Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Fifty Plus (50+)
Reload this Page >

What is your average miles per week (or hours) for us old guys...

Search
Notices
Fifty Plus (50+) Share the victories, challenges, successes and special concerns of bicyclists 50 and older. Especially useful for those entering or reentering bicycling.

What is your average miles per week (or hours) for us old guys...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 03-03-16, 01:13 PM
  #1  
RockiesDad
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 427
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 220 Post(s)
Liked 31 Times in 17 Posts
What is your average miles per week (or hours) for us old guys...

Since I am in this age group I was wondering what the average miles a week to most of you ride? I think there are two groups here, retired vs still working, and there might be a difference here due to our time constraints. I'm 59yrs and am still working 40+ hours a week and come home pretty tired to go out and ride a bunch after work. There are a few times I rather take a nap instead of go out a ride somewhere not to mention life gets busy sometime. So most of the time I am a weekend warrior and try to get about 20-30 miles in. There are some weekdays I take a ride of <5 miles (1/2 hour) or so just to get the blood flowing after being stuck in traffic coming home.

Being retired offers the most options for riding so I'm curious on how many miles (or hours) you guys do a week? I would personally would try for about 2 hours 3-4 days a week for fitness when I do retire...

So how much does everyone here do?
RockiesDad is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 01:20 PM
  #2  
WarrenR
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Halifax, NS
Posts: 192

Bikes: 2005 Peugeot Evasion 2019 Trek Verve

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Liked 19 Times in 17 Posts
Retired and the same age. My regular week would be two 30 mile runs and a longer one on the weekend.
WarrenR is offline  
Likes For WarrenR:
Old 03-03-16, 01:25 PM
  #3  
OldsCOOL
Senior Member
 
OldsCOOL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: northern michigan
Posts: 13,317

Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 659 Post(s)
Liked 595 Times in 313 Posts
When summer arrives, probably 100mi per, give or take.
OldsCOOL is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 01:27 PM
  #4  
volosong
Senior Member
 
volosong's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 2,809

Bikes: n + 1

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 32 Post(s)
Liked 27 Times in 15 Posts
I'm still a working stiff with a long commute. My time in the saddle time is more dependent on motivation than anything. Also fight the daylight savings time battle, (I don't really enjoy riding in the dark, especially when it's cold). I am so looking forward to retirement at the beginning of next March, exactly one year away.

Up to a year ago, I'd average a few one-hour rides during the week, (during summer hours), and a metric century or thereabouts on one day of the weekend. During standard time zone months, just the weekend rides. That has changed this past year as I need to devote much of my discretionary time to getting the house in order to sell and packing up my 'junk' so that I can move to my retirement home in another state next year.

After I retire, I expect that I'll be taking 50k rides several times a week and a metric century once a week or once every other week with an occasional imperial century thrown in. Within a few years of retirement, I will also be making my second cross-country ride/trip. Probably only one more west-east ride, but I'm open to making a few north-south rides on different meridians across the country.

edited to add: I'm 64 and a half now.

Last edited by volosong; 03-03-16 at 02:03 PM.
volosong is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 01:43 PM
  #5  
tsl
Plays in traffic
 
tsl's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 6,971

Bikes: 1996 Litespeed Classic, 2006 Trek Portland, 2013 Ribble Winter/Audax, 2016 Giant Talon 4

Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 76 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 14 Times in 9 Posts
I'm also 59, and still working. Over a full year, my weekly average is about 100 miles per week.

But that varies widely depending on the weather, work and how I feel. Could be as few as 50/wk in the winter to 200/wk in June.
tsl is offline  
Likes For tsl:
Old 03-03-16, 01:50 PM
  #6  
tsl
Plays in traffic
 
tsl's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 6,971

Bikes: 1996 Litespeed Classic, 2006 Trek Portland, 2013 Ribble Winter/Audax, 2016 Giant Talon 4

Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 76 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 14 Times in 9 Posts
Originally Posted by RockiesDad
Being retired offers the most options for riding
Not necessarily.

Whether measured by miles, hours or rides, the vast majority of my cycling is commuting. It guarantees I'll be on the bike at least four days a week. Could be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, twice a day.

The hard part for me is getting motivated to ride point A to point A. Why bother if you're only going to end up back where you started?

That's how I know my miles are likely to fall precipitously when I retire. Which is part of the reason I've pushed my retirement date out as far as possible. June 30, 2027 if all goes according to plan.
tsl is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 01:54 PM
  #7  
KenshiBiker
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,075
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 27 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
55 and change here, working full time. I've been averaging about 5000 mi/year for the past couple of years, so +/- 100 mi/week. My saving grace is commuting. Depending on work-related travel, and days off, I'll commute two to four times per week, about 30 mi round trip. If I only rode on weekends and after work, I doubt I'd do 100 mi/month.
KenshiBiker is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 02:00 PM
  #8  
fishboat
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 1,851

Bikes: Lemond '01 Maillot Jaune, Lemond '02 Victoire, Lemond '03 Poprad, Lemond '03 Wayzata DB conv(Poprad), '79 AcerMex Windsor Carrera Professional(pur new), '88 GT Tequesta(pur new), '01 Bianchi Grizzly, 1993 Trek 970 DB conv, Trek 8900 DB conv

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 759 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 809 Times in 471 Posts
Age 59. Last year while working 50 hrs a week, I'd get in a 35-45 mile ride on the weekend with the occasional 10-15 mile ride during the week..until the days get shorter, then there's not enough time after work. It's tough after working all day & still keep up with lawn mowing, groceries.....................

