Mark's Blog

Am I correct in assuming that you do not really know the exact distance you are riding? You might find a cyclometer fun and instructive. Wireless ones in the U.S. start at about $30 plus shipping, wired ones at about $20 or about $30 if they have a cadence function (requires a wire and magnet running to the cranks as well as one to the wheel.) Most have current speed, average speed, max speed, trip distance, odometer, elapsed time, and clock. I tried a wireless one on my bike but it would not work because it will only transmit 24 inches so it will not interfer with other transmitters on other bikes close by (the top of my handlbars where I would mount a cyclometer is a whopping 42" from the front axle.) While I am riding, I like to watch the average speed function as it gives you immediate feedback you can compare to recent rides. I was surprise to see that my cadence is faster than I thought, falling in naturally around 80 - 85 at the beginning of the ride but slowing down after the first 30 minutes.

I don't know the exact distance. What I did was measure the distance into work with the car odometer.

All the guys on the ride today, except me, had cyclometers. Xavier says at one point he was drafting behind a cheese truck. (He told me you should never do that, but what the heck.) He clocked himself doing 60 km/h... without pedalling.