Do you ride a lot ???

[Mr. Beanz]

Figured this was a good topic after reading a comment in the did you ride today thread. You guys ride a lot, are you retired ???

I wish!

I did have my best year while working night shift. BUT I was working 10 hour shifts 5 days a week. My wife was working day shift and all our kids are grown so it was easy to get away in the mornings to do sort rides (15-25 milers). But I would work till 1:45 on Friday nights, go home sleep 4 or 5 hours then get up and do 100 miles on the bike. My goal that year was to do my best as far as mileage. I ended up with 7300 miles that year.

Most other years were anywhere from 4,000-6,000 over the last 14 years. Before that I was doing about 2,000-3,000 since 1996.
----------------

My wife has been consistent with 3,000 per year since 2005. Not bad considering the obstacle life has thrown her way as far as her family medical issues. Lots of sick relatives etc and tons of hospital visits over the years.

She works and average of 10 hours per day, sometimes 12, rarely 8. She has managed to come home and do some short 10 milers with me at times during the week. On the weekends, it's usually back to back 45 milers. Sometimes 60 even she's feeling good.

Pretty darn good average miles per year considering the medical obstacles life has thrown her way with a very sickly family.

She even donated a kidney back in 2001. Doing 2000 miles per year, then about 1000 the year of the surgery. Then came back and lifted the pace to 3,000 per year consistently since 2005.

I like this topic as I have read many many comments on several forums claiming that it's impossible to do over 2,000 miles per year while having a full time job!

Tell that to my wife, one kidney and grandmother of 9 !

10 inch scar from the kidney donation.

Her toughest ride, 40 miles with 5,000 ft of climbing.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I used to think I rode a fair amount.ThenI read Lim's post! LOL!

 

[maander`]

I used to ride between 5000 and 6000 miles per year. Then an injury in 2015 and me playing my
double bass in an orchestra, has meant that total won't be met again this year. By this stage in
2009 and 2011, I had already cycled 2500 and 2300 miles respectively. As much as I like cycling,
I'm enjoying my improvement on the bass and accomplishing new goals.

 

[Froze]

Unlike the Stone's song "Time is on my side" which is false because time is not on anyone's side and thus I don't have much time to ride a bike like I would like to. The last time I put just over 5,000 miles on a bike in a year was in 2011 here in Indiana, but two things came together at the same time, first the weather in Indiana that year allowed me to ride from February until November because it was hot that year, and two, I had back surgery later part of the previous year so I was off the entire 2011 year; both of which allowed me to ride my bike a lot despite the back doctor telling me to wait 6 months...I waited one month! Of course when I took my first ride after the surgery I only went a mile and slowly built up from there so as not to put to much pressure on the back, but I found out that as I rode my bike my back would feel better for about 2 to 3 hours after the ride initially, that time of feeling grew as the months wore on and my miles went up. 6 months after the surgery I did a 78 mile trip...this was suppose to be time that I could start riding short distances! I never told my surgeon I did that, but now he would probably laugh, so someday I will tell him about his nut job he had for a patient. Setting around was driving me crazy, so on the bike I went.

Anyway since that year Indiana temperatures returned to normal and I returned to work so I only get about 2,500 miles a year, so yes I'm looking forward to retiring so I can spend more time on the bike. I'm not the kind of person that can retire 100% which is why I own a business PLUS a full time job, so it's the full time job that goes bye bye and I'll just do the rental business till I die or just can't do it anymore.

 

[maander`]

Normally by this stage of the year I would have ridden over 2,000 miles. In 2009 and 2011 (in preparation
to riding the Marmotte; by mid-May I had cycle 2,500 and 2,300 respectively). As of today, I have yet to
pedal 500 miles.

This is mainly due the fact that my musical interest has blossomed. I play a double bass in a community
orchestra. The other members are generally of a higher standard than myself, so in order not to show
myself up in rehearsals (and for personal pride) I have to put a lot of practice in at home. I still enjoy
cycling; but with a full-time job and two hobbies, there are only a certain amount time one can put into
each pastime.

 

[monkeybones]

Try riding 5-6 times per week.

 

[RodneyOrlando]

Figured this was a good topic after reading a comment in the did you ride today thread. You guys ride a lot, are you retired ???

I wish!

I did have my best year while working night shift. BUT I was working 10 hour shifts 5 days a week. My wife was working day shift and all our kids are grown so it was easy to get away in the mornings to do sort rides (15-25 milers). But I would work till 1:45 on Friday nights, go home sleep 4 or 5 hours then get up and do 100 miles on the bike. My goal that year was to do my best as far as mileage. I ended up with 7300 miles that year.

