{"id":168565,"date":"2021-04-14T12:21:34","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T19:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=168565"},"modified":"2023-03-05T21:01:28","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T05:01:28","slug":"how-to-ride-your-bike-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/how-to-ride-your-bike-more","title":{"rendered":"How to Log More Miles on Your Bike"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So, you\u2019ve got a bike and you want to use it. Maybe you picked up a second-hander last year to beat the pandemic blues. Or you unearthed a set of wheels that were previously gathering dust in your garage. Perhaps you\u2019re a former bike racer hoping to return to the starting line. Whether you\u2019re a newbie or a pro, getting a good habit rolling again can be an uphill climb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help get you stoked to get out there, we came up with a list of ways to get you on your bike and ride more\u2014whether it’s setting mini-goals, gearing up your bike so it\u2019s a steed you\u2019re excited to ride or outright bribing yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ride With a Friend<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Find yourself a no-excuses friend who\u2019s willing to meet you at all hours and in all weather. Studies<\/a> show you\u2019re more likely to stick to your goal when you have a workout partner. After the ride, make time for a coffee or a happy-hour drink to make sure you remember the fun\u2014and not just that enormous hill you had to climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sign Up For an Event<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nothing motivates you to put miles on your bike more than a race looming on the calendar. Sign up for a local gravel fondo (a ride on unpaved roads). Jump in a cyclocross race. Take on a triathlon. Hit up a local group ride. Not competitive? No problem. Plot out a route in a new-to-you location that you\u2019ve always wanted to visit. Having a goal or an event on the calendar gives you a reason to get out there\u2014even when you don\u2019t feel like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create Your Own Event<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t feel like joining someone else\u2019s event? Create your own! (Bonus: you get to choose your friends\u2014and competitors.) Make it a family affair by plotting out a fun route that incorporates plenty of snack breaks, or invite some friends to join you on your favorite loop. Even if you\u2019re just in it for the fun (or the food, or the sightseeing, or the family time), it\u2019s still inspirational to have a date on the calendar to look forward to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kit Out Your Bike<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Want to ride your bike more? Make it easy to be spontaneous. Strip away the barriers that keep you from hopping on the saddle. For some, putting on special clothes, shoes, gloves and sunglasses can feel like a chore. If so, consider investing instead in the items that will let you throw a leg over your bike on a whim. A set of full fenders<\/a> (front and rear) keep the mud and water off your back and legs. Flat pedals<\/a> let you turn the cranks in whatever shoes you\u2019re already wearing. Finally, embrace clothes that let you easily transition from the desk to the bike to the grocery store and back again. Ignore the pressure to don a uniform. The right clothing for cycling is whatever clothes make it easy to jump on a bike, whenever you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Convert Errands Into More Miles<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Challenge yourself to swap your car for your bike as often as possible. Adding a bike basket<\/a> or panniers<\/a> makes it easy to run errands and add weekly miles. Ride to the library. Pedal to the gym or the swimming pool. Make at least one grocery run each week by bike. Those miles add up, fast. And they build habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recharge Your Battery<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Editorial photographer Naohmi Monroe has been ramping up her mileage steadily to ride a half-century (50 miles) in 2021. She came up with this routine to boost her mileage and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On days she works from home, she uses her laptop battery as a reflection of her overall energy level. \u201cWhen my laptop is low on battery, I recognize that I\u2019m probably low on battery, too,\u201d Monroe says. \u201cWhile my laptop charges, I go \u2018charge\u2019 myself with a 10- to 15-mile ride, and a good, home-cooked meal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monroe, who co-founded Amiga Studio<\/a>, a women-owned photography and production agency dedicated to championing underrepresented voices, says the routine has also resulted in a better work\/life balance. \u201cI truly feel happier because of it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt’s created a space where I find mental clarity, release any stress, and find joy in being outdoors. It’s an act of self-love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Treat Yourself <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What reward motivates you? Make the local bakery your mid-ride motivation or else load up on food for your pedal that makes you happy when you eat it. (One of Vermont\u2019s fastest mountain bikers opts for \u201ccandy salads\u201d consisting of all kinds of her favorite gummy candies.) If treats don\u2019t spur you on, invest in a cycling kit or a bike accessory<\/a> that makes you smile. (Also: Never underestimate the euphoria-inducing sound of a bike bell<\/a>. Try it. Seriously.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Make it a Sub-Hour Ride<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Though Ginger Boyd has been racing competitively for more than eight years, she still struggles with motivation at times. So, Boyd, co-founder of Amiga Studio, created the \u201cSub 1 Hour\u201d ride. It\u2019s exactly what it sounds like: riding her bike for less than an hour.  The shorter rides took a lot of pressure off her and made cycling more enjoyable again, she says. She started posting about it on Instagram and soon found that it resonated with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the beauty of a short ride: It doesn\u2019t require much (or any) planning, which eliminates virtually all excuses. \u201cDon’t worry about routes, mileage, or even what you’re wearing,\u201d Boyd says. \u201cA Sub 1 Hour can be accomplished in any pair of shorts!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Outsmart Your Excuses <\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Quick: Think about the last time you bailed on a ride. Was it the weather? Lack of time? Fear? Did you overthink something\u2014the logistics, the difficulty, whatever\u2014until you missed your window? Once you identify your biggest barrier to riding more, you can usually figure out a way to outsmart even your best excuses. If foul weather is an issue, invest in gear<\/a> that will keep you comfortable outside, or else figure out a realistic alternative. For example, year-round road riding is a no-go in Vermont, but it\u2019s rarely too cold for fat-tire biking<\/a> in the woods (or Zwifting on your indoor bike trainer<\/a> in your basement, if that\u2019s your thing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try an Electric Bike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consider an e-bike<\/a>, which lets you control the sweat factor on your rides. Crank up the small motor to arrive in style (or at least relatively put together), then push yourself a bit more on the way home, where a shower awaits. When you can easily vary your exertion, you may find yourself using a bike for even more errands and trips. And your excuses not to ride really vanish.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So, you\u2019ve got a bike and you want to use it. Maybe you picked up a second-hander last year to beat the pandemic blues. Or you unearthed a set of wheels that were previously gathering dust in your garage. Perhaps you\u2019re a former bike racer hoping to return to the starting line. Whether you\u2019re a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9145,"featured_media":172263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1127,758],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-168565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycle","tag-cycling","tag-how-to"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/how-to-ride-your-bike-more","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"How to Log More Miles on Your Bike","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/how-to-ride-your-bike-more","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/how-to-ride-your-bike-more"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/kingman20210713_4880.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/kingman20210713_4880.jpg?fit=2000%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Cycle","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Phuong Le"}],"creator":["Phuong Le"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["cycling","how to"],"dateCreated":"2021-04-14T19:21:34Z","datePublished":"2021-04-14T19:21:34Z","dateModified":"2023-03-06T05:01:28Z"},"rendered":"