It could be a record

[mike killay]

Yes, but what did you sit on?
(by the way, not seen snow so far this year in Swansea)

 

[selrahc1992]

Well, it's all over now. This was the first year I didn't owe the taxman anything, so that was a good answer. A couple of you got very close. Awol said most miles in a month. That was true as well. The target was to do 1000 miles in January, which I just managed despite the constant storms, snow and freezing conditions. There were three days I couldn't go out. Two were due to the weather and one because I had to do someone a favour.

Here's the statistics:
Total miles: 1004
Total time: 70 hrs 24 minutes. That's equivalent to 5 1/2 days non stop riding.
Average speed: 14.26 mph
WH/mile: 13.6
Most miles in a day: 71.3
Lowest wh/mile:7.3 wh/mile over 45.5 miles
Highest wh/mile: 21.4 wh/mile over 49.5 miles (3 batteries)

I was averaging about 11wh/mile for the first 20 days using levels 1 to 3, but I fell behind the target, so I turned the power up to level 5 and averaged nearly 50 miles a day for the last 7 days at about 20 wh/mile.

The things that made it possible:
Yellow reflective padded jacket kept my top half always warm in sub-zero temperatures.
Shimano integrated brakes/changers for the hydraulic brakes. I was changing gear 30 times a mile down the lanes and the brakes were always reliable and controllable in the slippery conditions, even when covered in salt.
Aldi Lobster Cycle Pro gloves/mittens..They always kept my hands warm. They're like a mitten split up the middle so two fingers go up each side. They have some sort of thermal material. My hands were sweating sometimes when the temperature was below zero.

The bad things:
Getting my nice bike covered in salt every day.
Constant snot from the biting wind in my face.
Ice, always on the uphills where you need the most torque.
Riding when it's snowing. With the wind, the snow cuts your face like a knife, and with glasses, you can't see where you're going. One day, I had snow three inches thick on my chest. I tried to dodge the snow storms by going for several shorter rides in a day rather than one long one, but it still got me.

In December, I used to be knackered when I came back from a 30 mile trip, but now, even after 50 miles, I feel envigorated and ready for more. My thigh muscles are noticeably larger.

If you have the time, I recommend something like this to anyone. I feel much better now. I can run up the stairs again.

congrats, I run and find the same - exertion, being active, getting fit changes everything and fundamentally how one feel, experience

 

[Croxden]

I thought I did well getting 5000 miles in one year, you have my admiration for achieving so many miles at this time of year and still giving advice on here.
I would rather have a recording contract though.

 

[selrahc1992]

I thought I did well getting 5000 miles in one year, you have my admiration for achieving so many miles at this time of year and still giving advice on here.
I would rather have a recording contract though.

I would sacrifice a recording contract if I could do the exact same I'm doing somewhere warm (Martinique would do just fine)

 

[Artstu]

Yes, but what did you sit on?
(by the way, not seen snow so far this year in Swansea)

Winter wonderland here, we've had about a foot of snow.

 

[flecc]

(by the way, not seen snow so far this year in Swansea)

We even had a light sprinkling here in the south-east this morning, but it quickly melted away.
.

 

[EddiePJ]

Well done Dave.

It certainly makes my 130miles seem a very poor show.

 

[Nealh]

Superb .

 

[tillson]

Very well done, that's a good effort. The stats are interesting too and thanks for sharing.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Well done Dave.

It certainly makes my 130miles seem a very poor show.

Not really. Your miles were 10 times more difficult..

 

[EddiePJ]

Nah, thanks though.

Irrelevant of mileage, it's always good to get out on a bike, as it somehow makes you feel more alive. It's certainly good for mental well being, as well as physical well being. Without the introduction of e-bikes to me, I'd have missed out on an extremely pleasurable productive past time.

Hopefully your achievement will go towards inspiring others.

I've been up on a roof working for most of this week, and being stuck out in the cold, and scraping and brushing ice from tile battens, doesn't do much in the way of motivation to get back out in it again in the evening. It soon changes when you do make the effort though.

I must have bad though, as someone this week suggested that they might have several months work for me. Without even asking what the work was, and even what the pay was, my first thought was that it was in sensible cycling commuting distance.

I also now have a bit of riding partner which is good. A lad from my home town contacted me a couple of weeks, as he had seen my rides on Strava and wanted to know if I fancied hooking up. It's done me some good, as it turns out that he is an ex semi pro road rider and coach. Off road, I can kind of keep pace with him, but when it comes to riding on the road, I watch him slowly creep ahead. It's really interesting watching him ride, as he somehow manages to keep exactly the same riding pace, whatever the terrain. It's not fast, but it's amazing how steady consistency makes for an overall creditable pace. It's good for me, as it appears to be inspiring me to want to do better. I'm switching between bikes on his rides, in the hope that it'll slowly build my own stamina up.

 

[awol]

Well done, over 1k miles in a month is quite an achievement to be proud of, particularly in those weather conditions, and on top of that as already mentioned you still spared the time to help people on this forum.
I also wear a padded hivis jacket and Aldi lobster gloves in this weather both are great.
Celebrating later with a few cans maybe?

 

[Croxden]

Was it on the same bike or a mixture?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

All on my Rocky Mountain with Xiongda motor. Nothing needed maintenance or adjustment during those miles other than a squirt of 3 in one oil on the chain and derailleurs because they were covered in thick salt.

No loose spokes either, for those that think spokes break on hub-motors.

 

[Artstu]

Did you log altitude climbed Dave? I can see this becoming a challenge to be beaten, but certainly not in a January up here in the hills.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I didn't log every journey, but for those that I did, which count for 90% of my rides showed that I climb somewhere between 7.5 and 10 meters for every km that I travel. so approximately 14.3 km vertical climb

 

[Artstu]

Thanks, that's about half of the rate of climbing I do in these parts.