Beach Bob

Looking at Strava - 300 rides for 10,646.5 km in 378.5 hours... about 28.15 km/h. Thats a mix of trainer and road work (probably about 50% of each, we had a lousy summer for outdoor riding). As has been pointed out, it really is more a matter of making time than anything else.

Reynolds 

My yearly mileage is declining. I used to ride 10,000+, in 2019 I rode 6,500. My base is commuting, 2hrs per day, about 4,000 a year. On weekends I used to ride about 100-120, now for various reasons 50-60.

friday1970

5914 miles for the year, 199 rides, 16.3 mph avg. My routine is 2-3 rides during the work week, usually after work. Ride mileage is based really off the amount of daylight we have left after 5PM. Since I work close to the biking areas of Hines Drive and the I275 trail near Detroit, I start and end my rides in my work's parking lot. Usually 20-50 miles. During the weekends, usually one good ride of 50-100 miles, maybe more for a brevet event. Some weekends, I'll ride both days. And during the winters, I do count my miles, but I never ride more than an hour, usually less than 20 miles.
I'd love to ride more, but work, family, bills, home repairs, etc.

I saw your bikes. Surly Trucker and a Dahan Mariner (assuming a folder). You might want to get something a bit lighter and faster, be it an aluminum, carbon, or higher end steel road bike. Or heck, if you live in flatter areas, some sort of speedy recumbent.

Notso_fastLane

I did those kinds of distance back before the days of Strava (hell, before smartphones), but my bike computer logged a little over 10k miles/year for 5 straight years. My highest was 13,456 miles in a single calendar year. Typically, I was in the 11.5k range, so just under 1k miles/month.

For comparison, that's only a little more than the average miles for a car in that same area.

Here's how:
1) I had no other vehicle.
2) My commute was 19.7 miles. (so almost 40 miles/day x 5 just going to work all year).
3) All my grocery shopping, appts, and everything else that I would generally use a car for now were all done on my bike.
4) I still rode 60+ miles/day on weekends for fun, almost every sat AND sun.
5) I generally did at least one trip from Tucson to Phx/year to visit my mom, which was a bit over 300 miles round trip.

As noted, I lived in Tucson, where biking 12 months/year is much more feasible than just about anywhere else in the US.

tomato coupe

I don't mean to be unkind, but 7 mph is really slow. People who ride 7000 miles per year are probably averaging at least double that speed.

I-Like-To-Bike

I'm over 70 and my bicycling mileage and speed is whatever it is but have no concerns about how it might compare with others who choose to itemize and track such things. I am happy that I am healthy enough to ride almost every day, year round as much as I wish; to the swimming pool at the gym, shopping, library in town, or on occasion with my son who tows my grandchildren in a trailer.

I have all the time in the world and consider myself lucky to be free of any need to set, meet or compare arbitrary "performance" metrics/goals to enjoy my bicycling.

YMMV

mcours2006

I've just over 10,000 km, or about 6200 miles. My commutes of 40 km a day are typically slow like 12-14 mph. About 60% of my mileage is commuting. The other 40% are either group rides or solo efforts on the weekends, and typically average 17-19 mph.

Rides4Beer

I rode 10,002 miles last year, 238 rides, 570 hours, so that's roughly 17.5mph avg speed. I'd like to do more this year, but I also want to stay married, we'll see how it goes.

livedarklions

I agree that the marks I set for myself are arbitrary, and the main criteria I use for them are whether they will motivate me to do more activity than if I didn't have them, and can I meet them without making myself miserable. It's for my own amusement, so I definitely avoid making comparison with other people a real issue. That's why I don't measure things on Strava, I don't even want to be tempted to see how I "stack up".

This is definitely one of those areas where you can't tell people "you're doing it wrong". I enjoy setting and meeting my arbitrary marks--y'know, like "this would be a fun day to have a lunch two states over and come home"

KC8QVO

I figured that was going to come in to question.

My computer is a Garmin Edge 1000. It does the speed average based on distance/total time, not distance/moving time (it does not track moving vs. total time, in other words). That having been said - I would guess my moving average is in the 9-12mph range. I am not riding for speed, that doesn't interest me. Traveling is what I like. I consider my "better rides", those I plan more and set out for a "goal" with, as "day tours". I like to work within the 40-60 mile range. I normally don't go to restaurants, everything I need and want for the trip is packed on the bike. So it is the opposite of "light and fast", to a point.

