Anti-Automobile April Biking Challenge!!

[GregK]

Hey all,

I took the liberty of sorting the master sheet (and therefore the chart) by total miles. Hope no one objects!

[StashinIt]

Hey all,

I took the liberty of sorting the master sheet (and therefore the chart) by total miles. Hope no one objects!

no prob, I cleared out the favorite bike trip question as the answers were attributed to the wrong person.

[StashinIt]

Good work everyone, going over your spreadsheets is very encouraging!

Yolfer, I like your bike/car/scooter breakdown. We should all do something similar next month. Maybe track driving miles avoided as well.

[yolfer]

Good work everyone, going over your spreadsheets is very encouraging!

Yolfer, I like your bike/car/scooter breakdown. We should all do something similar next month. Maybe track driving miles avoided as well.

Thanks! I did that in response to MMM's article at the beginning of the month (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/04/01/mmm-challenge-anti-automobile-april/).  He's got car/bike/foot, but whatever.

[Joet]

hey I'm a new member I use strava heh, makes it easy. I bike around 60-80 miles a week [commuting] and I dont use my car to commute unless its an emergency [customer/partner visit,etc]

850 miles YTD

[etselec]

OK, I'm in, better late than never. Got derailed by two back-to-back colds & ensuing respiratory complications, but it's warm and beautiful here in Philly and I'm ready to go.

[Dwayne]

I took a week of vacation last week, so I don't have any work commute miles to log, but I did start the vacation off right! I left Saturday morning (the 21st) from Marietta, GA, and arrived in Destin, FL on Monday evening around 6:15pm, 368 miles and two nights of tent camping later. My wife and her visiting from Germany parents drove down Sunday, so it presented itself as a perfect opportunity for a small touring trip, something I've always wanted to do but never did. Funny that I get to do it for the first time when we have a little nine-month old daughter, I always thought things would be impossible after kids are here, but you just have to look for possibilities. :)

[StashinIt]

I took a week of vacation last week, so I don't have any work commute miles to log, but I did start the vacation off right! I left Saturday morning (the 21st) from Marietta, GA, and arrived in Destin, FL on Monday evening around 6:15pm, 368 miles and two nights of tent camping later. My wife and her visiting from Germany parents drove down Sunday, so it presented itself as a perfect opportunity for a small touring trip, something I've always wanted to do but never did. Funny that I get to do it for the first time when we have a little nine-month old daughter, I always thought things would be impossible after kids are here, but you just have to look for possibilities. :)

Awesome, awesome, awesome! You sure have a nice wife letting you get away :-) What are your legs made out of anyway?

[Dwayne]

Awesome, awesome, awesome! You sure have a nice wife letting you get away :-) What are your legs made out of anyway?

Yup, I agree, I'm fortunate! It really worked out well though since her parents are here for a couple weeks (though she said in hindsight the drive down might have been easier without them). I think my commuting mileage is what made this trip relatively easy. I originally thought it would be challenging, but the key thing is pacing - I kept telling myself there's no hurry, I'd shift into easy gears on the hills, if I found myself breathing harder, I'd back off a notch. It's like having a book of matches, every hard effort is a match you light, and you only have so many matches to use. Too hard of an effort and the whole matchbook catches fire, then you're just screwed (been there, done that). Taking in plenty of fluids and calories is important, too. Nothing special in my legs, I think this is something anyone reasonably fit can do in four days rather than three. I've driven down to that area quite a few times, by car and motorcycle, but if you really want a feel/vibe for where you're at, a bicycle is the way to go.

Here's a google maps link of my route: http://goo.gl/mS61R

Marker A is roughly where I started. Marker B is Blanton Creek Park, my first camping spot, 117 miles from where I started. Marker C is Blue Spring State Park, my second camping spot, 129 miles from Blanton Creek Park. Marker D is roughly where our rental condo for the week was. Not sure if pictures are allowed on the forum, if they are, I'll post some.

[Dr.Vibrissae]

Ok, so I've had the bike commute thing down for awhile (you can look at my sheet and see that I basically bike back and forth to my office the same distance everyday.)  So tomorrow I'm going to challenge myself to go to my Doctor's appointment on the bike, it will save me having to borrow my own car (lending/renting to a colleague who is only in town for three weeks at a time and didn't want to keep her vehicle here).  The main road is scary, but there are plenty of back neighborhoods, and my officemates fiancé does a similar commute all the time.  In deference to the increased traffic, I think I'll wear my helmet tomorrow too.

