April 2015 Bike Bicycle Cycling Challenge

04.01: 12 miles

No specific goal in mind. I just want to get moving! I just boughty first bike since jr high and couldn't be more excited to start riding!

I rode 120 km in the first three months of this year. I hope to ride 80km in April. So far, about 25km done!

Friday April 3rd-9.21 miles @ 15.52 avg. Next time out increase the mileage to 10-12 miles. Thank god for energy shots!!!!

I have been doing some spinning this winter but April will kick off my REAL biking. Still have cold weather and snow on the ground though so hoping things warm up soon.

4/01 - 1hr spin - 16m
4/02 - 1.25hr spin - 20m
4/03 - 16 miles @ 16.3mph 800' climbing --- First outside ride of the year!


Total miles: 52m
April goal: 300 miles

Michelledownunder wrote: »

I'm using my bike to cycle home from work. I've been cycling the 16 km trip four or five days a week. I'm in new Zealand and we finish daylight saving this weekend. I'm a little worried about finishing my ride in the dark, but I'm really enjoying feeling fit (as well as the extra calorie burn) so I don't want to stop cycling over the winter. Any survival hints from regular night time cyclers?

There's a ton of variables that go into the light you pick. How long you're riding, the amount of traffic/ambient light, how often you want to recharge your light, what your backup plan if your light fails is, etc. Then there's lighting to see vs to be seen. I've passed on lights because they don't mount well due to my specific bike setup.

In general, there's no such thing as too much light or too much reflective gear. I suggest reflective tape, a reflective jacket or vest and that your bag catch and return as much light as possible. I suggest you go to a local higher end bike store at night. Ask them if you can try out some lights - just turn them on and see how far away they feel visible/noticeable to you. See how they illuminate the road and how much of your handlebar space they take up.

Whee! Just bought a new bike! 22 gears! Weighs about an ounce. lol Those aren't the right pedals. ha ha

Michelledownunder wrote: »

Any survival hints from regular night time cyclers?

i'm in canada and a fairly bike conscious city, so ymmv for where you are. but i do ride year-round and do a lot of it in the dark since our winters are very dark and very rainy.

so for what it's worth: front and rear blinkies are mandatory here from an hour before sunset and an hour after dawn. the couple of times i've forgotten them or had them run out of juice have convinced me that they do help, but my personal favourite thing is reflective taping. if i had to pick only one between lights and the tape, i'd take the tape every time, no question. for one thing it's REALLY visible compared with the lights, and much harder for drivers to not know what it means. and for another - very importantly - you can apply it all over your bike and wear equipment that has it as well, and that means you can be seen from just about any angle, which doesn't happen with lights.

the most respect i've ever gotten from drivers was when i was riding in one of those mesh safety vests that you see on work crews at the side of a road. people are pretty good about bikes around here anyway, but that was the only thing that's ever caused them to change actual lanes as they passed. it might look dorky, but not nearly as dorky as a brain injury or a shattered spine, so i'm all about it. it soaks up an amazing amount of rain too.

04/02 - 06.13 @ 17.0 mph
04/03 - 07.09 @ 16.4 mph (AM Commute)
04/03 - 12.18 @ 16.6 mph (PM Commute)
04/04 - 13.18 @ 16.5 mph

MTD: 38.59
GOAL: 300

4/1 14.96 miles
4/4 15.88 miles

Total 30.84

4/1 - 15 miles
4/2 - 15.1
4/3 - 35.4
4/4 - 41