How long is your daily ride?

[iroar]

Hi, NooB here. Just got my first MTB and am having a great time so far and see a long future in biking.

I'm lucky enough to have bike paths all over the area I live, and one that begins practically right outside my door. I've been riding twice a day, morning and afternoon (I am fortunate enough to be self-employed and work at home, so I can get out whenever I want). The ride is about 20-25 minutes (I estimate approximately one mile round trip), up and down hill, mostly concrete and pavement, some dirt, but I'm expanding it a little bit each day. Right now, while I'm still out of shape, it is a fairly grueling ride, but I think riding twice a day I will build my endurance fairly quickly.

I guess what I'm asking here is for those of you who ride daily, how long is your usual trail? How long did it take you to build up to that? Does your endurance just keep getting higher and higher or do you hit plateaus?

Thanks!

Jeff

[CaptStu]

After a 5 year break, I just got back into mtb. I ride about 4 times a week and I do anywhere between 4-12 miles depending on the trails and my energy levels. I have been riding for about a month now.

I say just goes with what feels confortable. Unless, of course you are getting ready to race

[IAmCosmo]

My daily ride is about 12 miles, and takes me about 45 minutes. Of course, that's my daily commute to work on my road bike.

I ride trails once or twice a week. The route I usually ride is about 15 miles. But, there isn't a lot of climbing or technical stuff. That's my "enjoyment" ride. I ride it just for fun. For a challenge, I ride a 8 mile loop with a lot of climbing. Once every couple months or so we do a "big ride" of about 25 miles. I know that's child's play to a lot of people, but we are fat guys, so for us it's a lot...

[mrpercussive]

My daily ride is just commuting... I commute about 15 miles a day. On the weekends however, i do anywhere from 25 - 50 miles a day depending on how much i have left in me, or how far my friends wanna go... XC ROCKS!!!

[BlueBike]

Welcome to the sport. I think you are doing great, and sounds like you will be in shape in no time. Once you are in shape, try to ride a bit longer keeping the same pace you are doing right now. You will probably end up riding once a day then, but it will be a longer and harder ride. Don't worry too much about endurance because the more you ride, the longer you will be able to ride. BTW, if you do a road ride, you will build your endurance pretty quick.

The club I am in rides Tuesday and Thurday night anywhere between 7 to 15 miles and longer rides on weekends. It is a good idea to join a club and see how often / long other people ride.

[perttime]

I have a short commute: 15 minutes up the hill and 10 minutes coasting back.

When I get out on the trails I rarely come back in less than two hours. During the weekend, four hours is not unusual. I have no idea about the miles but some of the terrain is pretty technical for my skill level and, whatever the terrain, I get out of breath quite soon if I try to maintain a lot of speed. Sooo, my rides consist of sections where I have to work hard to go anywhere, sections I enjoy riding at speed, and either easy riding or short breaks in between.

I have been doing some bike riding for most of the last 30+ years. In last year's spring I got myself a real mountain bike to combine the fun of riding and trying to regain some of the fitness I used to have.

An old figurehead of Finnish (my nationality) sports used to say:
"Distance does not kill you, speed does."

To put it in other words: riding a long distance (or time) is good for you but do not go too fast.

[Dirt Bringer]

10 to 15 miles a day, over the period of one hour. Today i am about to ride to the trail which I live close to{ the most technical in the area} and fill myself with mud and cuts and scrapes, how bout you?

[iroar]

Wow, thanks for all of your replies so far. This is a great cross-section of the biking 'habits' (for lack of better word) of everyone and gives me a broad idea of what my biking future will look like.

BlueBike, you're probably right. I eventually will just take one long killer ride a day instead of the two short ones.

Looking forward to more comments.

- Jeff

[steep_h2o]

I'm just getting into biking. Whitewater kayaking has been my main outdoor activity for years but I've moved to an area where I can't do it as often as I'd like so I needed something to take it's place. This has turned out to be the perfect replacement, I love it. I usually do about 10 miles a day on my own tuesday through friday. I take monday off (I work a double shift on mondays and don't have time to get a ride in... probably doesn't hurt to take a day anyway). Saturday and sunday are the longer rides, about 30 miles each day at this point but we go a little more each week. The person I ride with on weekends is more into training than roaming so I do most of my exploring on the weekday rides.

