the weekend days and another in the middle of the week, Wednesday preferred. the rest of the week I'm just out easy spinning. while you might ask "how many miles do you ride a day" the better way to look at it is miles in a week and miles for the month. Its those longer periods that really tell you what you are doing. So go and ride, ride more often, and ride miles that suit you remember, just 50 miles a week is over 2500 miles for the year 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennisd Posted April 3, 2014 Share #2 Posted April 3, 2014 On my age now I think i couldn't take that kind of miles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted April 3, 2014 Share #3 Posted April 3, 2014 On my age now I think i couldn't take that kind of miles. How old are you? Age doesn't make that much difference but sometimes disease does. A lot of us around here are in our sixties. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parr8hed Posted April 29, 2014 Share #4 Posted April 29, 2014 How old are you? Age doesn't make that much difference but sometimes disease does. A lot of us around here are in our sixties. And you still get up and move every day? Holy cow! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Road Runner Posted May 21, 2014 Share #5 Posted May 21, 2014 And you still get up and move every day? Holy cow! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudge ★ Posted June 10, 2014 Share #6 Posted June 10, 2014 And you still get up and move every day? Holy cow! You're sassy!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott in MN Posted June 10, 2014 Share #7 Posted June 10, 2014 I tell people who are starting to just put in as many miles as they can. I tell them not to worry about speed, that will come along with endurance but you have to put on the miles. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted June 10, 2014 Share #8 Posted June 10, 2014 I tell people who are starting to just put in as many miles as they can. I tell them not to worry about speed, that will come along with endurance but you have to put on the miles. How many miles? I'm on year 3. First year was a hybrid. Moved up to a big boy road bike last year. Didn't get any faster. This year I feel a lot stronger, but I'm only a little faster. 2012 210 lbs 1100 miles 13.1 average 2013 205 lbs 2800 miles 13.5 average 2014 190 lbs 1500 miles (so far) 14.7 average Those are my average speeds, not my average moving speeds which is obviously a higher. I'm currently 50 years old. How long until my average speed is 20? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 6, 2014 Share #9 Posted September 6, 2014 You ride the miles you simply want to ride. I don't ride for others. I happen to really get off knowing that I just rode 80 miles on my Saturday to some remote town but I didn't always feel that way. I rode solo and still do quite a bit for a long time for many reasons. One of those is not worry about how many miles or what my speed is. I don't complete against anyone except sometimes with myself. Today I own a GPS -- not for navigation -- but for tracking the places I do go on my bike. I like having a map of the places I've ridden to -- mainly because I'm a nerd -- but computers and odometers in general can be a pain in the ass because you are riding against a measurement. Looking back, it may be a good idea to shelve your odometer for awhile and just get out there and ride. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 6, 2014 Share #10 Posted September 6, 2014 I tell people who are starting to just put in as many miles as they can. I tell them not to worry about speed, that will come along with endurance but you have to put on the miles. This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olas Nah Posted September 11, 2014 Share #11 Posted September 11, 2014 I feel bad about myself if I'm not getting in something around 150 a week. So, that being said, I've felt bad all summer. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 12, 2014 Share #12 Posted September 12, 2014 I always seem to work my way back into shape for the century ride all spring and then when I complete it in the mid-summer, I notice my ambition just isn't there any more. Or at least not like it used to be. I'm a slacker. I admit it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted October 23, 2019 Share #13 Posted October 23, 2019 My first ride of the year is usually between 12 and 40 miles. I stay somewhat in shape all winter so I don’t worry about that first ride. Temperature determines how far I ride more than anything else. I hate riding cold. I used to do a polar bear ride every New Year’s Day but gave it up for a swim that I can get in, take a short swim and get out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted October 24, 2019 Share #14 Posted October 24, 2019 18 hours ago, Longjohn said: My first ride of the year is usually between 12 and 40 miles. I stay somewhat in shape all winter so I don’t worry about that first ride. Temperature determines how far I ride more than anything else. I hate riding cold. I used to do a polar bear ride every New Year’s Day but gave it up for a swim that I can get in, take a short swim and get out. My last ride of the year is usually the week between Xmas and New Years. My first ride of the year is usually New Year's day. I don't lose much fitness between the two rides But, for sure, the miles drop off. I go from 30+ mile rides, down to 18-30 miles rides. Daylight becomes a factor, so weekends and days working from home are about the only safe times to ride once the temps get at or below freezing during the dark hours, since I need to ride during the light to see sketchy sections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olas Nah Posted November 7, 2019 Share #15 Posted November 7, 2019 I don't have the time to really put in long rides anymore. With work commitments, picking up the kid from daycare (which I do for the most part because my wife has a long commute and I don't), I might be able to get out to ride maybe twice during the weekdays and once on the weekends. But it's usually twice. Usually my 'long' ride on a weekend is maybe 40 miles, with my regular rides usually 20 or 25 at most. I'm tired a lot because things keep me up late and early to rise, so I sometimes just don't have the energy to ride very hard either. I have to keep it up to regain some energy, but it's hard when I might have to go 5 days without riding at all. I go to the gym sometimes, but I absolutely HATE using machines and the cycling ones are honestly the worst. That being said, I've been slowly losing some of the Dad weight I gained after my son was born and I was able to get in a decently fast Metric century in early September, although I (due to not eating enough) bonked towards the end. I'm hoping with the coming of Spring I can have some fitness to hit a few group rides where I can be pushed a little bit more and get a bit faster. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted June 1, 2020 Share #16 Posted June 1, 2020 I’m still waiting to do my first ride of the year. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted June 1, 2021 Share #17 Posted June 1, 2021 On 6/1/2020 at 7:33 AM, Longjohn said: I’m still waiting to do my first ride of the year. And I am still waiting for Dennisd to answer! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted June 1, 2021 Share #18 Posted June 1, 2021 4 hours ago, Philander Seabury said: And I am still waiting for Dennisd to answer! He doesn’t have time to answer. He’s busy riding his bike. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted June 2, 2021 Share #19 Posted June 2, 2021 On 6/1/2021 at 4:49 AM, Longjohn said: He doesn’t have time to answer. He’s busy riding his bike. BIRTHDAY MILES!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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