Do you have a minimum "viable" time for a ride?

[Llewellyn]

Do you have a minimum amount of time that you consider "viable" enough to warrant going out for a ride. For example, if you suddenly have a half hour spare sometime during the day, would you pop out for a quick ride even though you might not cover that much distance, or do you only bother going if you can get a minimum of say, an hour's riding in?

My self-imposed minimum seems to be about an hour, which makes me feel as if I'm missing out on some chances to get a few more k's under the wheels, however short the ride may be. After all, any ride is a good ride, isn't it?

[rustychisel]

Well, I commute, so it's a bit different because a fast commute for me is a under 20 minutes.

An interesting question though, and for me it's tempered by the fact that I once got caught awfully short, and I'd rather not repeat the experience, so I reckon about 2 hours time in hand is the minimum.

One day some years ago I cut the afternoon off work to go for a ride in rewarding myself and feeling some kind of absurd kinship with a professional cyclist, with whom I was having dinner that evening. To cut the story short, I lost track of time and was caught out the back of The Gorge with time running out and still 45km to get home and I was damn tired. And riding into falling light, as fast as I could, and a headwind all the way down the Gorge (long sections of which seem not very 'down'). I got home, threw the bike in the corner, had a shower and dressed in nanoseconds, had a taxi standing by, and got to dinner a fashionable half hour late.

I have never been so completely exhausted - absolutely buggered - and I was still dripping sweat, shaking with exertion etc etc. I think I almost fell asleep at the dining table. I never want a repeat episode.

[Rueda Tropical]

I'd phrase it as a minimum viable time to get kitted up in cycle clothing rather then just jumping on a bike in street clothes. I'd say around an hour.

[merlincustom1]

I don't think any ride is a good ride; junk miles for instance. Let your head be your guide though. If you all of a sudden feel like grabbing a short one, do it. If you're second guessing yourself and overthinking it, aren't sure about going out, etc., you're better off just bagging it.

[carpediemracing]

+1 on the overthinking.

If I feel the need to ride and I'm shorter on time than not I'll jump on the trainer. Exception is if it's perfect out, like 70s or 80, clear, sunny, etc. Then I may go out for 30 min or whatever my "cut off half my regular hour loop" takes.

Due to our relatively young son I've done a few 8-12 minute rides in the last few months. I don't think these helped me in any way. 25-30 minutes, they seem to loosen my legs up.

Prior to having our son my short trainer rides were 25-30 min usually because I was too tired (sleepy or leg-fatigue) or too hungry/weak (didn't eat, sick, etc) to continue.

I've done a 15 min trainer ride (http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2007/07/training-10-x-231-rpm.html) where I did 10 ~five second max rpm sprints. Okay, I only did that once since I couldn't walk right for a few days after.

[AngryScientist]

well, i'm not "training" for anything, so as rueda said, i wont put on the roadie uniform for under an hour, i quite enjoy jumping on my fixed gear for quick spins in street clothes. take the bike to the store, the coffee shop, to breakfast, etc.

[fuzzalow]

Any ride is a good ride. Even one that comprises "junk miles". Nuthin' wrong with a celebration of being alive rather than the obsessive mindset of building form which can make any ride into another day in the salt mine.

The bogey doing a ride is the prep time. Takes 15 minutes to kit up in winter, 2 minutes during the summer. An hour ride in summer is worth it but that same ride in the winter is not.

[54ny77]

I used to live in Manhattan and really enjoyed the ability to go and do 3-4 laps in Central Park on a whim--sometimes even during lunch break. That's a little over an hour of steady pedaling, at whatever pace I wanted. I could be in park in just a few minutes, and back to desk in short order. Pretty ideal given time/fitness constraints.

[rugbysecondrow]

not really if what I want is just to stretch my legs a bit, feel the breeze and enjoy the evening or morning. If training is what I am after, then 45 min is about my min, anything less than that and I will run instead.

I race sprint triathlons, so 45 min viable time for me to train on a bike.

[Rueda Tropical]

Any ride is a good ride. Even one that comprises "junk miles".


No such thing as junk miles. I'm not training for anything and don't have a program. Nice weather, being on a bike, head clear... it's reward enough.

[William]

30 minutes upward and I'll kit up. I'm lucky to have a choice of routes where even on a short ride I can get a good workout in if I want.





William

[witcombusa]

90 minutes is min.
Shorter just ain't worth it to me...

[Andrewlcox]

I'm in this boat as well. Our first child was born this April so finding time to ride this Summer was difficult. I rode last Monday for 30 minutes and realized how possible it is to fit in a ride. Now I regret not taking 30 minutes a day to ride my local bike paths as often as I could have.

