Same here. Although enjoyed the odd 4-hour ride with a nice break in the middle when there were beer gardens and sunshine. Make the odd exception for mountain rides or the unusual, but don't enjoy long rides for the sake of doing big mileage, just find it uncomfortable.
hey, I discovered your channel two months ago and you made me start riding my road bike I never actually used,you really helped me start and I am very grateful for that ! Tomorrow I'm doing my first 50km (I live in a hilly area) after a few weeks of riding ! Love from France!
@@fabrice6847 bon chance ! What bike are you riding? Remember to bring something with you to keep blood sugar up in the case of wind or avoiding the dreaded 'bonk'
@@mattimeo117 thanks, I ride my dad's old Trek he gave me (I know I'm really lucky to have a Trek as my first bike) I don't know the exact model but it's about 7 years old and not one of the fancy ones. What about you? and thanks for the advice!
I love long rides! Admittedly once they’re 200km or so it’s all about the sense of achievement and definitely becomes Type 2 fun.. but there’s nothing wrong with that!
I know what you're talking about! I started pushing myself further to the 100k mark and it felt like a huge success. Now of course 150k must be doable this season! looking forward to it!!
markiemannie i live in Groningen, northern part. Everything is flat and open and for most of the time pretty windy. But the most hilly things are speedbumps over here
Living in Valkenburg, Camerig and the famous Cauberg is my backyard! Not that elevation, but a great place to ride youre bike! Also very close to the belgium Ardennes!
I commute to work on relatively short 50 minute rides, and I ride around town for utility in short 5-20 minute rides to friends' houses, shopping, etc, so when I'm riding for pleasure I like to go far. Interestingly I don't notice any real difference in speed between my short and long rides.
All presenters on gcn are great but you can’t beat the Si and Dan duo for the GCN show! Don’t understand why anyone would give a thumbs down on these videos - we’re all missing the grand tours but even so these videos still manage to be informative, motivational and fun 👏
The short rides don't cause so much enduring muscular fatigue, so you can actually ride every day ... although a long ride always gives you a special feeling that a short one cannot provide.. gotta be a good mix
I've just got from kind of similar short ride, where somewhere in t he middle of it a rain storm popped up out of nowhere and refreshed me and my bike on the way home 😅 Cheers from Germany! ☕️
Thanks for the shout out about my Draycott madness. It's a hill I never want to see again. Why do 86 times up there? Well it's training for something even bigger and more insane.
Hiit for fitness at least twice a week maybe 30 mins each session and leisurely rides with friends and family of all abilitys in the countryside with frequent stops for coffee cake or beer.60 years a cyclist with no aches or pains .It's about enjoyment and not Mile crunching.
I went on a fast group ride today, my first ever. I'm 14 with only 9 months of experience and kept up with the other riders, all stronger than me, but I was working really hard, even when in the back most of the time. I lost something like 2 pounds in the ride. The ride was great, averaging 34 kph on the 70 km ride and with many sections averaging over 40 kph for over 10 km. Everyone was great and very patient with my inexperience in doing turns. I can't wait for the next ride.
I rode 11 miles today on my ‘05 specialized sequoia , the wind was strong headed out but the return home was sweeeeeeeet! I’m just getting back into riding and being 54years old my ass is sore after that short 1 hour ride 😝 Love this channel, great content! Greetings from the US 🤩🇺🇸
find a very steep climb near where you live . ride to it as a warm up ... then do the climb hard as you can , 2 or 3 times , then ride home as warm down .. do that twice a week .. do a s fun ride for an hour or so , thats your week sorted ... Riding tired doesnt help strength
I also noticed that short rides are more fun. This morning i went for a 5 km ride, after the ride i felt like i want to ride more (no time due to other priority). The longest ride i did was Audax 400 km. Best memory in cycling for ever.
There is a big difference between racing for hours on end - and gently meandering for hours, where you can stop for a cuppa, take photos etc. Personally, I (before lockdown) loved my long ride on a Sunday - just pick a place on the map, roughly map out how I'm going to get there, and just ride. During the week, sure short/fast rides in the evening after work just to keep the legs turning, and keep the fitness up.
