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Four Grand

12.19.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 17 Comments

My wife said, “Hey, let’s go out for a bike ride.  I don’t want to go long – I have to get back and do some cleaning.”

“Fine,” I said. “I’m not up for a long ride today, anyway.”

We set off on one of her favorite neighborhood routes.  It’s got some easy hills, and I can get in a quick workout, then wait for her at the tops and bottoms.  On a mid-December 54-degree day (12ºC), we had a good ride.  And when we got home, I was able to confirm what I had expected:

I had 4,002 miles for the year.

Three years ago, when I was just getting into riding, a new riding friend told me he had ridden 2,200 miles the year before.  Based on the riding I was doing at the time, I projected I’d end the year with 1200-1500 miles.  The mileage he was talking about seemed out of reach.

But that year, I wound up with over 2,500 miles.  Last year, I topped 3,000.  Now this.

It wasn’t hard.

I have never set out expecting to ride a certain number of miles in a year.  Based on my experience, I could project what I might end with, but each time I’ve done that, I’ve been off.  The miles accumulate at a faster rate than I can imagine.

I’m a record-keeping type of person, and I have records of my rides going back to my first year on the bike: 2007.  That year, I averaged just over 17 miles per ride.  The next year, it jumped to 21, then 21.5.  This year, I’m averaging 23.6 miles per ride.

My usual weekly riding goes something like this: I’ll get in a quick 15-18 miles on a weekday.  During the summer, it might be more, but most often, not.  On Saturday, I have a 26-mile route in my neighborhood, and on Sunday, I’ll either do a club ride or another longer ride in the area, anything from 30-60 miles.

Keep doing that week after week, and take advantage of nice weather during those temperate months, and the miles pile up in no time.  You don’t need to constantly strive for 100-plus mile weeks to hit 4,000.

I have a feeling that in the coming year, I’ll be concentrating a lot more on improving my cycling skills than building my mileage.  But it’s nice to know that I’ve hit a number that most non-cyclers – and even some who do bike – have trouble imagining.

 

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Categories // Records & stats Tags // distance, mileage

Who Are We?

12.07.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 1 Comment

My wife and I recently got into a discussion about demographics, on a topic not related to biking.  It was awhile afterwards that I had the thought: What about the demographics of bicycling?

Maybe you’ve seen some before.  I guess I’ve run across survey results or tables, but the info never really stuck with me.  So since I’m feeling bad about myself because I got home early enough to ride this afternoon, but didn’t, I thought I’d dig into some cycling demographics and see if there’s a statistical picture of the biking community (if there is such a thing as the “biking community”).

38 million

That’s the number of cyclists in the United States, according to the National Sporting Goods Association.  Their estimate is based on the number of people age seven and older who have ridden a bike at least six times during the year. (Don’t ask me why six is the cutoff.)

According to the same source, cycling is often cited as the seventh most popular recreational activity in the U.S., behind exercise walking, swimming, camping, fishing, exercising with equipment and bowling.

Mostly male

In a 2006 survey, the Outdoor Industry Foundation reported that 58 percent of cyclists are male, 42 percent female.  Among racers, 87 percent are male, and 12 percent female (Yes, I know — rounding issues).

Most racers, 32 percent, are 35-44 years old and are from California (17%).

Skew older

The Bikes Belong Coalition reported in April, 2010, that the largest age group among cyclists is the 50-54 year old group.  They make up 16.3 percent of all cyclists. For men, the 50-54s are the largest, with over 18 percent.  Women skew younger.  The 40-44 year old group makes up over 16 percent of women cyclists — the largest cohort among women.

Income

Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS) reported in 2005 that U.S. cyclists who bike frequently have a median income of almost $60,000.  Bikes Belong in 2010 said 32 percent of cyclists reported an income of less than $40,000; 40 percent between $40,000-$79,000; and 28 percent more than $80,000.

We ride a lot

Bikes Belong also asked cyclists how many days per month they rode in the “prime” cycling months of 2009. 23.4 percent said they rode 20-24 days a month; 18.5 percent said they rode 25 days or more.  Those riding 15-19 days made up another 22.1 percent of the sample.  36.1 percent rode between 0 and 14 days per month, so it looks like 63.9 percent of us are pedaling at least every other day.

What do we ride?

The National Bicycle Dealers Association says mountain bikes are the largest category of bike they sell, accounting for 27.8 percent of all bikes sold.  That number has dropped over the past few years, from 28.5 percent in 2006.  Road bikes made up 14.9 percent of the sales in 2009, down from 17 percent in 2006.  Hybrid and “youth” bikes both score higher than road bikes.  But when Bikes Belong asked in 2010, “What kind of bike do you plan to buy next?” the answer was a whopping 39.1 percent for road bikes.

Transportation riding

Finally, when asked, “How often do you ride for utility/transportation/commuting purposes?” the Bikes Belong survey found that 31.2 percent said “Occasionally,” and 23.5 percent said “Never.”  In the States, recreational riding trumps biking for utility purposes.

If you’d like a look at the full Bikes Belong survey, including a section aimed at women, you can download a PDF file here.

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Categories // Records & stats Tags // demographics

New Year’s Goals

12.31.2009 by Ray Niekamp // 12 Comments

Forget resolutions. I usually break mine within a week, anyway. Instead, I’m going to recap 2009 through my biker’s eyes, and look ahead to 2010.

2009 stats:

  • Total miles: 3,053
  • Avg. speed:14.9
  • Highest avg. speed on a single ride: 17.2 mph
  • Highest maximum speed on a single ride: 39.2 mph
  • Longest single ride: 77 miles
  • Avg. ride distance: 21.6

2009 Recap:

The highlight of the year is total distance ridden. I topped 3,000 miles for the year, 375 miles more than last year. That would be like adding a 13th month of riding to my 2008 totals, so I’m pleased that I got more saddle time in. I didn’t do a century in 2009. As you’ll recall, the first day of the MS 150 was cancelled, and the second day was 77 miles. That was the longest ride distance I had all year. Many of the stats are down a fraction from last year. Average speed fell from 15.1 to 14.9, highest avg. speed fell from 17.65 to 17.2. But my avg. ride distance is up, from 20.6 to 21.6 miles per ride. If I step back and put it all into perspective, 2009 was nothing to crow about. But if I look a little deeper, I know that my stamina is up, my hill climbing has improved, and I feel better about my ability on the bike. I’m more at home in the saddle.

2010 Goals:

I don’t have a lot, which is probably wise. The ones I do have will challenge me both on and off the bike:

  • Ride the MS 150 Houston-to-Austin, this time completing both days.
  • Ride the Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls, Texas, next August.
  • Learn bike maintenance, and diligently maintain my bikes.
  • Expand my riding horizons by riding new routes in new areas.
  • Get my weight below 200 pounds.

I’m embarrassed about that last goal. Last year at this time, I indicated that I would work on dropping 30 pounds. But I finished the year at almost exactly the same weight as I finished last year with, so I obviously didn’t take the goal seriously. But the other day, I tried on a pair of trousers I got as a Christmas gift, and was stunned to find they didn’t fit in the waist. Two months ago, they would have.

The third and fourth goals are not specific or measurable, but they’re personal goals, and I’ll know if I’ve met them to my satisfaction.

Now, we’ll see how life cooperates, and whether it throws any roadblocks in my way. I’ll be helping my wife start a new business, and I have some things coming up in my own work that will make 2010 challenging. But I suppose all of us face challenges with each coming year. Here’s hoping you are able to surmount yours.

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Categories // Odds 'n ends, Records & stats Tags // stats, training

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