What's your average length mountain bike ride?

[Tricia]

After getting into mountain biking last year, we found ourselves doing an average of 9-10 miles.

I've ridden my bike three times this year, two of which were actual mountain bike rides, the other was an opportunity to burn calories while running some errands.
The first ride was 4 (ish) miles but my allergies were kicking my ass and my lungs were limited.
The second mt bike ride was yesterday along the Truckee River, which was pretty incredible, but there were sections of the trail that created mental fatigue because the river side of the trail (in areas) was like a rocky drop off. I'm not a fan of ledges.
That ride was 5.2 miles.
I feel like I'll continue to ride this trail and get a good handle on the "ledge" feeling and amp up a little, hopefully getting back to the 10 mile average.

All in all, mental fatigue tends to shorten a day for me, more than physical fatigue.

How long do you ride on average?

 

[scott43]

Depends on terrain. Hard ride maybe 10-15 miles. Easy ride maybe 20 miles. I'm more restricted by time these days.

 

[Wilhelmson]

An hour 2 or 3 weekdays and hopefully a 2 or 3 hour ride on the weekend. The great thing about skiing is that we make time to be there and it's the focus of the day. Forget about whatever had to get done around the house and hope a friend plows my driveway. Positive developments should be forcing us to head to the mountains for 4 seasons but kids' sports will get in the way fall and spring.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Most of my rides are 10 - 15 miles. They all include moderately technical climbing and usually rocky descents. They take about an 1:15 and up.

 

[luliski]

I only did 9 mountain bike rides last season, and the average length was just over 9 miles. The longest was a little over 15 miles, and the shortest was 3.25 miles. I enjoy the longer rides, but sometimes it's a challenge to find someone who is willing and able to ride longer with me. I'm overdue for my first mountain bike ride of the season

 

[Tony S]

Terrain matters a lot.

 

[Tony S]

Seriously, this is my gauge: If you want to and can enjoy two beers after the ride and still feel good the next morning, you didn't go long and hard enough. If you are too wiped to enjoy one beer you overdid it.

 

[4ster]

Average is about 15 miles & 1500’ of climbing.
Today for instance...

 

[Ski&ride]

An hour 2 or 3 weekdays and hopefully a 2 or 3 hour ride on the weekend.

Yep, that’s how I measure my rides. Mtn bike by hours, road bike by miles, xc skiing by miles and down hill ski by days.

 

[John O]

I want to start by saying that any day mtn biking where you had fun and came home in one piece is a good day, regardless of how far you rode.

I will also agree with @Tony S that "terrain matters a lot". If you're riding a lot of rough twisty singletrack, that definitely takes it out of you a lot faster than smooth flowy trails.

All that said, my singletrack rides are usually in the 8-10 mile range. That's enough for me to get out and have fun in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[AmyPJ]

After getting into mountain biking last year, we found ourselves doing an average of 9-10 miles.

I've ridden my bike three times this year, two of which were actual mountain bike rides, the other was an opportunity to burn calories while running some errands.
The first ride was 4 (ish) miles but my allergies were kicking my ass and my lungs were limited.
The second mt bike ride was yesterday along the Truckee River, which was pretty incredible, but there were sections of the trail that created mental fatigue because the river side of the trail (in areas) was like a rocky drop off. I'm not a fan of ledges.
That ride was 5.2 miles.
I feel like I'll continue to ride this trail and get a good handle on the "ledge" feeling and amp up a little, hopefully getting back to the 10 mile average.

All in all, mental fatigue tends to shorten a day for me, more than physical fatigue.

How long do you ride on average?

The mental fatigue gets a LOT better, I promise! My first two years riding, I had it a lot. I don't anymore. Time depends often on how many of us are riding, because it quickly gets social and I tend to finish ahead of the pack. If I'm alone, I ride a LOT faster than with a group.

Terrain matters a lot.

This, for sure. 14 miles at Snowbasin is a bit more of an ass-kicking that 14 miles at Powder Mountain, or Vernal, for instance. My usual rides at Snowbasin range from a quick almost 6 mile loop, to12 miles once things dry out. I've been trying to tack on an extra 3 mile loop to my usual rides to train for a race coming up that is 14 miles.

The equalizer at PowMow is the altitude-it's about 2000 feet higher.

 

[Tom K.]

I typically shoot for a Gilligan Ride (three hour tour) on the mtb.

In my neck of the woods that usually nets around 4,500 feet of climbing.

I don't pay any attention to miles on the mtb. It's SO terrain dependent.

