What is it about the mileage?

I read a tour report once where the guy was so obsessed with mileage that
he
actually blew through Grenada Spain and didn't stop to see the Alhambra,
and
when he wrote his report he talked about hills and dips in the road. One
would think that if you went by the Alhambra you might want to stop to see
it, since 1) you never saw anything like it before, and 2) there isn't
anything like it anywhere else, and 3) you might never pass that way
again.

I went to Spain in May 2006. Of course, I'm looking around for bicycles. To
my surprise, I see guys dressed out in full kit---riding mountain bikes on
the roads! Well, when I got to Granada, I was a bit suprised at how hilly it
is. It became clear to me that the guys were training in town, on the
mountain bikes, to build up their legs and lungs. The only people I saw
riding road bikes were between towns, out on the country roads (and not many
of these riders, either). The majority were not riding Orbeas, either (even
when I was in Madrid I didn't see any).

At any rate, the Alhambra is atop a good-sized hill so that the views from
the top are stunning.

On Mar 27, 8:17 am, "Pat" wrote:
I am seeing posts on this and other places where the topic is about the trip
but all anyone wants to do is brag on the mileage and I don't get it. I rode
around County Clare and the Dingle peninsula for 12 days and I was doing it
for the experience, not to come back and brag about how many miles per day I
covered.

Now, I am planning to ride the Katy Trail and there are many posts saying
things like "I did the entire 225 miles in 4 days" or "it didn't take me but
6 days" and I want to ask "why?" Doesn't anyone ride to experience the trip
or is it all about bragging when you get home? What is the point of going to
a new place if all you do is maintain a 100 km per day distance level?

Everyone rides for their own purpose, some count mileage, others come back
and brag "I saw 1,354 squirrels, 45,987 trees, etc" To each his(her) own. You
get your bragging rights your own way.

I'll bet that when you get to the office you might say "Boy what traffic
today, it took me 10 minutes longer than usual!"

So what's your beef? Why try to stir up trouble with others that get theirs
in their own way



--
Mike Vore
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com/photos
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com/thewoodenradio

Everyone rides for their own purpose, some count mileage, others come back
and brag "I saw 1,354 squirrels, 45,987 trees, etc" To each his(her) own.
You get your bragging rights your own way.

I'll bet that when you get to the office you might say "Boy what traffic
today, it took me 10 minutes longer than usual!"

So what's your beef? Why try to stir up trouble with others that get
theirs in their own way
--
Mike Vore

No beef. Not trying to "stir up trouble". Just looking for some
understanding as to why people would take a long time to get to a faraway
place and then make the entire trip about their daily mileage. It baffles
me, that's all.

And, no, I don't care about "bragging rights".

Pat in TX

On Apr 1, 8:34*am, "Pat" wrote:
Everyone rides for their own purpose, some count mileage, others come back
and brag "I saw 1,354 squirrels, 45,987 trees, etc" To each his(her) own..
You get your bragging rights your own way.

I'll bet that when you get to the office you might say "Boy what traffic
today, it took me 10 minutes longer than usual!"

So *what's your beef? *Why try to stir up trouble with others that get
theirs in their own way
--
Mike Vore

No beef. Not trying to "stir up trouble". Just looking for some
understanding as to why people would take a long time to get to a faraway
place and then make the entire trip about their daily mileage. It baffles
me, that's all.

And, no, I don't care about "bragging rights".

Pat in TX

I suppose I'm one of the people you don't understand, as my
temperament is to try to go from dawn to the last motel before dusk on
all my long trips. That largely is what it is - a matter of
temperament. I can offer some rationalizations that contain some part
of the truth e.g.:

1. As stated in a post last year about my SF - Milwaukee trip last
August, one factor is the desire to have an athletic achievement worth
noticing. But I'm not very fast, not possessed of much upper body
strength, not very agile, not very co-ordinated, my shoulders are
injury prone, and I'm more often than not a bit overweight. But I do
have the ability to sit on a bike for hours on end, day after day, and
that is what I do.

2. I've been recording my daily mileage since 1993 - with other
information - and inevitably that feeds a daily mileage oriented
mentality.

3. I'm 64 and not yet retired. My wife does not do bike trips, and
if enough vacation time is kept available to vacation together, I have
to make the most of my time alone. So not many days are available to
cover a lot of distance. If I cut my daily mileage by, say, 2/3, I've
cut out 2/3 of the things I've seen at all.

4. You do "smell the roses" - many of them anyway - at 14 mph, rather
than auto or airplane speed. And in many areas en route to the more
beautiful ones, you have time to smell all the "roses" you care to.
From Nevada desert to Utah salt flats to Illinois cornfields to the
north woods in which I grew up, there's a lot of territory you can
take in quickly, from an aesthetic standpoint.

5. Due to mechanical problems, I lost a day and a half on one trip,
by good fortune in the Williamsburg, VA area, using a loaner bike
while mine awaited a new frame. It was a nice opportunity to enjoy a
nice area, but I was unquestionalby restless to be on my way again -
once again a matter or temperament.

6. There are priorities and limits. I have never to my recollection
passed up a weekday Mass opportunity, when I happen by a church at the
right time of day, and I am dogmatic (literally) about finding one on
weekends. When fatigue threatens, I will readily look for a likely
park or roadside spot to nap and refresh, and those hours of
refreshment can be very precious.

