deacon mark

Around here there is no hills just county roads which I ride. But now winter is getting things dark and windy as usual in the midwest. Well I have this subdivision where I live that has 2 loops of about 1.7 miles and 1.3. I can ride these loops with no traffic to worry, the road is smooth, no hills, but I can keep doing a criterion for as many miles as I want. I do this sometimes as it gets dark when I leave early AM and then as sun comes up go on out to the county road right near. I have a good light and frankly I really do not mind doing the loops as you can ride no stop never put the foot down and simply go till you get whatever you want.

So here is the question. I am thinking that frankly I need to get past the road cycling thing and admit that this is really ok. I am spinning and riding and better than a trainer inside, but I feel like I am cheating. The neighborhood houses blocks the wind pretty good and being a loop I also get at least 1/2 the loop on my side of the wind. I have great pavement and really no traffic so why not take it as a gift. The other part of me says this is just avoiding the real elements and I need to just HTFU. Being a runner also I can run in the winter but sometimes with age my legs are getting slow for running and I probably should ride and not run as much. My tendency in winter is to simply to ride only weekends but this loop has me thinking I could go out tomorrow at 5:15 am in the pitch dark and ride for basically almost 2 hours and get in 32-37miles depending. In fact as long as the snow and ice are not around this can work.

Then another part of me says you crazy deacon with OCD just take a few weeks off or ride bit on the trainer and sweat up a store. This can only happen on BF. Anyone else have these crazy small loops they do in addition to my question.

rpenmanparker 

You are nuts. Ride where you feel like riding. Don't ride where you don't. What could be simpler. This isn't metaphysics, it's exercise.

Machka 

Why not mix it up?

Ride outside on your little loop or longer distances whenever you want.

Do intervals on the trainer sometimes.

Join a spinning class once a week.

Be active in other ways ... running, winter sports, etc.

Zuzus pedals

FWIW, I've got a loop that's only 1.052 miles and I've done hard solo efforts of up to 40 miles on it. Of course, I actually have OCD (a severe case of it at that), but insanity notwithstanding, I can always tell myself that it's not much different than doing a bunch of laps in a crit race. And Jens Voigt just rode for an hour around a 250m lap, so where's the lunacy in doing far fewer loops in the great outdoors?

Igualmente

As someone who has months of winter with snow, ice and winds, I'd say take it as a gift. I'd want to break up the monotony of loops, but I can see them having a purpose.

02Giant 

Half way through, turn around and go the other direction...

rousseau

Exercising off the bike? What are you talking about?

That's crazy talk.

bengreen79

You will be "that weird guy who keeps riding his bike around the block" to your neighbors. There are worse things.

Elvo

Find a safe group night ride that will get you on those country roads?

on the path

If weather permits: riding a bike > not riding a bike

scott967

I have a 1.8 mi loop in my neighborhood. I do 5 laps at max effort once a week. I like getting the time feedback on how I am doing.

scott s.
.

f4rrest

Maybe you could race some of the neighborhood kids to make it more difficult.

Campag4life

build a ramp up onto the roof of your house, do the loop on a bmx bike and practice flips off the roof of your house would be my vote.

rpenmanparker 

When I was at my cycling peak in both quantity and quality in the late '80s, I was getting about 1/2 my 6,000 annual miles on a 2.5 mile loop that started a couple of blocks from my house. It was the perfect after-work route expecially in the winter when darkness was encroaching on my riding interval. The loop was about 40% MUP, 40% quiet neighborhood, and the rest main streets connecting the two. I would do eight laps about three or four times a week after work. Longer city and country rides were reserved for the weekends. Not ideal, a little boring, but very effective. It was there that I first turned in a less than one hour time for the 20 miles. Sweet.

qcpmsame 

Its CDO man, at least get the order correct, jeese.
I doubt many of your neighbors realize you make laps around the area, most are too busy watching the idiot box or have their noses stuck in their smartphone's screen. I have a 3 mile loop section in my regular route I can use for some criterium style laps to make things different and keep it interesting when I am riding, I add a few laps in to bring up the mileage while doing sprints. The folks there are used to seeing me do this every couple of days and just wave as I go by. if it keeps you riding and logging miles, do it.

Bill

pdedes

I personally couldn't do such short loops. But if you can, you should.

mcours2006

What difference does it make if it's OCD or not? And why ask a forum where probably half of them have OCD to begin with? Do what you think you should do. Don't seek approval.

I run as well as ride, and I have, on occasion, taken a circuitous route around a parking lot at a local park where the snow is usually cleared, 20-30 times to get my mileage in for the day. OCD? Whatever.

My first reaction after reading your first paragraph, OP, envy.

thump55

Yes, you do.

I can only imagine what the misspelling of the thread title is doing to you .

Yes, I put that space before the period in on purpose just to mess with you, but you seem like a good sport.

StanSeven

I met a guy in a neighborhood near my house that rides a 3.1 mile loop. He trains for full Ironmans there and even got ready for a 100 mile roller blading/skating event on it. So I started riding it too. Nobody notices me because he's the insane one always out.

mcours2006

Hehe

That's so bad.

rpenmanparker 

At Memorial Park in Houston there is a 1.17 mi loop with both right and left turns. Its a full sized street, smooth asphalt. No cars most of the time. Mostly cyclists and a few skaters. They run crits on it late in the afternoon on Wednesdays in the summer. It isn't ideal, but sure is welcome when it is 10 degrees cooler than the open streets in the summer or when the wind is cut down a few mph by the trees. Nice controlled environment for trying out new gear as you are never more than a half mile or so from your car. 20 miles isn't too onerous despite the short course. These things do have a purpose.

ericleecw

I don't have OCD. But Riding in loops can be good for training purposes. Around my neighborhood, there is a 1.5 mile loop that has 3% incline on one side and -3% on the other side. I've been doing that during the summer and plan to do that during the winter as well. Quick one hour ride to get 20 miles in.

The neighbors think I am crazy and i always yell out "Vamos" when i pass a 4 year old on training wheels. :-)