 

[coskigirl]

I agree that terrain matters a lot. As does the amount of oxygen available. For example, in Oregon I did a "race" that was 13.4 miles and while I was toast at the end that was probably more due to being the third day in a row of riding which I hadn't done all season. The elevation there topped out at 3500 feet. A week later, on rested legs I did another "race" that was 8 miles that topped out at almost 5800 feet. Both were similar amounts of elevation gain although the second one I did a bit faster in average speed.
I tend to do shorter rides for the most part because I'm usually out alone and don't want to get too far out from help or my car, at least when I'm in this stage of not fit and during rattlesnake season. The fitness will come back, especially as I add in the Peloton rides when I can't get outside and I'll probably be more comfortable going further out.

 

[Tricia]

That ride was 5.2 miles.

An hour 2 or 3 weekdays and hopefully a 2 or 3 hour ride on the weekend. The great thing about skiing is that we make time to be there and it's the focus of the day. Forget about whatever had to get done around the house and hope a friend plows my driveway. Positive developments should be forcing us to head to the mountains for 4 seasons but kids' sports will get in the way fall and spring.

Yep, that’s how I measure my rides. Mtn bike by hours, road bike by miles, xc skiing by miles and down hill ski by days.

The ride along the Truckee took just under an hour.

 

[Tricia]

The mental fatigue gets a LOT better, I promise! My first two years riding, I had it a lot. I don't anymore. Time depends often on how many of us are riding, because it quickly gets social and I tend to finish ahead of the pack. If I'm alone, I ride a LOT faster than with a group.



This, for sure. 14 miles at Snowbasin is a bit more of an ass-kicking that 14 miles at Powder Mountain, or Vernal, for instance. My usual rides at Snowbasin range from a quick almost 6 mile loop, to12 miles once things dry out. I've been trying to tack on an extra 3 mile loop to my usual rides to train for a race coming up that is 14 miles.

The equalizer at PowMow is the altitude-it's about 2000 feet higher.

Thanks for the encouragement.
All in all, I'm just stoked that I am itching to get out and ride, knowing how far I've come with the head games.

And @Tony S Terrain is huge.
The ledge feeling gets in my head. I'm going to go back and ride it again today and conquer the beast.

 

[Crank]

Rocky rooty twisty turny - 7.5 miles is my normal weekday evening ride. Usually about 1:15 or 1:30 time wise.

Smooth and flowy probably 10 - 15 miles or so. We have to drive at least an hour to get to any smoother trails so most of our rides are of the shorter variety.

 

[Tony S]

The ledge feeling gets in my head. I'm going to go back and ride it again today and conquer the beast.

Just as you think of "dancing with the hill" in skiing, you can think of stroking the dragon with your tires in a way that makes it fun for both of you. The gnarlier the terrain the more subtlety is required. Flow is everything.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Just as you think of "dancing with the hill" in skiing, you can think of stroking the dragon with your tires in a way that makes it fun for both of you. The gnarlier the terrain the more subtlety is required. Flow is everything.

QFT.

Learning to ride on a rigid-ride (no suspension front or rear) or a hard-tail builds your skills for dealing with terrain and obstacles. Knowing how (and being able) to lift your front wheel over something or to 'float' over a rock garden are skills that can come in handy while riding a full-suspension bike that were absolutely essential on hard-tails.

 

[Tricia]

And @Tony S Terrain is huge.
The ledge feeling gets in my head. I'm going to go back and ride it again today and conquer the beast.

Just as you think of "dancing with the hill" in skiing, you can think of stroking the dragon with your tires in a way that makes it fun for both of you. The gnarlier the terrain the more subtlety is required. Flow is everything.

This is the section that gave me the willies Tuesday, today was better.
But boy-o-boy, if you tipped over, its a long way down.

 

[AmyPJ]

Thanks for the encouragement.
All in all, I'm just stoked that I am itching to get out and ride, knowing how far I've come with the head games.

And @Tony S Terrain is huge.
The ledge feeling gets in my head. I'm going to go back and ride it again today and conquer the beast.

View attachment 76132
This is the section that gave me the willies Tuesday, today was better.
But boy-o-boy, if you tipped over, its a long way down.

Oh, you'll be zipping over that in no time! There's a spot on Sardine trail here, which is one I ride regularly, that has a big drop on one side, and the trail next to it is loose rocks with some big, stationary rocks to roll over (or climb over.) I walked it for my first year riding, honestly. Now, it barely phases me, either direction. There is still one big rollover that was created last year by trail erosion and too many riders, that I still won't ride. It has too many factors that get into my head--it's a large, wide, pointy rock, on a turn that goes downhill, with a large dropoff on one side. I get frustrated that it gets into my head, but, whatever. I've tackled so many beasts out there that used to give me the heebies, that I allow myself to "live to ride another day" on certain parts of the trail.

So, don't feel bad about being cautious at all!