3. I'm 64 and not yet retired. My wife does not do bike trips, and
......I have to make the most of my time alone.

4. You do "smell the roses" - many of them anyway - at 14 mph, rather
than auto or airplane speed.

Two very good points. I typically do my long trips while my wife is away
for a weekend or a few days. I just don't like being out on the road when
she's at home. So, while I'm one of the guys who prefers the experience
over the speed or the mileage, there are times when I am conscious of both.
However, I do not feel compelled to "brag" about either, partly because the
speed and mileage I generally attain are nothing to brag about!

Also, very good point about how "smelling the roses" is relative. If all we
wanted to do was get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible, we
would drive there. ANYBODY who takes a bicycle instead of a car likely
prefers to smell the roses to SOME extent!

"Pat" wrote in
:

I am seeing posts on this and other places where the topic is about
the trip but all anyone wants to do is brag on the mileage and I don't
get it. I rode around County Clare and the Dingle peninsula for 12
days and I was doing it for the experience, not to come back and brag
about how many miles per day I covered.

Now, I am planning to ride the Katy Trail and there are many posts
saying things like "I did the entire 225 miles in 4 days" or "it
didn't take me but 6 days" and I want to ask "why?" Doesn't anyone
ride to experience the trip or is it all about bragging when you get
home? What is the point of going to a new place if all you do is
maintain a 100 km per day distance level?

If you're doing a tour, you can't approach it like that clueless idiot on
the Fat Tire Beer commercials. You have to plan how many miles to ride,
where you are going to stay, where to get food and water, what and how much
to carry, and so on. If you don't, you could be find yourself in a bad way.

--
Larry Dickman

If you're doing a tour, you can't approach it like that clueless idiot on
the Fat Tire Beer commercials. You have to plan how many miles to ride,
where you are going to stay, where to get food and water, what and how
much
to carry, and so on. If you don't, you could be find yourself in a bad
way.

--
Larry Dickman

What I do is sketch out general guidelines. I figure out things like...if
I'm in this area at nightfall, then here are my options for spending the
night...,etc. I get a general idea but from then on out, I like to be
spontaneous. For example, I carried camping supplies into Ireland, but it
rained 1/3 of the time, so I opted to stay in hostels instead. I rode to the
coast to see the Cliffs of Moher, but there was a storm at sea and all I
could see was rain and fog. So, I turned southward and used a second option
of things I wanted to see if I had the time.

If I limited myself to a set itinerary, it would not "fit" my idea of a good
time. I like being able to react and go in a totally different direction if
need be.

I generally plan far fewer miles per day than I know I can cover. That way,
I can be relaxed every inch of the way, knowing that a flat tire or a sudden
downpour isn't going to thrust me into panic mode. It also gives me more
time to stop and visit interesting sites along the way.

Of course, the down-side is that I will often talk myself out of a trip
because I have a limited amount of time and cannot squeeze the trip in with
the amount of "extra" time I like to have.


"Pat" wrote in message
...

If you're doing a tour, you can't approach it like that clueless idiot on
the Fat Tire Beer commercials. You have to plan how many miles to ride,
where you are going to stay, where to get food and water, what and how
much
to carry, and so on. If you don't, you could be find yourself in a bad
way.

--
Larry Dickman

What I do is sketch out general guidelines. I figure out things like...if
I'm in this area at nightfall, then here are my options for spending the
night...,etc. I get a general idea but from then on out, I like to be
spontaneous. For example, I carried camping supplies into Ireland, but it
rained 1/3 of the time, so I opted to stay in hostels instead. I rode to
the coast to see the Cliffs of Moher, but there was a storm at sea and all
I could see was rain and fog. So, I turned southward and used a second
option of things I wanted to see if I had the time.

If I limited myself to a set itinerary, it would not "fit" my idea of a
good time. I like being able to react and go in a totally different
direction if need be.

Ron Wallenfang wrote:

From Nevada desert to Utah salt flats to Illinois cornfields to the
north woods in which I grew up, there's a lot of territory you can
take in quickly, from an aesthetic standpoint.

Very kindly put, Ron.

Papa Tom wrote:

Also, very good point about how "smelling the roses" is relative. If all we
wanted to do was get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible, we
would drive there. ANYBODY who takes a bicycle instead of a car likely
prefers to smell the roses to SOME extent!

There's a principle called "Fletcher's Law of Inverse Appreciation,"
named after the guru of backpacking. It sez that the amount of detail you
see is inversely proportional to the sophistication (and hence, speed) of
your means of transportation. You'll see more driving than you would
flying, more biking than driving. And if you're REALLY more interested in
rose-smelling than in destination-reaching, your best option is to walk.
Going that slow also has its drawbacks, of course. A bike is one of the
best compromises between covering ground and still seeing something.
Charles Kuralt commented, when the last segment of I-80 was finished, that
"It is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing
ANYTHING." I've driven much of that highway, and I'm sure Ron has seen
many more interesting things along it than I have.


Bill

__o |Weaning our nation from fossil fuels should be understood as
_`\(,_ |the most patriotic policy to which we can commit ourselves.
(_)/ (_) | -Robert Redford