Is a cycle ride of 30 mins a short one?

[KneesUp]

Not really as I only used length after a number had already piled in to a discussion about average speed. Sloppy use of language in my reply maybe. There can be no confusion about my OP. It is quite clearly about time.

The question is "Is a cycle ride of 30 mins a short one?" which is not unambiguous, as is clear from the way it's been answered. The word 'short' automatically makes people think of distance, which presumably has 'tricked' a lot of people into reading "mins" as "miles" It's odd how the brain works. Giving options such as 'I'd walk or run instead' doesn't help - I think most people when considering if they were going to cycle, walk, or run would think about how far the journey was, not how long it would take on a bike.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The question is "Is a cycle ride of 30 mins a short one?" which is not unambiguous, as is clear from the way it's been answered. The word 'short' automatically makes people think of distance, which presumably has 'tricked' a lot of people into reading "mins" as "miles" It's odd how the brain works. Giving options such as 'I'd walk or run instead' doesn't help - I think most people when considering if they were going to cycle, walk, or run would think about how far the journey was, not how long it would take on a bike.

30 mins is time and short in same sentence gives all the context you need to remove ambiguity 😂

 

[Alex321]

30 mins is time and short in same sentence gives all the context you need to remove ambiguity 😂

I think it did, but the thread drifted (as happens) when one member said you should be able to do 10 miles in that time, and others (including me) responded to that.

 

[I like Skol]

I agree with @KneesUp, in that the amount of time riding is almost irrelevant in singularity due to the massive variation in rider fitness and effort that is possible. Doing 5 miles in 30 minutes might be impossible to achieve for some people while covering 10 miles in the same time might be typical for others.

I also fully agree with KneesUp's implication that shorter journeys by foot or bicycle should be encouraged as the default option rather than the car which seems to be the preference for a large proportion of the population.

I make many errand trips by bicycle that are only 1-2 miles each way. More often than not it is far quicker than getting stuck in traffic then struggling to find somewhere to park and having to walk the remaining distance to the destination.

 

[freiston]

I agree with KneesUp et al that duration of ride in itself in isolation to other factors (particularly effort) does not mean much.

Also, imho, the original question was open to different interpretations because both duration of time and distance are commonly quantified as short or long, and in the context of bike rides, distance is determined by duration and speed. I could answer the question "Is a cycle ride of 30 mins a short one?" with "It depends how fast I'm going - the slower my speed, the shorter my ride will be". Though I would also say that giving a little thought in answering the question and it would be difficult to interpret it other than how the OP intended.

When I ride without any purpose other than riding (by that I mean not for transport and not for utility rides), I usually do a loop from my house that I can vary in length substantially. My shortest loop takes me about 20~25 mins. My next loop up takes about 40~45 mins. Most of my rides are between 1 hour and 2½ hours so in that respect, 30mins would be a short duration ride for me. It would also be a ride of short distance - I average about 10~12 mph, I almost always ride alone, I don't ride for sport and I never use Strava or chase PBs.