How do you log rides? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

01-03-2007, 08:28 PM

I really didn't start seriously logging anything until 3-4 years ago.
Before that, odometer readings at the end of each year were good
enough. In 2005, I got a desk calendar and started noting miles and a
short description of each ride. That made for a nice day at the end
of the year, when I spent a rainy afternoon entering everything into a
spreadsheet (boring) and reliving the best rides from jotted notes
(definitely not boring!).

Trouble with having a spreadsheet is, you keep going. So last year I
logged everything in a desk calendar, and also put it in the
spreadsheet, thinking of more or less interesting things to plot, and
then watching the plots carefully. It helped some with motivation, as
I went from a personal record of 3,000 miles to a new personal record
of 5,000 miles for the year. But I missed that day of reminiscing --
sort of like getting a cyclocomputer can lead to too much interest in
watching the numbers flash, and not enough interest in the ride.

So how do you keep track of your rides? (Do you?) What's important
enough to log -- time, distance, ride profile, max/min speed or pulse
-- and why do you log it? What do you do with it when you're done?

Pat
Email address works as is.

01-03-2007, 09:07 PM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
Patrick Lamb <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> So how do you keep track of your rides? (Do you?)

I used to. I set up some macros in my emacs to create
records & fields as a primitive flat (but fairly searchable)
database in a single text file.

> What's important
> enough to log -- time, distance, ride profile, max/min speed or pulse
> -- and why do you log it?

When I had the cycloputer, it seemed a shame to
just toss all those numbers into the bit bucket.
Might as well save 'em. And I liked to record
things I noticed, impressions and experiences
during my rides.

> What do you do with it when you're done?

There's the rub. Not much. That's partly why I don't
bother any more.

I suppose it was nice having recorded distances to
various locations, but frankly I like looking at
maps more than I like reading text.

And sometimes I miss having important details at hand,
like the name of that truck stop - burger joint at/near
Douglas Rd & Norland. But I can always ride back there
to find out. Maybe stop in for a burger. And forget
the name of the place again.

cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

01-04-2007, 05:00 AM

Patrick Lamb wrote:

> I really didn't start seriously logging anything until 3-4 years ago.
> Before that, odometer readings at the end of each year were good
> enough. In 2005, I got a desk calendar and started noting miles and a
> short description of each ride. That made for a nice day at the end
> of the year, when I spent a rainy afternoon entering everything into a
> spreadsheet (boring) and reliving the best rides from jotted notes
> (definitely not boring!).
>
> Trouble with having a spreadsheet is, you keep going. So last year I
> logged everything in a desk calendar, and also put it in the
> spreadsheet, thinking of more or less interesting things to plot, and
> then watching the plots carefully. It helped some with motivation, as
> I went from a personal record of 3,000 miles to a new personal record
> of 5,000 miles for the year. But I missed that day of reminiscing --
> sort of like getting a cyclocomputer can lead to too much interest in
> watching the numbers flash, and not enough interest in the ride.
>
> So how do you keep track of your rides? (Do you?) What's important
> enough to log -- time, distance, ride profile, max/min speed or pulse
> -- and why do you log it? What do you do with it when you're done?

I use [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

--
Jørn Dahl-Stamnes
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

01-04-2007, 07:43 AM

Just keep monthly/annual mileage on a scratch pad and transfer it once a
year to a spread sheet. I do it just for motivation. I ride nearly
every day, so for me there is not be any particular reason to make note
of the weather/etc.

01-04-2007, 05:47 PM

On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 22:28:57 -0600, Patrick Lamb
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>So how do you keep track of your rides?

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

It's not new software, but has good features for what it does.
Exercise, diet, graphs

Portable too, I can run it from a USB thumb drive on any computer.

---
Bob Anderson*Bitwisebob
Eugene Oregon

01-04-2007, 06:00 PM

Tracking these data has transformed the way I ride. It has led me to
ride farther, faster, and more often.

I just enter the data in a spread sheet. At the end of the year I start
a new one. Over time I've added bells and whistles like a graph of
cumulative miles and seven-day totals.

Patrick Lamb wrote:

> Trouble with having a spreadsheet is, you keep going.
And this is a problem how exactly?

> So how do you keep track of your rides? (Do you?) What's important
> enough to log -- time, distance, ride profile, max/min speed or pulse
> -- and why do you log it? What do you do with it when you're done?

The basic odo stats: miles, time, average speed, and top speed (a proxy
for "hilliness," since I do not have GPS). Plus comments, which briefly
describes the ride and maybe or how I felt, or any problems I had.

What I do when I'm "done:" well, I go for another ride, if I can.
Between rides this information is entertaining or useful (or both) in
several ways.

I can track my performance on terms of distance or average speed, both
generally and on those rides I do regularly. If I am actually training
for something, which is rare, I can compare my performance with the
training schedule.

