How do you fit cycling into your life?

[Zippy]

Hi all,

I’m currently in the fortunate position where I’m able to cycle commute a nice distance to and from work on reasonably nice roads. This pretty much constitutes most of my miles, and I did my usual 1,000 miles in may thing exclusively on the ride to and from work (extended commutes and a few extra miles at weekends were required).
I’m considering some job/career changes, and it’s possible how/when I ride may need to change. How does everyone here get their miles in?

[NewRetroTom]

I've just gone from a situation where I was commuting 20 km each way 5 days a week to one where I can get to work in 8 minutes on the bike.

This means I've got back over an hour a day that I would have previously spent commuting. I'm going to try to do a run or bike ride every day before or after work to make the most of this. It's a luxury to be able to choose to go for a nice mountain bike ride instead of having to ride the same boring commute. The long commute had become a bit tedious, and it had affected my motivation to ride on the weekends, so it's a relief to get away from it.

[Asposium]

How does everyone here get their miles in?

I tend to ride for the sake of riding, not chasing distance or strava targets.
Might do 10 miles or a 1,000 in a month; doesn't really matter ((though my cake consumption would have to vary))

That said, i was using the turbo trainer when preparing for Le Jog.

[middleagedmadness]

Got a 10 mile each way towpath commute with1/2 mile of road 4 days a week on my 4 days off I try to get out on a couple of 75 /100 mile loops to Cannock chase or wyre valley , what I lack in hills I can make up with not having to use any roads to get where I want to ,the canals take you most places up here

[RIP]

Interesting question for a Friday afternoon there Zip. If I may be pedantic, I don't feel I need to "fit it in" TBH - it just "is" part of my life and most of the time I don't even think about it. Unlike most of the population, if I need to go somewhere I'll first choice take the bike, if that's not ideal I'll walk, if that's not ideal I'll get the train, if that's not ideal I'll resort to the motor. Most people are the other way round for some strange reason known only to them. My main job these days is also bike riding, so that helps - albeit normally with some little Y5/Y6 school cherubs in tow whom we're trying to encourage to ride bikes and not get them damaged while we do it. Rewarding/challenging enough. My aim is for them to choose "bike first" for personal transport in the same way that I do - cycling keeps you fit, is free, is fast, gives you freedom, and last but not least is FUN! (The "Five F's" as I call them, away from small ears ). If I've still got any energy left in the evenings after I've ridden back from a school, I might nip up the woods for a radge round on the MTBs. Sometimes even with my night-time accommodation on board . Not interested in miles per se, so don't need to insert them anywhere . Although I know a few instances of inches that I enjoyed, and there was a yard once that was mildly diverting I suppose...

'Reg'

[ScotRoutes]

Between flu and broken ribs.

[PaulB2]

Generally I make do with a 1 mile each way trip to the railway station topped up with a semi regular pootle with the kids in the trailer. Around once a month I can get out for 2-3 hours and get a proper ride in

[Fat tyre kicker]

Struggling this year...lost the magic but now regaining it, put stuff in place now to do a 6 mile
Daily commute on quiet tracks and roads, also dropping my o/t day hopefully so I can do 2
Full days out a month....fingers crossed

[Alpinum]

Never having made the driving licence helps.

My answer is very similar to RIP's

There are things, ideas I need to work towards to. Routes which are so challenging (endurance and technicality), they need some preparation. If I don't prepare much, I don't reach some of my goals, like last year. I'm returning to this particular test piece again this year and am trying to make sure I'm more capable than last year. Than I ever was actually.

Also, I work 50 km from where I live with some wonderful biking opportunities right away from both doorsteps. Even just the low and easiest route is a lovely offroad commute (part of the Navad1000 too). To become a stronger rider I just go over the tops on the way home, sometimes resulting in what would be a full day worth of riding/hike-a-biking.

I don't always Strava but it amazes my how little distance I cover compared to some I follow. It's always been more about time out there on slow, difficult single tracks for me.

What's tough is how to fit biking into my other hobbies, but then they all help in some way with my riding too (packrafting, ski-mo, hiking, kayaking etc.).

I'm off to visit some friends just now. We'll ride there and back as we always do and we always look forward to it too

Bikes are bloody vaguely exciting

[fatbikephil]

Fitting a bike ride into the commute is defo a great way of getting the miles in. I tend to take the bike in twice a week using the train to make the journey in quicker and then take one of several scenic routes home over a variety of hills, trails, back roads etc. That said come the weekend its just a case of deciding which bike to go out on and going. And as per RIP - cycling is my life

[benp1]

Mainly commuting, rarely have time for much else. The odd fun ride every fortnight or so maybe, usually something local

I do about 80-100 miles a week

[ton]

one hours commute in the morning, same on the way home, and a weekend ride. adds up to 100-150 miles per week.

quite good for a fat old cripple...........

