CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Mileages for 2011

(27 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Arellcat
  • Latest reply from Greenroofer
  • This topic is not a support question
  • poll:
    Hey, I just ride my bike. : (10 votes)
    59 %
    I did 6000 miles, but they were all on the turbo. : (0 votes)
    I think we should have more polls. : (4 votes)
    24 %
    I didn't vote because I was too busy cycling. : (3 votes)
    18 %

    15 votes


  1. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Well folks, there are three and a bit hours left of Twenty-eleven, and I've hung up thrown on the floor my bike jacket and shoes for another year, or at least until Monday. According to my odometers, by the power of my own lungs and muscles I notched up 2615 miles this year.

    Of my total:

    • 32% of the miles were on my little black recumbent, which was actually broken until July.
    • 18% were ridden on the monstrousbike.
    • 46% were ridden on my Brompton, a good proportion of which involved Haymarket and not making cycle reservations. :-D

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. Greenroofer
    Member

    At the start of December my odometer was at 4,850-ish, and there was a realistic chance that it would reach the round 5,000 for the last trip of the year on 30 December, which was quite pleasing.

    It didn't. What with one thing and another I didn't quite make it, and the odometer will start the new year at 4,978, which is a little annoying. (But not so annoying that I could be bothered to go on a special 22-mile ride to sort it out.)

    My annual mileage is pretty much the same as Arellcat. I'd say...

    • 95% along the towpath from Morningside to the west and back
    • 99.9% done on my only bike
    • 0.1% done on my wife's bike, with the saddle too low, which left me with severe leg pain for 48 hours afterwards

    Two hours and one minute left to go...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. wingpig
    Member

    I am 73 miles away from my bikes so shall not be getting a chance to increase my odometer reading beyond 7,482.9. The accuracy of the 3,614.95 since the 3,867.95 achieved by removing the first week of the year's subtotal of 75.65 from the 3,943.6 stated by the odometer at the same time (after I forgot to take a reading at the turn of the year) (which is a very patchy subsection of the total since I bought that computer after the previous one was rendered inoperable (but not inoperative) by the washing machine) is not great seeing as I had to make a calculated guess at what my year-to-date total was after I lost the computer I started the year with somewhere down Bruntsfield Place and had to generate a number to put into the new computer, though I tried to be conservative. Add on a few hundred for the yet-computerless other bike. I mostly remembered to wear the computer, only omitting the odd second-section of commutes-home when I failed to re-insert it into the holder after sticking it in the pocket whilst in a shop.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Touring / audax / commutebike computer has 8,443 miles on the clock. Road / timetrial bike has 948 miles on the clock (it only inherited its unique computer half way through the year, during a bar reconfiguration session).

    So something like 9,391 miles on the clock and dunno how many on the singlespeed or when I forgot to plug the computer in.

    I was informed today that "citizen cyclists" don't count how many miles they cycle. Apparently someone invented some rules and has made it their goal in life to judge everyone by them, regardless how much doublethink is in their "arguments". So there we go. No it didn't irk me one bit. But it turns out we're all putting off the seething masses from jumping on their bikes by taking an interest in how far we go. We're all allowed to ride €2,000 cargo bikes though, apparently they don't count as cycle-specific bikes. The rest of us have to go back to wooden rims and rod brakes, because it was good enough for us 175 years ago, so it should be good enough for us now. Oh and we're not allowed antibiotics either, because high childhood mortality was good enough for us 175 years ago, so it should be good enough for us now. Unless you own a Bullit cargo bike and an expensive jacket, in which case you can have all the antibiotics and disc brakes you want.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. Roibeard
    Member

    @Kaputnik - WOW! I consider our car mileage low, but that's easily in the same range.

    You're worth about 9 of me and 204 UK average cyclists!

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4698#post-50050

    *removes hat with a flourish*

    Robert

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    "9,391 miles"

    That's just excessive.

    That's not 'transport', you must have been enjoying yourself.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. Roibeard
    Member

    That's not 'transport', you must have been enjoying yourself.

    I swung the other way in 2011 - I've always considered myself just a commuter and looked at those that cycled for fun as a bit odd (actually anyone that exercised for fun was a bit odd).

    Whilst anyone that goes to the gym for fun remains odd, I appear to have done some 2011 mileage for recreation...

    Botheration. I appear to have become a recreational cyclist (whilst retaining the utility badge). Surely this is the wrong direction? Is it not more usual to hope that recreational cyclists (annual mileage, 46) become utility cyclists?