I can go back a year or two to remind myself of particular rides. If I
want to do a particular kind of ride--say, a 40-mile hilly ride in apple
country--I can probably find one, along with my notes about how I liked it.

At the end of the year I can characterize my performance. I rode a
little less this year than the year before, but my rides were both
faster and hillier.

I get all this from my spreadsheet, which works pretty well for me.

01-04-2007, 07:51 PM

I record in my yearly calendar the daily mileage, which bike I rode,
and estimated high and low riding temperatures every day. When
applicable, I record when I got wet, when I got flats and if so which
tire and why; other mechanical issues when they arise, mileage in
states other than Wisconsin, exceptionally windy days when I have
nearby weather station info; trips to one particular favorite
destination (Holy Hill in my case), and any falls (typically about once
a year). On long trips, I keep more detailed diaries, which I edit and
post.

Patrick Lamb wrote:
> I really didn't start seriously logging anything until 3-4 years ago.
> Before that, odometer readings at the end of each year were good
> enough. In 2005, I got a desk calendar and started noting miles and a
> short description of each ride. That made for a nice day at the end
> of the year, when I spent a rainy afternoon entering everything into a
> spreadsheet (boring) and reliving the best rides from jotted notes
> (definitely not boring!).
>
> Trouble with having a spreadsheet is, you keep going. So last year I
> logged everything in a desk calendar, and also put it in the
> spreadsheet, thinking of more or less interesting things to plot, and
> then watching the plots carefully. It helped some with motivation, as
> I went from a personal record of 3,000 miles to a new personal record
> of 5,000 miles for the year. But I missed that day of reminiscing --
> sort of like getting a cyclocomputer can lead to too much interest in
> watching the numbers flash, and not enough interest in the ride.
>
> So how do you keep track of your rides? (Do you?) What's important
> enough to log -- time, distance, ride profile, max/min speed or pulse
> -- and why do you log it? What do you do with it when you're done?
>
> Pat
> Email address works as is.

01-04-2007, 07:52 PM

"Patrick Lamb" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> I really didn't start seriously logging anything until 3-4 years ago.
> Before that, odometer readings at the end of each year were good
> enough. In 2005, I got a desk calendar and started noting miles and a
> short description of each ride. That made for a nice day at the end
> of the year, when I spent a rainy afternoon entering everything into a
> spreadsheet (boring) and reliving the best rides from jotted notes
> (definitely not boring!).
>
> Trouble with having a spreadsheet is, you keep going. So last year I
> logged everything in a desk calendar, and also put it in the
> spreadsheet, thinking of more or less interesting things to plot, and
> then watching the plots carefully. It helped some with motivation, as
> I went from a personal record of 3,000 miles to a new personal record
> of 5,000 miles for the year. But I missed that day of reminiscing --
> sort of like getting a cyclocomputer can lead to too much interest in
> watching the numbers flash, and not enough interest in the ride.
>
> So how do you keep track of your rides? (Do you?) What's important
> enough to log -- time, distance, ride profile, max/min speed or pulse
> -- and why do you log it? What do you do with it when you're done?
>
> Pat
> Email address works as is.

A few years ago I tried out several spreadsheets and cycling-specific
programs, but wasn't satisfied with any of them.

So, I decided to combine my vocation and my avocation and developed a
program I call "CycliStats" ([Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

Now on version 5, CycliStats is (IMO) much easier to use than spreadsheets,
and does a lot more. Besides tracking basic ride data (distance, time,
speed, etc.), it also allows you to track personal health stats (weight,
resting heart rate, etc.), and bike maintenance. You can also easily create
seasonal cycling goals (e.g., yearly or monthly distance goals,
centuries/races, etc.) and track your progress towards them.

With over 50 built-in reports and graphs, you can slice and dice your ride
data with just a few mouse clicks.

For those who are interested, you can download a free, fully functional,
30-day trial version of CycliStats from the website
([Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

And if anyone has questions about the program, feel free to email me
(there's an email link on the Tech Support page -
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

~_-*
....G/ \G
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
CycliStats - Software for Cyclists

01-04-2007, 08:35 PM

I use the following Web application:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

01-05-2007, 09:12 AM

Ron Wallenfang wrote:
> I record in my yearly calendar the daily mileage, which bike I rode,
> and estimated high and low riding temperatures every day. When
> applicable, I record when I got wet, when I got flats and if so which
> tire and why; other mechanical issues when they arise, mileage in
> states other than Wisconsin, exceptionally windy days when I have
> nearby weather station info; trips to one particular favorite
> destination (Holy Hill in my case), and any falls (typically about once
> a year). On long trips, I keep more detailed diaries, which I edit and
> post.
>
>

It didn't occur to me to post it earlier, but I do note the mileage for
flats, major repairs and additions. I keep two bikes going at a time.
They are pretty similar, so it isn't otherwise easy for me to keep up
with when those things are done.