What causes you to stop on a perfect cycling day with no worries
 

Consider this perfect situation. The day is perfect, you've finished all your work and have no time restrictions. You can ride all day.

But what stops you from riding all day?

I'm curious what stops people and what *has* stopped people but you found a fix for.

In the former category it is my backside. After a century it just hurts like crazy even if I take regular breaks.
In the later category it used to be my hands. Gloves, didn't work but I found a hard hard shake of the hands every 5 miles stops the problem.

beer.

Because I have other things in life I enjoy as well.

Boredom.

Riding a bike gets boring as hell after a while. Lots of other better things to do.

I'd rather do a fast hour than a slow 2 hours any day.

Legs are my limiting factor. Thing is, all my rides are out-and-back, so I have to judge when my legs are half-spent and I'll be able to get home and make it up the 4 steps into the house.

But I'm working on them.

So far I've done 150 miles for my longest ride, about 15mph avg. 12 hours total. I voted "mental". Really there should be a "general malaise/fatigue" option. I enjoyed the ride, but 12 hours is essentially "a day" so that's about it.

My spouse, my boat, and 17 kts of breeze on the Bay.

None of the above...

None. Interesting scenery and destinations would keep me going longer than my usual 4 to 6 hour rides. I have recently sorted out other physical issues that would get me off the bike sooner.

Other stuff to do

Physically? Nothing. As others have mentioned, just wanting to do other things. I did 153 miles in just over 8 hours, I was tired, but could have done more. Granted, that was a fairly flat ride, throw in a lot of climbing and it's a lil different story. lol I've had a couple of 400+ mile weeks and felt great, wish I had the time to do that every week.

These days, the sad answer is orthopedics.

When I'm in good shape and without injuries, it can be leg cramps if it's a hard or fast ride.

First of all, this: "you've finished all your work and have no time restrictions" has not existed in a long, long time ... maybe 2012.

Secondly, even as recently as August 13, 2016 I did ride all day. Rowan and I cycled a 400 km randonnee. :) I've done heaps of them and longer rides over the years ... just not recently.

Then on 22 March 2018, Rowan had a workplace accident which resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury. Since then, we haven't ridden very far and it has to do with Rowan's fatigue. :(

Right now it's time. I was whiter than white when starting. My self imposed ride time was an hour in the low angle morning sun. Want to keep from burning. I cover my neck, the prime spot to burn - never had burns on my arms or legs (don't use sun screen). I could increase my time now that my tan is slowly coming back.

None of the above, really.
- Unfixable mechanical
- Illness or random fatigue
- Heat stroke

Stuff that might happen a few times per year. Except the unfixable mechanical; I don't even recall when I last had a serious problem. A rim cracked in 2014 or 2015 and chewed through both my spare tubes, and when I took a closer look it was clear I wasn't going to ride anywhere on that wheel. (Curiously, that might have been okay with tubeless today.)

My ideal bike ride is 90-120 minutes, hard and fast. Long rides bore me to tears. But then, i only ride because i cant play my primary 2 sports anymore - if i could, i would walk away from this sport in a heartbeat.

(Ok, maybe not walk away entirely, but do a lot less of it)

Nothing on that list. I stop when I'm done. I never ride randomly. Every ride has a goal.

I remember one ride I had to bail from a couple years ago. I had come down with PMR, though it hadn't been diagnosed yet. My power suddenly disappeared after the first 1500' climb and descent and I knew I'd never make it up the 3000' climb in front of me, not captaining our tandem I wouldn't. Other than that, I can't remember a DNF. I have had to stop and take brief rests, but that's not the same as giving up.

If one intends to do something, it's a good idea to train oneself so that accomplishing that goal is doable. From then on it is, as they say, "between your ears." I can clearly remember a few instances when I really, really, really wanted an intervention. That's a good time to stop and eat something, have a drink. and then get back on the bike. Those are times when I learned that I could just keep on doing it anyway.

My back but I am not an old fart. I don’t tend to take breaks, Maybe getting off the saddle every hour for a couple of mins would help.

Assuming an infinite duration....I have to feel the speed at some point while suffering. Which is detrimental to carrying on a lot longer. Just the way I’m wired. I assume as I age this will improve. You know, maturity, slowing down and admiring the world.

Usually neck pain from injuries. I intended to do a century ride Saturday because the weather was perfect -- clear and unusually cool for August. Neck pain forced me to stop at home after 40 miles to use my percussion massager and do some stretching. Went out again but finally gave up at 70 miles. Good while it lasted, though.

I remember when I did a few centuries - two decades ago! I'm going to break the mold today and do 4 laps (usually do 3 = 16.8 miles give or take). Should be 22 miles.

Is your answer Nothing Stops you?
 

I was hoping you'd answer, I've read of your legendary feats discussed on the touring forum and I informally dubbed you the queen of touring! My backside got sore just reading about those thousands of miles tours you would do.

Very sorry to hear about Rowan, I hope he gets better soon. But a good reminder that we should ride while we can.

y

For me it's just some sort of permutation of the law of diminishing returns.
Just because three hours of cycling is fun, doesn't mean that four hours of cycling is more fun.

Nature.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0190b8cb9.jpeg

Two of my last three rides have been 4 lap 22 milers. One of my thunderbolt lights ran out so now I'll charge that one after every longer ride (vice every two).