What's a "Long Ride"

rdk said:

I was just wondering - when you're heading out the gate thinking that its a lovely day to go for a long ride, what distance do you have in mind.
I went for a long ride today: 70 km (ie 44 miles). For me, my long rides are 50 km +, longish rides 40 km+, short rides <35 kms.

What about anyone else?

80 km or better is a long ride for me,but I also live in a mountainous area. Sometimes I go as little as 20 km's in the evenings after work.

rdk said:

I was just wondering - when you're heading out the gate thinking that its a lovely day to go for a long ride, what distance do you have in mind.
I went for a long ride today: 70 km (ie 44 miles). For me, my long rides are 50 km +, longish rides 40 km+, short rides <35 kms.

What about anyone else?

A long ride for me is 50plus miles. I live in a area with pretty good size rolling hills though. If on the flats 60plus is long.

Long ride: 50 plus miles
When the weather is good I try to ride at least 12 miles every day after work.
The long rides are 2-3 times a week.
Now, however, I'm inside by the fire watching TV. The return of the light is only 6 days away!

rdk said:

I was just wondering - when you're heading out the gate thinking that its a lovely day to go for a long ride, what distance do you have in mind.
I went for a long ride today: 70 km (ie 44 miles). For me, my long rides are 50 km +, longish rides 40 km+, short rides <35 kms.

What about anyone else?

100km plus on the road or greater than 4 hours of MTB.

Long ride = 100+ miles
Average ride = about 60 miles
Short ride = 20-25 miles

long would be around 80 km+
and short less than 20 km

Long ride 80-120 miles
winter training ride 35 -50 miles

(we have an organized double century out here, but I've not attempted it!
yet 😉 )

friedmikey said:

Average ride = about 60 miles

Wow: 100k average.

I would have said around 70 -80 miles is an average comfortable ride (and can easily be done in a morning).

For me a long ride would be about 100 - 200 miles. I haven't done any long rides yet though as time and weather isn't right. Going to get some in when we have the lighter nights I think.

Long Ride - 100 miles and over
Average Ride - 40 - 60 miles
Short Ride (usually wicked fast pace) - 20 - 35 miles

Long ride for me is +5 hours (100 miles)
medium cycle for me is 3 - 4 hours
Short cycle is 2 hours.

I wouldn't consider 1 hour to be a cycle
(I don't mean to belittle anyone here who does cycle for only an hour).

At least 60 miles.

Eden said:

Long ride 80-120 miles
winter training ride 35 -50 miles

That's about right Eden.
At least for me, it has more to do with time in the saddle, 5 to 6 hours would be a long ride for me and it's all relative to terrain, weather, altitude, age, etc....

limerickman said:

I wouldn't consider 1 hour to be a cycle
(I don't mean to belittle anyone here who does cycle for only an hour).

We'll have to disqualify Tyler Hamilton for riding Mt. Washington in under 1 hour then.😄

Lw

lwedge said:

That's about right Eden.
At least for me, it has more to do with time in the saddle, 5 to 6 hours would be a long ride for me and it's all relative to terrain, weather, altitude, age, etc....

We'll have to disqualify Tyler Hamilton for riding Mt. Washington in under 1 hour then.😄

Lw

Line probably wont consider Tyler since he was part of US postal and a doper. LOL J/K

azdroptop said:

Line probably wont consider Tyler since he was part of US postal and a doper. LOL J/K

Shhhhhh...... You know, I thought about that and I don't want to ruin this thread with "dope speak" so, I'll use the 2nd, 3rd and 4th riders instead - Anthony Colby, Phillip Wong and Ned Overend.

I was using Tin Mountain as a example. We have all struggled up the 25% grades at on time or another...... It's the 90% grades I find intolerable, I just don't like'em.

Lw

It's natural that the standard should change over time.

First "long" ride I did, 3 years ago, was about 70km. I had to stop 5 times.

Now an average ride is about 3 hours. Long ride about 5.

Intensity just keeps coming up as well. It's a natural progression.

Long = 50 to 100 miles or 4 to 7 hours which ever comes first.

Well, to date, my l;ongest ride has been 52 miles. A long ride for me, at this stage of my riding is 25 miles or more.

I have been riding for 14 months now and will be 40 next month (this is just an opening apologetic for the racers on here that will look with disdain on my mileage!)

Long ride = 40-50 miles

Average ride = 30 miles

I did 3,000 last year and am shooting to break 4,000 this year inlcuding my first century.