New Years Resolution: how many miles?

[Mikey]

I know we are a few weeks out but I was thinking about how many miles I plan to do next year and thought it would be interesting to see how many as a group we plan to do.

Starting in 2008 I told myself I would ride 2500 miles, but I pulled a little under 300 by the end of the year. The next2 years I promised myself 2000 miles, and reached a little over 500 and a little under 900 respectively. Last year, I jumped in with both feet, left the car at home and hit 2207 miles. 2012 was a nice year and I should hit 4500 miles some time next week, before going on christmas break.

My goal for 2013 is 5000 miles.

Topic

[eminva]

I am really impressed with all of y’all’s big plans. I forgot one of mine; reminded by another thread:

I need to HTFU and learn how to ride in a group, or paceline, or whatever people who ride in groups do. I need to figure out how to find the right shop ride or group ride (I fear this may involve a Goldilocks-type odyssey). As a commuter this is not a skill I have developed at all, but I understand this is the way you need to roll for the Total 200.

Liz

[Tim Kelley]

@eminva 37721 wrote:

As a commuter this is not a skill I have developed at all, but I understand this is the way you need to roll for the Total 200.

If you don’t find a shop to practice with, you could just ride at the front of the group for T200…

[eminva]

@Tim Kelley 37723 wrote:

If you don’t find a shop to practice with, you could just ride at the front of the group for T200…

I think I’m already doing this on my commute some days!

But if that’s the way it goes at the T200, all those other people might need to be ready for a substantial dropoff in the pace as I get weary.

Liz

[FFX_Hinterlands]

@Dirt 37589 wrote:

My goals for 2013:
1) More dirt, less road — I’ll still do most of my miles on the road, but I’d to balance it out a bit more.
b) Plenty of mountain bike tandem mayhem. Gotta build the damn thing first.

Dirt, any idea if the FFX Cross County Trail is rideable all the way? You’ve done most of it, haven’t you? Thinking of an idea for a FABB ride… It’s 40 miles or so from Occoquan to Great Falls… hmmm…

[culimerc]

@eminva 37721 wrote:

I am really impressed with all of y’all’s big plans. I forgot one of mine; reminded by another thread:

I need to HTFU and learn how to ride in a group, or paceline, or whatever people who ride in groups do. I need to figure out how to find the right shop ride or group ride (I fear this may involve a Goldilocks-type odyssey). As a commuter this is not a skill I have developed at all, but I understand this is the way you need to roll for the Total 200.

Liz

The Bike Lane in Reston does a womens ride on Saturday mornings, I think.

[eminva]

@culimerc 37728 wrote:

The Bike Lane in Reston does a womens ride on Saturday mornings, I think.

They do, and that was the one and only shop ride I have ever been on. Part of the challenge is to discipline myself to make time for it, because that was before Thanksgiving and there has been a conflict every Saturday morning since then (have both elderly and younger family members to deal with on the weekends, but that’s life).

Because I was so new at it, I liked the pace because I was still trying to remember to say “Car Back” and all that stuff. However, as I get more accustomed to riding with a group, I might find that I would like to go at a faster pace and I’m not sure what the ettiquete is about finding the perfectly paced group of cycling companions. I wouldn’t want to slow down a faster group so I’m not inclined to try one. Although they could just drop me; I’ve got an iPhone and the map feature sorta works.

Liz

[KelOnWheels]

I’m at about 700 miles for the year

Next year I’d like to hit 3000, I think. That seems like a nice number. (If I commute 4 times a week I’ll break 4000.)

I hope I will have a new bike soon.

I am also terrible at hills and want to get over my fear of descents

(Here is my hill. http://app.strava.com/segments/700156 )

I want to do a scary challenge like a century or double.

I want to learn to mountain bike.

I think in 2014 I might like to investigate cyclocross. How DOES one get started in ‘cross?

I had more things to say but I’m coming down with a cold and my brains are all floaty.

Oh! Group rides. I would like to learn those.

And I want to participate more in Local Bike Things.

And wrenching.

Also I still need some new shorts.

[txgoonie]

@eminva 37729 wrote:

Because I was so new at it, I liked the pace because I was still trying to remember to say “Car Back” and all that stuff. However, as I get more accustomed to riding with a group, I might find that I would like to go at a faster pace and I’m not sure what the ettiquete is about finding the perfectly paced group of cycling companions. I wouldn’t want to slow down a faster group so I’m not inclined to try one. Although they could just drop me; I’ve got an iPhone and the map feature sorta works.

Liz

Would be good to join Potomac Pedalers. They have rides at every level, so as you improve, you can graduate to the next faster group.

2013 will be my first year competing, so I’m going to working on my group riding a lot, too.

[jabberwocky]

@KelOnWheels 37730 wrote:

I want to learn to mountain bike.

I’ll be leading some casual/beginner MTB rides in the spring. I’ll try and remember to post them here for anyone who is interested in giving it a try. I even have a few extra bikes I can loan out.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@KelOnWheels 37730 wrote:

I want to do a scary challenge like a century or double.

You should check out the CASA River Century. It’s one of the first centuries of the main riding season (mid-May) and is pretty easy (2.8k-ish feet of climbing) without being one of those Eastern Shore flat-as-a-pancake centuries. It’s up in Shepherdstown, WV, which is a lovely area and a great place to spend the weekend. I thought it was really well supported and made a great first century for me and was a good way to kick off the riding season.

[KayakCyndi]

Goal for 2013 — 3500 miles. I’m just about at 3000 for 2012 and while that included a lovely week long bike tour it also was only about half time commuting combined with a pretty ambitious kayak racing schedule.

Non-distance bike-related goals:
1. Stop lurking on the forum and post — this is post one so I can say one resolution accomplished!
2. Commute through winter. I got an Ogre and can get snow tires if needed …. Will sign up for Freezing Saddles shortly.
3. Ride a Century (Ok, I guess that is distance related.

[Dirt]

@KayakCyndi 37780 wrote:

1. Stop lurking on the forum and post — this is post one so I can say one resolution accomplished!

Welcome! We’re happy to have you here and participating. We love lurkers too, but a lot of the fun of this community is the really cool mix of people posting. Enjoy!

[dcv]

@KayakCyndi 37780 wrote:

Goal for 2013 — 3500 miles. I’m just about at 3000 for 2012 and while that included a lovely week long bike tour it also was only about half time commuting combined with a pretty ambitious kayak racing schedule.

Non-distance bike-related goals:
1. Stop lurking on the forum and post — this is post one so I can say one resolution accomplished!
2. Commute through winter. I got an Ogre and can get snow tires if needed …. Will sign up for Freezing Saddles shortly.
3. Ride a Century (Ok, I guess that is distance related.

Glad to see you on the forum, we met a few weeks ago on the custis westbound. You were spotted in your BA vest even before your first post, too bad most of us aren’t like Dirt with a camera.

[Dirt]

@dcv 37792 wrote:

too bad most of us aren’t like Dirt with a camera.

I’m not even like Dirt today. I totally snoozed through a perfect photog moment this morning. That’s a photo I will NEVER (hopefully) have the chance to get again.

[dcv]

@Dirt 37799 wrote:

I’m not even like Dirt today. I totally snoozed through a perfect photog moment this morning. That’s a photo I will NEVER (hopefully) have the chance to get again.

stop teasing, what was it?

[Author]

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