    Robert

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. amir
    Member

    Roibeard, with a bike like yours, there has to be a considerable fun element!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. crowriver
    Member

    Hmm. Wasn't it Copenhagenize who coined the term 'Citizen Cyclist'?

    I thought it was just about 'wear what you like on your bike' ie. you don't have to wear lycra, you can cycle i a suit or ordinary clothes. Didn't realise there was a specification to be a cargonista.

    I suppose I fit the profile of predominantly utility cyclist, with the occasional bit of leisure riding thrown in. I don't own an MTB nor a 'proper' road racing bike. I don't even have a 'proper' tourer though I've two hybrids which fulfil that role. I do now own a (sub €1000 value) cargo bike.

    My mileages are relatively modest: in any case I only have a computer on the hybrid, which used to be my sole bike a couple of years ago. I haven't got round to fitting computers on my other bikes as yet. The folder has probably done about the same miles as the hybrid over the past year: around 1300 (without checking that's a vague recollection). My other bikes have done quite a bit less than that, being recent acquisitions and fairly lightly used so far. So the total is probably around 2900 miles across all the bikes I have ridden in the past year.

    I don't have a problem with cycling enthusiasts: by definition, I am one myself. After all, without enthusiasts there would be no LBS, no CTC, no Spokes.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. amir
    Member

    6126 miles in 2011, split fairly evenly over 3 bikes.

    33 miles so far in 2012. Nice ride this am: Aberlady, Yak, Haddington, Pencaitland, Fordel. Bit tough against stiff breeze on way back but swept the cobwebs away.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. Uberuce
    Member

    I've got catching up to do; only on 16, although that's a Google Earth tracing so will be a bit higher.

    Took a wee run round the standing stones and a ruined fort in the area, or at least intended to. It turns out they encase the really good stones in boxes to keep the frost from damaging the intricate Celtic carvings. The fort was apparently surrounded by a nae-kidding fence clearly intended to keep people out, which baffled me till I saw the radio/microwave/something relay on the same hill, at which point I abandoned the fort-spotting in case it was something MoD-ish and nationally secure. There weren't any signs anywhere, which I took to be a bad....urm...sign. Google Earth later showed me if I'd just carried on skirting the fenced off bit I'd have got there, but hey ho. The last stone on the tour was up someone's driveway right in front of their house, and since it didn't look that shiny, I couldn't be bothered asking the resident's permission to snap it. I know I don't legally need to, but my Mamma raised me better than that.

    It was a pretty good day for it. Wonderfully quiet up Finavon Hill, with the only sound being my raspy breathing and grouse. Who are LOUD.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. DaveC
    Member

    I don't have a permanant computer on my bike and only occationally use the eTrek GPS resetting as it keps the tracks etc... (I have on n the garage which I aim to fit to the Dawes)

    I've logged a few rides this year (MapMyRide says ~600miles) but I would guess its perhaps nearer double that as I've commuted quite a lot more than I've logged, as its a faff on the phone getting a GPS signal turning on the software etc..

    My last ride of the year was a nice 46 mile ride up to Milnathort, over to Dollar and back home through Saline and Crossford and Rosyth. I started the year (well New Years eve 2010) doing a 30 mile ride on a borrowed bike - the first long ride since I was a teenager commuting to and from work which had me dead on my feet. I've struggled with anything over 40 miles this year but slowly I'm getting the hang of this riding longer than to work and back (32 miles rtn) in one go. In fact so much so that yesterday I really enjoyed the ride even right to the end! My goal for this year is to attempt (and complete) an Audax 200, perhaps 300 by the end of the year.

    Dave C

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. steveo
    Member

    I didn't bother counting because I'm far too cool to be bothering with the fact I did about 3k this year, its nothing to do with the fact my good computer went under the wheels of a bus and I've never gotten round to fitting the cheap one...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. ruggtomcat
    Member

    I think about 6000km, but I may be underestimating, much prefer cycling without a bike computer. My new years resolution is to train more, so hopefully should do some longer rides.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. druidh
    Member

    Just under 10,000km over the year. I doubt I'll match that in 2012 as I intend spending a lot more time off-road.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. crowriver
    Member

    Apparently the 'average' Scot travels a mighty 30 miles per year on a bicycle.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. Uberuce
    Member

    That's about 65% of the UK average, although I wonder if it's from the same source as the 46 per year figure we saw a wee while back.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  18. crowriver
    Member

    They were quoting the Grauniad, quoting a European Cyclists' Federation report, which (probably) quotes UK gov stats.

