Average length of spin?

a148pro

I appreciate this is a how long is a piece of string question but what kind of lengths do recreational cyclists do for a pleasure cycle?

I'm talking road bike and lycra

In my mind at least anything less than Dublin Howth isn't really a spin and kind of feels like a false start. So I think 40k is my starting point. 40k - 80k is prob my ideal recreational spin.

Anything over 100k starts to hurt. I'm trying to build myself up to do a longer one off cycle at the moment and find the bigger cycles really tire me. Absent the sense of achievement (and an occasional natural high that comes with fatigue and exercise) I don't really enjoy anything over 130k. So unless I'm doing it to get the miles up, or was doing a specific route with really good scenery, I don't think I'd choose to do this.

So I'm just wondering what other lads are doing? I assume there's some mad feckers on here who don't get anything out of a spin less than 160k, but what are the average lengths of spins most people are doing?

crosstownk

My average for this year is 60km according to Garmin. I usually get a long (for me) spin in at the weekend and one or two shorter ones during the week.

Cee-Jay-Cee

My evening spins vary from 35km to 50km depending on what time I get out and weather. Weekend spins then vary from 60 to 90km, rarely above that although I'm planning a 120km spin this weekend coming. I try to get out 4 to 5 days a week and so total mileage for the week is generally around 160 to 200kms.

I'm doing Mizen to Malin in 4 weeks time and although I don't think I'l have any problems doing it (over 5 days) I probably do need to do more distance training and get out more often but thats easier said than done.

mamax

For me it depends on the time available, some evenings during the week I'll go for a fast 30k and at weekend I'll do a slower 80k
Do what you feel is right for you

arybvtcw0eolkf

Compared to some here I'm a pussy.. I've a 40k round commute from work, then maybe 2-3 times weekly I'll take a 25k to training in Rush Fight Acedemy and back (total of 90km for that day).. However I've never attempted 90km in a single go and wouldn't even know how to prepare for it.

HobbyMan

I've recently started a training diary and it's great. I can track many things.

For the last 4 weeks my weekly K's have been:

Wk 1: 130K
Wk 2: 100K
Wk 3: 131K
Wk 4: 90k (recovery week).

My biggest spins have been 80K, 60K, 58K and 50K and my smallest 6k and 11k (when I jump on the turbo when I have a few minutes spare).

My average spin, not including the above, would be around 25-30K.

I've a nice hill planned for this morning with a total distance of 34K.

I actually do a few sprint triathlons so mega mileage is not a factor for me on the bike.

There's a 100K cycle at the end of the month which I am doing so I'll up my milage a little over the next few weeks.

Edit: I must add that I am a family man with young kids so time is definitely difficult to find.

ZiabR

My average this year was about 50km. Didnt really have the time to be going further than this with the exception of weekends.

bazermc

I am working towards the Sean Kelly tour
So the weekend just gone I did 80K, I will do 100K this coming weekend followed by the leinster loop which is 130K and the following week the SKT 160K.

a148pro

I certainly feel better to see lads aren't doing the kind of cycles that tire me as their ordinary run. I was thinking last night after I posted, iron man cycle distance is 180k, which is in theory the cycling equivalent of a marathon. Recreational runners are not going out and running marathons on a weekly basis, in fact very few would do over ten miles on a weekly basis unless they were training.

So less than 90k cycles should be quite normal I think.

bazermc

a148pro wrote: »

I certainly feel better to see lads aren't doing the kind of cycles that tire me as their ordinary run. I was thinking last night after I posted, iron man cycle distance is 180k, which is in theory the cycling equivalent of a marathon. Recreational runners are not going out and running marathons on a weekly basis, in fact very few would do over ten miles on a weekly basis unless they were training.

So less than 90k cycles should be quite normal I think.

Grrrrrr dont compare a particular run to a particualar cycle.

Cycling is cycling, end of story.

ZiabR

bazermc wrote: »

Grrrrrr dont compare a particular run to a particualar cycle.

Cycling is cycling, end of story.

Would agree here, the two cannot be compared.

rainbow kirby

Generally a weekday cycle would be between 20 and 45-50km depending on how much time I have, how much sport is on TV and how much available daylight there is!

rab!dmonkey

HobbyMan wrote: »

I've recently started a training diary and it's great. I can track many things.

I read this line and I had to check the date of your post: it sounds like a message from ten or so years ago. We've got apps for that kind of thing now.

Also, please note that 'K' is the symbol for kelvin. Some weather you've been having!

QueensGael

a148pro wrote: »

I'm trying to build myself up to do a longer one off cycle at the moment

What are you training towards? It might be easier for people to give you advice if you're more specific about your objective

a148pro

I want to do Dublin - Connemara, think its about 260k, scenic route

Can do 120k comfortably but anything more is unpleasant. Doable but unpleasant. But from experience building up to the 120k (and from experience running) if you do a particular distance with pain once, by the fourth time you've done it within a reasonable period its a lot easier. My first 80k of the year was prob as bad as a 120k now.

I know you can't compare running per se to cycling, but you can try and compare relative levels of endurance / tolerance. And I know a lot more about running than I do about cycling, so I've a larger sample size to compare it. I don't think its a bad analogy.

Ole Rodrigo

Dublin to Leenane is about 280 km. I've cycled over that way a few times. Its nice and flat, but the scenery through the midlands is quite dull, especially if its raining. It picks up after Athenry.

Best thing you can do for long spins is build up your distance gradually. More imprtantly, spend some time in the saddle as often as possible as this will toughen up your skin and prevent saddle sores.

zindicato

it depends on the weather and how your feeling that day really and how welll rested you are prior to your spins, normal spins for me when i go out is 130 to 160km and once every month or so 200+km, did 5 night shifts after a year of not doing them last day, after one day of rest decided to go to arklow from dublin the next day around 150-160 km which is my normal flat route spin it was just horrible coming back from Arklow wasnt bonking or anything its just that i couldnt push myself, normally i would only need one coffee/ lunch break for this spin and no energy gels needed but on this one i took 4 breaks and they were proper breaks now and everytime that i step off the bike my joints were aching.

Saddle time is the most important thing, build up your hours and extend your distances without taking breaks, practice eating on the bike,vary your routes so that you dont get bored , and good rest afterwards:-) also what i find that motivates me is to go with the ol veterans/ fast guys as it pushes me to do my best and try routes that they have told me:-)

a148pro

ror_74 wrote: »

It picks up after Athenry.

Small consolation given how far from Dublin Athenry is! TBH this is the reason I was taking a more southerly route, read a few posts online and a route from Monasterevin across to Birr and up came recommended. Could add maybe 30k to the most direct route but if the scenery was better I think its worth it.

Ole Rodrigo

a148pro wrote: »

Small consolation given how far from Dublin Athenry is! TBH this is the reason I was taking a more southerly route, read a few posts online and a route from Monasterevin across to Birr and up came recommended. Could add maybe 30k to the most direct route but if the scenery was better I think its worth it.

I guess so. Personally I'd go straight cos I hate back tracking. Its not all that bad - some Seba on the headphones takes the edges off

Actually around Loughrea isn't too bad at all. I haven't cycled around Monasterevin. Think I was around Birr though. Meh...much of a muchness.