I agree that muni is much more tiring per unit of distance travelled than road riding. I reckon every kilometre travelled offroad is worth two on road! However, I’ve never had a speedo on my muni, so its hard to judge how long my typical muni rides are…
You’re nuts! Gonna fall off!
Oops. Typo.
I meant:
Your nuts are going to fall off.
Age: 51
Years riding: 4.5
Tiny: just around the neighbourhood
Short: an hour
Medium: half the day
Long: all day
Ultra: a week or 10 day uni tour
it also depends how big ur uni is ive doen 25 miles on a 24 and thats long but now i dont 25 on my 29 all the time
Depends on the terrain. Speed Muni a long single track in Santa Barbara and you´ll be trashed in two hours. On the other hand, I can tool along the Santa Monica bike on my Coker at around 12 MPH and so long as I drink enough fluids and take a few breaks to eat I can go for several hours no problem. My problem on the longish Coker rides is that I don´t do it enough and my ass starts hurting after 20 miles. It becomes more work than fun.
JL
I’d agree that muni is much more effort but in 4 hours of road riding i’d probably have ridden for 3 hrs 50 mins. In four hours of muni there’d be lots of upds and more stopping for snacks, photos, gates, impossible* terrain, etc and would probably be more like 3 hrs riding and never spending longer that 20mins in the saddle at one time. For me I’d say the effort in relation to total time (riding plus extras) muni has the edge and I usually feel it more the next day but there isn’t much in it
*IMHO
Muni is more tiring for me because I have to have weight on the pedals to ride obstacles like logs, roots, rocks and the like. Standing on the pedals like that saps my thighs.
With smooth road riding, my legs only burn from climbing, so seat comfort is the most limiting factor (for me).
100 miles is a long ride, less than 20 miles is just getting places, anything in between is a proper good ride.
I think if I did much more than 100 miles I’d not be able to ride the next day. 100 miles and I can do another 50 the next day.
On the 26" muni on technical terrain, 40 miles is a super long ride that hurts, 20 miles is a good long day ride.
Joe
The definition of “long ride” has changed over the last few years since the inception and growing popularity of larger wheel unicycles. 38 years ago when I learned to ride you pretty much had two choices in unicycle size, a 20" or 24" and that was it. Back then if you desired to ride some “distance” you got yourself a 24" and even then you only rode a couple miles mainly because the only seat available was the old Schwinn (Viscount) style or maybe a Miyata style. I don’t have to tell you the comfort level of those seats. Today with larger wheels, air or gel saddles, shorter crank arms, handlebars etc…longer distance is not only easier to achieve but easier to perceive.
Today, the definition of a “long ride” is a matter of perception. When I mention to non-unicycling folk that I’ve ridden 40 miles on a unicycle they think I’m absolutely out of my mind but not so with the unicycling community.
Here’s my contribution:
Age: 43
Years riding: 38
Tiny: <3 miles
Short: 3 - 10 miles
Medium: 10 - 25 miles
Long: 25 - 50 miles
Ultra: 50+ miles
Congratulations on riding all but five of your years! I’ve ridden all but 39 of mine, and am jealous of all those–like my kid–who started when they were young.
This is a great thread. I have to agree with the many “it’s all relative” comments. I’d say it’s even relative for like styles of riding…40 miles on a stock Coker with a Viscount seat isn’t the same as 40 miles on a custom 36" with nice bearings and an airseat or custom saddle. Likewise, 40 miles when your longest previous was 20 isn’t the same as 40 when you’re regularly riding in that range.
While I don’t make a habit of disagreeing with Mikefule on riding matters, I have to take exception with this point: “A long ride is any ride that is significantly further than you’ve ridden before, and where the distance is part of the achievement.” That may be a true statement in the context of my green sentence above, but a long ride isn’t exclusively one that’s further than you’ve ridden before. I’ve ridden 50 miles or more five times. For me, 50 miles is still a long ride. I’ve ridden 75 miles once. The next time I ride 75 miles, it will still be an ultra-long ride. Same for the next time I ride 75…and the time after that. It’s a long day in the saddle, and managing your energy, food, hydration, and temperature are all critical activities.
Age: 46
Years riding: 7
Tiny: <5 miles
Short: 5 - 15 miles
Medium: 15 - 35 miles
Long: 35 - 60 miles
Ultra: 60+ miles
Always feel free to disagree. We don’t learn from those who agree with us, or from winning arguments.
Your point is a valid one. I retract my earlier definition and suggest in its place:
A long ride is any ride that is significantly further than you typically ride, and where the distance covered is part of the achievement.
Replying to an earlier post: I have ridden 24 miles on a 24, with a Viscount saddle, and 50+ on a 28 with a stock Miyata saddle. It can be done. Or am I just seeing the world through rose tinted testicles?
Age: 21
Years riding: 4
Tiny: <5 miles
Short: 5 - 10 miles
Medium: 10 - 15 miles
Long: 15 - 30 miles
Ultra: 30+ miles
Yep i suck at riding coker, but I’ve only been doing distance for a few months. I have a lot of fitness to gain.
I’m sure they were atleast a little red after those achievements!
I thnk this is a halfway loaded question so to speak…it really depends on your age, uni abilities and overall stamina…not to mention the unicycle you ride it on.
Years Riding: 0.8 (June 06-present)
Short: 0-5 miles
Medium: 10-30 miles
Long: 40-65 miles
Very Long: 65-90 miles
OMGWTFBBQ: 90+ miles
Keep in mind this is on a 36" wheel with 112mm cranks. This would be very different on my 29" with 127’s.
distance variables
It has been great to read the postings from other riders on their normal distances. I see that their is a lot of variability. In my 34 years of riding, the variables are many. How overweight am I ? What size unicycle do I have ? How many RV’s do I have to look out for? Do I have a shoulder to ride on? How many Intersections do I have compete with cars?
Young and on tour-28miles/day for two weeks 24in Schwinn
Old & fat new to coker-25 miles first day
Old & fat & trying to get in shape in SF-10miles of city hills & flats
on a semcycle 28inch
I am a veteran rider but I have never riden with another unicyclist in my life. I am strugling with these SF hills
I think a LONG ride is any ride organized or attended by the great John Long.
Any ride trickless over 20 rotations.
-Shaun Johanneson.
A long ride is one that takes a long time.
I have never actually measured the distance covered in any ride. I tend to measure by time. If it’s a Muni ride, then 2-4 hours is a good long ride. If I do a street ride on my Coker, 1-2 hours is plenty.
I forget all the info requested, but:
I am 31, I’ve been riding for just over one year, and I ride 2-3 times a week.
I just like to ride. Most of the time I’m riding, it’s with my kids on their bikes in front of our house just playing around. I’ve taken my Radial on some 2-3 milers before, but it’s almost impossible to idle and getting on and off at every corner is no fun. On Sunday mornings I can cruise around the loop of our college and without the traffic I can ride there without having to jump on and off it all the time. The prize for me is not the distance, because if you can ride it down the street chances are you can ride it for a mile or two. The prize is the hard stuff, like being able to idle a 20 or 24 for unlimited periods, or riding backwards for a ways, or spinning without falling. The real prize will be convincing my 5 year old he needs to learn how to do it.