How far do you go?

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 4775367, member: 43827"]I did my one and only century a few years back, on a rigid mtb with slick tyres. It was slow, around 11 hours, and the last 4/5 hours were just tedious. Never again will I spend more than around four hours in a day on a bike.

I now do some 45 mile rides in the good weather, but my typical rides are around 25-30 miles.[/QUOTE]
I find that very odd, but several people have said similar things to me.

I persuaded a colleague to do a couple of post-work rides a week with me. He struggled at first but eventually developed some cycling fitness so I asked him if he would like to do an all-day ride with me one weekend rather than the 2-3 hour evening rides that we had been doing. He looked at me as though I was from another planet and indicated that he would rather headbutt a wall!

The maximum distance that I would ride is limited by how comfortable I am on the bike (I don't want it to hurt too much), how fit I am (how quickly I can ride), and how many hours of daylight there are (I don't enjoy riding in the dark). In theory, I would do up to about 200 miles but in practice I have been limited by discomfort and lack of fitness to about 140 miles, which I have done a few times.

My standard rides are hilly loops round here which are usually 20-45 miles.

This year I am making the effort to do at least ride a month of at least 100 km (62 miles) for the metric century a month challenge.

Sometimes if I just want to get an easy ride in I ride my singlespeed bike up and down the local valley A-roads. Those rides would be from 9 miles (to Hebden Bridge to visit friends, then back) up to about 33 miles (for adding to my half metric century a month challenge total).

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Anything from a 10 mile round trip for commuting to work or utilitarian (I don't have a car, ride everywhere), to 75/80 max on a day trip with the girls.
I did over a 100 miles once, mostly on paths, on a heavy bike on my own: got bored towards the end, tired too, of course.
I think on a road bike, riding on the roads, I could do not too hilly 100 milers regularly if the route is pleasant and the fear of getting lost leaves me!
I ride hybrids, usually carry stuff. At a steady 10mph on the flat I could ride all day, but of course wouldn't cover lots of miles!

 

[Aravis]

Apart from rare occasions when I'm joining someone else's ride, or testing something, it needs to be over 100 miles to feel worthwhile.

I spent a few years as a commuter, and that was very different, but otherwise I've always ridden as I do now; briskly, but within myself, with minimal stops. It's a very low-intensity workout, I've no illusions about that, and unless it lasts for several hours it doesn't really hit the spot. For many years I thought my 100 mile days were behind me, and I tried to convince myself that "30 is the new 100", but I never really believed it. One day it will come to an end, I suppose, but it doesn't feel as though that's going to be any time soon.

When I used to tour, especially in France, it was very much the same - start rolling after breakfast and enjoy watching the country go by. The time was too precious to do anything else. Stopping to look at things was, as it is now, something I do another time.

 

[Drago]

I like to stop every ten or 15 miles for a minute or two. Gather my thoughts, admire the view (i try to pick a high spot each time) munch a flapjack cube, have a swill of Lucozade. Hasn't affected my time across longer routes, so I'm guessing the brief rest is beneficial for an old duffer like me.

 

[smutchin]

Stopping to look at things was, as it is now, something I do another time.

Funny, isn't it. Whenever I see beautiful scenery, I don't think, 'I must stop and take a picture.' I think, 'I'd love to ride my bike through that.'

 

[Drago]

I must agree Smutchin. If the head down relentless pursuit of mileage for the sake of covering the miles is the goal at the expense of taking in and enjoying the terrain is ones priority, then one may as well buy a turbo or rollers.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I find that very odd, but several people have said similar things to me.

I persuaded a colleague to do a couple of post-work rides a week with me. He struggled at first but eventually developed some cycling fitness so I asked him if he would like to do an all-day ride with me one weekend rather than the 2-3 hour evening rides that we had been doing. He looked at me as though I was from another planet and indicated that he would rather headbutt a wall!

The maximum distance that I would ride is limited by how comfortable I am on the bike (I don't want it to hurt too much), how fit I am (how quickly I can ride), and how many hours of daylight there are (I don't enjoy riding in the dark). In theory, I would do up to about 200 miles but in practice I have been limited by discomfort and lack of fitness to about 140 miles, which I have done a few times.

My standard rides are hilly loops round here which are usually 20-45 miles.

This year I am making the effort to do at least ride a month of at least 100 km (62 miles) for the metric century a month challenge.

Sometimes if I just want to get an easy ride in I ride my singlespeed bike up and down the local valley A-roads. Those rides would be from 9 miles (to Hebden Bridge to visit friends, then back) up to about 33 miles (for adding to my half metric century a month challenge total).

I think the difference between a half-day and all-day ride is mental. Years ago, I was stuck in a must-get-home-by-lunchtime mindset, then one day I just decided I'd include lunch in the ride, and so I rode all day (and set a new personal daily distance record). One day, your colleague may end up doing that (or maybe not).

 

[ianrauk]

a day out on the bike is a pleasure in and of itself.

This in spades is what cycling is all about.

 

[dan_bo]

Usually try and do a 40- 60 miler on a weekend, with commutes and extended commutes during the week so rides of 5-30 miles depending on mood.

 

[Crackle]

If you're talking about enjoyment, the enjoyment is in the achievement and the places the bike takes you, at least it is for me. I don't enjoy the pedalling per se and if I want really want to admire the environment I'm in, I walk, preferably with a camera as that really makes me slow down.

 

[Dogtrousers]

We can draw our enjoyment from loads of sources. Speed is really important for some people, who enjoy heads down physically punishing riding, or Strava segment hunting, trying to beat PBs, or even racing, TTing and competitive stuff. Others are more to the Fotherington-Thomas end of things tootling along saying “Hullo sky, hullo trees”. Yet others are stamp-collectors, racking up distances and fretting over Eddington numbers and collecting obscure Audax abbreviations and so forth. No one approach is better than others.

But most of the time, if we didn’t actually enjoy it, we wouldn’t do it. There are nearly always alternatives – walking, public transport, driving, or just sitting around eating pizza. (Not in all cases - I do realise that rural public transport can be a bit non-existent).

 

[Ian H]

I was never much cop at road-racing, but I do the occasional TT. Otherwise, I'm a randonneur and a tourist.

 

[smutchin]

I like all kinds of cycling - sometimes I like pushing myself as hard as possible (though I've never been into TTing), other times I like to take a very leisurely pace, most of the time I'm somewhere in between. I also use my bike(s) for transport/utility. Versatile machines, innit.

To go back to the OP's question, the distance will very much depend on which mode I'm in for a particular journey, and to some extent which bike I'm riding.

 

[mjr]

If you're talking about enjoyment, the enjoyment is in the achievement and the places the bike takes you, at least it is for me. I don't enjoy the pedalling per se and if I want really want to admire the environment I'm in, I walk, preferably with a camera as that really makes me slow down.

If I could give that half a "like" I would I sort of do enjoy the pedalling too (most of the time... a combination of a stiff headwind and a deadline can be trying) and cycling can be a very peaceful way to get somewhere, further away than one can walk, but I do like to get somewhere or do something.

 

[tyred]

I tend to keep it to around 60 miles as I can only spare 2 hours cycling at the weekend

Sounds like it's time you had your Honda serviced as it must be running really poorly