On a side note, I have been hitting our elliptical glider after Mom and child go to bed and it in no way conditions me for bicycle riding. Last Monday I felt like I was riding a 50 pound bike and crested one of my hills at 8.5 mph. I thought I was keeping up on my fitness but apparently spinning is the best way to stay bike fit.

[Llewellyn]

Interesting replies. As someone pointed out, in summer you can be dressed and out the door in about 5 - 10 minutes, so a 30 minute ride is probably worthwhile if that's all the time that's available. But in winter when it takes at least 15 minutes to get kitted up, then I reckon it deserves a minimum of an hour to make it worth the effort.

[Chance]

Road riding normally 2 hours. Less than that will cruise around town on an old bike just to get out. Not much exercise involved.

[67-59]

One hour. Takes me 30-45 minutes just to warm up.

[jischr]

At times an hour hardly seems worth it. At other times, climbing repeats, an hour seems too long. Mostly though an hour is my minimum unless its a tour around the hood with the wife or daughter.

[zap]

Indoors (winter)-20 minutes. Five to warm up, 10 to do what's scheduled and five to warm down.

In 10 minutes you can see god and the devil and wish that a cardio team was in the room with you. I think that if you have a comprehensive program that it helps.

Outside-1 hour just because.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . but it also depends on whether I'm riding out of my house or hauling the bike by car to a local remote start point for the exclusive purpose of doing a ride.

For that I generally require the ride time to be equal to or greater than the round trip drive time. So for example if I'm going to drive an hour each way to go visit Maxdog out west of here I'd want to ride for at least two hours.

And, of course, if the ride invite is from an SI swimsuit model, then all these rules go out the window . . . ;)

BBD

[MattTuck]

Somewhere between 1-1.5 hours of time on the bike. Especially in cold weather. Jeeze, it takes me 10 minutes to put all my gear on, and probably minimum of 20 to strip and shower afterwards.

[christian]

My local loop takes 51 minutes in Zone 2. That plus time to change and pump the tires.

[zennmotion]

At least 60mins to ride, if less than that put on the running shoes

[Bob Ross]

I'd phrase it as a minimum viable time to get kitted up in cycle clothing rather then just jumping on a bike in street clothes.

Right; the ride has to be at least longer than the amount of time it takes to get dressed, pump up the tires, and get the bike down to the street...and then (presuming I've actually gotten a workout) shower afterwards.

In theory that means a 20-30 minute ride ought to pass the test, but I can't remember ever thinking "Hmm, I've got a free half hour this afternoon, what to do? Ooh, I know, I'll go for a bike ride!"

Frankly, I never actually think about a >>minimum "viable" time for a ride<<, I just think about Do I Have Enough Time For A Ride, any ride.

But in practice it winds up being between 60-90 minutes.

[witcombusa]

So cycling is for "free time"? :confused:

I just schedule time for riding

[William]

It is what you make it.

If I can get kitted up and out to have a min of 30 minutes on the bike, I can get a killer workout if I want it. Anything less and I'll do something else. To me cycling is another avenue to work my body with the added bonus of being outdoors, great scenery, fresh air, and riding with friends.






William

[Mr Cabletwitch]

If I have an hour I don't mind riding out from the house. I like to have 2 hours of riding if I'm going to drive anywhere including MTB. Although if I do go out for loops around the neighborhood in street clothes with the little guy all the time, but I don't really consider that a ride. If I can't find at least an hour to ride I'll usually just work a ride into a trip somewhere either to work or to the inlaws or something.

[tv_vt]

I was thinking "about an hour," and it looks like that's pretty typical.

Will say that it can vary.

If I just want to get out and blow off steam, then even less than an hour - 30 to 45 minutes. I have a 4 minute and 15 minute TT 'course' a few miles away, and I can get a very hard, short workout doing one of those, and either one can be done under an hour, including warm up.

Just suiting up feels like it takes almost 15 minutes - clothes, water bottle, air in tires, road ID, shoes, helmet, glasses, gloves - and more if it's cold out - vest, booties, cap,...

[dd74]

60 minutes minimum. Anything less and I'm just cruising.

[vqdriver]

with daylight so precious now, i've been trying to balance this lately too. there've been times i just hop on my "race" bike and get in a few miles just to do it and get out there. not really fun in jeans, but not terrible in shorts. i wouldn't do more than a half hour in street clothes tho. the lamest part of this is the clipless shoes in otherwise basketball clothes, but no one really cares

[tiretrax]

At least one hour, but I prefer 2.

[TPetsch]

26 Miles is pretty much my Minimum.

[biker72]

no such thing as junk miles. I'm not training for anything and don't have a program. Nice weather, being on a bike, head clear... It's reward enough.

