Why are cyclists so fond of “loops?”

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by bigbill

For Sardinia, I lived there for a while and my routes were out and backs to loops on the north end of the island. I would have preferred loops for the entire ride but often the geography limits me. When I lived in Texas, my daily route was an out and back with outbound into a predominate headwind. My daily ride here is on a mountain bike that includes climbing but like Sardinia, it is an out and back to a loop.

I just want to ride my bike without overthinking it.

I have out and backs mapped from Cal Gonone to Baunei and Alghero to Boso. I’d love to get your feedback.

[muttley]

Originally Posted by dolface

It feels like back-tracking to me, like I've somehow wasted the riding I did on the way out.

Totally illogical I know, but whatcha gonna do?

(I will and have done out-and-backs but strongly prefer loops).

I feel the same way as the majority of my rides are loops, but there are a few exceptions. I won't make a loop "just to make it a loop" it needs to make sense and be fun. For example there is a popular local loop that to me is really dumb, I'm sure a lot of members here know it. GMR/GRR to Baldy road. Climbing up GMR/GRR is scenic and a great climb, but more importantly, riding back is down is the treat as the descent back down includes nearly 200 sweeping curves, which is why I've never understood why so many choose to climb up GMR/GRR then drop down a sketchy downhill (Baldy rd) just to make it a loop. Just one example where a "loop" doesn't really make sense.

[marciero]

Originally Posted by marciero

Reasons to prefer loop:
...
3. Not just a loop, but one that encloses a large area...
...

Reasons to prefer out and back:
...
4. Ranges farthest from the start for a given distance.
...

To amend my earlier remarks, I note that in theory; ie, if you were not restricted to roads
1. a loop-including one that does not retrace or cross itself- can enclose an arbitrarily small area, no matter what the total distance is.
2. for both loops and out and back, the distance it ranges from the start can assume any value between zero and half the total distance. Neither can be zero but can be arbitrarily close and a loop cant range half the distance but can be arbitrarily close.
3. For a loop, both the above can hold at the same time-arbitrarily small area and range arbitrarily close to the start.

[AngryScientist]

For me:

I love descending, love it. Fast as I can, on the limit.

Out and backs take a little of the joy out of a beautiful descent if in the back of my mind I know when I turn around I have to climb by butt over every meter of the same hill.

That said, when logistics allow, my favorite type of ride is generally point-to-point.