[tuyop]

Awesome, awesome, awesome! You sure have a nice wife letting you get away :-) What are your legs made out of anyway?

Yup, I agree, I'm fortunate! It really worked out well though since her parents are here for a couple weeks (though she said in hindsight the drive down might have been easier without them). I think my commuting mileage is what made this trip relatively easy. I originally thought it would be challenging, but the key thing is pacing - I kept telling myself there's no hurry, I'd shift into easy gears on the hills, if I found myself breathing harder, I'd back off a notch. It's like having a book of matches, every hard effort is a match you light, and you only have so many matches to use. Too hard of an effort and the whole matchbook catches fire, then you're just screwed (been there, done that). Taking in plenty of fluids and calories is important, too. Nothing special in my legs, I think this is something anyone reasonably fit can do in four days rather than three. I've driven down to that area quite a few times, by car and motorcycle, but if you really want a feel/vibe for where you're at, a bicycle is the way to go.

Here's a google maps link of my route: http://goo.gl/mS61R

Marker A is roughly where I started. Marker B is Blanton Creek Park, my first camping spot, 117 miles from where I started. Marker C is Blue Spring State Park, my second camping spot, 129 miles from Blanton Creek Park. Marker D is roughly where our rental condo for the week was. Not sure if pictures are allowed on the forum, if they are, I'll post some.

That's badass. I did Springer Mountain and the rest of the Georgia AT a few years ago, I can't imagine hitting that on a bike! Do you have any pics of your camps?

[kendallf]

Dwayne, sounds like a fun trip.  I met some riders last year who were doing an organized park to park camping ride in southern GA.  They were having a blast!

I have done a 3 day solo trip to south FL (last year) and would like to eventually do a cross country trip, or better yet the Tour Divide, which a local friend of mine did last year.  My kids are almost out of the house and I should have the schedule flexibility to do so in a couple of years.

One of my riding buddies flew to CA and rode back across the country a few years ago.  He was heavy and out of shape, unhappy with life I think.  He lost probably 30 lbs riding across the country, rekindled his love of riding (he's racing again) and seems to have improved his life generally. 

[tuyop]

Oh, well we've been trawling the local classified site here for months for a bike for my partner.

http://i.imgur.com/ff3G6aT.jpg?1

2011 Cannondale R400 for $300 WHAT.

She loves it, I foresee much biking in the future.

[Dwayne]

That's badass. I did Springer Mountain and the rest of the Georgia AT a few years ago, I can't imagine hitting that on a bike! Do you have any pics of your camps?

Hopefully I didn't give the wrong impression, my trip was all on roads, not trails :)
I have a pic from each camp:
Blanton Creek Park:


Blue Springs State Park:


Georgia has a "mini Grand Canyon" in the Providence Canyon State Park.


Ye Ol' Faithful Commuter Steed (1x9 drivetrain, additional bottle cages on the fork temporarily for the trip):


My motivation for getting to FL :D

Dwayne, sounds like a fun trip.  I met some riders last year who were doing an organized park to park camping ride in southern GA.  They were having a blast!

I have done a 3 day solo trip to south FL (last year) and would like to eventually do a cross country trip, or better yet the Tour Divide, which a local friend of mine did last year.  My kids are almost out of the house and I should have the schedule flexibility to do so in a couple of years.

One of my riding buddies flew to CA and rode back across the country a few years ago.  He was heavy and out of shape, unhappy with life I think.  He lost probably 30 lbs riding across the country, rekindled his love of riding (he's racing again) and seems to have improved his life generally.

Cross Country is something I've always wanted to do, we'll see if the opportunity presents itself sometime. I'd also like to tour Europe a bit (being from Germany), that's at least a place where our daughter could be in a trailer without worrying as much about traffic. I can totally see where a long trip could be something life-changing, especially it you're starting out in a rut... a bicycle just has a way of doing that.