I ride mostly long rides, my "short" rides are all commutes. By long I mean 200-500km. What I love about them is how peaceful it is, especially at nights. It's just wonderful to ride through woods on a good road at night. Sometimes I even sing some songs for fun. I love seeing new places, villages and beautiful scenery, which is the reason I do these. I don't do them for sport or training, I do them because I love doing them, for me cycling is not a sport, it's a life changing hobby. There's nothing better than reaching another town that everyone takes a bus or car to by the power of your own feet. And even if the weather is horrible, after you get home, you feel simply so good... For example, I was 180km from home and it started raining, it was 3*C outside, 50kmh headwinds, I was completely soaked, dirty from the gunk thrown from cars and the side of the road, it was horrible, but now that ride has been carved into my memory for a lonnng time. However I ride a cheap mountain bike, so that's why I almost never get discomfort, though it costs speed. I'm thinking of upgrading to a first road bike, since now I am seeing how strong and good I have become, so maybe I have a good future in sports, especially in ultra distance cycling, since such rides aren't even that hard on me. Last week I rode 370km in one day, today I rode 220km. My record is 450km in a day, but it was a long time ago, just when I started distance cycling. Every ride feels like an accomplishment, even if it's not recordbreaking. So for me it's not painful, it's wonderful, but I hope my switch from MTB to road bike isn't going to destroy my love for long distance cycling.
@Never Look back We barely have any bears, but we do have lots of people who don't think it's necessary to chain their dogs while having no fence next to the road.
I agree, I stay race fit riding 5-6 days a week by training an 1 to 2 hours a day, with obvious different energy system focuses, and then one longer 3-5 hour effort on weekends. As a now 63 year old former racer boy, I can attest that I have been in this way for over 50 years. I can still hang with the quick on club rides even now and could still race Cat 3
I like mixing it up. Short rides on the regular. But I do find a sick enjoyment in the suffering of a stupidly long ride. The whole time youre going "why do I do this to myself?" But then end it and realize that was totally amazing
Doing 20-25 km rides every day just works for me. I can consistently push hard and can track my average speeds and watch as they rise nice and slow. I like to end the day with them and get one more victory under the belt as I wrap up the day. I've added over 5 km/h to my average speed over the past 8 months that way!
To me that's why a ~15 km (~10 mi) commute is ideal. Depending on traffic, terrain, and fitness it takes about ~30-40 min each way, which is a nice amount of daily cardio.
Variation is great. I have 17km to work, so thats my most usual distance, which is very nice. Sometimes I go long, maybe 2 or 3 hours, and sometimes I can play around for 20 minutes. Shortest rides are to the shop, 600 meters. Those rides to work , maybe 2 days a week, those four x17km is the most important for my fitness. One of those four rides might be a full speed tempo. The other three, more relaxed, maybe or maybe not some fast sections.
In Australia (Brisbane at least) we regularly do 65km+ before work. Does involve a circa 4:00am alarm and riding in the dark until around 6:15am ... but always worth it!
Dan and So need to continue to be the face of GCN. They have built this company, channel, problem into the most enjoyable and informative in the world. Congrats guys.
For me, the biggest disadvantage of short rides is the lack of variety. Racing the same 40km all the time is just boring. Going over 80km gives me a much bigger choice of sites, landscapes or even fries riding over the border to the Netherlands or cake and climbs going east of Duesseldorf...
1 to 3 hours are my typical rides. And thats perfect for me. I try to ride at the very least 4 times a week. You never get fatigue with rides like that, that's the main benefit imo, you can ride every day and not get fatigue. God Bless you all!
4:24 depends on what you're training for. I'm aiming for back-to-back 10 hour days to get the training effect I want, but the event I'm training for will involve back-to-back 12 hour days soooo...horses for courses.
4.5 hours is my max. That’s about 75-90 miles. Even with padded shorts my butt gets so sore that it makes the ride unenjoyable. 2.5 hours is just about perfect, and that’s going HARD.
