Bike Noob

Because I'm Always Learning Something New

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

The Mileage Obsession

11.13.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 9 Comments

Barbara on a ride earlier this year.

On an almost summer-like Hill Country ride this morning, I caught up to my friend Barbara with several miles to go.

“I want to do 100 miles this weekend,” she said. “I’m at 91 right now. It’ll be close.”

I knew she had done a 60-mile organized ride the previous day. I thought our ride today would finish at something less than 40 miles.

With about a mile to go, I was in front of the group. I turned into the circle drive in a park where we start our rides, and stopped at my parked car. Our ride leader, Debra, was right behind me.

As I loaded the bike into the back, it occurred to me that something was odd.

“Where’s Barbara?” I asked Debra. Then I saw her.

She had ridden past the circle drive entrance and headed out to the highway. Then she turned around and headed back. Once again, I watched her ride past the circle drive.

“She’s trying to get her 100 miles,” said Debra.

Barbara came back to our circle drive, but rode past our cars and did another lap. Then, with thumbs up and a smile on her face, she pulled up to her car and dismounted.

“Got it,” she said.

She showed me her computer. It read 40.6 miles for the day’s ride. My computer showed 39.6. She squeezed one more mile out of the ride to reach her goal.

“I wanted to ride 5,200 miles this year,” she said, “but I’m out of town several weeks, so that’s not realistic. I’ve got 2,500. I want to see if I can get to 4,000 by March 1st. I think I can do it.”

I looked at Debra. “She’s mileage obsessed,” I said.

We all went out to lunch together after the ride. Barbara and Jerry, another member of the day’s group, compared ride data from their smart phones. She uses an app called My Tracks. Both were upset that they had forgotten to turn off the app at the end of the ride, and it was still registering data during their drive to the restaurant.

“Top speed, 51 mph,” Barbara said with a grimace. “That’s no help.”

I asked if they log their mileage apart from their phone apps.

“Well, it’s on the cyclocomputer,” she said. “That’s how I know what I rode this weekend, and how I’m doing at reaching my yearly goal.”

“I enter my ride data on Bike Journal,” I said.

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” she replied. “Then, if my cyclocomputer goes haywire, I still have the data.”

“And then I enter it into a separate Excel spreadsheet,” I added, “because Bike Journal doesn’t record everything I want.”

Everyone around the table looked at me.

“Who’s mileage obsessed?” Barbara asked.

 

Like this:

Like Loading...

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

A Look at the Numbers

11.01.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 2 Comments

Guest poster Don Blount has been looking back at the year through his riding figures.

Lies, damn lies and statistics.

Can you really trust those numbers that you download from our bike computer?

I recently reviewed my biking stats for the year and discovered that I am well ahead of last year’s pace for total mileage.

Impressive?

Not really. I should have more miles in considering that I lost riding time last year because of a broken arm and fractured wrist suffered in a fall.

From May through June of 2010 I rode just under 539 miles, which includes time I spent on a trainer while injured. During that same period this year I rode nearly 1,071 miles. That 532 mile difference accounts for most of the 703 miles I am ahead of last year’s pace through October. For that matter, I have exceeded last year’s total by nearly 133 miles and still have two months of riding left. I may be able to reach 4,500 miles for the year.

Two numbers stand out at me and one may have affected the other: Elevation Gain and Calories.

Through October of last year I climbed 50,147 feet and burned 192,598 calories, according to my Garmin.

For all of 2010 I climbed 56,820 feet and burned 228,927 calories.

By comparison, through October of this year, I have climbed 60,428 feet and burned 495,620 calories. That is double the amount of calories burned in 2010, and nearly triple the amount through October 2010.

If I had to guess, I would attribute this year’s increase largely in part to riding more hills, they do make me work harder, burn more fat and become a stronger rider. So no matter how much they hate me, and I them, I will have to continue riding them.

Sometimes statistics can help us understand what we’re doing on the bike. I have tried to ride more often and to ride harder. These numbers show that I am accomplishing that. But even after all of the number crunching, the most important thing to do is enjoy your riding.

Jan-Oct. 2011
No. of Rides: 180
Distance: 3,633.83 mi
Time: 220 hrs 41 mins 07 secs
Elevation Gain: 60,428 ft
Calories: 495,620

Jan-Oct 2010
No. of Rides: 154
Distance: 2,931.13 mi
Time: 177 hrs 50 mins 43 secs
Elevation Gain: 50,147 ft
Calories: 192,598

Jan-Dec 2010
No. of Rides: 185
Distance: 3,501.28 mi
Time: 213 hrs 09 mins15 secs
Elevation Gain: 56,820 ft
Calories: 228,927

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories // guest post, Records & stats Tags // Blount, guest post, stats

Year-ender

12.30.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 15 Comments

We’re at the end of another year.  Bike-wise, it was a good year for me.  Among my personal highlights:

  • A new yearly mileage record: 4,100 miles.
  • Two century rides
  • Completion of the full two-day MS 150 from Houston to Austin
  • Improved fitness – lost girth, if not much weight – I like wearing smaller pants
  • Improved hill climbing.  Not where I want to be yet, but I can now climb my personal nemesis – as long as I rest to catch my breath at the top
Happy New Year, y'all!

I’m undecided about where my biking will go in 2011.  Both distance riding and more training appeal to me.  Right now, I’m leaning toward doing more long rides – rides of over 60 miles.

I’m also debating whether to back away somewhat from the social aspect of cycling.  I enjoy riding with friends, and one of the highlights of 2010 was meeting and riding with folks I’d only known online.  But I do most of my riding alone, and I think I enjoy that more.  I look forward to our Sunday morning club rides, but it doesn’t kill me to pass one up.

I do enjoy organized rides, and will probably do more in the new year than I did this year.  I’ve missed lots of good ones in this area, and I’d like to try them out.

But I think the emphasis will be on biking as fun, rather than biking as work.  Best of everything to each of you.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories // Records & stats Tags // stats

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Get Email Updates

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 257 other subscribers

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • Getting Back on the Bike: Road Cycling Tips for Older Cyclists
  • Are BCAAs and EAAs Good for Cycling?
  • How to Fix Numb Toes When Cycling
  • How to Find and Vet a Bike Club
  • Celebrate Pearl Izumi with Big Savings in the Memorial Day Sale

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • May 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • March 2022
  • October 2020
  • November 2018
  • May 2018
  • September 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008

Copyright © 2026 · Modern Studio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Go to mobile version
%d