[Dwayne]

Oh, well we've been trawling the local classified site here for months for a bike for my partner.

http://i.imgur.com/ff3G6aT.jpg?1

2011 Cannondale R400 for $300 WHAT.

She loves it, I foresee much biking in the future.

Not bad, I hope she enjoys it! I'm nitpicking here, but I'm 99% sure that's a year 2000. The R400 was only made from 2000-2004, the Cannondale graphics changed in 2001, and I think the CAAD2 frame was only used in 2000, it switched to CAAD3 in 2001.

[boy_bye]

amazing photos, dwayne! that looks like so much fun!

as for me, i am just commuting, but it is also so much fun. this is the first month i've really "gone for it," and by the time i get home today, i will be over 120 miles cycled this month. that's $60 saved! and my car has been sitting for days at a time. totally awesome.

only thing, though, is that i'm not losing any weight. i may have even gained a few pounds. but i guess i gained them in my legs, because my measurements are the same.

still working out how much i need to eat in order to avoid bonking. hopefully over the next month or two i will start seeing some fat shift its way off me as everything adjusts.

[tuyop]

Oh man I love those pics.

Oh, well we've been trawling the local classified site here for months for a bike for my partner.

http://i.imgur.com/ff3G6aT.jpg?1

2011 Cannondale R400 for $300 WHAT.

She loves it, I foresee much biking in the future.

Not bad, I hope she enjoys it! I'm nitpicking here, but I'm 99% sure that's a year 2000. The R400 was only made from 2000-2004, the Cannondale graphics changed in 2001, and I think the CAAD2 frame was only used in 2000, it switched to CAAD3 in 2001.

Well damn. Shows what I know.

amazing photos, dwayne! that looks like so much fun!

as for me, i am just commuting, but it is also so much fun. this is the first month i've really "gone for it," and by the time i get home today, i will be over 120 miles cycled this month. that's $60 saved! and my car has been sitting for days at a time. totally awesome.

only thing, though, is that i'm not losing any weight. i may have even gained a few pounds. but i guess i gained them in my legs, because my measurements are the same.

still working out how much i need to eat in order to avoid bonking. hopefully over the next month or two i will start seeing some fat shift its way off me as everything adjusts.

I found even when commuting 300km/wk I didn't lose any weight. I ate a ton because I was burning like 1400 more calories per day or something, but I was still at a 500 cal/day deficit and it just never did anything. Same with running and swimming, the only activity that seems to give me recomposition benefits is weight lifting.

[boy_bye]

amazing photos, dwayne! that looks like so much fun!

as for me, i am just commuting, but it is also so much fun. this is the first month i've really "gone for it," and by the time i get home today, i will be over 120 miles cycled this month. that's $60 saved! and my car has been sitting for days at a time. totally awesome.

only thing, though, is that i'm not losing any weight. i may have even gained a few pounds. but i guess i gained them in my legs, because my measurements are the same.

still working out how much i need to eat in order to avoid bonking. hopefully over the next month or two i will start seeing some fat shift its way off me as everything adjusts.

I found even when commuting 300km/wk I didn't lose any weight. I ate a ton because I was burning like 1400 more calories per day or something, but I was still at a 500 cal/day deficit and it just never did anything. Same with running and swimming, the only activity that seems to give me recomposition benefits is weight lifting.

yeah, i have had a similar experience in the past. honestly, exercise doesn't even seem to have much to do with my weight -- it's mostly about what i eat. when i cut carbs almost entirely out, i drop pounds. but the days i've eaten really low carb and tried to ride my bike, it didn't really work. i felt way weaker and huffier-puffier.

i'm thinking one of two things -- either i need to take a week off from biking and dial my diet in, giving my body a chance to roll over from burning carbs to burning fat instead, without making too many energy demands on it while it's adjusting, or this will just happen slowly over time as i ramp the carbs down and ramp the biking up ...

[El Gringo]

Hey guys! I've came across MMM a few months ago, and was excited about his April anti-automobile challenge, because I already log all of my daily biking.  I just added all of my trips from the month of April - a total of 313 miles on the bike!

[StashinIt]

Hey guys! I've came across MMM a few months ago, and was excited about his April anti-automobile challenge, because I already log all of my daily biking.  I just added all of my trips from the month of April - a total of 313 miles on the bike!

Nice! Welcome!