[Musichead13]

I ride two to three days a week for about an average of 8-10 miles a trip. It all depends on how my riding buddy is feeling and the weather conditions. I'm trying to convince my brother to buy a bike so we can do some really long rides.

[roypk]

Four times a week. Three short distance rides about 40-50kms each and one long ride on the weekend ranging from 80-150kms if I don't go trail riding. I have diabetes and riding helps keep the sugar level down.

[easyrider09]

I can ride 20 miles easily on the local rail trail.Takes me about 1 hour and 22 minutes on the average.

[perttime]

How far you can go in a given time depends on your terrain (and how good you are). Some people can average 20 mph on the road, all day. Some sections of trail probably put me close to 5 mph and it is hard work. (I am not planning to put a speedometer or computer on my bike)

[iroar]

I feel rather ignorant. When I first started this thread a couple of days ago, I mentioned that I estimated my daily ride at 1 mile. Well, I purchased a computer yesterday, and it's three miles, which still isn't earth-shattering, but it took me 18 minutes this morning. Time to start adding on.

- Jeff

[3034]

1.5-2 weekdays 2-3 hrs weekends
90% single track and fire roads, mountains no pavement
so 15-25 mies

[szedhr]

Since I live about 30 minutes from a trail, I only go on the weekends. My usual rides vary from 15 to 60 minutes on road/gravel path. I try to ride at least 4 times a week.

[Musichead13]

I feel rather ignorant. When I first started this thread a couple of days ago, I mentioned that I estimated my daily ride at 1 mile. Well, I purchased a computer yesterday, and it's three miles, which still isn't earth-shattering, but it took me 18 minutes this morning. Time to start adding on.

- Jeff

That's the same thing I was doing before I got my computer. I like the having the computer there much better than not having it. Especially if you're trying to keep a certain mph or a certain distance.

[GentleRider]

I live about an hour from my favorite place to ride. Becasue of this I can only make about once per week there. When I do I make a day of it. About 3 or 4 hour ride. I will be mostly single track with some occasional breakouts into some double track.

Needless to say I am very glad to make it back to the trail head after my ride. I was born in 1951 so I'm not as young as I use to be. I've been riding for about a year.

[smear3]

I'm just getting back into biking too. I'm trying to ride 4 days a week. Last week I rode 2 days during the week 8 mile loops (no pavement), and I did 21 miles yesterday (no pavement). I didn't make the four days, however I'm pretty stoked on how many miles I rode. That 21 mi. ride yesterday has my n00b riding ass sore as hell. Hopefully I got something left for a good ride on Mon. I have some stuff really close to my house that I can ride, however my commute is a little over and hour each way and with the wife and kids it's hard to sneak out during the week. How many of you guys get up ridiculously early to ride before work?

[Feclar]

I just started bikeing a couple weeks ago

My commute to work (pavement w/ mtb) by my cars computer is 8 miles takes me 20mins in the car and about 40mins on my bike, so doing about 16miles a day.

I am trying to bike to work 4x a week (i work 4x 10h days) but its been 1-2x a week cuz of weather and having to wake up earlier.

Weekends me and gf ride for 1-5 hours offroad

12lbs gone, another 50 to go or so.
I feel real good in the mornings when I ride to work compared to when i drive.

[smear3]

Good job on the wieght loss. I've lost about 30lbs. in the last few months. Got about 30 more to go.

[justaguy]

I am 46 years old and started riding about a year ago. 90% of the time I am by myself riding right from my house. I ride a couple of time a week this 8 mile loop with a couple of good climbs. Once a week or so, I try to take my bike with me to work and stop at some longer trails on the way home (get in about 10 -12 miles then), and once a month or so, I go out to the state park and do the 17 mile loop. I have lost weight, feel better, and almost every time I go to the 17 mile loop I see gains in endurance, the distance I make on the long fire road climb, and my overall time drops. I know I go faster and climb more on the rides from my house, but really see the improvements when I go out on the 1-1/2 to 2 hour rides. Good luck

[EliM]

I ride every day behind my house, mostly screwing around in my back yard (live on a farm). On weekends I head to my local trails, Its slow, techy New England stuff, so around 10-15 miles for a 2-4 hour ride.