KM vs Miles

[Aston]

I've noticed that when discussing distance in the forum bods always seem to refer the the number of kilometres rather than miles, even when UK travel. Is this a cycling thing? Just curious

Thanks

 

[Sharky]

Not me, I'm always miles.

 

[esoxlucius]

It's just personal preference. I'm a kilometer guy myself, besides, the numbers look bigger in kilometers!💪

 

[MontyVeda]

Kilometres sound more impressive. I use miles.

 

[Dorset Boy]

Road cycling is a continental sport. Everything on a road bike is measured in metric so logical to use kms.
Mountain biking istarted in america and they are backward and still use imperial measurements for everything, hence MTBing using imperial in the main.
TTing has a big UK background so tends to be a mix of metric and imperial.

But use whichever you prefer - the distance will be the same!

 

[Rusty Nails]

I plan my rides by miles.

When talking about them over the pub I use kms.

 

[Punkawallah]

Not just cycling, but swimming and running also. Don’t lose sleep over it - as long as you remember Km’s are smaller than Miles, all will be good.

 

[a.twiddler]

Imperial Miles for me. Why would you settle for only 5/8 of a unit when you could have the whole thing? Like steel, it's real. I suspect riders who take part in competitive aspects of cycling have got used to kilometres because it's UCI compliant. Out in the real world, when I'm going somewhere in this septic isle, miles are what are on the signposts. If I go across the Channel I'm quite happy to use their kilometres. When in Rome, etc.

 

[Webbo2]

When I do a long ride I try to make sure it’s over 100km but I record my rides in miles.

 

[ColinJ]

My education from 1969 onwards exclusively used the metric system. I thought it made complete sense and it was ridiculous that imperial units were still being used so I do my best to stick to metric units now.

I do unfortunately slip back into imperial units from time to time, e.g. saying that I am 6' 1" tall rather than 1.86 m, but transitory mental aberrations aside, it is metric for me... So, kms, not miles!

I don't lose sleep over cyclists who measure their rides in miles, but I do find it odd that some of those people measure their climbing in metres!

 

[Sharky]

When I go to the pub, I'll ask for a lager in a 0.568 litre glass.

 

[Big John]

Always miles here. Too old to change to metric.

 

[annedonnelly]

My education from 1969 onwards exclusively used the metric system. I thought it made complete sense and it was ridiculous that imperial units were still being used so I do my best to stick to metric units now.

It's ridiculous that the UK never decided one way or the other. I can manage both in most things & do rough conversions in my head.

But when I was doing maths support a few years ago the poor kids had to understand both for their GCSE. And these were the kids who needed support and couldn't understand things like fractions, percentages and long division.

But I measure my rides (and car journeys) in miles. That's what's on the signposts.

 

[Dorset Boy]

Guess you have to be late 60s to have not been educated from primary school in metric?
imperial is an utterly daft and illogical system. Metric just relates logically

 

[cyberknight]

road signs in miles , measure in miles