Benefits to tracking mileage?
#102
Senior Member
I like that too; for the past 5 years or so I've been holding a berfday ride where I ride (at least) my age in miles; the last few years I also have ensured that I hit my age in mph. There's only going to be a few years left where it will be possible for me to hit that mph target, unless I find some steeper hills!
#103
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#104
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That's an interesting problem. There are "technical" benefits of having a computer and track distance or speed but i think they are more like excuses. Personally the main reason why i like to track my commutes is because it gives me a sense of achievement and worth. And that's a very addictive behaviour when i look at it now..
But what a liberating thing it must be to stop measuring. Just you and the road, like Phamilton said..
But what a liberating thing it must be to stop measuring. Just you and the road, like Phamilton said..
#106
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That's an interesting problem. There are "technical" benefits of having a computer and track distance or speed but i think they are more like excuses. Personally the main reason why i like to track my commutes is because it gives me a sense of achievement and worth. And that's a very addictive behaviour when i look at it now.
If you have a busy life, kids, job, various other responsibilities, it's hard to always find the time to exercise.
I find that tracking miles and setting millage goals for the year keeps me motivated to get on the bike when its' a cold morning, or insanely hot, or a drizzle is in the forecast, or when I'm tired and just don't feel like it. It keeps me moving toward a goal. In my case the goal is an arbitrary number I picked that was higher than last year's goal. But that doesn't matter. This isn't science.
Just having a goal to reach and tracking my progress in reaching it helps keep me motivated to do it even when I may not feel like it. (And 9 out of 10 times when I force myself to ride on a day I wasn't really feeling like it....I'm glad I did within the first 100 feet of the ride)
#107
Virgo
Thread Starter
That's an interesting problem. There are "technical" benefits of having a computer and track distance or speed but i think they are more like excuses. Personally the main reason why i like to track my commutes is because it gives me a sense of achievement and worth. And that's a very addictive behaviour when i look at it now..
But what a liberating thing it must be to stop measuring. Just you and the road, like Phamilton said..
But what a liberating thing it must be to stop measuring. Just you and the road, like Phamilton said..
Setting goals and sticking to them is important, can't deny that. For a while, tracking my commutes did certainly enhance my sense of achievement (dunno about self-worth, I try to keep that one free from the ebb and flow of motivation and achievement). I suppose my sense of achievement adjusted after several consecutive months of commuting. If I still drove a car, I'd probably feel differently about it. I just can only make so many trips by bike in the course of a day including my 25 mile round trip commute. 40 miles a day is about what I can do on days that I'm also working, and it's pretty hard to feel like I need to be able to do better than that. It also happens that I don't really want to be on my bike much longer/farther than that. The fact that I'm married and still have a young child at home means that's about all the more time I can spend on the bike anyway without neglecting my loved ones.
I definitely need to set some fitness goals OFF THE BIKE.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
#109
Virgo
Thread Starter
And I don't like the feeling of 40mph of wind in my face, ever. As we don't have any hills here to speak of, this usually happens with 10 mph forward speed and a 30 mph headwind.
#110
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Here in San Diego it's all hills. You're always either riding through a canyon or across a canyon. Flying downhill is the payoff for grunting uphill
#111
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I have the paid version of ridewithgps, so it can keep track of which bike I used when I ride. I have a bike called "shoes" and a bike called "car" for when I walk or take a car, respectively, and I only log a few of those trips, for special reasons. I make sure they don't go into the overall tally of my bike miles. I've been meaning to track equipment changes like you mentioned, but I haven't started. This way, I can track how long tires etc. last. But this works for me. Your plan should work for you. It takes a lot less work and thought.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#112
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Then I went to Camp Pendelton north of San Diego later for additional training and OH MY GOD. Every direction from every starting point is UP! I wanted to die! My legs hurt so bad for the first month getting used to running and marching up hills....
I don't know how you ride a bike out there, but that's awesome that you keep it up! The weather sure has to help! Gorgeous out there!
#113
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lol Pendleton is crazy hilly! I did a couple race events there that my work paid for the entry fee because it benefitted soldiers.
I did the Devil Dog Duathlon twice (co-event with the Semper Tri), that was not too bad, 2k beach run at the hovercraft launch site, 30k bike North along stuart mesa and then turn inland up that gradual hill and back, then 5K run up the launch ramp and then totally flat around that compound.
Also did the 'Hellfire Fat Tire' mtb race once, that was a lot of fun. Pretty hilly, but not as bad as other parts of Pendleton where I can see running trails from the freeway.
I did the Devil Dog Duathlon twice (co-event with the Semper Tri), that was not too bad, 2k beach run at the hovercraft launch site, 30k bike North along stuart mesa and then turn inland up that gradual hill and back, then 5K run up the launch ramp and then totally flat around that compound.