This year..I'm retired and all I can say is..much more than last year (and years before). If I feel like a ride at 10am on a Tuesday..then that's exactly what I'll do.
fishboat is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 02:02 PM
  #9  
mprelaw
Senior Member
 
mprelaw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Posts: 2,318
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
In season, I usually ride 150-200 miles a week.

This time of the year? If I can get in 50, it was a good week.

I'm working full time, and my night vision has gotten worse over the last 5 years---that, more than the weather, limits me.
mprelaw is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 02:04 PM
  #10  
10 Wheels
Galveston County Texas
 
10 Wheels's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: In The Wind
Posts: 33,221

Bikes: 02 GTO, 2011 Magnum

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1349 Post(s)
Liked 1,243 Times in 621 Posts
First year 11200 miles

Second year 15923 miles.

Average has been 7500 miles a year.

But that is now over since the Jan 2014 crash and injury.
__________________
Fred "The Real Fred"

10 Wheels is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 02:11 PM
  #11  
locolobo13 
Senior Member
 
locolobo13's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Phx, AZ
Posts: 2,112

Bikes: Trek Mtn Bike

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 281 Post(s)
Liked 2,634 Times in 945 Posts
Last year my averages were 56 mi/wk cycling, 41 of that was commuting, around 4 hrs/wk. Total miles was 2947. This year is shaping up to be similar.
locolobo13 is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 02:16 PM
  #12  
dim
Senior Member
 
dim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Cambridge UK
Posts: 1,667

Bikes: Trek Emonda SL6 .... Miyata One Thousand

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 63 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 29 Times in 22 Posts
55 years old and commute by bike. Am self employed and work at several sites every day ... I'm averaging between 160 to 180km per week (100-110 miles per week), and monitior all my rides on Strava

I have got pretty fit over the past 5 months and have lost 26 pounds so far during this period... when I got my 1st bike 5 months ago, I could not breathe after cycling 1 1/2 miles
dim is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 03:11 PM
  #13  
Rick@OCRR
www.ocrebels.com
 
Rick@OCRR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Los Angeles area
Posts: 6,186

Bikes: Several bikes, Road, Mountain, Commute, etc.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 2 Posts
65 years old and still working 40 hr. weeks but commuting to work last year really upped my mileage. According to Strava, in 2015 I rode an average of 242 miles per week.

This year I've had carpal tunnel problems which have reduced my riding and put me on a recumbent. Have to see how 2016 progresses!

Rick / OCRR
Rick@OCRR is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 03:49 PM
  #14  
tigat
Senior Member
 
tigat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 557

Bikes: 2021 Trek Checkpoint SL (GRX Di2), 2020 Domane SLR 9 (very green), 2016 Trek Emonda SL, 2009 Bianchi 928, 1972 Atala Record Pro

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 85 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 143 Times in 55 Posts
When I'm riding (as opposed to mixing riding and trainer time), I run about 250 miles/wk., about 150 of which is commuting. At 59, I'm still working pretty much full time, although not the 60 plus hour weeks that characterized most of my career.
tigat is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 03:54 PM
  #15  
dim
Senior Member
 
dim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Cambridge UK
Posts: 1,667

Bikes: Trek Emonda SL6 .... Miyata One Thousand

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 63 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 29 Times in 22 Posts
Originally Posted by Rick@OCRR
65 years old and still working 40 hr. weeks but commuting to work last year really upped my mileage. According to Strava, in 2015 I rode an average of 242 miles per week.

This year I've had carpal tunnel problems which have reduced my riding and put me on a recumbent. Have to see how 2016 progresses!

Rick / OCRR
flippin heck ... thats lost of miles per week .... you must be well fit .... hope that the recubent works out well for you
dim is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 04:07 PM
  #16  
CrankyOne
Senior Member
 
CrankyOne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,403
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 358 Post(s)
Liked 48 Times in 35 Posts
I'm a writer so aside from scheduled interviews and deadlines I can work just about anytime and so ride, ski, or nap just about anytime. Realistically I'm semi-retired as I only work about 20 hrs per week now.

Trips of less than 2 or 3 miles each way are nearly always by bike (usually our city bikes or bakfiets) so this gets me 15 - 50 miles per week though it can be much less during winter as I'll ride a mile in just about any weather but anything more needs to be at least +10f. When the weather is nice my wife and I and sometimes friends will do 10 - 40 mile recreational rides on our city bikes. These are typically about 13 mph type rides and maybe 15-20 per year.

