Short rides are good

[Joe Bernard]

Not much to add to the title, I just wanted to say it. I notice in lots of posts - including mine - a lament to ride more/longer, as if shorter rides don't count. Bollocks on that. 10 miles is good, shorter is also ok. You're outside on the bike pedaling, it's fun, you don't have to do it all day!

[Eric Norris]

Couldn’t agree more. My mantra for 2020 is going to be #focusonfun

I plan to ride to enjoy it. If that’s a long ride, great. But there’s a lot of fun to be had just getting out for a short jaunt.

–Eric N


> On Dec 27, 2019, at 11:01 AM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Not much to add to the title, I just wanted to say it. I notice in lots of posts - including mine - a lament to ride more/longer, as if shorter rides don't count. Bollocks on that. 10 miles is good, shorter is also ok. You're outside on the bike pedaling, it's fun, you don't have to do it all day!
>
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[DHans]

I couldn't agree more. Even though my 2020 goal post (not as in football) stated a mileage goal, I prefer to accumulate miles with lots of short rides. I ride around the neighborhood, to the convenience store, or to the coffee shop. It's transportation not sport for me. And, that's a change in that there was a time I kitted out, hauled my bike to a meet up spot, and rode hard and fast on a specific route just for exercise, fitness and to be part of the group. Now I see my bike as a way to get there and to just enjoy a Sunday (or any day) ride.

Doug

[dougP]

A lot of short rides can accumulate surprising mileage.  Using my bike for errands, visiting & just knocking around, I've had 100 mile weeks without doing anything special.  At this point 3 hours on the bike is enough.  I think most of my weekly mileage is more like in the 50-70 mile range.  I only know because I have a watch for monitoring my heart, & it also records miles. 

dougP

[in Dallas nick]

I'm on the same wavelength as to rides.

I'm right around 2000 miles for 2019 and my guess is more than half is errand running. 

I try to leave the automobile in the driveway and take a bike on every occasion I can.

It's been years now since I decided even if it's only a mile or two to get out and pedal.

When I have hours I'll pedal that long as well. 

Paul in Dallas 

[Deacon Patrick]

Och! Aye. Every ride helps me brain. Thus, no ride is too short, and every ride is a gift. Even the ones that take longer to don boiled wool bits and bobs than the ride itself. Grin. Some days me brain lets me oot ta hoose, others past the gate, others past the town puddle (half a mile rt), others to the green bench at the cottonwood (2 miles rt, maybe), others to the horse barn, others to the bar and grill, others to Woodland Park (8 miles rt). In general, if I make it through the massive metropolis of Woodland Park (population approaching 8,000, still a few hundred below its altitude) I make it up a trail, in which case my ride totals 18-20 miles depending on the trail and what I do. ANy and all of those rides helps me do better, making the next ride likely to be yet longer. Grin.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Patrick Moore]

Self-confessed short-rider here. That is to say, I'm not short -- I ride (level top tube) a 60 mm frame, c-c; but I ride short distances. When I ordered my Joe Starck road fixie gofast custom (that's 5 qualifiers) I apologetically told Grant that, "Wull, for me, yuh know, 30 miles is a long ride." Grant said, "It is a long ride!" (From that time onward my self-image has been much more positive.) This long before "Just Ride."

Of course, I ride mostly fixed gear on the road, and when I use multiple gears (and freewheels!) it is largely off road, and everyone knows that dirt and fixed add the equivalent of triple the riding distance. Seriously, fixed gears are just perfect for short distance riding.

Typically, I'll fill the working week with 12-15 mile rt errand/detour rides, and once or twice a week I'll get out and ride 20, 25, more rarely 30 miles. But the short rides fit well with my workday -- calls and edits in the morning, writing late afternoon and evening. Today's 13.5-mile rt shopping trip was extended by a very annoying, sealant-splashing nail puncture, though I ramped up the strenuousness on the way home with 4 miles in the hooks against a stiff southerly headwind beating against full rear panniers; 70" gear; I have yet to capitulate and shift to the sissy 63" Dingle gear, let alone the 54" flipside 22 t freewheel.

I am glad to say that I put considerably more miles on my bikes than on my car; tho' this is less impressive than it might be because, apart from my daughter, I drive an average of about 50 miles a month -- much procrastinated, and much hated Big Box Shopping trips (Costco, Target, True Value or Home Depot); occasional drives to church when it's dark or wet and I don't feel like riding; a few social events, though I manage to arrange even some of these at nearby (= walkable) eateries).

[Craig Montgomery]

Feeling like a Christmas slug all day so on 12/25 I made a little trip to Walgreens for some Rose bubbly wine and a canvas mounted photo for a gift to my riding buddy. High cumulus clouds. Temps in the 50's. Snow covered mountains. English wool sweater and knickers. 3 whole miles round trip on a 3 speed English Club machine. It was glorious. 

Craig in Tucson

On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 12:01:09 PM UTC-7, Joe Bernard wrote:

[Drw]

Thanks for the reminder. For my current life, anything over 10 miles would take some planning and negotiation with the partner. It can get depressing feeling. Good to know others are also squeezing the smaller joys too.

[John McClusky]

I agree. Errands are a great way to get pedaling out in the fresh air. Most of mine range from 6-8 miles ( hardware, grocery, the occassional doctor appt). Even my commute is only about 8-10 miles of riding on a Brompton broken up with a train ride. All these rides start and end on our gravel river trail where I constantly spot eagles, falcons cranes, goats grazing (to reduce fire hazard), and the construction of a fish ladder to aid salmon spawning. The mundane often turns magical on these short rides.

John
Niles, CA

[John McClusky]

I also get to appreciate that these rides keep one more car off the road. I wish our communities had more of that relief, seems cleaner and healthier.

John

[Joe Bernard]

I had about 90 minutes available to me today and shopping to do so out I went on my eClem. I got my stuff, stopped at this little overlook for a bit, then moseyed on home. It's probably 5 miles total and with the e-wheel on low power, barely even qualifies as a workout. Did I care? Not today. I got errands done with sunshine on my face (briskly) and my legs were moving and it was lovely.

On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 11:01:09 AM UTC-8, Joe Bernard wrote:

[in Dallas nick]

I will also add that sometimes when I decide to go for just a short ride

I start feeling energized and often stretch a planned 10 minute ride to 30 or 40 minutes as its so nice to be moving why stop.

Paul in Dallas 

[Patrick Moore]

John: Your setting sounds delicious. Care to post some cycling wildlife photos, if you have them? And a photo of the Brompton would be nice.

Within a few hundred yards of my door I have our riverine Bosque (green gem in high desert landscape), very rideable -- if you have fat tires for sand -- with hawks, ducks, geese, and herons, not to mention small game and plenty of urban coyotes.

Patrick "Just Walk" Moore, tired and busy, and it's cold and wet and windy, so walked (briskly!) ~1.5 errand miles instead of riding.

On Fri, Dec 27, 2019 at 11:56 PM John McClusky <john.m...@sjsu.edu> wrote:

I agree.  Errands are a great way to get pedaling out in the fresh air.  Most of mine range from 6-8 miles ( hardware, grocery, the occassional doctor appt).  Even my commute is only about 8-10 miles of riding on a Brompton broken up with a train ride.  All these rides start and end on our gravel river trail where I constantly spot eagles, falcons cranes, goats grazing (to reduce fire hazard), and the construction of a fish ladder to aid salmon spawning.  The mundane often turns magical on these short rides

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum