I just about struggle, but often do, 500k’s a month, all of them are on the road. I don’t count any CX rides in as they last max 2 hours and just bounce around local trails, rarely do CX rides expand further than 2 hrs, if they did I’d count them in.

You shouldn’t beat yourself up if you can’t achieve 500, it’s an arbitary figure any way.

On the weeks I commute on the bike every day I take a rucksack with shirts on a Monday then take it home on Friday. Ill also take a couple of days lunch on the Monday.

I don’t need to carry shoes etc and I swap trousers/towel and bring in undies on the days I drive.

Are the everyday commuters carrying clothes in every day in panniers?

My normal week is 4days riding and one day to bring in all the crap. On those occasions when I run out of clothes and can’t face driving, I just load up my Timbuk2 with a weeks worth of clothing and ride. I have found I would rather load up for one ride than take in a bit everyday.

brassneck, I have a ruck sack and pack work clothes (shirt/trousres that don’t crease too much, work shoes, lunch) and that’s a 15-20 miles commute each way.

I’m the only one in my office but no facilities to shower. Just get to work early so I can stop dripping. Also find if I take it easy over the last few miles as i arrive helps the process.

Are the everyday commuters carrying clothes in every day in panniers?

I get train in one day normally weds, couldn’t manage my commute everyday*, bring all my clothes for the week then. If I rode everyday I reckon I’d do 1 day with a rucksack or pannier with clothes for the week then ride light the rest of the time (and not have to fanny about packing clothes every morning)

*not unless I wanted to spend all weekend sleeping/resting

brassneck, at the moment I do my commute with shirt, trousers, socks and underwear + phones, wallet etc. in a pannier. I’m also trying to do one long ride pre-work a week on the proper bike. For those days, if I’m organised, I take double clothes the previous day on the commuter and then just have to take phones, wallet and keys in the jersey pockets.

Works quite well, though I got my long ride in on Monday this week so ended up taking normal kit in a rucksack and it wasn’t as bad as I expected. Still got a 2 hour ride in and didn’t really mind it too much.

I have found I would rather load up for one ride than take in a bit everyday.

I’m the same, on the weeks I ride everyday and have no clean clothes then I’d rather take a weeks worth in on the Monday, then take the laundry home on the friday rather than carrying a rucksack every day.

Although in winter I do carry a rucksack every day as I carry things like spare gloves, etc so really too much for pockets. Helps keep me warm in winter anyway.

I’ve done 350 miles this year, but have done 45,000ft of climbing.

500 miles a month of this type of riding would be too much for me.

It’s all about relative targets though Sandwicheater

I joined Tons 500 mile a month group because last year I was averaging 400 – 450 a month and it was a nice ‘target’ to push for, so far for 2014 I’ve done a 400, 200 and 580 mile months, with the split being about 30 – 40% offroad and 60% road miles.

I tend to view it in terms of ‘rides’ and the actual miles being a byproduct if that makes sense?

ie: I’m going out for an MTB/Road ride, and when I get back the miles have increased, I rarely go out with a specific mileage target in mind for the ride, it’s normalyl a case of pick a route that I know takes the right amount of time I have free and either cut short or extend depending on mood or conditions.

I don’t beat myself up if I don’t hit the 500, but its a fantastic motivator to get you out the door on the days went you might otherwise think twice or bail out.

If you want to increase your time on the bike then you could look for little ways to extend you normal rides rather than trying to cram in more of them. Ride to the forest if you normally drive, or even just park somewhere other than the main car park, liek the edge of the forest where one of the trails goes past or something (if you can) so you have to ride in to meet your mates, and then ride back out to finish, gives you a little more trail time for almost free 🙂

I agree amedias, the miles are a by product and i’m pleased just to be in the saddle.

After seeing Tons post I was amazed and how much people rode/how little I did. I accept everyone’s life situation is different and as long as you have a grin on your face it doesn’t matter one jot.

I do hope to hit 500 miles in a month at least once this year. No idea how I’d do it but a good goal.

Are the everyday commuters carrying clothes in every day in panniers?

I’m a ‘leave shoes and trews at work; carry in kecks, socks and shirt each day’ kinda guy. One tip- spare socks and kecks in the drawer. Not fun wearing cycling shorts or wet socks around the office all day!

Oh, and if you take your shoes home to wear over the weekend, be sure to pop them in your panniers on Monday morning, again wearing wet SPDs all day is very uncool!

Cheers,
Jamie

I managed 493 in March. I have started riding to work on my bike quite a lot. But thankfully my commute is 90% off road. All on 26 inch fat tyres I don’t own a road bike.
Where I live is flat so as the temperature rises and I head to hillier places to ride my mileage will go down, but the time in the saddle will go up.

Cripes. What with two bouts of gout so far this year, humungous amounts of wet stuff and intrusive work I have managed just 200 so far. Very low.

two bouts of gout

Is that officially what it’s called when you get gout, a ’bout of gout’ if it is than I like that 🙂

500 in a month is doable. You just have to get some long MTB miles in and be creative. June last year I managed one of my goals of a 1000 miles , only MTB, don’t have a road bike. It’s very hard to crack as it’s 30 miles a day. March this year I’ve managed 730. Join one of the strava MTS, give you a little buzz.

My tip is be on top of everything, bike washing , clothes washing and use the weather forecast to make your days. You have to be prepared to ride through the odd virus or two. And make some of the rides twice a day ventures.

Mine are pitiful compared to last year, training for Lejog meant a lot of miles for 8 months. This year with a very poorly wife I’ve more important things to worry about. She’s still kicking me out the door once in a while.

Aye, Slow start to the year for me, mostly due to work commitments. March was 513 which is great, this month should be a bit more. This is my usual MO anyway like most people I expect, slower in the winter months and then once the weather gets a bit better the commutes get longer and more weekend and evening riding is had.

Aug 2013 was 806 miles, that was a good month.

I ride for pleasure, so i see no point in going out in bad weather simply to clock up miles. Having said that, my summer weeks are (weather permitting) a couple of 20-40 mile evening rides during the week plus the weekend & my commute. At the moment its road miles because ive recently bought a new road bike & I’m enjoying playing with it.

I did 88 miles earlier, I’m so shagged I’m glad it’s Tour of Flanders tomorrow, haven’t stopped shivering.. 😐