Who'd like to do a 500 mile biking challenge with me?

I bought a bicycle last week with the intent of commuting to work whenever the weather's decent. So far I've got 18.8 miles on it (I have a little odometer for it). While it's not one of the higher calorie-burning activities, it's still exercise, it's "green" (i.e. no gasoline expenditure), and it's a great way to just get moving.

When I was a kid, I flipped over my old odometer at 10,000 miles. While I don't anticipate the same amount of free time in the summer to be exploring every side-road in the county, I figure I'll still be racking up the mileage riding to work and back (10 miles round trip), and any biking I do on the weekends, and 500 miles should be fairly attainable.

Stationary-cyclists welcome too!

--Janis

I'm in!!!!! I won't be doing much riding til it gets a little warmer here. I've been spinning, but really can't get an estimate of mileage from those classes. I guess let me know if you need everyone to start logging miles right away, cuz there's no way I'm going out in the SNOW I see from my window.

I Would Love To Be In Too! I Dug Out My Old Mountain Bike Spiffed It Up A Bit And Now All I Need Is The Motivation. I've Done A Couple Of 5.5 Mile Trips In The Morning Before Work And That Fits Right Into My Schedule. I Work 30 Miles From Home So I Doubt I Will Be Biking To Work Or Logging Quite That Many Miles But It Sounds Like Fun Any Way. Whats The Plan Do We Log In And So Forth?

I just started a 100 miles in 100 days challenge through my work and I've been doing the majority of my mileage on my new recumbent bike. This sounds like a LOT of fun! In fact, my BF custom made a keyboard tray for my computer, so now... when I'm on line, I'm pedaling my bike! Great! Great! Great! May I join in?

Java Turtle

AKA: Mary in WV

hmmm I have bike sitting in my livingroom collecting dust... let me think this over!

I would like to join this maybe have my kids do it also, but will not be able to start until later in the week. Along with walking challenge I will be a busy girl. Kathy

Welcome all! Sure, just log it in when you feel like. I'll be tracking in my signature thing. I have a "cat-eye" odometer on my bike, which keeps track of trip mileage, trip time, average speed, and an overall odometer - it's pretty nifty. I rode into work today. Michigan - I hear you! I used to live in Rochester NY. 40 miles each way to work, and snow from October 5 until Father's Day. Blah! So now that I'm out of that, I'm going to use it to my advantage!

It's been in the 40's and windy in the morning here - which really isn't as cold as it sounds. Once you get going, you work up a sweat. My biggest obstacle is asthma, which the cold/dry air sets off. But now that I've got an inhaler, it's not an issue. (I wasn't going to get a prescription refilled just for cat allergies, but I forgot this other aspect of my mild asthma, so it's good to have.) Over the past week, the work has definitely gotten easier, riding outside. I know my average speed has gone up from 9 miles an hour to 10.7, so I'm obviously not huffing and puffing up those hills in low gear like I was.

Sure - bring the kids! If you can get them a cheap little odometer, I'm sure they'd have fun with it too! You can have them log their mileage, and teach them to read a map, all about road-safety, etc. Family fun and education for all! Unfortunately, my bicycle map has all the ice-cream stands marked out too!

So blow off the dust, and get out there and start cycling! It certainly gets easier, once you get back into it. My butt's still sore, but I'm assured that will go away once I get into shape and start putting more of the weight on my legs (doing the work) instead of sitting all my weight on the seat. (Not to mention if you lose weight, that'll help too).

--Janis

Hi Janis!

I'm in!

I ride my recumbent stationary bike every other day and have a record of my miles for March - 81 miles with 3 more 60-min workouts to go. Not bad for being 340lbs and having been a sometimes-exerciser!

I'll start logging my miles for April here.

Yay for biking! :-)

We've got a sunny day here in MI today. I just got home from spinning, but I think I might get out on the road after the neice and nephew get picked up! I'm sure it'll be a little chilly, but if nothing else being out in the sun will make me happy!

Hi everyone!

I'd love to join this challenge!

My husband and I have mountain bikes and try to ride every weekend, though because of work and other commitments, we only go for about an hour and it's been less frequent than we'd like. But I have recorded our time and distance since January and we are getting faster and thus going a bit farther in the same amount of time.

I take spinning classes occasionally and may see if I can adjust the stride length on my pedometer in order to get an estimate of my distance per class. Sometimes I ride a stationary or recumbant bike at the gym, but I strongly prefer outdoor cycling, so most of my challenge miles will be from my rides with hubby.

Yay! Another reason to push hubby out of bed early in the morning on the weekend! I will track my miles in my signature. If no one has any objection, I'd like to add my miles from the four rides we've taken since January (yeah, off to a very slow start ...)

Well, no ride outside. I've got 2 flats, and an suv full of car seats so I'm going to take hubbys tonight and get those tires filled. Maybe it'll be nice again tomorrow. Either way I've got another spin class in the morning. Wish there was a way to figure how many miles those add up to!

No problem - add on wherever you want to start from. It was a beautiful 60 degrees today! I like getting out in the sun too - being outside enjoying the sun before and after work makes the day seem to go by faster. I think I don't get enough sun, personally, and it makes me irritable. It's definitely helping with the seasonal depression! Also, it seems to be the kind of different exercise/shock my body needed to get off my plateau. I'm down another lb - yay!

--Janis

Wouldn't that be great to see how many "miles" you go during a spin class? Regular stationary bikes tell you that; why can't the spin bikes??

I tried something this morning that might work. I lowered the stride length on my pedometer and clipped it onto my sock, inside against my calf. I pedaled on a stationary bike at the gym for about 5 minutes, then compared the mileage on my pedometer with the mileage on the bike and it was fairly close. I adjusted the stride length again and got closer. I want to try it again next time I'm at the gym just to see. Then I'll wear the pedometer during spin class to get an estimate of my miles.

Went about 5 miles on the stationary bike in 20 minutes, but think I will begin recording that April 1, separate from my outdoor miles.

Janis, congrats on losing another pound! Hope it continues and you're off your plateau.

Well, I guess go with however you feel you can keep track of mileage.

Unfortunately (for me) my pedaling rate is constantly changing. When I'm on a hill, I use a lower gear, which means I'm pedaling more for less distance. And then there are the hills I coast down where I'm not pedaling at all (still adds distance) so I'm not sure how the stationary/spin bikes calculate mileage given all the factors that go into a "real" road course, as mileage would be calculated by the circumference of the wheel, rather than the resistance/speed/pedaling, etc.

But, this is more about doing the exercise and having a measurable goal, so do whatever works for you!

I'm so happy! I found a "short-cut" around that steep hill in my route that made me get off and walk. There's a dirt truck-path that goes around it over an out-cropping next to the interstate highway - probably for highway maintenance/lawn-mowers or something - VERY far away from the highway/road, and up about 50 feet. But it's a very mild hill, and goes right around the big one I was taking on the roads. The only catch is it's a dirt path through a grassy field - so it's a good thing I got a hybrid bike after all! But it's a mild enough incline that I don't need to get off the bike to do it. I wish there was a nice dirt-path the whole way along the interstate - then I wouldn't have to bother with traffic at all! (I live directly off of one exit, and work directly off the next one 5 miles away).

--Janis

Yeah, I've thought about that too. I suspect stationary bikes use a formula based on the rider's RPM and resistance. I figure if I can get the pedometer to match the stationary bike, it's at least a rough estimate. Though I don't know why I'm concerned as I don't take spin classes very often, usually only when I miss my weekly outside ride.