How long are you comfortable cycling for on a regular basis?

[bighipspeddler]

Not really interested in some extreme ride you do once in a blue moon but rather your regular average.

For me it is about 4 hours. At this point I hit a wall without food.

I haven't yet tried going past this with food. Before I didn't have a bike bag and got used to not riding with a backpack but have bought a nice 18L one which will give plenty of storage for food if I so wish.

Generally I don't feel like I want to go longer as at about 2 hours, considering the round trip, I think to myself that there are other things I could be doing with my day besides riding and 4 hours is a good amount for me to freshen the mind.

On the other hand there are some very interesting landscapes nearby, one of which is a national park I have yet to explore in any depth, that lay just out of reach while restricting myself to only 4 hours so have thought about pushing on. When I am on the usual timed ride I will see them just on the horizon or even reach within the perimeter, but then the tank was empty since no food and was just wanting to get home.

 

[biggs682]

Three to four hours is my limit due to family commitments

 

[Punkawallah]

Could not do three/four hours without food - I have to top up every half hour or so to keep the pedals turning. Does not have to be much, a bite of a cereal bar or something, but anything over an hour means I’m carrying food with me. Generally it’s ‘half an hour and a bite, one hour and a sit down bite’. My favourite is a four hour ride to the seaside, fish & chips and a pint, then train home :-)

 

[fossyant]

Up to two to three hours when not commuting, mainly because there is stuff to do at home. No food, just water or sometimes a carb drink for 3 hours. Gardening, DIY, cleaning etc need doing. If nobody is around, I'll go out for longer, but there is always stuff needing doing. I can go all day with food stops but 'time' is an issue on a regular basis. Even a 90 minute blast is fine !

 

[Gwylan]

There hours at a stretch. If it's an outing then 5 or 6, but with a break.
Also limited by the battery having a range of about 70km.
Average about 15kph, so fat 4 hours is about it.

 

[VinSumRox]

Up to 5 hour rides, but with something to eat after the first hour and a half and a couple more times after that.

 

[Punkawallah]

There hours at a stretch. If it's an outing then 5 or 6, but with a break.
Also limited by the battery having a range of about 70km.
Average about 15kph, so fat 4 hours is about it.

Visions of the Terminator having to return to base after four hours does me the world of chuckles:

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Up to 2 hours is fairly boring for me. Over 2 hours is the absolute pits.

I am a reluctant cyclist but it is good for fitness training.

 

[MichaelW2]

Theses days, 40mins before I hit The Wall.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Depends very much on the terrain. Most of my rides are moderately hilly by my personal scale . Obviously if I move up into very hilly or down into flat rides it changes significantly.

Anyway about 7 hours these days. But that's definitely not without food! I stop for a nibble on a clif bar or similar every couple of hours. Plus a serious picnic stop, and maybe a coffee/cake stop. And other random food stops.

 

[Gwylan]

Visions of the Terminator having to return to base after four hours does me the world of chuckles:

Or phone home and fix an RV for a spare battery.

A whole new business emerges. Subscription service delivering spare battery to you & your bike.

Sign up Deliveroo, not Evri.
"Call! We come"
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*some geographic restriction may apply. Check your postcode. Excludes Wales, Highlands & Islands, parts of Chiswick and South of the river after 1700.
Or subscribe to our premium service. Give a time and What3words location and à battery will be there for you.

 

[Dogtrousers]

South of the river after 1700

Here be dragons

 

[Oldhippy]

Day rides five or six hours with lunch and photo stops, touring, depends entirely on how I feel, all day, half a day or how lost I get in things of interest. For me personally the road bike head down bum up doesn't interest me it's just touring bike mooching.

 

[Ian H]

I seem to have retired from long-distance, but all day is still fine. It would be a lot less if I was carrying my stuff on my back.

 

[Bristolian]

I have a disabled wife so anything longer than about two hours on a regular basis isn't possible without organising someone to keep an eye on her. In terms of comfort, as opposed to discomfort, about five hours (with short breaks) is generally okay.