Back to the speed average I used - for the most part it does include all my stopped time, minus a few instances where I paused it or split trips (one trip on the way out, stopped, then a new trip on the way back). What I did not consider in the "metrics tracking" was that there is no split in the computer for moving metrics vs. all up (including stopped) metrics. I am not sure how I want to tackle that this year to compare.

For my longer trips I use a 7" tablet with an app called GaiaGPS. That app does track moving metrics independently of totals. However, it is GPS based - no sensors like on the bike computer.

What the "average speed" in my application here is - taking an annual mileage total and comparing it to an annual time total - is a more accurate metric to visualize time commitment. The catch to it is the time that is used needs to include as much time as is actually dedicated to a ride. That includes the time from jumping on the bike and rolling out to the time stopping at the destination (whether that is the same place you started - in my case pretty much all my rides, or a different location - if the ride from that location isn't to resume the same day, if there is a ride from there at all).

My rides this year were sporadic. I was in an environment where I was on the road constantly and my regular touring bike wasn't able to tag along. I decided to buy a folding bike to ease up on that as I could take it along. I got a few rides in on that bike around the country (pretty cool experience and being able to do that was awesome - I enjoyed it, but it still wasn't often I could), but it wasn't until October of this year that I really got my mileage going.

For reference - my highest mileage year was about 4-5 years ago (don't have the data - I ended up loosing it when I was cleaning up a computer - thought I had moved it to a USB drive and proceeded to wipe the computer - didn't have all the data in my riding folder backed up and my logs were part of it... life goes on). I did right about 1500 miles. My next highest year was 1000 miles, which was the year before that. Another year I was at around 700.

2019 I finished with 560. And all but 55 miles of it was October on. So figure 500 miles in 3 months. Going back to my other riding years - at 1500 for the annual total that is (across the whole calendar year - which I don't like doing because there are months with inclimate weather that I wasn't able to ride) that is 325 miles average for 3 months. So, on an annual basis, my 500 this season was the highest mileage "rate" I've ever done. At that rate - and this goes back to my not liking the annual period extrapolation from my 1500 miles - I was on par for a 2,000 mile riding year last year. As to how accurate that is, I am not sure. There is a 500 mile difference between that 2,000 number and my highest year of 1,500. Obviously, I didn't ride much until the Fall and there is no way to go back in time to ride more, but thinking through the process I could have got in some more riding if I tried.

The good news is I won't ever be in the same "bikeless" hole now with the folding bike in the fleet. In fact, I did put 225 miles on it this year - and some of that was more loaded day touring.

I suppose as the saying goes in hiking - "hike your own hike", coming to the cycling perspective it would be "ride your own ride". To that point I do - and I enjoy my rides. I don't think, even if I lived on the road on the bike and rode most every day, I could get to 7,000 miles in a year. But - light, fast, and hard is quite opposite of my riding.

For what it is worth - the longest ride I ever did (part of the data that was lost, unfortunately) was 116 miles. I want to say that was around 18 hours of recorded trip time that I had marked down, but that is really hard to say as I don't have it to look at and I don't know what "time" I had wrote down. It was before I had the Garmin and was using a Sigma wired bike computer, I know that much.

Anyway, it is seeing the numbers and comparing. Thanks for sharing!

livedarklions

I think you've answered your own question--in order to hit a goal like 7000 miles, you'd need to change your riding in ways that might make you dislike it. Most I've ever ridden in a day is 168 miles, which I did exclusively during daylight hours. There's no way to do that without fast and hard riding. I did, however, do it on a hybrid.

KC8QVO

What I asked was:
The question was to the group to illustrate how they are able to achieve those numbers.

As far as my riding goes, I was wanting a comparison to see the above, and the other way around - a comparison for those that are hitting high miles the other end of the spectrum (not sure that really matters or is of interest, but the comparison is at least a 2-way street here).

As to my goal for next year - I set that back at 1500. I think that is a reasonable number that fits how I ride. There is no need for competition, other than some riding motivation. What I would like to try to do differently this year is to not loose my riding shape. I am in Ohio and the 2 worst winter weather months are historically January and February = now on. If I can make it through those months with a few 15-30 mile rides that would be great. Even better would be some weekend "day tours" in the 40-60 range. We'll see how it works out.

