# Setting Yearly Mileage Targets



## The Mighty News (16 Sep 2015)

Ive thought about setting myself a target for the year as a motivational tool, havent a clue what to set though as I am relatively new to cycling and in the main have been a fair weather cycler.

Would 2,500 be a reasonable goal?? roughly 50 miles per week give or take?


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## Sittingduck (16 Sep 2015)

Do you commute or only go out at weekends/evenings? Winter is coming, so non-commute cycliing may reduce (for some, at least).


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## The Mighty News (16 Sep 2015)

Sittingduck said:


> Do you commute or only go out at weekends/evenings? Winter is coming, so non-commute cycliing may reduce (for some, at least).


 
Hi mate, I do commute but not a smuch as I would like and it isnt that far tbf. its mainly weekends and sometiems weeknights


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## Joffey (16 Sep 2015)

My goal for 2015 was 2,015 miles having done about 1,300 in 2014. I'm already up to 1,739 and I don't think I've really been trying hard. I would say 2,500 is realistic but you have to make sure you get out in Jan, Feb, Nov & Dec or it will be hard.


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## The Mighty News (16 Sep 2015)

Joffey said:


> My goal for 2015 was 2,015 miles having done about 1,300 in 2014. I'm already up to 1,739 and I don't think I've really been trying hard. I would say 2,500 is realistic but you have to make sure you get out in Jan, Feb, Nov & Dec or it will be hard.


 
Cheers mate, yes I am determined to not let the cold/dark nights put me off


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## SpokeyDokey (16 Sep 2015)

The Mighty News said:


> Ive thought about setting myself a target for the year as a motivational tool, havent a clue what to set though as I am relatively new to cycling and in the main have been a fair weather cycler.
> 
> Would 2,500 be a reasonable goal?? roughly 50 miles per week give or take?



I'll do around 2000 miles this year - I find this quite hard to achieve tbh. Life & weather tends to get in the way plus I am not cycling obsessed.

I don't bother to target mileage as you can quickly fall off the pace (due to circumstances outside your control) and become demotivated.

I have a rough aim of 2 rides/week of roughly 20 miles average distance and around 60' mile average ascent. Sort of gets me over the line by year end and if it doesn't then who cares.


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## The Mighty News (16 Sep 2015)

SpokeyDokey said:


> I'll do around 2000 miles this year - I find this quite hard to achieve tbh. Life & weather tends to get in the way plus I am not cycling obsessed.
> 
> I don't bother to target mileage as you can quickly fall off the pace (due to circumstances outside your control) and become demotivated.
> 
> I have a rough aim of 2 rides/week of roughly 20 miles average distance and around 60' mile average ascent. Sort of gets me over the line by year end and if it doesn't then who cares.


 
Cheers, yes I can see your point and I am not a religious cycler due to family commitments it may do the opposite of its intention if I set goals.


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## derrick (16 Sep 2015)

Am on target for my goal.


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## Sittingduck (16 Sep 2015)

Extend your commutes. This is a good way to get some miles in. Figure out 2 or 3 route options as standard ways and use them accordingly, based on weather and time constraints etc.

An annual mileage target is pretty individual and it may be worth just seeing how it goes for you and setting something more of a target for the new year, when you have a better idea of what you are likely to be able to achieve?


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## Subotai72 (16 Sep 2015)

I set myself a target of 3000km this year. Last year's was 2000km and I did c2600km. I'm a bit behind this year but if anything I think that's making me more determined as the year goes on!


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## Saluki (16 Sep 2015)

I set a goal of around 2000 a year, then I don't have to go too bonkers in the bad weather. Hubster sets a target of about 1300 IIRC. Some years I extend the goal, depending on how I am doing towards the end of September.

I just ride for fun, evenings and weekends and don't commute in to work.


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## dave r (16 Sep 2015)

I don't set a target mileage I just aim to enjoy my pedalling, be careful if you set a target you might find yourself riding just to make the target and not enjoying it.


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## ColinJ (16 Sep 2015)

dave r said:


> I don't set a target mileage I just aim to enjoy my pedalling, be careful if you set a target you might find yourself riding just to make the target and not enjoying it.