    "Increasing continent-wide cycling to Danish levels would, nonetheless, be quite an enterprise. The EU average is just under 120 miles per person per year, while in the UK it is a mere 46 miles, less than 8% of that in Denmark."
    Danes = 600 miles on average per person per year...
    Average cycle mileage in Scotland = 5% of Denmark.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/dec/12/cycle-like-danes-cut-emissions

    Never mind, at least we Scots are good at getting fat:

    "Of all 12 countries considered, Scotland has the second highest obesity rates, with the US at the top of the list. The overall UK figure is 23%, 1.5% lower than in Scotland. There are 16.9% more obese adults in Scotland than in Norway, which had the lowest rates of obesity among the countries considered."

    That was in 2007, using figures for 2003. Since then it's got better/worse, depending upon whether you think being chubby is a good thing or not... Scotland is now 4% ahead of England in the fatty stakes, on 27% obese, second only to the Land Of The Fat, the USA. Denmark is trailing on 11.4% obesity, Netherlands 11.8%, Norway 10%, and Switzerland a frugal 8.1%.

    "In 2009 68% of men and 61% of women aged 16 or over were overweight or obese. There has been a steady increase in prevalence of overweight and obesity among both sexes since 1995. Most recent figures indicate that obesity prevalence increased with age - peaking amongst men aged 55-64 and women aged 65-74.

    Drivers: (sic)
    Income (men with higher household incomes but women with lower household incomes are likely to be overweight/obese).
    Low physical activity levels."

    http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/03/08104505/9
    http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/03/17104639/1
    http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/international/

    It may just be a coincidence, but there's an uncanny correlation between the percentage of Scots who are overweight and the percentage who drive regularly.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  19. Uberuce
    Member

    BMI is extremely easy to measure, so I don't dispute those figures, much as I sniff at it as a former weightsy lifty person. Used to be on a BMI of 32, back when I could squat more than Chris Hoy. Glory days....*drinks whisky and looks sad*

    What I'm poking at, in the manner of a wee boy with jellyfish on a beach, is how they measured the miles per year. I tried counting up my miles for this thread, but gave up because my error bars were unacceptably high; in the absence of an odometer, I just dunno, and I'm presumably more attentive to that than your *erects Kap-shelter* citizen cyclist.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  20. gembo
    Member

    Approx 2500 miles to and from work and approx 1000 miles for work [equals £250 - probably overestimate]. Approx 1000 miles for fun. Used to do approx 5000 miles just to and from work so going down since the office moved nearer the house. Sorry to approximate as I had a computer but it was nicked in Leith.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  21. Smudge
    Member

    2,421.25 miles on the computers last year (roughly ;-))

    Haven't done the percentages, but 189.67 on the folding bike approx 1,400 on the Surly LHT and and the remaining approx 800 on my road(ish) bike.

    Also a couple of turbo sessions where I don't count the "miles" and a couple of trips on the MTB last winter, dunno what distance though!

    Hoping to increase that over the coming year (though Smudge Jnr may put paid to that plan!) and my resolution is to try to put in at least one "proper" turbo session per week over the wintry season to try to build some power/speed :-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  22. Stepdoh
    Member

    I only fitted the computer in Feb, but my last little trip down to Ocean Terminal to for some New Year supplies got me to 2546.4 miles. Don't think I'll make it to 3,000 for the 12 months to Feb (have 442 miles to go)!

    Did forget my computer quite a few times, so have done a bit more, but know that doesn't count. Nearly all commuting.

    Resolutely non-citizen cyclist.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  23. Stepdoh
    Member

    @Uberuce Always find the BMIs on people who lift heavy weights hilarious, even a fairly ripped low fat lifter can tip themselves into obese. (in past times I used to go the the gym quite a bit and wasn't all leg like I am now :) )

    Posted 12 years ago #

  24. Uberuce
    Member

    I'm probably still 'overweight' now. At my 178cm I only need to be 80kg to sneak into 25...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  25. Stepdoh
    Member

    Guess like most other measurements it's a 'one size fits most' job, and not really designed for the outliers.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  26. riffian
    Member

    My cpu broke a few years ago on the 'work bike'. I keep a weekly estimate of mileage. Given 95% is the same route start and end point each weekday it's probably roughly about right. I did about 4200km for 2011 plus maybe 500km on the 'best bike'.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  27. Greenroofer
    Member

    Well today on the way home the odometer went over the 5,000 mark that it annoying just missed before the end of 2011.

    To achieve this by 4 January I had to bike to work today and yesterday. Yesterday, in particular, was 'interesting' in the morning. Today was just unpleasant, and a reminder why sensible people sometimes take the bus.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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