I did make some gear changes (namely warm boots with SPD cleats) that allow cold weather riding comfort. Down in to the 30's I'm a lot more comfortable. So that right there is a huge bonus for stretching the riding season. I don't know how much colder I could ride, though. If temperatures were in the mid-40's or above I would consider a day tour (lows in the mid-40's, highs 50-60). If highs are in the mid-40's (lows hopefully around or above freezing) then that would hold my miles back to a smaller 15-30mi ride.

KC8QVO

I have been registered with Strava for years, however I never had a way to upload data to it. I got my Edge 1000 about 3-4 years ago but never had it "set up" with WiFI etc. I started messing around with that this Fall and got the auto-sync to Strava worked out. I actually like having that ability. Before I shut down my Edge 1000 after a ride Garmin Connect and Strava have the ride data.

The other thing of note here is I have my Strava locked down. All I use it for is personal logging. I also like, for the most part, that the data assists the Heat Map creation. I don't care for the "community" aspect and comparison to other riders - which is why I have it locked out. So for data collection for my use and the creation of the heat map it's pretty cool.

KC8QVO

Perspectives... No offense taken, though.

To reiterate - that speed is as close to an all-up trip time vs mileage across the calendar year as I can reference. In fact, if it was more accurate it should probably be lower than that. The reason being that "speed average" is taking in to account the entire time the bike computer is running, moving and stopped. When I am on a day tour and spend, say, 3 hours of my day "touring" the places I ride to - that 3 hours combined of not riding is in that 7mph speed average. I don't have a way to get an accurate "moving average", because my bike computer does not show that, however I generally try to keep my rolling speed in the 9-12mph range.

As another example - my ride yesterday was almost a 10mph total average with a hair under 22 miles of a ride. That includes about 10 stops where the time kept rolling. So my moving average may very well have been 14-15mph.

Again - perspectives. That is what is interesting to me, though, and seeing everyone's metrics and how they compare is very enlightening!

I am hoping 2020 brings some multi-day touring trips. That will be interesting for me to see how that ride data compares to what my data from 2019 shows as well as what my data, otherwise, through 2020 shows.

What I have historically done is pick ride metrics that compare in the past to a ride I am gearing up for to estimate "trip time". This is where the line items on my chart really help. If I am riding 90 miles loaded for over-night'ing it that type of ride is going to be different. Then the weather and terrain come in to the mix - am I riding level ground? Hilly? Is it windy? Head wind or tail wind? Or is it calm? Or, am I riding locally 40 miles for an out/back run or a loop with minimal gear? All the scenarios look different and thus planning them has to have the right reference as a base. I can't plan a loaded trip across the state based on a 9mph "trip average". If I do 6 or 7mph as a "trip average" in that environment I am doing well. Or, if I get a calm warm day for a 30 mile loop with 2 stops and roll 13-16mph I don't want to use a 9mph average because I'll be back way sooner than where that puts me (that may be a good thing to overshoot the time, though, in case I get a flat or another mechanical then I'm not hurting as much on the timing - if there are other things scheduling has in store).

There was a ride I did in this Fall that was to a family members place. The original mileage was supposed to be a bit shy of 100 (94 I want to say?). I used 6mph as my average for planning purposes. The trip ended up being 2 days (which was a good thing) and my speed average was 5 mph. The bulk of that was riding in to a head wind. So I wasn't too far off using the average, but the wind definitely cost me some time. The good thing is if I take the wind out of the scenario (equating to a slower moving speed) with the length of the ride and the stops I made I still feel I estimated accurately.

TheDudeIsHere

There are some cool features to enjoy if people open up their minds and stop thinking about it as a race your friends type site, as you have discovered!

I enjoy the fly by feature. Being able to see others riding around you. When you cross paths and wonder, who are these people? You can see them on the fly by feature, check out some of their info and see who they are. Also, it helps one to find other roads and routes by viewing others around you. I have learned some shortcuts, better roads to ride and good info viewing rides of others. Most important, safer routes!

I actually wanted to ride to a local city a few years ago but could not figure out how cyclists got there without riding through heavily high traffic roads. I looked up a few I crossed paths with on a ride and found every single back road they used to get around the mess. After that, it became one of my favorite routes to ride.

Not to mention, 99% of all my Strava friends are actually people I ride with and have ridden with (forum members). So there is not a whole lot of macho business going on because if there is, we can all see it ha ha!

tomato coupe

Do you honestly not understand why other riders are able to log so many more miles than you?