Long rides or short rides? Both! Long rides take you to places you may not have been before, whereas short rides are always those same loops do over and over again. But recovery is quicker from short rides, you have more spare time, you can go harder.
Just rode home after some time away. 10:59, 3754m. Naturally my first priority was... well, ok, it was eating. After that though was watching the GCN show I'd missed. Seemed very topical. My 8th hour today was brilliant - saw a Lyrebird, magnificent sunset views from the top of a monster climb, all around awesome. No time for anything else today and I'll be a bit sluggish tomorrow, but hey, for a ride like that it was well worth it!
I favor the short; 1-2.5 hour rides. For older cyclists, like me (over 60), it’s a great way to stay in shape and have plenty of time, post ride, to recover, elevate my legs, and get on with the rest of my day.
When I first read the title for this episode, I thought it said, "6 Reasons Why Shorter Bike Riders are Better". As a 6'4" cyclist (1.93 for the metric folks), I thought, "I'm upset! Even if short cyclists get a better draft, have the advantage uphills, and generally outperform me, you don't have to rub it in!" Then I actually listened to the episode and now I feel much better. =D
Having grown up in the area and knowing this specific place I am almost 100% sure the winner pic from Schladming is real. The setting with the wooden trout exists and those white-brown cows are around this place a lot. And you can reach it with the road bike as well, there's a paved road up!
Ultegra cranks tend to break on the drive side after you ride them hard for lots of kilometers. The aluminum shell is bonded and the bonding comes loose, then it starts creaking and stressing the shell, shortly after the shell will crack. The lad with 3 left side ultegra cranks probably just rides lots of kilometers and has had a few fail on him. My first one failed around 9500 kilometers.
I find a mixture of both long and short rides to work well for me. I started off riding short distances but after a while you end up riding similar routes in your area which can become boring! Its good to get out on the longer rides, stop for a break when needed and admire the amazing scenery that the UK has to offer!
1. Shorter rides mean you still have the rest of the day available. 2. You can ride harder on shorter rides. 3. You can get fitter on short rides. (HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training & Diminishing returns on training long distances). 4. Bad Weather: Not far from home on a shorter ride. 15 mins vs 2 hrs to home. 5. Shorter rides are more fun. 6. Less chance of soreness re: sitting down.
A long soccer career has etched 90 minute intense workouts into my soul. It’s just part of me now and I hope to be able to keep “match fit” for years to come. Cheers to all the GCN crew and fans from So Cal. 😎
I did easily on average 20 min 20 trips. Trying for 4 at the moment in the evening. I totally loved being a courier cyclist particularly that it was in London. From having a pee in 11 Downing Street, the genuine satisfaction I got through it on some days, that I could eat whatever I liked, having an enormous reserves of energy. My biggest regret? Not have taken any bloody photographs. Before the mobile phone went steroid.
I like short rides, as a bike commuter every day I ride about 15 km before work, then in the evenings I ride home (30 km, roughly 1 hour) and still I have time for other things that matter, my family for example :)
I love riding my bike, but I love my wife and kids as well. That is why short rides are perfect because I can go for a ride early in the Morning on Weekends when they are sleeping, but then again I have the rest od the day to spend with them and have fun off the bike.
I do most of my rides are on my indoor trainer. Time restraints mean I do 1 hour sessions 5 - 6 days a week. When I do ride outside, I go for 50+ miles...up to 100 miles.
I started watching this video thinking why do I need "Shorter BIKES" and not "Shorter bike RIDES" but as always ended up staying till the end. Also always a big fan of Castelli
I'd say "Bodge" to this episode's video quality but I appreciate Dan's soft look and the full focus on the GCN letters on behind. :) Anyway, it's been good entertainment as every time and I'll look forward to the next GCN show. Thumbs up.
Done one 375km ride. Wouldn’t do it again, but it’s great for bragging rights 🤟. Now at 62 I typically stay within 2 hours and the occasional 4-5 hour charity ride. Great show guys.
What do you prefer? Short rides or long rides? Let us know in the comments below!
Global Cycling Network long
Longer rides because you get to enjoy the scenery more
On focus Dan
Short at full blast
Short rides are best.
