# Bicycle kilometers



## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

The average Brit manages 75 kilometers on bicylce in a year.
The average German comes to 326 kilometers / year.
The average Dutch sweats towards 900 kilometers / year on bicycle.

So where are you with your bicycle kilometers / year? (I'm now less than a Brit, but in the past...)


----------



## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

I peaked out at 8 or 9k hilly km in a year, but in the last 12 months I've done about 100m.


----------



## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

I like how in the Netherlands the presumption of guilt falls on the motorist in case of an accident with a cyclist / ped.

In England cyclists are subject to incompetence, aggression and intimidation from motorists and this puts many off riding.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

It varies a lot, I often do a summer trip of 900 - 1400, plus some work-related for 2 months every year 2x900, and a lot of other trips in the city. In winter however almost nothing. Maybe 6000/year, but very uncertain.


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

I only got a bike computer at the beginning of this March, and so far I've got 385 km on it. I don't use the bike for commuting though, but mostly for long weekend rides. Come Saturday I hope to make this number 200 km bigger. Last year and the year before that - I think no more than 2,000/year. That's not much, but I am only a beginner. I have grand, ambitious plans as regards cycling though


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

In spite of many years of cycling, I´ve never done more than 160 in a day, albeit with tent gear and holiday packaging.


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

joen_cph said:


> In spite of many years of cycling, I´ve never done more than 160 in a day, albeit with tent gear and holiday packaging.


You can probably do 160 in a day though, and 160 the next day, and the next... I can do 160 in a day, but the next day I am most definitely not getting on a bike. That is something where I need a lot of training.

Have you ever heard of brevets/randonneuring? That's what is awaiting me on Saturday


----------



## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

SiegendesLicht said:


> You can probably do 160 in a day though, and 160 the next day, and the next... I can do 160 in a day, but the next day I am most definitely not getting on a bike. That is something where I need a lot of training.
> 
> Have you ever heard of* brevets/randonneuring*? That's what is awaiting me on Saturday


I used to do them a few years ago. 'Audaxes' in the UK. They are highly enjoyable and become immensely satisfying as the number of Km completed clicks up ever higher. The atmosphere on the rides is generally very good too, not very competitive, though this has changed in Britain due to the 'Bradley Wiggins' phenomenon. Now there are more people at more events who are semi-serious with carbon bikes etc.

I hope you have great ride SL.


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Wood said:


> I used to do them a few years ago. 'Audaxes' in the UK. They are highly enjoyable and become immensely satisfying as the number of Km completed clicks up ever higher. The atmosphere on the rides is generally very good too, not very competitive, though this has changed in Britain due to the 'Bradley Wiggins' phenomenon. Now there are more people at more events who are semi-serious with carbon bikes etc.
> 
> I hope you have great ride SL.


Wow! It appears, on this forum one can find not only a lot of fellow classical music admirers, but also people to share one's other interests and aspirations with


----------



## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

SiegendesLicht said:


> Wow! It appears, on this forum one can find not only a lot of fellow classical music admirers, but also people to share one's other interests and aspirations with


Lets hope you can report back to us from the PBP in a year or two. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris–Brest–Paris

Seriously, it'd be good to hear how you get on this weekend.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I commute 14 miles home about three days a week during good weather when the time change allows me to get out of the greenway park before sunset. So, quick and dirty estimate - 14*3 = 42/week * roughly 17 good weeks = 714 miles = *~ 1150 kilometers per year*. I do ride about 3 miles per day working day anyway just to get to and from the bus stop, so this is probably a very conservative estimate.


----------



## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

If only I had more time. 4 years ago I was doing 30km rides.
Then it dropped to 20km the next year
So I bought a better bike S/H form eBay
I used it twice last year.
The good news is I've already used it twice this year.


We'll see, but I do really enjoy it.


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Wood said:


> Seriously, it'd be good to hear how you get on this weekend.


I have almost made it. Almost, that is 168 km out of the 200. I got to the last checkpoint half an hour late - too many hills and a few too many pauses, and on top of that I made a wrong turn and got lost for a short while. So, after the last checkpoint my bike and I returned home on a train.

I am reading reports from the other 50-something riders: someone had his very expensive racing bike stolen while he had gone to buy food, someone had a road accident, and someone else crashed into a dog. So apparently simply being late was the least of all problems.

But it really was fun - the weather was great, the sun shining, and the sense of exhilaration I had at the first checkpoints (I've made it!!!) is pretty much addicting. And it was good to meet the other riders. Some came to the start with their families, as if they were preparing to take part in Tour de France, no less  It is the first time I take part in these events, but certainly not the last one.


