General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Bike commuters - Do you count your miles? Rss Feed  
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2014-06-09 10:32 PM

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Subject: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
I could have sworn this was posted before, but couldn't find it. Or I didn't do a decent job of searching.

Question for the bike commuters out there - Do you count your commute miles in your totals? I can see it either way. Not really junk miles, but on my ride to and from work I'm not on a Sunday beach cruise either.

I'm able to ride my bike 2-3 times per week at about 15 miles round trip. I usually pack a fair amount of gear as well. Backpack with a laptop, panniers with shower stuff and work clothes and a thermos full of coffee, lunch, etc., etc., etc.

Thoughts?


2014-06-09 10:38 PM
in reply to: #5009851

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Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
2014-06-10 6:16 AM
in reply to: phyre_cyclone

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Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
I did a good job of commuting a few days a week for a couple weeks in a row. I have a surly crosscheck with a rack that I don't mind leaving at the bike rack outside, but I did take my tri bike a couple of times and get in a longer ride on the way home. I just brought all my stuff the day before and brought my bike up to my cube instead of leaving it on the rack. It feels more like a real ride that way. Even when I take my surly it just has my clothes and lunch on the rack.... all my shower stuff stays at work.

I wanted to ride today but its going to rain off and on with evening t-storms. I'm not sure how Ifeel about leaving a bike on a rack in the rain all day and tIprefer not to mess with thunder and lightning.
2014-06-10 7:51 AM
in reply to: phyre_cyclone

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St Catharines, Ontario
Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
Originally posted by phyre_cyclone

I could have sworn this was posted before, but couldn't find it. Or I didn't do a decent job of searching.

Question for the bike commuters out there - Do you count your commute miles in your totals? I can see it either way. Not really junk miles, but on my ride to and from work I'm not on a Sunday beach cruise either.

I'm able to ride my bike 2-3 times per week at about 15 miles round trip. I usually pack a fair amount of gear as well. Backpack with a laptop, panniers with shower stuff and work clothes and a thermos full of coffee, lunch, etc., etc., etc.

Thoughts?


I would get virtually no bike miles if I didn't count my commute. But then I am only aiming to do sprint events. They are better then junk miles IMHO. I am carrying about 15lbs of weight in my pack and riding for about 45 minutes in the day. That done 3 times a week (at a decent effort) is a good contribution to my weekly training.
2014-06-10 8:00 AM
in reply to: phyre_cyclone

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Exton, PA
Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
I commute 4 to 6 days a month on my road bike, have good hills to work with a 25lb back pack. 12.4 miles one way, so yes I count them. They are not junk miles for me, not the same as hard training miles but good base miles for sure.
2014-06-10 8:34 AM
in reply to: mike761


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Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
if you are asking whether you should, what does it matter whether people count them or not? do what works for you.


2014-06-10 8:39 AM
in reply to: phyre_cyclone

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Montague Gold Mines, Nova Scotia
Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
I definitely include my commuting miles; right now that's about all the training I'm doing

My first ride on a geared bike this year (I commute on a fixed gear) and it was a solid ride. While it is not ideal, there is no reason why your commute cannot add to your overall training load and certainly doesn't need to be junk miles. It is rare that I will commute at an easy effort but instead will do some of the following during my 10km commute:

1) Warm up for about 5 minutes then TT effort the rest of the way (I have a couple of Strava segments that include these);
2) 5 minutes easy then 30s hard/30s easy for the remainder
3) Attack all hills
4) Strong over the top and down the hill
5) 5 minutes easy then 3:00 hard/2:00 easy
6) Bus stop fartleks (hard from bus stop to next bus stop, then easy to the next bus stop, repeat)
7) Chase down all cyclists
8) Commute TT - similar to 1 but no warmup, just going for the best time door to door

Shane
2014-06-10 8:46 AM
in reply to: phyre_cyclone

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Guilford, CT
Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
My thought is that you should focus on your overall training load and getting the required work done to improve and not accumulating miles as a goal.

Accumulating miles is just a byproduct of doing work on the bike. It is not really a great goal and not all miles are created equal.

That being said, I would count them. Everything counts. You are accumulating training stress every time you pedal your bike.
2014-06-10 8:49 AM
in reply to: phyre_cyclone


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Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
I count them. When I bike to work, it's 23 km each way being almost all uphill going home plus I'm carrying a bag full of stuff.
2014-06-10 9:51 AM
in reply to: phyre_cyclone

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Expert
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Madison, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
Originally posted by phyre_cyclone

I could have sworn this was posted before, but couldn't find it. Or I didn't do a decent job of searching.

Question for the bike commuters out there - Do you count your commute miles in your totals? I can see it either way. Not really junk miles, but on my ride to and from work I'm not on a Sunday beach cruise either.

I'm able to ride my bike 2-3 times per week at about 15 miles round trip. I usually pack a fair amount of gear as well. Backpack with a laptop, panniers with shower stuff and work clothes and a thermos full of coffee, lunch, etc., etc., etc.

Thoughts?


Why wouldn't you? Its adding to your volume.
2014-06-10 9:56 AM
in reply to: JAYCT

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Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?

Originally posted by JAYCT My thought is that you should focus on your overall training load and getting the required work done to improve and not accumulating miles as a goal. Accumulating miles is just a byproduct of doing work on the bike. It is not really a great goal and not all miles are created equal. That being said, I would count them. Everything counts. You are accumulating training stress every time you pedal your bike.

That's pretty much like my thinking. I don't bike commute, but I would count them if I did while also being sure to note how the miles were ridden. Just like I would with any other time on the bike.



2014-06-10 10:54 AM
in reply to: phyre_cyclone

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Carlsbad, California
Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?

I commuted about 2,000 miles last year on my bike and found that commutes are an excellent time to get in a good workout. I have 30, 40, 50 and 60 mile routes to work as well as some awesome hills (When needed) but also a nice very fast flat direct route (27 miles) filled with plenty of other cyclists to mix it up with.

I not only count these miles, I COUNT ON These miles as part of my race training.

At the end of the Summer, I had taken 6 minutes off of my 40k bike time AND 11 minutes off of my marathon time. Something was working for sure AND my morning/afternoon bike miles were a part of the training.

Will be doing much of the same this season....

2014-06-10 11:05 AM
in reply to: WaterDog66

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Alpharetta, Georgia
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Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?

My bike commute is just under 2 miles door-to-door. I ride my vintage Bianchi 1984 steel road bike.
And yes I count those miles

2014-06-10 1:01 PM
in reply to: ultramike

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Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?

I count them, it's a 30 mile round trip, a few hills, and a nice chance to get my head down and ride.  I have the ability to leave all my gear in the office and don't have to carry anything, so I can really push and ride both ways the same as I would a training ride.

 

2014-06-10 1:10 PM
in reply to: dewybuck

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Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
15 Miles one way for me, and yes I count the miles.
2014-06-10 1:15 PM
in reply to: phyre_cyclone

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Madison, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
Here is a way to put it why you should count the volume and often overlooked.

When commuting you are putting a physical stress on your body. If you ignore this time and not count it to your activity load you are neglecting what your training load is. All training puts a stress on your body and you should consider that when planning out your weeks and how much truing volume your body can absorb before it reaches its maximal load.


2014-06-10 1:25 PM
in reply to: gsmacleod

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Subject: RE: Bike commuters - Do you count your miles?
Originally posted by gsmacleod

I definitely include my commuting miles; right now that's about all the training I'm doing



Ditto!
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