How long do you ride? : Community Message Boards
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Anonymous
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Wed, May 31, 2006 16:05
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How long do you ride?
When I take my bike out in the neighborhood, I'm usually gone for about 45 minutes to an hour. Just curious if that's around the same amount of time that other people spend riding. I'm not sure if it's more or less than most people. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
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Anonymous
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Tue, Jun 6, 2006 12:06
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Hour plus
I try to ride for at least an hour if it's an actual workout, but there are times when I just jump on my bike to ride around the neighborhood and work out the kinks of sitting in my study and working for a few hours. Also, I ride lots longer if I'm training for a goal, like an event ride or a tour.
I recently found an interesting book called 7-Week Cycling for Fitness (author: Chris Sidwells) that offers a decent plan for getting into better shape using your bike. The plan features rides from a half hour to 2 hours, but it also provides plans for training for an event or tour. You might want to check it out.
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Anonymous
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Mon, Jul 31, 2006 18:07
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Long Riding
Riding at least 30 minutes a day is a great way to get the time in that we should be getting. Doing a longer ride (1-2 hours) at 60% of heart rate maximum at least once a week can really make a difference.
I've started taking one long ride a week in town while keeping my heart rate down. It changes the whole nature of the ride and opens new vistas to connect with people along the way.
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Anonymous
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Mon, Aug 7, 2006 17:08
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I try to ride 4-5 hours per week in racing seaso and 2 plus or minus swimming for the Aquabike 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike.
I build from 1 hour to 4 hours over time in 1/2 hour increments. The hardest part of training for the Aquabike is to get accustomed to being on a bike for a long time.. The Aerobic part is not difficult but the ass fatigue can be problematic. I change positions on the hanblebars a lot and use aerobars AND stand up and stretch starting in the first hour. The psyche can absorb only what the ass can endure.
30 minutes, when you're rushed, on a stationary bike is excellent especially doing intervals. Even 20 min at low intensity does 80% of the job. Try to bike 3x per week and swim 3x per week. Signing up for a race motivates me like crazy. I won't train w/o a goal. Train with others whenever you can especially on long bike rides Take 2 bottles of water or some derivative. mixture.
Double 6s.
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Anonymous
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Tue, Aug 8, 2006 12:08
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Try using your heart rate to determine the length of your rides
I've discovered a method of riding that has not only increased the length and duration of my rides but my enjoyment of cycling in general.
In a nutshell, I've slowed down.
I've been cycling for about 4 years regularly but have always struggled with the psychological challenge of climbing hills. It's not that I couldn't do them, I just became deflated morale-wise whenever I rounded a corner and saw a long, steady climb in front of me.
Then recently I heard about a method of riding whereby you let your heart rate dictate your speed on ascents, which for me meant actually slowing down on hills, a concept I had a hard time wrapping my head around at first—it already seemed like I was at near stall speed on a steep hill, how could I slow down any more without falling over?
So I gave it a try. On my favorite ride, which features a fairly steep climb about 1/3 of the way through, I started to climb but kept one eye on my speed. My riding partner was behind me telling me to slow down and as it happened, I had 2-3 mph to lose, easily, which brought my heart rate down well under 75% as I comfortably made my way to the top. Long story short, I approached the rest of the hills on the ride the same way and by the time I arrived back home (up a hill), I'd hardly broken a sweat. My average HR was around 65%, my knees, which can give me problems after hilly rides, felt fine.
A lot of this is abiuyt taking a new mental approach to riding, but there are some hardware upgrades that help; namely I replaced my rear cassette with a 12/27 cog set, which gives me one lower gear to use if I ever need to slow down even more. But frankly, I'm in pretty good shape and don't often need it unless the climb is very long and unrelenting. It's just nice to have.
Bottom line...I don't let the terrain dictate my level of enjoyment and my heart rate determines how fast and how far I go. And, as my fitness has improved, my ascent speed has slowly increased without my HR going up so it's no doubt improving my baseline fitness. The only downside...my rides have lengthened considerably so finding the time to get out there and still run my business is a challenge.
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Anonymous
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Fri, Sep 8, 2006 17:09
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16-20 miles
Glad you asked that question. I was wondering what was average. I have been biking since mid July. That is when I finally finished reading the book. I bike 16-20 miles and it usually takes me 1 hour and 30 minutes or 2 hours for 20 miles. I just love biking. I get up in the morning and try and start out at 5:45am. I have a light on my bike that lets me go in the dark. I try and be back at the house my 7 or 7:15am. The wind seems to determine how long I bike also. I like biking better when there is not alot of wind. Sometimes I have to lock my bike up and walk becasue the wind is too strong for me.
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Anonymous
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Sat, Sep 30, 2006 12:09
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I do a spin class for 50 minutes twice a week and take my bike out three days a week, I never ride less than one hour and try to maintain a speed between 14 - 25 mph. Also vary my sprints and terrain. It is really great to cycle with a friend.
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