Dan has lost his focus during his absence
His camera has also lost focus....
I didn't realize he was gone. It was all a blur.
Keyring Obviousleh Thames what he/she means
Keyring Obviousleh that’s the joke.....🙄
Came here to say THIS!
My favorite and most common rides are between 2- 3 hours. Beyond that I start questioning life decisions.
Same here
Same here. Although enjoyed the odd 4-hour ride with a nice break in the middle when there were beer gardens and sunshine. Make the odd exception for mountain rides or the unusual, but don't enjoy long rides for the sake of doing big mileage, just find it uncomfortable.
Agreed, I have yet to find a saddle that can comfortably go beyond the 3hr mark.
You get corona like symptoms after 3 and a half hours
Bunch of quegs you all are. "When it hurts that's when you can make a difference." Eddie Merckx
hey, I discovered your channel two months ago and you made me start riding my road bike I never actually used,you really helped me start and I am very grateful for that ! Tomorrow I'm doing my first 50km (I live in a hilly area) after a few weeks of riding !
Love from France!
Profite ton tour du vélo !
@@haralambitodorov6313 haha merci !
@@fabrice6847 bon chance ! What bike are you riding?
Remember to bring something with you to keep blood sugar up in the case of wind or avoiding the dreaded 'bonk'
Ayyyy, welcome to the sport! ☺️☺️
@@mattimeo117 thanks, I ride my dad's old Trek he gave me (I know I'm really lucky to have a Trek as my first bike) I don't know the exact model but it's about 7 years old and not one of the fancy ones.
What about you?
and thanks for the advice!
I love long rides! Admittedly once they’re 200km or so it’s all about the sense of achievement and definitely becomes Type 2 fun.. but there’s nothing wrong with that!
I know what you're talking about! I started pushing myself further to the 100k mark and it felt like a huge success. Now of course 150k must be doable this season! looking forward to it!!
Si over Van Vleuten’s 400 km ride: 900 meter is not much elevation
Me as a Dutchy living there: 900 meters, that's a friggin' mount everest!
😂
So true! The hardest climb near me is the Amerongse berg, just 57m! And that's more than most parts of the country :(
markiemannie i live in Groningen, northern part. Everything is flat and open and for most of the time pretty windy. But the most hilly things are speedbumps over here
Me a Texan: What does elevation mean?
Living in Valkenburg, Camerig and the famous Cauberg is my backyard! Not that elevation, but a great place to ride youre bike! Also very close to the belgium Ardennes!
Caption: Walk uphill with a Pinarello? Feels more like a Trek to me
Yeah I cant think of anything better than this 👏👏
Enjoy your bottle.
Daaaad! Nooooo! Daaaaad! 🤣🤣🤣
Wow, can't remember last time I saw Si and Dan in the same video. Glad to see you guys!
Could you see Dan? Bit blurry.
I like all the GCN presenters, but Si and Dan presenting the show is the bestest of the bestest!
Lovely to see Dan back! I don’t normally watch the GCN show without either Dan or Si. You guys are the best GCN presenters and you always will be
Was Dan focussing on his new kit in the background on purpose? 😂
😂
I was wondering if he was doing it to give Si a hard time
Maybe the Camera loved the New kit to much
dizzying....
Yep. Yep that was exactly the reason. Thank you for pointing that out to everyone who thinks I can't focus the camera. Lloydy. 😉
Shout-out to the GCN editors who were kind enough to blur Dan so we can gradually get used to seeing him again after a long period of absence.
Iol
Dan’s been away so long he’s gone soft.
And very fuzzy....
I thought he was just optimised for phone screens?
Well, he has lost his focus, yes.
Hahahaha....I’ve raced with Dan and he has more talent and toughness in his little toe than you will ever have....
@@occyman Woosh.
I commute to work on relatively short 50 minute rides, and I ride around town for utility in short 5-20 minute rides to friends' houses, shopping, etc, so when I'm riding for pleasure I like to go far. Interestingly I don't notice any real difference in speed between my short and long rides.
At first, I read "why are short riders better". I was quite confused at the beginning:D
I don't imagine Dan rides a Focus.