Ghazmh

7604 miles of cycling in 0.0 miles on a trainer.

shelbyfv

I expect the unusual way you measure riding time and average speed accounts for some of your confusion. Even basic non-GPS bike computers and Strava phone apps have auto-pause. There is a reason for that. Another thing is that you may well have horrible riding conditions. If you had to stop 10 times in a 22 mile ride, sounds like nothing but stoplights. I don't know how you could begin to ride significant mileage somewhere like that. For comparison, I can ride from home and not have to unclip for 40+ miles, until I need a pee break. There really isn't any mystery, just a lot of variables.

KC8QVO

Interesting point.

Someone I used to work with mentioned Strava and the reference to it was the heat map. The point being the heat map shows more heavily traveled bike routes. That is what I use most for planning new routes. I find a location I may want to ride to then compare the heat map data.

Interesting to note - I take the heat map with a grain of salt these days and compare it to satellite images and trail/multi-use path maps to see if everything "agrees".

When I started riding a lot I was in IL and the Illinois an Michigan Canal Trail was a usual route for me. When I started using the heat map I found it interesting to note that the I&M trail was NOT the higher traveled route through areas where the trail went. It was the roads. I paid attention to that and had it in the back of my mind on my rides. I did note several larger groups over the years were riding on the roads in areas where the trail parallels some of the roads. So I can extrapolate from that what was going on - the road riders were likely the ones using Strava on a noticeably higher usage level than those on the trail thus the higher traveled routes appear to be the roads in place of the trail.

I can see in urban environments where there are no trails the data would probably be most accurate, but the point in the above example is to use the data of other riders as a "tool" to consider in route decisions, but not to necessarily use it 100% if it doesn't suit what you are out to do.

KC8QVO

I guess the way I consider "ride time" is the time I jump on the bike at the start all the way to the time I get off the bike at the end, over the course of 1 day.

In that example "ride time" is accounting for every second between those two points in time - whether I am in the saddle pedaling or not.

Is there a more usual or customary definition of "ride time" that goes in to everyone's numbers?

I guess that goes back to my first post in the thread and my explanation of the "average" I came up with being, perhaps, "bogus". The reason I call it "bogus" is there are variables in the creation of the time metric in the "average" that invalidate the accuracy of it. All of the "time" (according to how I defined it here - from the time I start a ride to the time I end a ride, no pausing) was not accounted for in my 7mph or so average. I don't think the time not in there, over the course of the calendar year, would shift the average that much, but it would drop. The time commitment, or maybe I should restate that to "time consumption", to "riding" means every slow down on a ride is accounted for. If you have 15 minutes down on a loaded trip to repair a flat that is 15 minutes you don't get back. That is where I wanted to see others' numbers that hit high miles. I still question the time in those high mile reports - what variables are they, and are they not, taking in to account for? If auto-pause is being used - what percentage higher time are those riders actually seeing? (those questions don't need answers, that is just what is in my mind as I compare all the numbers in the thread)

Yep. Quantifying it and comparing it is interesting.

OldTryGuy

110 miles today. Actually started shortly before midnight and rode for 38 miles but not feeling the mo-jo back home for a shower and some shut-eye then back out a bit after 8AM. Winds got to 10/15mph and having biked 119 miles Tuesday things were just continuing slowly. My 920XT Garmin has the total time and moving time thus 2 averages with the moving average faster than ride average unless I do a no touch-no stopping as in no foot(feet) hitting the ground.

People ask "how long did your ride take" I tell them I stopped at times so X-hours for actual pedal/seat time and then Y-hours for first clipping in and final un-clip.

shelbyfv

If you record on Strava you get both "moving time" and "elapsed time." If you have somehow turned off auto-pause, I suppose that might be different. Normally "moving time" is used to figure average speed. Doesn't mean you have to do it that way. This 59 mile ride was about 30 minutes difference, moving vs elapsed.

DrIsotope

When the question is simple, the answer is simple: don't stop riding. Twenty miles a day, every single day will put a rider over 7k miles for the year. I don't ride every day, so I make up by having a per-ride average of around 35 miles.

KC8QVO

Excellent post. Thanks for the data. I find it interesting, assuming the weekly graphs for the 52 weeks in a year is consecutive left to right, that the last week or two of the year your miles go up.

DrIsotope

That's the Rapha Festive challenge on Strava, 500km between Xmas Eve and New Year's Eve. I do it every year.