I know what you mean Dave, but I am one of those procrastinators who can always find something to distract me when I would really rather be going out on my bike. Today was such a day. I wanted to be out in the sunshine, but ended up doing boring household stuff including putting up new curtain poles. I should save jobs like that for rainy days when I do NOT want to ride!

So, a few years back I started setting mileage targets to encourage myself to go out on the bike more. 2012 and 2013 were scuppered by illness, but I managed to achieve 99% of my target last year (3,619 miles out of 3,650 (10 miles a day average)) and am already at 81% of this year's target (3,243 miles out of 4,015 (11 miles a day average)).

I still only ride when I want to, but when I am out on the bike, I always try to do a few extra miles to boost my tally.

I am 60 next year and have decided to set myself a significantly more ambitious target of 6,000 miles - 100 miles for each year of my life so far.


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## bpsmith (16 Sep 2015)

The Mighty News said:


> Ive thought about setting myself a target for the year as a motivational tool, havent a clue what to set though as I am relatively new to cycling and in the main have been a fair weather cycler.
> 
> Would 2,500 be a reasonable goal?? roughly 50 miles per week give or take?


I did exactly that this year and am on 1,958 miles so far. Determined to hit the 2,500 mile target. Not commuted at all and just been doing 2 rides a week where possibly. Had a few weeks off, due to illness and holidays here and there. Certainly doable I reckon.


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## Accy cyclist (17 Sep 2015)

I managed 4400 miles last year. This year i wanted to get nearer to 5000 but i was knocked off my bike in April so i had a month off, then i took it slowly for the next couple of months. I used to add up my miles after every month but i haven't added them up since the end of March. When i get round to counting them i reckon i'll be a bit below last years,but not as much as i expected it'd be after my off as i've pumped out the miles in August and so far this month. The trouble with targets is that if you beat them you have to beat them the next year and the year after that.


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## si_c (17 Sep 2015)

Only been tracking it for about 18 months, this year I had a modest target of 2500 miles. Already done over 2000, and I had 2 months with little activity as I moved house.

So setting a reasonable goal should be doable.


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## bpsmith (17 Sep 2015)

[QUOTE 3908799, member: 9609"]That is about what I do as well, I am trying to average 50 mile per week of rides over 10 miles in length, usually do 2 or 3 a week and so far this year they have added up to 2052 miles + 132,220' ascent and i think that is a lot of cycling.
But on top of that I do a fair bit of faffing about on the bike that I don't really think counts, there is a little 2.7 mile circuit with no ascent that I usually do a couple of times a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening just to loosen my joints off with (gettin old and falling to bits lol) and this in itself often adds up to over 50 a week. So in total about 5000 a year but only 2500 of proper cycling...[/QUOTE]
I have only done 97,500ft of climbing, as did a bit of winter peloton training with a group from a charity ride I did from Swansea to Crystal Palace. There's also a 25 mile route that I like, where there's about 1,000ft of climbing, that I treat as a sort of time trial.

Next years target is elevation. Not sure what target yet though.


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## cyberknight (17 Sep 2015)

I have given up trying to get better mileage targets , commuting cerainly helps but weekend rides are a bit hit and miss depending on wifes/kids etc so if i get over 4750 for the year im happy.


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## cashy293 (17 Sep 2015)

bpsmith said:


> I have only done 97,500ft of climbing, as did a bit of winter peloton training with a group from a charity ride I did from Swansea to Crystal Palace. There's also a 25 mile route that I like, where there's about 1,000ft of climbing, that I treat as a sort of time trial.
> 
> Next years target is elevation. Not sure what target yet though.



Might need to calibrate that Garmin


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## bpsmith (17 Sep 2015)

cashy293 said:


> Might need to calibrate that Garmin


The Garmin is fine. It's these Android phones that need some work.


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## huwsparky (17 Sep 2015)

cashy293 said:


> Might need to calibrate that Garmin


Living where I do at the ft/mile climbing ratio i'm currently doing it would be around 1100 miles to do 97000 ft of climbing. Strava challenges are usually 9000m or 11000m per month and they get completed every time as I simply don't really need to do much milage to complete them.


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