So did I. For a moment I thought there was still hope, for me and my little levers........ 🤣
Michael... should be obvious. As we’re closer to the ground, we’re a bit more aero. Should that have been the actual question. ☺️
@@bryanmccullar4701 you're right. The aerodynamic is definitely better.
Same
The best rides are when you leave home and finish somewhere else. (Touring)
5:30 Counter-intuitively, on longer rides you can find your 7th or 8th wind -- and hallucinate without needing drugs
I laughed out loud
Short rides during the week long ride on weekends :)
A combo of short and long rides matter. Long rides build your base and short rides sharpen the blade.
#choosealifenotaknife
#hashtagsmatter
I prefer short rides from 1-2 hours, I also usually on Saturday s do a 3 hour group ride with friends
Definitely thumbs up for short rides. One easy Sunday 2-3 hours, everything else I keep around an hour.
A positive of short rides is that you don't have to carry heaps of food and rely on filling up bidons after a couple of hours.
Sure is hey. My phone is on the verg of flying out of the back pocket every time I bunny hop stuff.
Surely Dan's catchphrase is "while on the Cervelo test team"
GCN is like the Top Gear of cycling ( when Top Gear was good ).
Totally agree!
I think the same thing all the time
You guys really need to do a show on auduax or randonneuring style cycling, better yet, Ride a super randonneur series and report on it.
Getting vibes that Dan is locked in an undisclosed GCN basement somewhere.
Would that mean his genuine happiness is secondary to Stockholm syndrome?
Anyone know if the opticians are open during lockdown as my right eye is playing up and has gone blurred.
The Opticians are open in Barnard Castle, I believe!
They are for emergencies. Sudden loss or reduced vision, pain redness would count. The other option is your local A&E who may be able to help
@@TheYnysfach think he was joking mate ;-)
GCN your one stop shop for everything.
All presenters on gcn are great but you can’t beat the Si and Dan duo for the GCN show! Don’t understand why anyone would give a thumbs down on these videos - we’re all missing the grand tours but even so these videos still manage to be informative, motivational and fun 👏
HOLY CRAP DAN IS BACK
and very blurry
From behind the veil, it appears.
Must have been a long tommy tit or ham shank that. How longs it been
Caption: “Jan’s favorite time of the year: the harvesting of the Pinarellos.”
Thought the title was why shorter riders are better.. hopes and dreams down the 🕳
Rip
Yeah me too haha, but I am not short
Damn man me to im only 5’8😩
The Kingpin same here but we ain’t that short, we’re at the tall-short end of the spectrum
Maybe they are not, but then they can do even shorter rides.
The short rides don't cause so much enduring muscular fatigue, so you can actually ride every day ... although a long ride always gives you a special feeling that a short one cannot provide.. gotta be a good mix
#captioncontest Emma Pooley's quote: "I didn't want to get this close to nature"
"Go hard AND go home - Dan Lloyd", love it 😂 Can we get a GCN shirt with that mantra?
I've just got from kind of similar short ride, where somewhere in t he middle of it a rain storm popped up out of nowhere and refreshed me and my bike on the way home 😅
Cheers from Germany! ☕️
Same for me in Cologne ;>
Come on: Dan’s catchphrase is: “Did you know I was part of the Cervelo test team”.....
I knew someone was going to beat me to this
@@anthonyl1274 Same here.
I would say its good to see Dan is back, but I guess its good to hear him.
Hahaha! Excellent comment.
Variety is absolutely the spice of life. That's my kind of cycling, both long and short rides plus hard and easy efforts
Dan obviously hasn’t spent his time off learning how to focus the camera. 😂🤪
The best thing about a long ride, is the improvement I feel in my legs when out on the shorter rides a couple of days later.
You improve the most on a high intensity rides not on the long rides.
Thanks for the shout out about my Draycott madness. It's a hill I never want to see again. Why do 86 times up there? Well it's training for something even bigger and more insane.
Hiit for fitness at least twice a week maybe 30 mins each session and leisurely rides with friends and family of all abilitys in the countryside with frequent stops for coffee cake or beer.60 years a cyclist with no aches or pains .It's about enjoyment and not Mile crunching.