----------



## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Wood said:


> In England cyclists are subject to incompetence, aggression and intimidation from motorists and this puts many off riding.


This is why I don't cycle.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Competition between Danish and Dutch cities in facilitating bike transport is quite fierce, with other countries following and expanding too.

Abut 50% of Copenhageners commute by using their bike, at least partly. The bridges Dronning Louises Bro and Knippelsbro are some of the busiest in the world in this respect, with up to 40.000 cyclists every day, so rush hours see a lot of queueing, and bike lanes can be as wide as ordinary roads.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

TxllxT said:


> The average Brit manages 75 kilometers on bicylce in a year.
> The average German comes to 326 kilometers / year.
> The average Dutch sweats towards 900 kilometers / year on bicycle.
> 
> So where are you with your bicycle kilometers / year? (I'm now less than a Brit, but in the past...)


I am half British but seldom uses my bike any more


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

sospiro said:


> This is why I don't cycle.


In my part of the US cyclists experience a little intimidation from some drivers who feel we are in their way -- or rather they secretly think their tax dollars are wasted on bike lanes and greenways. Many drivers also seem to think the bike lanes are a handy parking lot. I try to stay as polite and yield to as many people, both drivers and pedestrians, as I can. I'm part of an advocacy group for alternative transportation, WalkBike Nashville. We want to keep legislation in favor of cycling and to promote cycling whenever possible.

But another part of me doesn't want to promote it too much. There is only room for two bikes on a city bus!


----------



## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

joen_cph said:


> Competition between Danish and Dutch cities in facilitating bike transport is quite fierce, with other countries following and expanding too.
> 
> Abut 50% of Copenhageners commute by using their bike, at least partly. The bridges Dronning Louises Bro and Knippelsbro are some of the busiest in the world in this respect, with up to 40.000 cyclists every day, so rush hours see a lot of queueing, and bike lanes can be as wide as ordinary roads.
> 
> View attachment 83632


I presume all Danish cyclists respect the traffic rules and their fellow users of the road much better than the Dutch... In Amsterdam the cyclists are an Egyptian plague. Another growing problem is the electrical bike that easily reaches 60 km/hour...


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

TxllxT said:


> I presume all Danish cyclists respect the traffic rules and their fellow users of the road much better than the Dutch... ...


Er ... not really ... 

But fatalities are few, and the number is going down. They say 4.2 mio km of bike riding between serious accidents here. Overall, the societal and environmental gains are very considerable.


----------



## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

SiegendesLicht said:


> I have almost made it. Almost, that is 168 km out of the 200. I got to the last checkpoint half an hour late - too many hills and a few too many pauses, and on top of that I made a wrong turn and got lost for a short while. So, after the last checkpoint my bike and I returned home on a train.
> 
> I am reading reports from the other 50-something riders: someone had his very expensive racing bike stolen while he had gone to buy food, someone had a road accident, and someone else crashed into a dog. So apparently simply being late was the least of all problems.
> 
> But it really was fun - the weather was great, the sun shining, and the sense of exhilaration I had at the first checkpoints (I've made it!!!) is pretty much addicting. And it was good to meet the other riders. Some came to the start with their families, as if they were preparing to take part in Tour de France, no less  It is the first time I take part in these events, but certainly not the last one.


That is a great effort SL. One of the main challenges is route finding & correcting any problems quickly. These events are indeed addictive, and I'm sure you'll be in a good position to complete the course next time.


----------



## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

TxllxT said:


> The average Brit manages 75 kilometers on bicylce in a year.
> The average German comes to 326 kilometers / year.
> The average Dutch sweats towards 900 kilometers / year on bicycle.
> 
> So where are you with your bicycle kilometers / year? (I'm now less than a Brit, but in the past...)


I watch the Tour de France every year - can I count this as Km for my year?


----------



## clockworkmurderer (Apr 15, 2016)

I'm putting in around 8 miles per week, or about 12.5 km. I'm still on the recovery from Achilles tendon surgery last year but I'm really excited to get strong again.


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Last weekend I completed my first thousand of this year, 1034 to be precise. Tomorrow I am not riding anywhere, but going to volunteer at an amateur cycling race - handing out food and water to finishing riders all evening and possibly all night. After that I'm going to up my riding routine somewhat, ride at leat twice a week instead of once. I want to be in the best possible shape by the time I can hit these roads









Yeah, that was a lot of bragging


----------



## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I have recently moved, and now I cycle to and from work everyday. And the weather has been relativity dry. But I have such a short commute: a little over 2 km each way. It takes less than 10 minutes and it's an easy ride. In poor weather I walk 30 minutes with an umbrella. I don't know the actual distance. 