Also did the 'Hellfire Fat Tire' mtb race once, that was a lot of fun. Pretty hilly, but not as bad as other parts of Pendleton where I can see running trails from the freeway.
#114
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lol Pendleton is crazy hilly! I did a couple race events there that my work paid for the entry fee because it benefitted soldiers.
I did the Devil Dog Duathlon twice (co-event with the Semper Tri), that was not too bad, 2k beach run at the hovercraft launch site, 30k bike North along stuart mesa and then turn inland up that gradual hill and back, then 5K run up the launch ramp and then totally flat around that compound.
Also did the 'Hellfire Fat Tire' mtb race once, that was a lot of fun. Pretty hilly, but not as bad as other parts of Pendleton where I can see running trails from the freeway.
I did the Devil Dog Duathlon twice (co-event with the Semper Tri), that was not too bad, 2k beach run at the hovercraft launch site, 30k bike North along stuart mesa and then turn inland up that gradual hill and back, then 5K run up the launch ramp and then totally flat around that compound.
Also did the 'Hellfire Fat Tire' mtb race once, that was a lot of fun. Pretty hilly, but not as bad as other parts of Pendleton where I can see running trails from the freeway.
Back to Pendelton, go inland a little from the highway and it's just hills everywhere. Most of the training is hills hills and more hills.
And how is the weather so much different 5 miles inland? That's another thing that feels like being on another planet to us East Coast people. I was so confused how it could be raining in the hills 5 miles from the coast and a beautiful sunny day at the beach. Well that and just being in the mountains and drive 10 minutes and being at the beach....it's all very different from this side of the country where a bike ride at the beach means long flat stretched where speed bumps are the largest mountains.
I miss my time out there. Just a gorgeous area. The first time I spent 3 months there it took me 4 months to breath clearly again once I came back East. I got so used to breathing that low humidity air that coming back to the humid soup we call atmosphere here stuffed me up so bad I felt like I was underwater.
#115
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I pay attention to avatars, locations, names and thoughts. Sure, some of the folks who post are caught up with their tiny agendas, but many are just working joes who ride bikes regularly to and fro. That's me.
And I really, really like to ride my bike. Really.
PS: I still don't keep track of miles at all, but do have cyclometers on, I think, at least two of my bikes. Maybe three...
#116
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#117
Senior Member
For me is more for motivation, setting a reasonable goal for the year .
I have a cheap computer on my bike but it is set to measure cadence, not speed...
For distance I use the distance that gugu maps provide when looking the different safe routes.
I have a cheap computer on my bike but it is set to measure cadence, not speed...
For distance I use the distance that gugu maps provide when looking the different safe routes.
#118
Virgo
Thread Starter
Well now the mount for my cheap computer has broken so if I want to track anything I have to open up Strava, which in all likelihood ain’t gonna happen.
#119
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Benefits to tracking mileage?
FWIW, regarding your OP, @Phamilton, I’m a mileage tracker, and I have posted,
Regarding your above-quoted rant, as 10+ year subscriber to Bike Forums, I have also posted to a now-closed thread:
My gawd, this sub forum sometimes.
I generally regret telling people that I'm a bike commuter or that I live without a car. Sort of ironically, the people I regret telling the most often are other bike commuters or people who live without a car.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE DOING WRONG
Everybody is an expert.
Nobody reads threads, nobody pays attention to post dates, nobody pays attention to the names or avatars or locations.
Why is anybody here?
Does anybody even ride a bike?
I generally regret telling people that I'm a bike commuter or that I live without a car. Sort of ironically, the people I regret telling the most often are other bike commuters or people who live without a car.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE DOING WRONG
Everybody is an expert.
Nobody reads threads, nobody pays attention to post dates, nobody pays attention to the names or avatars or locations.
Why is anybody here?
Does anybody even ride a bike?
I started tracking my mileage 30+ years ago when I was primarily a runner and cycled on my off days. I've tracked all of my fitness activities since then and find it very motivating.
As others mentioned, the data are also useful for bike maintenance purposes. I was a science major in college and work in a technical field, and collecting and analyzing data is interesting and useful for me.
More than anything, however, setting mileage and performance goals helps motivate me to ride on days when I might otherwise slack off.
As others mentioned, the data are also useful for bike maintenance purposes. I was a science major in college and work in a technical field, and collecting and analyzing data is interesting and useful for me.
More than anything, however, setting mileage and performance goals helps motivate me to ride on days when I might otherwise slack off.
So do you track? How do you track? and what do you track?
On my Excell spreadsheet I track [including]:
On my Excell spreadsheet I track [including]:
- Miles: Goals for the day, with weekly and YTD totals (predictable for commutes and intended long training rides), and actual miles ridden. The spreadsheet then calculates my compliance to the goals (in %).