For a second I thought it was "shorter rideRs"
Entered the video and had my dreams crushed.
I’m 5’0” (152cm) 😎short enough?
I went on a fast group ride today, my first ever. I'm 14 with only 9 months of experience and kept up with the other riders, all stronger than me, but I was working really hard, even when in the back most of the time. I lost something like 2 pounds in the ride. The ride was great, averaging 34 kph on the 70 km ride and with many sections averaging over 40 kph for over 10 km. Everyone was great and very patient with my inexperience in doing turns. I can't wait for the next ride.
I haven't seen Dan in so long my recollection of him is a bit fuzzy. 😂
I rode 11 miles today on my ‘05 specialized sequoia , the wind was strong headed out but the return home was sweeeeeeeet!
I’m just getting back into riding and being 54years old my ass is sore after that short 1 hour ride 😝
Love this channel, great content! Greetings from the US 🤩🇺🇸
First (again) I haven’t seen Dan and Si in the same video since Matt was still here!!
Sooooo good to have Dan back. The SiDan combo is THE best!!
Caption: Jan Ullrich in the early 2000s trying to find the wheel of Lance Armstrong
I'm only starting off cycling after an 18 year hiatus, so, I'm starting with short, gentle rides. I'm hoping to work up to longer rides.
find a very steep climb near where you live . ride to it as a warm up ... then do the climb hard as you can , 2 or 3 times , then ride home as warm down .. do that twice a week .. do a s fun ride for an hour or so , thats your week sorted ... Riding tired doesnt help strength
Out of focus Dan makes me unhappy
I also noticed that short rides are more fun.
This morning i went for a 5 km ride, after the ride i felt like i want to ride more (no time due to other priority).
The longest ride i did was Audax 400 km. Best memory in cycling for ever.
I don't think Si quite realises how damn flat the Netherlands are..
Yes... Perhaps he was looking for 900m elevation and the only way he could get it was by riding 400km
There is a big difference between racing for hours on end - and gently meandering for hours, where you can stop for a cuppa, take photos etc. Personally, I (before lockdown) loved my long ride on a Sunday - just pick a place on the map, roughly map out how I'm going to get there, and just ride. During the week, sure short/fast rides in the evening after work just to keep the legs turning, and keep the fitness up.
Caption: Jan swears the only drug he was on was weed.
I ride mostly long rides, my "short" rides are all commutes. By long I mean 200-500km. What I love about them is how peaceful it is, especially at nights. It's just wonderful to ride through woods on a good road at night. Sometimes I even sing some songs for fun. I love seeing new places, villages and beautiful scenery, which is the reason I do these. I don't do them for sport or training, I do them because I love doing them, for me cycling is not a sport, it's a life changing hobby. There's nothing better than reaching another town that everyone takes a bus or car to by the power of your own feet. And even if the weather is horrible, after you get home, you feel simply so good... For example, I was 180km from home and it started raining, it was 3*C outside, 50kmh headwinds, I was completely soaked, dirty from the gunk thrown from cars and the side of the road, it was horrible, but now that ride has been carved into my memory for a lonnng time.
However I ride a cheap mountain bike, so that's why I almost never get discomfort, though it costs speed. I'm thinking of upgrading to a first road bike, since now I am seeing how strong and good I have become, so maybe I have a good future in sports, especially in ultra distance cycling, since such rides aren't even that hard on me. Last week I rode 370km in one day, today I rode 220km. My record is 450km in a day, but it was a long time ago, just when I started distance cycling. Every ride feels like an accomplishment, even if it's not recordbreaking.
So for me it's not painful, it's wonderful, but I hope my switch from MTB to road bike isn't going to destroy my love for long distance cycling.
@Never Look back Bears? Where do you live? Russia?
@Never Look back We barely have any bears, but we do have lots of people who don't think it's necessary to chain their dogs while having no fence next to the road.
Personally I like to ride a good 50 km on the weekends and 40minutes rides during the week
15-25miles during the week, and 40-60miles on the weekend.