Most other years were anywhere from 4,000-6,000 over the last 14 years. Before that I was doing about 2,000-3,000 since 1996.
----------------

My wife has been consistent with 3,000 per year since 2005. Not bad considering the obstacle life has thrown her way as far as her family medical issues. Lots of sick relatives etc and tons of hospital visits over the years.

She works and average of 10 hours per day, sometimes 12, rarely 8. She has managed to come home and do some short 10 milers with me at times during the week. On the weekends, it's usually back to back 45 milers. Sometimes 60 even she's feeling good.

Pretty darn good average miles per year considering the medical obstacles life has thrown her way with a very sickly family.

She even donated a kidney back in 2001. Doing 2000 miles per year, then about 1000 the year of the surgery. Then came back and lifted the pace to 3,000 per year consistently since 2005.

I like this topic as I have read many many comments on several forums claiming that it's impossible to do over 2,000 miles per year while having a full time job!

Tell that to my wife, one kidney and grandmother of 9 !

10 inch scar from the kidney donation.

Her toughest ride, 40 miles with 5,000 ft of climbing.

Hey, Is your wife superwoman? She must be phenomenally fit to have donated a kidney and kept on cycling!

 

[Mr. Beanz]

Hey, Is your wife superwoman? She must be phenomenally fit to have donated a kidney and kept on cycling!

Ha ha yes and no!

She's a real trooper! We took up cycling just as recreation but she did very well so she kept at it. She got herself into good physical condition preparing for the donation. Did a century 2 weeks before the surgery. Sadly the surgery was about a year before they started doing the orthoscopic type removal. SO she ended up with a big 10 inch incision rather than the little 2 inch scar.

About 3 weeks after the surgery, she was back on the bike riding around the neighborhood slowly on a plush hybrid. About 3 months after the surgery, she did a 40 mile ride. Easy pace (maybe 15 mph) but was back on the bike, all that mattered.

It took about a year before she could push herself. Then she ended up doing a 40 mile ride at 18.1 mph average speed which was her best ever. That was about 12 years ago so since we have gotten old and slowed down ha ha!

Now she averages 17.3 or so on a 40 miler when she's pushing it at age 54, grandmother of 9.

Back when she was kicking butt on the bike, other riders tried to talk her into racing but she's not one for dedicating herself to competition. It's all for fun and recreation.

It has been fun though. Over the years I have done several rides with forum members (various forums) with male riders who underestimated her by our pictures. She's no slug but looks like the average woman. I had one forum member come down a couple years ago saying he wanted to ride with us on our 40 miler. He told me that I could invite my wife if I like as he had no problem slowing the pace to wait for her. I think he was surprised when it was her that was slowing to pace to let him back on her wheel

I think had she not had the surgery, she would have been really fast. I think she can now but the motivation to "race" is not there. She's got the natural lower muscle and smaller upper body shape she would need to be a really good cyclist and if she wanted to seriously train, I think she would kill me on the bike.

 

[Victoria Kim]

I try to ride 4-5 times a week in my leisure time with my cycling partner.

 

[Gnufrau]

I do not ride nearly as much as I would like to. The biggest thing keeping me off the bike is depression. I am retired, though, so time is not so much an issue. Well, disability, but the effect is the same.

 

[Asfa]

Figured this was a good topic after reading a comment in the did you ride today thread. You guys ride a lot, are you retired ???

I wish!

I did have my best year while working night shift. BUT I was working 10 hour shifts 5 days a week. My wife was working day shift and all our kids are grown so it was easy to get away in the mornings to do sort rides (15-25 milers). But I would work till 1:45 on Friday nights, go home sleep 4 or 5 hours then get up and do 100 miles on the bike. My goal that year was to do my best as far as mileage. I ended up with 7300 miles that year.

Most other years were anywhere from 4,000-6,000 over the last 14 years. Before that I was doing about 2,000-3,000 since 1996.
----------------

My wife has been consistent with 3,000 per year since 2005. Not bad considering the obstacle life has thrown her way as far as her family medical issues. Lots of sick relatives etc and tons of hospital visits over the years.

She works and average of 10 hours per day, sometimes 12, rarely 8. She has managed to come home and do some short 10 milers with me at times during the week. On the weekends, it's usually back to back 45 milers. Sometimes 60 even she's feeling good.

Pretty darn good average miles per year considering the medical obstacles life has thrown her way with a very sickly family.

She even donated a kidney back in 2001. Doing 2000 miles per year, then about 1000 the year of the surgery. Then came back and lifted the pace to 3,000 per year consistently since 2005.

I like this topic as I have read many many comments on several forums claiming that it's impossible to do over 2,000 miles per year while having a full time job!

Tell that to my wife, one kidney and grandmother of 9 !

10 inch scar from the kidney donation.

Her toughest ride, 40 miles with 5,000 ft of climbing.

Waoo I like Cyclying