Road bike / training rides (18-22 MPH) vary considerably. Some years, like 2013, will be 150-200 miles per week during non-winter (35 weeks per year?), other years like last year about 500 for the entire year. Planning to do a couple of 25's or so each week this year. We'll see.
CrankyOne is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 04:12 PM
  #17  
StephenH
Uber Goober
 
StephenH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Dallas area, Texas
Posts: 11,758
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 190 Post(s)
Liked 41 Times in 32 Posts
Last year, I got in 10,968.15 miles. I work full time. Gonna go ride 30 miles this evening.

Edit: I'm 55 and I don't commute on my bike.
__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."

Last edited by StephenH; 03-03-16 at 09:23 PM.
StephenH is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 04:20 PM
  #18  
chasm54
Banned.
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Uncertain
Posts: 8,651
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I'm retired. I currently ride around ten hours per week, on average. I don't track miles systematically, but that'll be of the order of 160.

That's a significant step down from when I was working, because at that time I'd commute between 100 and 150 miles per week plus a longer ride at weekends for a total of c. 200.

Of course, the mileages increase when I'm touring, which I'll do a couple of times a year. A typical touring week is maybe 25-30 hours on the bike, which is something over 300 miles at leisurely touring speeds.
chasm54 is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 04:37 PM
  #19  
RockiesDad
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 427
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 220 Post(s)
Liked 31 Times in 17 Posts
Let's here from the some of guys who don't commute to work on their bikes, like me. Thinking about riding my bike to work a few times a week but have not done so yet. That will surely up my milages/hours per week...
RockiesDad is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 04:49 PM
  #20  
Gerryattrick
Beicwyr Hapus
 
Gerryattrick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Caerdydd
Posts: 1,527

Bikes: Genesis Equilibrium, Genesis Datum, Whyte 901 Dawes 701,1973 Harry Hall

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 152 Post(s)
Liked 36 Times in 16 Posts
I think I have about 2 or 3 averages depending on the season, injuries etc. In the fine months I probably average around 7 or 8 hours a week or 100 miles. In the winter, who knows. At the moment I reckon I'm lucky to get in 2/3 hours a week.

Retired, age 68, but too many more important priorities.
Gerryattrick is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 04:50 PM
  #21  
canklecat
Me duelen las nalgas
 
canklecat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 13,513

Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel

Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4559 Post(s)
Liked 2,802 Times in 1,800 Posts
I'm 58, full time caregiver for my mom who has Parkinson's and dementia (although she's doing much better with some new meds prescribed by her neurologist -- donepezil or generic Aricept, and memantine or generic Namenda). So most of my rides are short errands of a couple of miles to the pharmacy or grocery store.

But I try to squeeze in about three rides a week. I'm up to 12 mile round trips as a standard exercise ride, but occasionally ride up to 30 mile routes when I have more time and the asthma isn't choking me. I don't plan anything, just go when I can and go as far as I can within a couple hours.

If we can requalify for an in-home aide that would give me a few more hours a week as a break for personal time and exercise. We lost that funding a year ago, so there hasn't been much spare time. But I feel better and more productive when I bicycle for exercise, so it's time well spent.

I rode much more when I was younger, working full time outside of home in health care, and commuted to work. But my schedule was much more predictable then and not as dependent on so many variables.
canklecat is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 04:52 PM
  #22  
TCR Rider
Senior Member
 
TCR Rider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Peoples Republic of Brooklyn
Posts: 879

Bikes: Pinarello Dogma F8 Giant TCR Advanced 2 Jamis Coda

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 196 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times in 115 Posts
Since I retired a year and a half ago I average between 10 and 12 hours a week which amounts to 180 - 200 miles. Before I retired I was good for 150 miles a week, no commuting miles. I ride 6 days a week (now and before I retired) and when the weather gets sucky I get on the trainer. Since I can no longer run it's the bike for me.
TCR Rider is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 05:24 PM
  #23  
Wildwood 
Veteran, Pacifist
 
Wildwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle area
Posts: 13,327

Bikes: Bikes??? Thought this was social media?!?

Mentioned: 284 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3897 Post(s)
Liked 4,829 Times in 2,228 Posts
Retired, 65. The goal is 2 hrs per day, 5 days/wk. Typical avg speed is 14-15mph with a stop. Picture days may be slower. 10 hrs per/wk can increase in summer with longer rides.
__________________
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Wildwood is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 05:40 PM
  #24  
qcpmsame 
Semper Fi
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 12,942
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1172 Post(s)
Liked 358 Times in 241 Posts
Still working, but I set my own schedule, riding between 9 and 13 hours each week, 140-175 miles weekly. Last 2 years saw ~ 7,200 miles each. Avg speed is down a bit, 14 mph since my PD syptoms appeared in late '14. We are able to ride year round here, thankfully.

Bill
__________________
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977

I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13


qcpmsame is offline  
Old 03-03-16, 06:20 PM
  #25  
VNA
Senior Member
 
VNA's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 870
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 74 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 1 Post
Around 100 miles a week, it was harder when working now retired I ride easily 125 and sometimes more.
When working and winter I would use the rollers a lot more!
VNA is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.