Biking Update

Biking Update

I managed to get out on my road bike yesterday to enjoy what may have been the last nice day of the Indian summer that we had been experiencing. As I'm typing this, its raining outside and starting to feel like fall instead of summer. I'm not sure how many more days are left for the road bike before it gets put away for the winter. I thought today would be a good day to review my biking season.
Total distance biked this year was 1402 kms
Although I didn't bike as far or as much as I did in past years, due to adding the gym to my regular workout routine, I found my rides were longer and further when I did get out on the bike. I found new routes this year which made the riding a lot more enjoyable.
Joining the cycling club was cool too but I don't think it was for me. My schedule just didn't allow me to get out there enough to keep up with the regulars and that made it not as much fun. To ride with a crew like that you need to do it every couple of weeks or so, not three or four times in a season.I like biking because it reminds me of when I was a kid. My bike was my first real taste of freedom, allowing me to explore new places outside the neighbourhood I grew up in. As I got older it became a mode of transportation before I was old enough to drive. These days I use it as a form of exercise and I still get a rush every time I go out for a ride.
Biking can also be very humbling. You are never as good as you think you are, unless you're Lance Armstrong, which we all know I'm not. But that's also one of the reasons I like it so much. You can always do better and when you start to get to full of yourself, along comes some old guy who blows your doors off with out even breaking a sweat.
Its challenging and requires focus to achieve your goals, and there is always room for improvement.
I took the wife out along my route in the Don Valley earlier this year on her mountain bikeand then the next day on her road bike.I think she finally gets it.

Biking Update

Things have been pretty busy for me these last few months. I haven't been out on the bike nearly as much as I had hoped, partly because I have mixed up my work out routine a little by adding some cardio and strength training with Jock Yoga, two or three times a week.

I finally managed to get my second club ride in last weekend, and it was a lot of fun. This time the group was much larger, which was great because I was able to work on my group riding skills. I'm happy to report that this time on our 53km Zoo Loop,

(Click on the route map, here) I managed to stay with the main pack and didn't get dropped once.

Unfortunately with my work schedule, I only get one weekend off a month and in the summer, that weekend gets fills up very quickly with things to do other then biking. I am hoping to make it to a few more rides before the end of the summer, but already I can tell you, it's not looking to promising.

On the plus side, I've been biking lots on my own, and I'm going a lot further. I found some cool new paved routes in the Don Valley, which I have been riding and exploring, (click on the route map, here). I've been mountain biking in the Don Valley for about 25 years, but I've never ridden on any of the paved trails, and there appear to be a lot of them. So look for some posts about that in the future.

And one final thought before I go.

I got a flat the other day while out on a ride in the Don Valley, miles from anywhere. Thanks to my club rides, I now carry an emergency kit. I was back up and moving in under 10 minutes. If I hadn't been carrying that, it would of been a long walk home.

And that's one to grow on...

Biking Update

Stats for August

330 kms road bike

o kms mountain bike

1981 total distance so far

Average speed 26-27 km/hr

best time for 2okm loop -- still 45:21 from July

rode 16 out of 31 days in August

Biking Update

Stats for July

379 kms road bike

0 kms mountain bike

1651 total kms so far

average speed 26-28km/hr

best time for my 20 km loop: 45:21

rode 21 out of 31 days in July

Biking Update

Stats for June
501 kms road bike
8 kms mountain bike
1186 total kms so far
average speed 26 km/hr
best time for my 20 km loop: 47:35
rode 23 days out of 30 in June

Biking Update

Stats for May
301 kms road bike
78 kms mountain bike
599 kms total
average speed 25-26kms/hr
best time for my 20 km loop 49:03

Biking Update

Stats for April

220 kms road bike
78 kms mountain bike
298kms Total
average speed 23-24kms
average time for 20 km loop - 54 minutes

Biking Update

Stats for September:

Distance Covered: 351 km
Total Distance: 1917 km
Average Speed: 26 km/hr
Best Time: 45:24 (August)

Wow, first day of October already. Never mind what happened to summer, what the hell happened to September?!

With the weather we've had the last week, it looks like this might be it for the road bike this season. Time to trade it in for the mountain bike until it gets too cold for that.

How did my road bike season go? Well to be honest, not anywhere close to where I thought I would be at this point in the year. But when I considered the summer I just had, I can honestly say it was not a bad year overall.

I could of gone a little further, and a little harder, but it was a busy summer, and I manged to get out on the bike pretty consistently. Sure there will always be room for improvement.

But, that's what next year is for...

Biking Update

Stats for August:
Distance Covered: 328 km
Total Distance So Far: 1566 km
Average Speed: 28 km/hr
Best Time: 45:24 (First ride of August!)

Biking Update

Stats for July:

Distance Covered: 225 km

Total Distance So Far: 1238 km

Average Speed: 30 km/hr

Best Time: 46:06 (from June)

By the looks of these stats, not a lot of biking was done in July. Chalk that up to my month long vacation. Lets see if I can improve on that in August, it really shouldn't be that difficult...

Biking Update

Stats for June:
Distance Covered: 437 km
Total Distance so far: 1013 km
Average Speed: 28 km/hr
Best Time: 46:06
Previous Best: 47:30

Biking Update

Stats for May:

Distance Covered: 327 km
Total Distance so far: 576 km
Average Speed: 27 km/hr
Best Time: 47:30
Previous Best: 50:30

Biking Update

Biking season started off with a bang. I got my bike tuned ahead of the spring break crowd in March and managed to get in a few rides in-between winters storms. April turned out to be a another good month for biking also, not alot of rain, just windy and cold. Usually mid-April is when I start dusting off the bike, and thinking about hitting the trails, but not this year.

So far this season I've biked 249 kms, with an average speed of 23 km/hr (wind) and my top time for my 20 km loop was 50:30. Which is pretty good considering it started at 1:01:30. Got on the mountain bike once for a ride in the Don Valley and had my first Saturday morning ride with Tony.

All in all, not a bad start to the season.

Biking Update

First week of October and still going to strong. The weather is changing along with the leaves, it's staying darker longer and it's getting colder. The strong Fall winds have have returned and you can tell that winter can't be far off. But before I bring the bike in for another season, I am going to get out there and enjoy the time I have left before the weather turns ugly and I am stuck going no where fast on a trainer in the basement.

Here are some stats from my season of biking so far.

Distance travelled since mid-July (When I finally got around to fixing my trip computer) 1143 kms.

Guesstimate from when I started in April to mid-July, Lets call it 1000 kms

Total 2143 kms

Average Speed: @ start of the season 25-26kms/hr

now 28-32kms/hr

weight loss (depending on what day I step on the scale) 15-20 lbs

I have to say I am pretty impressed with those stats. Just another reason why I love biking!