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
I think I have absorbed all the good advice I can for a complete and agreeable cycling lifestyle, and recently I have clicked on many fewer threads than before.
In the past I have offered IMO several useful suggestions about cycling, particularly for winter and urban cycling, to multiple repetitive threads. They are usually lost in the morass of often scores of replies, both in agreement and dispute with mine.
I’m not especially motivated to read or write about rides in areas I will never visit, or bikes I would not buy. Other cyclists’ biking stories are often meaningful to me, but usually not consequential enough for a reply.
Frankly, now my main enjoyment is reading the personal clashes on the various threads, such as these current ones: "I work with a moron", or ”How often do you check your mirror?.”
In the past I have offered IMO several useful suggestions about cycling, particularly for winter and urban cycling, to multiple repetitive threads. They are usually lost in the morass of often scores of replies, both in agreement and dispute with mine.
I’m not especially motivated to read or write about rides in areas I will never visit, or bikes I would not buy. Other cyclists’ biking stories are often meaningful to me, but usually not consequential enough for a reply.
Frankly, now my main enjoyment is reading the personal clashes on the various threads, such as these current ones: "I work with a moron", or ”How often do you check your mirror?.”
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 04-16-19 at 05:31 PM.
#120
Virgo
Thread Starter
I re-converted my drop bar hybrid daily commuter back to straight bars today. In the process I was looking at my computer and the broken mount and realized that I could simply put a glob of hot glue between them, it would hold well enough but I’d still be able to sort of pry it out to change the battery when needed. I thought about just supergluing them at first.
I started running the wire (it’s a wired computer), paused to ask myself whether or not I really wanted to have it back on, and left it off.
I don’t want to know how fast I’m going, how far I’ve gone, or how long it’s been since I left. At least not when I’m commuting. Maybe not ever. But it did help to have the odometer thing on the front wheel of my new to me Voyageur for the C&V Clunker Challenge (that I accidentally completed today).
I started running the wire (it’s a wired computer), paused to ask myself whether or not I really wanted to have it back on, and left it off.
I don’t want to know how fast I’m going, how far I’ve gone, or how long it’s been since I left. At least not when I’m commuting. Maybe not ever. But it did help to have the odometer thing on the front wheel of my new to me Voyageur for the C&V Clunker Challenge (that I accidentally completed today).
#121
Virgo
Thread Starter
Realized today that Strava is a great way to track rides together with my daughter. As a novice to cycling, there’s a lot that she can learn about distances and times and she can set goals that are meaningful to her, and we can take pics and log our rides together. Perfect. She’s not a commuter. I’m not sure I’ll recommend it (commuting) to her. At 12, it’s probably for the better. I think she’ll be pretty good to get 500 miles this summer, maybe better if she really enjoys it. I don’t ever push her to ride. I was surprised she asked me to go ride today. 2 1/2 miles to and from the church parking lot for a few laps. She started to seem a little uncomfortable on the bike after about 15 minutes so I said let’s call it, it’s almost dark anyway and let’s end our first ride of the season on a positive note. She was a little disappointed, wanted to keep riding. Perfect ride for a kid.
I’m not going to log our rides here, just wanted to recognize the usefulness of a really great app for some folks/applications. Not even completely useless for me. I might put the computer on her bike eventually.
I’m not going to log our rides here, just wanted to recognize the usefulness of a really great app for some folks/applications. Not even completely useless for me. I might put the computer on her bike eventually.
#122
Virgo
Thread Starter
Fellow regulars here in commuting sub I guess take note that I have no objection to rambling on in my own threads. It was a 2019 resolution to not do so on anybody else’s thread. I believe I have been successful. But I can’t apologize for rambling anymore, it’s an affliction. When I feel provoked I seem to ramble slightly more than usual. If that makes me a bad forum user, I can be OK with that. I know I’m young at 37 but I’m as crabby as any 73 year old who spends too much time on a bike and the Internet. That’s not a shot fired at anybody, I don’t know any specific user here, but it seems logical. Likely even. Happy Easter to anybody who reads this or 4/20 or however you been floating your boat this weekend.
#123
Virgo
Thread Starter
And for anybody still reading this awful thread, I rode at least 45 miles today, between my downtown fun ride this morning which was at the very least 30 miles because 12 miles is the shortest route downtown by bike but the weather inspired me to ramble - another later errand to a point I had previously measured at precisely 6 miles (there and back is the same distance as a one way trip to work) but on the way home did a few laps around the park (measured previously at 1 and some change miles, call it 1) and a little off-roading, and then the 2 1/2 mile dessert ride with my kid. But I don’t care the miles. It was time on the bike not going to and from work.
#124
Disco Infiltrator
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I used Shoe Goo to hold the radio receiver in my r/c cars. I could always pry it up with a screwdriver, just going slowly, and it held much better than the two sided foam tape supplied for the purpose.
#125
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