I wonder if I made the right decision.

[Vapin' Joe]

I track the time I spend on the bike (By looking at my watch). Couldn't care less about speed or distance, though I once did so I wouldn't knock anyone for doing the same.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I must admit. i do let my collecting bike miles obsession get in the way of my other physical enjoyment of "power walking". I used to walk for miles and miles. It isn't taken as seriously as cycling because i can't record how many miles i've walked. I look at the clock at home before i set off then check it when i get back. I've worked out that i walk at about 4mph so if i'm out for 2 hours that'll be an 8 mile walk. If i stop to chat to someone i'll be making a mental note of how long i've been stopped. Hang on that sounds a bit obsessive when you think about it!

 

[nickyboy]

I guess it boils down to what you do cycling for.

If it's just for the pleasure of cycling then ride whenever it suits you and don't log miles. But if you have other motivations such as fitness and health benefits then logging the miles is a big help in motivating to do enough to achieve these benefits

For me I find cycling very pleasurable. But I also want to be as fit as possible because I want the health benefits. So I log my miles and use Strava to monitor how I'm doing in terms of speed, effort etc.

 

[jowwy]

I must admit. i do let my collecting bike miles obsession get in the way of my other physical enjoyment of "power walking". I used to walk for miles and miles. It isn't taken as seriously as cycling because i can't record how many miles i've walked. I look at the clock at home before i set off then check it when i get back. I've worked out that i walk at about 4mph so if i'm out for 2 hours that'll be an 8 mile walk. If i stop to chat to someone i'll be making a mental note of how long i've been stopped. Hang on that sounds a bit obsessive when you think about it!

You can if you have strava on your smartphone......

 

[Ihatehills]

If I didn't log my mileage,I would miss out on loads of good rides, there are loads of occasions when I haven't really felt like going out but have forced myself, mainly to keep the tally going up, only to find that that it was one of "those" rides where it feels good to be alive and you wish you could bottle the feeling ( although there have been plenty of occasions where its just been a hard slog as well, but hey at least you've got the miles )

 

[jowwy]

Or a pedometer

Doesnt that just count steps and not mileage though

 

[vickster]

I'm sure there's a calculation can be done...and surely x000 steps is more impressive for the stats chasers than 4 miles

 

[Banjo]

if you let your mileage drop considerably your cycling fitness drops then you wont enjoy cycling so much so you will have even less motivation to ride.

 

[nickyboy]

if you let your mileage drop considerably your cycling fitness drops then you wont enjoy cycling so much so you will have even less motivation to ride.

Good point. I live in a very hilly area so anyone who cycles around here has to be pretty fit, otherwise it's not enjoyable. So once you've got a reasonable level of fitness the pressure is on to maintain it

 

[Crackle]

I find it really helps with motivation and regularity to log my rides. Same as being on here really. I may spend my time typing bollocks in different threads but being amongst cyclists helps keep me focused and again, motivated. I don't obsess over the logging bit, sometimes I pay no attention to the computer on my bike and I just ride, in fact I try to do this occasionally, I even have a different bike I ride for when I want to pootle but it all helps keep going, especially when the weather is shite. Getting out in circumstances when you otherwise don't want to ride pays off later, so sometimes it's good to force yourself out.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Logging my rides, keeps me motivated, especially during the winter months. I set myself a route, then go and ride it. My logging history, gives me something to try and better, hence keep me motivated.

 

[CaadX]

Logging has never been easier. When I started logging it was a O/S map a bit 'o' string and a watch with a second hand, if,you were lucky ! them wos the days he he.

 

[EasyPeez]

The good thing about decisions is that you always have the option of un-making them...

That's a relief to hear. I decided to kick a small child in the face on the way to work this morning and have since been having mixed feelings. I think I'll unmake my decision.

 

[Elswick Cotterpin]

I decided to kick a small child in the face on the way to work this morning and have since been having mixed feelings. I think I'll unmake my decision.

That conjures all kinds of unpleasant images.

 

[IBarrett]

I log my miles, wear a HRM so I can torture myself even more, chase the guy in front, ride myself into the ground trying to keep up if overtaken, RLJ, have bike envy, and have just heard about 100 greatest cycling climbs I'm thinking of 'bagging'

I'm still a novice so perhaps this will all wear off, but right now I love every minute.

Oh, and ignore that ticker below vvvvvv. I'm up to 860 miles this year and either I will break 4000 miles or it will break me.