How long is long?

[Cracked Again]

what do u guys considor a long ride? 40miles, 60, 80, or 100 and greater?

 

[BroDeal]

Five hours or more.

Two seems short. Three is a nice amount of time. Four is just a three with a little more miles. Five is where it begins to be a long ride.

 

[Cracked Again]

i did 63 miles 3500ft climbing in less then 4hours 2 day and considered it to

be not long but boardering on long ride. A lady I was talking to

practically scoffed at this which threw me for a loop.

 

[Manorom]

During the week (for those of us that work) >90 min is long, weekends >3hrs starts to be long.

It's not the miles you put in, it's what you put in the miles.

 

[ladyvader]

For me and my big **** a two hour ride is long. I usually ride for about 30 mins to an hour.

 

[rgmerk]

For psychological reasons as much as anything, over the metric century (100 km or 62 miles).

Of course, it depends on the terrain and the wind. There's nothing longer than a ride home into a howling gale...

 

[Race Radio]

5 hours is where long starts.

 

[David Suro]

It is relative to current fitness.

When out of shape 2 hours is long. When fit then 5 hours is long.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

About 80 miles, or 5 hours. Whichever comes first.

 

[Anonymous]

When my ass starts to hurt.

 

[Laszlo]

It depends on what the average ride is; when 120 kms is the typical ride an extra 40kms does not let me regard that as a long ride... a long ride is when you go an extra 50% (time or distance) or so more than usual; it's a just a way of thinking about a ride or ones riding habits. Long rides are nice.

Rough rides are a different thing- for example,this is when the weather changes unexpectedly for the worst and one is ill-prepared for that, and one really suffers on the remaining part of that ride. Those are rides that ones spose becomes bored of hearing about, years later.

 

[egtalbot]

Well I've only ridden much over 2 hours a couple times. But a lot of it depends on pace. I have no doubt I could ride 6-8 hours at 15-16mph and it would be a lot easier than 2 hours in a pack averaging 24mph with accelerations mixed in. Either one would seem "long" in a sense, though.

But I agree with whomever said that anything over 90 minutes seems long during the week when I'm working. A lot of times I ride by myself and keep my HR at a consistent 75-80%, so 2 hours like that is a pretty solid workout.

 

[BroDeal]

It depends on what the average ride is; when 120 kms is the typical ride an extra 40kms does not let me regard that as a long ride... a long ride is when you go an extra 50% (time or distance) or so more than usual; it's a just a way of thinking about a ride or ones riding habits. Long rides are nice.

Rough rides are a different thing- for example,this is when the weather changes unexpectedly for the worst and one is ill-prepared for that, and one really suffers on the remaining part of that ride. Those are rides that ones spose becomes bored of hearing about, years later.

I come down more on the side of absolute time/distances qualifying as long instead of relative amounts. Even if I were totally out of shape and 99% of my rides were an hour, I still would not call two hours a long ride. In that case I would just acknowledge that I don't have the time to do long rides. Talking with other cyclists I would feel like a fool trying to convice a serious rider that a two or three hour ride is long.

When you talk about percentage increases over usual then it becomes more of a question of what is a hard ride for your fitness level, not a long ride.

 

[soOpOSMthanks!]

when my body goes from



to

D:

so um...4 hours for me

 

[Laszlo]

I come down more on the side of absolute time/distances qualifying as long instead of relative amounts. Even if I were totally out of shape and 99% of my rides were an hour, I still would not call two hours a long ride. In that case I would just acknowledge that I don't have the time to do long rides. Talking with other cyclists I would feel like a fool trying to convice a serious rider that a two or three hour ride is long.

When you talk about percentage increases over usual then it becomes more of a question of what is a hard ride for your fitness level, not a long ride.

I think it is a personal thing; what should you or anyone else care what others think ? No matter what or who there will always be someone better than you, ( or me, because this is not a personal attack ) - for one reason or another-long or hard or fast whatever, it really depends on what it means to you. I kept my cycling feats from my friends and co-workers; all they knew is that I liked to go on long rides, but they never knew beyond the surface of that. My accomplishments are mine- and I achieved them for my own reasons, not to impress anyone. So, I say to anyone- what you feel was a long ride or hard ride is how your experience was. Enjoy your life.

 

[biker9]

how long is long

for me at the present anything over five hours is long,especially since i can only do a long one on the weekend.most of my rides are about one hour per day.

 

[rhubroma]

A long ride can also be classified is any amount of time, longer than you wanted to be on the bike that day. Especially when you are forced to ride.

Having said that anything over 5 hrs is long, over 7 really long.

 

[Laszlo]

7hrs is not really long when you do 14 hr rides; see ? it's all personal ability

 

[mercycle]

15 miles into a 50 knot headwind is a long ride. The ride out lets you perfect your aero position, the ride home is too short.

 

[BroDeal]

7hrs is not really long when you do 14 hr rides; see ? it's all personal ability

No, it's not. It's common experience and terminology among the majority of serious cyclists. It has nothing to do with ability. You get together with other riders, talk about cycling, and five to seven hours is what most will consider a long ride. In season, many willl do such a ride every available weekend. Even strapped for time, they will get together with buddies once or twice a month and do such a ride. It could be an organized century. It could be one of several epic loops they do every year.

The only people doing fourteen hour rides are crazies with beards and Brooks saddles. They are way outside the norm.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

The only people doing fourteen hour rides are crazies with beards and Brooks saddles.

ROTTFL!!! Dude, you're killing me!

 

[Laszlo]

I am not a psychologist so I can't say I am not a crazy, although my understanding of the term is that the majority decide what is "normal"- but I definitely don't sport a beard or ride a brooks saddle.

 

[Sprocket01]

Got to factor in the weather as well.

 

[rhubroma]

It depends on what the average ride is; when 120 kms is the typical ride an extra 40kms does not let me regard that as a long ride... a long ride is when you go an extra 50% (time or distance) or so more than usual; it's a just a way of thinking about a ride or ones riding habits. Long rides are nice.

Rough rides are a different thing- for example,this is when the weather changes unexpectedly for the worst and one is ill-prepared for that, and one really suffers on the remaining part of that ride. Those are rides that ones spose becomes bored of hearing about, years later.

It depends, Laszio, on how ***ing tiered you are. Have you ever completely bonked with 40 ks to go after a 200 klm ride with big climbs?

 

[TheDude]

30 min. on the Tandem when my wife is mad at me is a LONG ride. Otherwise, I'm going with the 4 hour definition. The problem is, since having a kid I haven't had time for ANY long rides (but I do ride 30 to 90 min. an average of 6 days a week).