It occurred to me the other day that once again, my riding has settled comfortably in the 25-mile range. Oh sure, I’ve got some longer rides under my belt — but nowhere near the metric centuries I did semi-frequently a couple of years ago. It seems that lately, my rides have been stuck in a range of between 23-27 miles.
A few years ago, I bemoaned the fact that I rode so many 25-milers. I felt that I was shortchanging myself — not putting in enough effort to improve as a cyclist. And I did work to get those long rides to longer distances. But now, I hardly ever think about distance.
In fact, if I pay attention at all, I pay attention to the number of minutes I spend on my bike. A long ride is anything over two hours. At my 14 mph average, that’s a 28-mile ride.
Most often, I keep my riding to familiar routes around my house. I can combine any number of roads and streets and the Veloway, and wind up with a ride that includes challenging hills, fast sections, and recovery segments. Most often, I knock off after I’ve done between an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes. I feel refreshed. I’ve had some good exercise. I’ve spent time on the bike, which I really enjoy.
Then, if I want to push myself, I get out the mountain bike. A two-hour ride on that thing, and I’m ready to pass out. And I’ve probably covered only 14 miles or so in that amount of time. But the next day, I can tell I had some strenuous exercise — much more than a road bike gives me in the same amount of time.
So, I’m not complaining about the 25-mile ride anymore. Some might say I’ve gotten comfortable, but I say I know what works for me. I’ll continue to ride as often as possible, but I’ll keep an eye on the clock — not the odometer.
rhermida says
There have been some recent university studies that say that cardio exercises should really be no more than an hour at a time. The benefit decreases drastically after that. I have been keeping an eye on time as well. If I had it my way, I would focus more on being on the bike every day up to an hour, instead of 3 or 4 hour rides at a time 🙂
fossilcyclist says
I like to mix it up, but my average over the year has been 28 miles so far.
capejohn says
My compulsion to do many miles, and riding fast, has faded also. Once I began doing annual multi day tours, I realized that if I were in a hurry, I really shouldn’t be on a bike. I also ditched the Kit clothing and helmet. Riding is no longer an event but has become my main transportation around town.