2 km/ trip x 10 trips / week x 40 weeks of work a year = 800 km. More than average, but hardly hard core.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Headphone Hermit said:


> I watch the Tour de France every year - can I count this as Km for my year?


For once, and it is you: Yes it counts


----------



## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Today a big item in the Dutch news: the lithium battery of an electrical bike lasts 2-3 years (costs 500-600 Euro to replace) and quite a lot of houses go up in flames because of overheating a lithium battery during loading. Once such a battery is on fire, there is no way to extinguish it!!


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Speaking as a layman, one would suppose that such a fire needs oxygen?

We´ll probably hear more about this story in Denmark too; 
almost 10 % of new bikes that are sold now are electric ones.


----------



## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

joen_cph said:


> Speaking as a layman, one would suppose that such a fire needs oxygen?
> 
> We´ll probably hear more about this story in Denmark too;
> almost 10 % of new bikes that are sold now are electric ones.


I'm a layman too with regard to extinguishing fire, but throwing water over it doesn't help. Soon there's panic and  whoooosssshhhh.... An electrical bike costs about 2000 Euro, but no one mentions the extra cost of 600 Euro every two years. Not to mention the environment costs...


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

We do have "low-budget" electric ones here (€ 1100 and upwards), but they don´t have a very reliable reputation.

Should I consider one later, it would have to be able to run 150 km without re-charging, and be less expensive, also for the batteries ... such bikes become very, very heavy to ride when the charged power runs out.

But: a bit discouraging how one increasingly finds oneself overturned by elderly women on Copenhagen´s bike lanes, apparently riding 30 km/hour without any effort ... :lol:


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

TxllxT said:


> Today a big item in the Dutch news: the lithium battery of an electrical bike lasts 2-3 years (costs 500-600 Euro to replace) and quite a lot of houses go up in flames because of overheating a lithium battery during loading. Once such a battery is on fire, there is no way to extinguish it!!


And the moral of this story is: the easy way is not always the best one.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

SiegendesLicht said:


> And the moral of this story is: the easy way is not always the best one.


If I may be so bold: Never take the easy way. :tiphat:


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Wood said:


> That is a great effort SL. One of the main challenges is route finding & correcting any problems quickly. These events are indeed addictive, and I'm sure you'll be in a good position to complete the course next time.


I will have another try on Saturday. I am very excited and can't wait for it - since it is pretty much my last chance to do a brevet on Belarusian roads. This one was actually planned for September when I would be gone on my very last vacation, but they suddenly moved it to a week earlier. I have much more experience and respect for long distances by now, and I will have a partner to give me a psychological "kick" if I get a desire to give up. But it's still going to be a long, hard day.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I did 1100 km on my Scotland-Orkney trip, much of it with camping luggage, but it was a smaller distance than originally planned, and spread over almost 5 weeks; weather, a couple of repairs, and the free transport of bikes on certain cheap trains reduced the number of km.
I´m already missing the long, scenic rides though, and hope to keep up.


----------



## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

SiegendesLicht said:


> I will have another try on Saturday. I am very excited and can't wait for it - since it is pretty much my last chance to do a brevet on Belarusian roads. This one was actually planned for September when I would be gone on my very last vacation, but they suddenly moved it to a week earlier. I have much more experience and respect for long distances by now, and I will have a partner to give me a psychological "kick" if I get a desire to give up. But it's still going to be a long, hard day.


Good luck for Saturday SL, It'll be good to hear how you get on.


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

It really was a long, hard day, with a route laid across some of the hilliest terrain in the country and a strong wind blowing across the fields, but I have done it! 205 km in 13 hours 17 minutes (the time limit is 13.5 hours). I remeber riding towards the finish checkpoint at night on the same road where I had started 13 hours ago, and feeling like an eternity had passed. But it was a great ride, with some very beautiful landscapes going past - almost like Bavaria in places  I have found that it helps keep me going when I can at least look around and enjoy where I am going.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

SiegendesLicht said:


> It really was a long, hard day, with a route laid across some of the hilliest terrain in the country and a strong wind blowing across the fields, but I have done it! 205 km in 13 hours 17 minutes (the time limit is 13.5 hours). I remeber riding towards the finish checkpoint at night on the same road where I had started 13 hours ago, and feeling like an eternity had passed. But it was a great ride, with some very beautiful landscapes going past - almost like Bavaria in places  I have found that it helps keep me going when I can at least look around and enjoy where I am going.