@@brandonclark8736 thats a good plan... I do the same
I agree, I stay race fit riding 5-6 days a week by training an 1 to 2 hours a day, with obvious different energy system focuses, and then one longer 3-5 hour effort on weekends. As a now 63 year old former racer boy, I can attest that I have been in this way for over 50 years. I can still hang with the quick on club rides even now and could still race Cat 3
Depends on the definition of "short"
Nice focus on the kit. SI will appreciate that, Dan.
Caption: Jan, the plant-based cyclist
Aaaand the winner iiiis 😃
@@speedypablo5530 I wish, so I too could have my very own, out of focus, GCN water bottle 😁
Dan's catch phrase should be "FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS!!!"
apologies, whats a short ride,
A long ride is around the block if you are seven.
I like mixing it up. Short rides on the regular. But I do find a sick enjoyment in the suffering of a stupidly long ride. The whole time youre going "why do I do this to myself?" But then end it and realize that was totally amazing
I’d love to know what you guys deem as a “short” ride, I did a 80k the other day and that for my mortal self was a long enough ride!! 😂😂
80k is definitely long enough for us these days!
I usually do around 30-40 km but I ride on a mtb and I enjoy all types of terrain.
Doing 20-25 km rides every day just works for me.
I can consistently push hard and can track my average speeds and watch as they rise nice and slow. I like to end the day with them and get one more victory under the belt as I wrap up the day. I've added over 5 km/h to my average speed over the past 8 months that way!
Good to see the dynamic duo back together
To me that's why a ~15 km (~10 mi) commute is ideal. Depending on traffic, terrain, and fitness it takes about ~30-40 min each way, which is a nice amount of daily cardio.
Variation is great. I have 17km to work, so thats my most usual distance, which is very nice. Sometimes I go long, maybe 2 or 3 hours, and sometimes I can play around for 20 minutes. Shortest rides are to the shop, 600 meters. Those rides to work , maybe 2 days a week, those four x17km is the most important for my fitness. One of those four rides might be a full speed tempo. The other three, more relaxed, maybe or maybe not some fast sections.
In Australia (Brisbane at least) we regularly do 65km+ before work. Does involve a circa 4:00am alarm and riding in the dark until around 6:15am ... but always worth it!
I am recovering from a ruptured disc in my back so short fast rides I love. 2 1/2 hours my longest, more painful but also good for sense of freedom.
An hour or so is just right for me. Long enough to get some decent exercise, short enough to keep the pace up and be home for other things.
Dan and So need to continue to be the face of GCN. They have built this company, channel, problem into the most enjoyable and informative in the world. Congrats guys.
For me, the biggest disadvantage of short rides is the lack of variety. Racing the same 40km all the time is just boring. Going over 80km gives me a much bigger choice of sites, landscapes or even fries riding over the border to the Netherlands or cake and climbs going east of Duesseldorf...
1 to 3 hours are my typical rides. And thats perfect for me. I try to ride at the very least 4 times a week. You never get fatigue with rides like that, that's the main benefit imo, you can ride every day and not get fatigue. God Bless you all!
4:24 depends on what you're training for. I'm aiming for back-to-back 10 hour days to get the training effect I want, but the event I'm training for will involve back-to-back 12 hour days soooo...horses for courses.
4.5 hours is my max. That’s about 75-90 miles. Even with padded shorts my butt gets so sore that it makes the ride unenjoyable. 2.5 hours is just about perfect, and that’s going HARD.
Long rides or short rides? Both! Long rides take you to places you may not have been before, whereas short rides are always those same loops do over and over again. But recovery is quicker from short rides, you have more spare time, you can go harder.
Just rode home after some time away. 10:59, 3754m. Naturally my first priority was... well, ok, it was eating. After that though was watching the GCN show I'd missed. Seemed very topical. My 8th hour today was brilliant - saw a Lyrebird, magnificent sunset views from the top of a monster climb, all around awesome. No time for anything else today and I'll be a bit sluggish tomorrow, but hey, for a ride like that it was well worth it!
