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Ride distances

Old 08-14-22, 03:53 PM
  #26  
seypat
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
A lot of people, maybe even most, do centuries without ever being more than 30-40 miles away from their start point; if you live on a civilization island, look at riding around the periphery.
This. If you're creative, you can find a way to put together a long mileage ride without ever getting far from home. I have a 30 mile loop I can ride that has my house, my office, and my gym at various points on the loop. There is a hospital in the middle. Also plenty of roads inside the loop for variability. At no time on the loop am I longer than 5 miles from any of those stopping points.
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Old 08-14-22, 04:08 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by seypat
This. If you're creative, you can find a way to put together a long mileage ride without ever getting far from home. I have a 30 mile loop I can ride that has my house, my office, and my gym at various points on the loop. There is a hospital in the middle. Also plenty of roads inside the loop for variability. At no time on the loop am I longer than 5 miles from any of those stopping points.
Sometime between the end of this month and October, I'll be attempting a self supported 1/2 IM distance tri on this loop. Park my car at the gym and do the swim in the gym pool. Then use the gym/parking lot/car as the transition area. My wife will be a SAG if needed. With some planning and creativity, you can do distance close to home.

During the pandemic year, there was a woman on my street that ran a 50 miler doing various 1 and 2 mile loops in the neighborhood. She used her house as a SAG. Had a table set up and her family kept it stocked. It can be done. I was doing yard work. She'd keep coming by throughout the day. Had 3-4 different pacers. I'd give her some cowbell when she came past.
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Old 08-14-22, 04:29 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by seypat
During the pandemic year, there was a woman on my street that ran a 50 miler doing various 1 and 2 mile loops in the neighborhood.
There are also a few intrepid cyclists who have completed an Everest (8848 vertical meters) inside a car park (parking garage).

At least a parking garage is protected from rain (except the top floor).
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Old 08-14-22, 05:48 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
There are also a few intrepid cyclists who have completed an Everest (8848 vertical meters) inside a car park (parking garage).

At least a parking garage is protected from rain (except the top floor).
Where there's a will, there's a way.
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Old 08-14-22, 06:02 PM
  #30  
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Every ride is different, but I get real enjoyment out of a 40-50 mile ride with some good elevation (700-1000' / 10-mile) at an 18-19 mph average.
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Old 08-14-22, 06:16 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by SalsaShark
Every ride is different, but I get real enjoyment out of a 40-50 mile ride with some good elevation (700-1000' / 10-mile) at an 18-19 mph average.
18-19 mph over a ride with 100 ft/mile of elevation gain?

That requires some serious power. Upwards of 3.5 Watts/kg -- on average!
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Old 08-14-22, 06:17 PM
  #32  
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The only "bad" ride I can think of is the one where the guy in his car, on his cellphone, hit me.
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Old 08-14-22, 06:26 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
18-19 mph over a ride with 100 ft/mile of elevation gain?

That requires some serious power. Upwards of 3.5 Watts/kg -- on average!
I don't get into numbers that much - keeps things more enjoyable. I just start Strava when I depart, and stop it when I return. I don't have a power meter and have never done an FTP test, but strava estimates a ride of these metrics usually between 180 and 200 watts average. I don't know how accurate that is.
Also, we have lots of rolling hills, with lots of shorter steep climbs each below 500' of elevation gain. With grades varying from a few % up to 12-15%. Over the total ride, all of the elevation gain has been offset with the descents.
I know some of the strongest riders in my area can ride similar solo rides averaging 20-22 mph.
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Old 08-14-22, 06:52 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by SalsaShark
I know some of the strongest riders in my area can ride similar solo rides averaging 20-22 mph.
If those riders aren't pros, they should be.

We have a long local climb that's about 36 miles up-and-down. The fastest pace up combined with the fastest pace down averages to 21.7 mph. Both pros.
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Old 08-14-22, 07:18 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by VegasJen
I know we have a lot of dedicated riders here. Some of us go hard and heavy, some of us slow and steady, some of us just do whatever it is we can do. But I'm curious to know what's a "good" ride for you. Do you enjoy the distances? Elevation? The challenge? Scenic views? Just getting out and clearing your head?

As for me, it's all about pushing myself. I push the whole time, but that limits me. No centuries in my future. Depending on the mood, the conditions and what I have planned, I have three basic distances I go. A "short" ride is 20 miles or less. I'll really try and push myself on these rides, maintain a 17-18mph (or better) pace if I can. A "regular" ride is 21-34 miles. These are more of my training rides I do preparing for triathlons. I try to maintain a good pace and finish as strong (or close to) as I started. Finally, a "long" ride is 35-50 miles. I don't do these very often, mainly because of conditions. The only time it's suitable to do a ride that long for me is probably October into early December or maybe late February into early April. I find these rides drain me and I have to plan accordingly, pace myself and pay attention to conditions like wind and elevation. The long rides are bad for me because my competitive nature compels to push to failure and I really have to focus on pacing so I don't hurt myself.
My rides are much like yours in terms of distance and speed. I don't have time to ride really long distances. I do a decent job of pacing myself.
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Old 08-14-22, 07:21 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
If those riders aren't pros, they should be.
Yeah, one of the strongest guy's around here ride today was 73 miles with about 600' of elevation gain per 10 miles at 21.0 mph average. He has a power meter which shows avg power at 270W, with weighted (?) average at 296W. It is just another ride for him, though! 😮