+1

[fiataccompli]

1 hr, generally. when i commute it's just under 10 miles and usually something like 30-40 minutes...still kit for that because it's more comfortable (most of the route just isn't safe for cruising, if that makes sense)

[zap]

26 Miles is pretty much my Minimum.

so about an hour

[JStonebarger]

Maybe 45 minutes if I'm bent on getting outside. Seriously, though, ride to someplace and it doesn't matter how long it takes. Riding 3.5 miles to and from work, which I used to think was too short to matter, adds up to over 1500 miles a year!

Indoors? I can kick my own ass in as little as 25 minutes.

[Joel]

Another one for the hour or so camp - if I'm taking the time to put on a jersey and ride. Sounds like "It's a quick one - I'll be back in an hour".

Or whatever in flip flops :eek: on an old fixed gear to the grocery store, drug store, or local restaurant for lunch.

[d_douglas]

Since I had children (1) 3yrs and 2) 15 months old, I have struggled with this because my time is so limited. I am a hands-on Dad and my wife needs her time as well (she is the major breadwinner and general highroller) so I give her more frequent hall passes to let off her stress with sports, ladies nights, whatever.

My wife says, 'why don't you go out for a ride - for an hour'? I always say no, insisting that it is not 'correct' to ride a road bike for an hour. I believe(d) that two was the minimum and for me, four is the max. Having loaded up 20lbs, developed sciatic problems and a host of other issues, including flagging motivation, I have realized that, as always, mu'lady is correct. She told me I was being a prima donna, and I believe her to be correct.

I went out last week and pounded the pedals (for me anyways) for one hour. I came home feeling bummed that it was so short, but in the end, it was an hour of exercise that I would not have otherwise gotten. I felt good about that.

I am going to try working on some longer rides these days, but when time limits options, one hour is better than no hour.

[Bob Ross]

To me cycling is another avenue to work my body with the added bonus of being outdoors, great scenery, fresh air, and riding with friends.

Ha! I'm just the opposite: To me cycling is another avenue to being outdoors, great scenery, fresh air, and being with friends, with the added bonus of working my body! As I've insisted for years, if cyling wasn't good for my health I'd still do it as obsessively as I do now; the exercise is pure gravy.

[pdmtong]

AnyThe bogey doing a ride is the prep time. Takes 15 minutes to kit up in winter, 2 minutes during the summer. An hour ride in summer is worth it but that same ride in the winter is not.

I need to get faster...air in tires, kit on, food, phone, ID, pump in pockets. gloves helmet glasses shoes. I have a garage. its all there. but man I cant do it in 2 minutes...

that said...for road...90 minutes. for dirt, has to be longer than the drive time to and from the starting point

CX...thats another story. 40 minutes at full gas is quite enought for me for the day, thank you very much

[Puget Pounder]

+1 for an hour if I were to suit up.

[kong79]

Wow, do I feel inadequate. I ride when I get the time, period. That may mean I only have half an hour, or it may mean I've got all morning. I've got a nice short 10 mile out and back that is my go to ride when time is short. I ride it alot. Getting ready is half the fun so I don't count that into the time I ride. It may take me 20 minutes to get me and the bike ready to do the 30 minute 10 mile ride, but who cares? I'm outside on my bike and that's all that matters. I've done short rides that left me feeling fantastic and I've done long rides that I wish would have ended before they begain. The point is, don't pigeon hole riding. That 20 minute ride could be the one you always remember.

[cnighbor1]

always love a chance to get outside
maybe for a short time do some intervals

[rustylion]

I consider an hour my minimum ride time especially if I am in a training mode.

With that said, I love getting outdoors and cycling is a great way to do it. Hiking, backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, rowing, etc... are tons of fun, too, but there is thrill to cycling I don't get from other sports.

[Llewellyn]

Wow, do I feel inadequate.

There's no need to feel like this although I can understand. I used to be on another forum that had a lot of audax riders on it and I used to feel a bit inadequate when I read about their 100, 200, 400 etc more kilometre rides, but over time I accepted that I just didn't have the time (or the inclination) for those types of rides so I'm happy with the ridiing I'm doing.


I'm outside on my bike and that's all that matters.

Couldn't agree more, this is what it's about for me. Any km's on the bike are good km's in my book


That 20 minute ride could be the one you always remember.

Absolutely :)

[palincss]

I need to get faster...air in tires, kit on, food, phone, ID, pump in pockets. gloves helmet glasses shoes. I have a garage. its all there. but man I cant do it in 2 minutes...


Unless you use latex tubes you don't need to inflate every day. If you make it a point to air up your tires every couple of days on a regular basis rather than just before you plan to go for a ride, the bike will always be ready to go.

[Pars]

No such thing as junk miles. I'm not training for anything and don't have a program. Nice weather, being on a bike, head clear... it's reward enough.
+1 or whatever it is up to. Sure, getting an hour or more ride in would be great, but just getting out for 5-15 miles sure beats not riding.