In Vancouver, we get close to the same number of rainy days as you do in Bath, and about 30% more annual rainfall.
I favor the short; 1-2.5 hour rides. For older cyclists, like me (over 60), it’s a great way to stay in shape and have plenty of time, post ride, to recover, elevate my legs, and get on with the rest of my day.
When I first read the title for this episode, I thought it said, "6 Reasons Why Shorter Bike Riders are Better". As a 6'4" cyclist (1.93 for the metric folks), I thought, "I'm upset! Even if short cyclists get a better draft, have the advantage uphills, and generally outperform me, you don't have to rub it in!" Then I actually listened to the episode and now I feel much better. =D
Having grown up in the area and knowing this specific place I am almost 100% sure the winner pic from Schladming is real. The setting with the wooden trout exists and those white-brown cows are around this place a lot.
And you can reach it with the road bike as well, there's a paved road up!
Ultegra cranks tend to break on the drive side after you ride them hard for lots of kilometers. The aluminum shell is bonded and the bonding comes loose, then it starts creaking and stressing the shell, shortly after the shell will crack. The lad with 3 left side ultegra cranks probably just rides lots of kilometers and has had a few fail on him. My first one failed around 9500 kilometers.
I find a mixture of both long and short rides to work well for me. I started off riding short distances but after a while you end up riding similar routes in your area which can become boring! Its good to get out on the longer rides, stop for a break when needed and admire the amazing scenery that the UK has to offer!
1. Shorter rides mean you still have the rest of the day available.
2. You can ride harder on shorter rides.
3. You can get fitter on short rides. (HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training & Diminishing returns on training long distances).
4. Bad Weather: Not far from home on a shorter ride. 15 mins vs 2 hrs to home.
5. Shorter rides are more fun.
6. Less chance of soreness re: sitting down.
A long soccer career has etched 90 minute intense workouts into my soul. It’s just part of me now and I hope to be able to keep “match fit” for years to come. Cheers to all the GCN crew and fans from So Cal. 😎
I did easily on average 20 min 20 trips. Trying for 4 at the moment in the evening. I totally loved being a courier cyclist particularly that it was in London. From having a pee in 11 Downing Street, the genuine satisfaction I got through it on some days, that I could eat whatever I liked, having an enormous reserves of energy. My biggest regret? Not have taken any bloody photographs. Before the mobile phone went steroid.
Great to see the original duo back! Cheers guys
I like short rides, as a bike commuter every day I ride about 15 km before work, then in the evenings I ride home (30 km, roughly 1 hour) and still I have time for other things that matter, my family for example :)
I saw Froome in France last week. He let onto me. I only realised after he had entered a villa complex. Utter legend. Nice bloke.
I love riding my bike, but I love my wife and kids as well. That is why short rides are perfect because I can go for a ride early in the Morning on Weekends when they are sleeping, but then again I have the rest od the day to spend with them and have fun off the bike.
I do most of my rides are on my indoor trainer. Time restraints mean I do 1 hour sessions 5 - 6 days a week. When I do ride outside, I go for 50+ miles...up to 100 miles.
I started watching this video thinking why do I need "Shorter BIKES" and not "Shorter bike RIDES" but as always ended up staying till the end. Also always a big fan of Castelli
Like a mate of mine always says... "any training ride over 100km's is wasting rubber"
I'd say "Bodge" to this episode's video quality but I appreciate Dan's soft look and the full focus on the GCN letters on behind. :) Anyway, it's been good entertainment as every time and I'll look forward to the next GCN show. Thumbs up.
Awesome video, Good to hear short rides are also helpful. Sometimes I have little time for exercise and just do intense short rides.
Hi Guys , good to see you back Dan . Seriously I'm so happy Si got his new kit , he can stop whining and Ollie can stop trolling Si .
The "Dan-Si Combo" is by far and away the best to watch:)
After 7hrs on a bike, I'm holding an a&e dept as a backup! 🤪
Done one 375km ride. Wouldn’t do it again, but it’s great for bragging rights 🤟. Now at 62 I typically stay within 2 hours and the occasional 4-5 hour charity ride. Great show guys.