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Old 08-14-22, 07:47 PM
  #37  
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A good fitness ride is 60 km at 32 kmh or more. A good adventure ride is just scenery and distance.
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Old 08-14-22, 09:10 PM
  #38  
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Rides

I try for 3 rides during the week, 20-30 miles each. And 2 rides on the weekend, one at 40-50 miles. So I
normally get 120 miles or so per week June-Sep. I feel it if I ride more than 4 days in a row. I don’t track
heart rate, power output, or even average speed anymore. It seems I have lost about 1mph per decade. In my
30’s and 40’s I was averaging about 18 mph, now at 75 I am about 14.5 or so. Bill
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Old 08-15-22, 02:59 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by VegasJen

OK, that's just nutty. I'll just stick with my 30 mile rides.
We call it doing stupid things with friends. It's addictive. Not for everyone, but anyone can do it.

There is a gateway event called a populaire, as short as 100k, designed to draw the newbs in. Find your nearest audax or randonneuring club. Long distance will cure you of going at it too hard.
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Old 08-15-22, 05:46 AM
  #40  
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For me, a bicycle is Not a piece of exercise equipment. a bicycle is an adventure/pleasure machine. I get exercise but that is not why I bicycle.
Long and short depends on the terrain that I am riding on. A short ride on pavement is anything under 25 miles but 205miles is a long ride on deep sand double track with 30% grades. Anything over 70 miles is a long ride for me regardless of the terrain.
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Old 08-15-22, 06:18 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
If those riders aren't pros, they should be.

We have a long local climb that's about 36 miles up-and-down. The fastest pace up combined with the fastest pace down averages to 21.7 mph. Both pros.
The nature of the hills greatly affects average speed. IIRC Iowa has constant rolling hills which can be ridden at a faster average speed than one massive climb up and then a descent
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Old 08-15-22, 06:59 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
There are also a few intrepid cyclists who have completed an Everest (8848 vertical meters) inside a car park (parking garage).

At least a parking garage is protected from rain (except the top floor).
If you live in the desert (Las Vegas), having all but the top floor shaded might be more important!
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Old 08-15-22, 08:58 AM
  #43  
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Commute ~ 4 times/wk, 11-14 mi round trip
One day a wk I go for 10-15 mi after work to explore the area near work
On one of my days off I will ride 25-60 mi.
One day off the bike

This time of year my weekend rides are averaging 30ish. My favorite plans are loops with a little exploration thrown in. Saturday I had a loop that google maps said was 35 mi. When I finished the computer said it was 43. Obviously I don't follow the plan to the letter.. Think of the plan as a suggestion.

On doing small loops repeatedly.. They bore me after a while. There have been loops of 1-3 mi where my average speed could be raised significantly. The same would be true of climbing in a parking garage for me.

On speed. My bike computer gives me about 12 mph average. Sometimes less. But door to door 10 mph is more accurate. There are bike trails and MUPs where higher speeds are sustainable. But I can't get there, wherever my there is, solely on the trail system.
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Old 08-15-22, 06:58 PM
  #44  
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I'm with those who say all rides are good. Following are some typical rides for me, in approximate order of intensity:


- 3 to 10 miles with my wife and/or son, usually on neighborhood streets and MUPs. Seldom pushing hard at all.

- 10 miles, give or take, pulling my grandson in a trailer. Relaxed pace, might have to push a little to get up moderate hills.

- Anywhere from 8 to 20 or maybe 30 miles, pushing myself fairly hard, maybe some rolling hills, but usually pretty flat.

- A group ride that meets every Wednesday and follows the same 22 mile route, which is quite flat. When these guys keep it around 20 or 22 mph, I can usually keep up. If they decide to kick it up to 25, I get dropped.

- Indoor workout on my trainer. I've never gotten into Zwift or any of the apps that allow racing with other humans online. I just do the workouts in the TACX app. They are always tough (at least the ones I pick). Usually an hour or so, with lots of climbing.

- Taking my track bike (fixed gear) to a city park where there's a nice 1.3 mile paved loop with two short, steep climbs and descents. I usually do 10 laps, sometimes only 8. I go full steam the whole time--sprint up hills like the devil himself is chasing me. ~45 minute workout that leaves me totally spent.

- Occasionally, an hours-long adventure of 50 miles or more and sometimes 3000+ feet elevation gain. I don't go hard on these. (I have learned to pace myself.)

- Several times in the past (but lately less than once per year) a big relay:

-- Kokopelli Relay... Moab to St. George, Utah. This one is done with four man teams, and each of us gets four legs totaling at least 100 miles. Might ride in 95 degree desert heat, and twelve hours later in 40 degree chill coming down a steep descent in the middle of the night.

​​​​​​-- Salt to Saint... Also four man teams, usually. Distance similar to Kokopelli, but it's from Salt Lake City to St. George. This relay and Kokopelli really help me find out what I'm made of.

--​ Lotoja... Logan, Utah to Jackson, Wyoming in one day. ~207 miles and three big mountain passes. Usually done solo, but not by me. I get on a two man relay and end up with three legs totaling 120+ miles. This one makes me question my life choices, and my own sanity.

Last edited by Broctoon; 08-15-22 at 07:04 PM.
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