Impressive - big congrats! Out of curiosity - where was this hillier terrain?


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

The region of Logoysk, near Minsk. All three of the country's alpine skiing venues are there.


----------



## georgedelorean (Aug 18, 2017)

If I had a bike, I'd use it as much as I could. However things are so spread out that a car is pretty much a necessity. However I like going on walks often, plus I walk a lot in the warehouse where I work. I probably get four or so miles a day aside from recreational walking.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Wood said:


> I like how in the Netherlands the presumption of guilt falls on the motorist in case of an accident with a cyclist / ped.


In theory, yes. In practice, the result is that cyclists, especially teenagers, don't pay any attention to things like right of way, because they know the cars will stop anyway. Until one day, one does not. Happened recently near our home.

With all shops in walking distance, I use the bicycle only for recreation. Probably about an hour per week, which should be around 500 km per year.


----------



## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

I logged my cycling distances with pencil & paper last year. It worked out to 3,985 mi (or c. 6,410 km).
Didn't do any "double metrics" last year... but I did do two centuries- the last one on a 41 year-old, 31 lb (14 kg) Real Steel Chicago-made Schwinn. Aaah- the Power of True Metal!


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

2016 I did about 3, 000 km. Then I was very excited about moving to Germany together with the bike, hoping to ride and randonneur on German roads much more than before. 2017.... I barely did 200 km within a couple months, and then the bike stayed in the cellar  2018... not a single bike kilometer as yet, and the bike remains in the cellar  Partly this has to do with the quite physical job I have now, but I hope this will change in the future. Meanwhile I have become quite a fan of the German high-speed rail and of aviation


----------



## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

SiegendesLicht said:


> It really was a long, hard day, with a route laid across some of the hilliest terrain in the country...


What was the total elevation of the route?

Also (if you're willing to discuss this): what's your bicycle make-model?


Pugg said:


> Never take the easy way.


"We must not allow ourselves to take the easy path, for nothing worth travelling to lies at the end of it."


----------



## Rambler (Oct 20, 2017)

After a long gap I decided to start cycling again. Not doing much in the winter but come the spring I'll start using the bike more. As an English man I currently appear to be doing about the German average. 

I do a lot of walking (including back packing) and have thought of equipping my self to go cycle camping. However I'm not a big fan of hill climbs on bike, and unfortunately the north of England is liberally spread with quite hilly roads! 

Last year I did some cycle trails in the Peak District on converted disused railways - now that I can handle - particularly nice as traffic free.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I did a tour this summer, having bought a new bike. Went by train to the old town of Eksjö in Southern Sweden, then cycling up to the folkish, rural Dalarna region and the Siljan Lake. Afterwards down to Stockholm and the ferry ride to the island of Gotland. Then a ferry back to the mainland and a ride to Kalmar town, before taking the train back to Copenhagen.

This took 5 weeks with a lot of camping in the lovely Swedish landscape, and 1800 km of cycling - my record cycling trip so far. Almost all of it, except parts of Gotland, were in areas I hadn´t seen before.



> I do a lot of walking (including back packing) and have thought of equipping my self to go cycle camping. However I'm not a big fan of hill climbs on bike, and unfortunately the north of England is liberally spread with quite hilly roads!
> 
> Last year I did some cycle trails in the Peak District on converted disused railways - now that I can handle - particularly nice as traffic free.


Plans for the summer are more of Scotland and Northern England, possibly Shetland or the like, probably via a flight to Edinburgh. Yorkshire, the Lake District, Northumberland ...
But they might change later on. It seems that I´ll have less time available than usual.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

"_If this were a drug it would make world wide headlines: British study demonstrates that cycle commuters had a 52% lower risk of dying from heart disease, 40% lower risk of dying from cancer. A 46% lower risk of developing heart disease, 45% lower risk of developing cancer at all._"


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/964990868724834305
Well, why not just accept this recent tweet without too much scepticism


----------



## LezLee (Feb 21, 2014)

I never learnt to ride a bike. My dad tried to teach me when I was 7 but as it was on an adult man’s bike, it was never going to be a success. My sister had to learn when she became a community midwife and spent a whole year going out each day absolutely terrified! Neither of us can drive either. We’re now in our seventies and are happy with public tansport.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Good to hear that public transport works in the Falkirk area. In my city, having a car is a hindrance, and it´s therefore crucial that public transport is efficient. Here it tends to be reduced outside the cities, though not quite on the scale I experienced in Northern Scotland in 2016, where there would be very few departures. Generally, areas associated with bigger towns seem to manage, both here and in Scotland.


----------