[Alpinum]

OT

Test, test

vaguely exciting

[Alpinum]

Aha...
Father bear doesn't like '@wesome'

[RIP]

Just been out for the shopping, with, in this case, my trusty granny-trolley-bag thing. This thread reminded me though that I frequently use my Brompton to go to the town centre - the front-mounted S-bag is large enough to carry a top-up shop. The High Street must be, what, all of 300 yards away, so that raises the additional question of not how many miles it's worth biking but how few. It takes me around 8 seconds to fold or unfold the Brommie, and since it's normally stored folded in the house I reckon if a walked journey would take more than 9 seconds longer than unfolding-then-biking then it's worth unfolding the Brompton and riding instead. So probably anything further than about 100 yards is worth riding. And such is indeed my habit.

Anyway, Waitrose today ( yes I know, but I get a free newspaper ( yes I know, the actual shopping itself is ten times more expensive than nasty T*sco ) ). Shortly after we moved in ages ago I decided to take the Brom to Waitrose. I steamed up to the entrance and in one fluid and seamless movement dismounted, grabbed the frame with my right hand, continued to walk forwards, lifted it and hooked the seat over my right shoulder, rear wheel drops down, straight into the shop. Brompton hangs discreetly next to me. Selected my various items, plopping them straight into the S-bag on the front, thence to the checkout. Items onto conveyor, fork over a king's ransom, put items straight into S-bag. No need for basket etc. Just leaving the shop and flunkey in flash suit strolls up. "On sir's subsequent visitations to our esteemed emporium one requests to engage sir's attention to the velocipedal abeyancy repository located within the exterior entrance" or similar Waitrose-speak, to which I replied "thank you" politely and continued on my way. Next time, I repeated the exercise, and for ever after for the next 27 years, and nothing further has been said on the matter by either party. I like Waitrose's motto "never eject a customer with good money however eccentric they are". And my Brom is a sight less lethal than all those trollies hammered round by hell's grannies.

R

[Zippy]

Thanks all, interesting.

For clarity it's more a case of there's lots of things I want do in life, and it's getting that balance. Cycling it's something I will never let drop out of my life, and was thinking along the lines of should I change my current "life setup", how ensure I still get that important bike time. If I can't then that setup won't work for me!

How does everyone here get their miles in?

I tend to ride for the sake of riding, not chasing distance or strava targets.
Might do 10 miles or a 1,000 in a month; doesn't really matter .

Spot on, I agree - the 1,000 miles in may thing was just an example of how fortunate I am to be able to fit a fairly reasonable amount of time riding my bike in amongst my daily stuff.

[Al]

This all makes for interesting reading. I just relocated and left a job where I could easily cycle to work every day if I wanted to.
We’ve moved to a beautiful part of the world with great riding on the doorstep but the trade off has been spending two hours a day commuting by car. Any riding has to fit round 3 young kids (so the commute was ideal).
I’m struggling to get the miles in, but it’s pretty hilly here so when I do get out the really do count!
I’ve found heading out once the kids are in bed works well for me. Did a four hour ride to a bivi spot last night and was asleep by midnight- got up early and rode home again a direct route.
Hoping I can keep it up through the winter - time will tell!

[benp1]

I’d say there is a difference between fitting it into your life and then being fit enough to enjoy a trip

For me the former is easy, all local errands are on the bike, it’s my hobby so I do it when I can eg it’s how I walk the dog. Plus I cycle commute so it’s my way of life

The latter is harder, being part of your life doesn’t mean you’re fit enough for a trip, regularly small mileage doesn’t add up to that much. Cycle commute helps a lot with this, without it I wouldn’t have the time

I can’t drive to work (in central London). I could motorbike there but it itsn’t much quicker and it’s slightly more hassle (no parking at the office and don’t like leaving it on the road). It’s a trade off though, harder to fit motorbiking into my life at the mo!

[Mariner]

I am retired so do nothing all week and get the weekends off.
So in theory I could spend all day every day out on my bike but this year is gardening leave as we are trying to get the new Mariner Lawns project under control. Winter was brutal for the plants we put in last autumn so lots of holes in the planting scheme and stuff in the wrong place.
Currently spreading composted bark from dumpy bags which takes one and a half hours per bag. Did two yesterday got another two for today
and another four due this week.
Riding restricted to local hills of which there are a lot and just trying to keep fitness levels up ready for autumn.
When does BB200 entry open?

[Bearbonesnorm]

When does BB200 entry open?

July 1st.

[danielgroves]

For me most miles are commuting at the moment. I'm lucky to work in an office that must have one of the highest densities of cyclists in the world, so that helps massively with motivation and the almost daily group rides. I'd be a ruin from exhaustion if I went on everything.

I'm currently doing 18km each way commute (350m up and down) and the regular extended commutes, or evenings out with the MTB followed by crashing in the van. There's also a group of us who are starting to bivvy out fairly regularly. I'm lucky enough not to have anyone depending on me though, so I can do as much as my body can take/time allows.

The probably doesn't help you much though

[slarge]

Pretty much all my riding is commuting, then the odd long ride early on a Sunday. Would like to do more off road stuff but just don't have time. Too much of my time is spent working, so am currently planning the next stage of life. Then it will be more holidays, riding for fun, and making stuff.