I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
This may, or may not, be of interest to other people on the forum but I have just been doing some admin and reviewing my ride logs in readiness for the 2018 season and a few of the numbers I have found to be a bit impressive.
I have always cycled from almost as soon as I could walk, but this took a back seat in my early adult life when I probably cycled no more than 100-200 miles a year from my early twenties through to the time I got a job at my current employer in Dec 2009 at the age of 36. In the spring of 2010 I slicked up my old trusty MTB and started doing the odd cycle commute. This was a 21 mile round trip and while cycling to work was quite normal where I work, most people only cycled a couple of miles for their trip. My 20+ mile commute was not seen as weird and fitted in well with my shift patterns and helping me stay fit/healthy in a work environment that could otherwise be quite damaging.
I didn't log my rides in that 1st year but did start to keep a spreadsheet record in 2011. Looking back a these records gives me a few surprises;
I doubt any of the above is of much interest except to me, but I wanted to put it up on the forum anyway because although there are riders doing a lot more distance, I am actually a bit proud of what I have done.
I have always cycled from almost as soon as I could walk, but this took a back seat in my early adult life when I probably cycled no more than 100-200 miles a year from my early twenties through to the time I got a job at my current employer in Dec 2009 at the age of 36. In the spring of 2010 I slicked up my old trusty MTB and started doing the odd cycle commute. This was a 21 mile round trip and while cycling to work was quite normal where I work, most people only cycled a couple of miles for their trip. My 20+ mile commute was not seen as weird and fitted in well with my shift patterns and helping me stay fit/healthy in a work environment that could otherwise be quite damaging.
I didn't log my rides in that 1st year but did start to keep a spreadsheet record in 2011. Looking back a these records gives me a few surprises;
- I normally ride close to 4,000 miles a year. 2011 when records began was lower at only 2.8k and another dip in 2015 at 2.8k but otherwise high 3000's
- I have logged 24.5k since I started recording. Allowing for the rides done in 2010 this means I have completed a whopping 25,000 since I started commuting. Not as much as some people but still a big distance.
- Maybe as much as 20k of that will be pure commuting miles and if this was done by car the fuel costs alone would be approx £3600 before even beginning to consider the wear & tear cost of driving 20k
- My hybrid commuter bike, purchased at the end of 2010 ready for the 2011 season has clocked up 18,000 of those miles and done so with the minimum of fuss and attention. A genuinely tough bike doing a hard job.
I doubt any of the above is of much interest except to me, but I wanted to put it up on the forum anyway because although there are riders doing a lot more distance, I am actually a bit proud of what I have done.