A place to record long distance utility rides

[horizon]

(I was inspired to open this thread by thirdcrank's comments here: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=68666&p=588239#p588239 )

Have you ever set off on your bike to do a practical but long distance ride, one that would normally be done by car or train? I don't mean commuting or touring, just a ride from A - B for a reason, not just for the pleasure. So let's say your Uncle lives 40 miles away and it's time for a visit. It needn't be that far (and I know some commutes are 20 miles +) but it's for a purpose. People often mention such rides in passing on this forum but it would be nice to know more.

[[XAP]Bob]

Visited my in laws at 85 miles distant...

35 miles each way to get to a group ride...

30 each way to attend an audax (although I did claim the full 160 as a charity ride).

[Tigerbiten]

I tend to do 10-20 miles each way on the trike just to go shopping.
The local shops are a lot closer, but it fun going the longer distance.

[Cunobelin]

in 1994 I bought a Peter Ross Trice, and it was delivered to Gosport

A week later I was drafted to RNAS Culdrose near Helston in Cornwall... generously I was allowed a week's leave prior to the draft so I packed most of my gear in a trunk and had it taken down for me then mounted the Trice and cycled down!


The regulator's face was a picture when I handed in my paperwork and claimed 250 miles at cycle rates!

At first they thought I was being funny, but eventually believed me and paid up.

[Si]

While my dad was in hospital over the summer I was doing forty miles each way to go and visit him. The bike was cheaper than the train + taxi and I didn't have access to a car for part of that time. Although it was fairly arduous, especially given the weather, it did give a chance for head clearing and staying sane.

Used, many years ago, do a 25 mile each way hilly commute two or three times a week.

[Mick F]

I used to commute, but even 17miles each way isn't really a Long Distance Utility Ride.

Can't say I've ever needed to do one, but perhaps I took the bike rather than car or train up to Skipton and back last year to join in with the rest of the CycleSeven team. I called in to Big Sis in N Wales, Daughter1 in Manch, and Daughter2 in Bedford en route.

Not really "utility", but I did chose to cycle it rather than drive.

[meic]

I frequently go to Swansea by bike, a round trip of 90 miles.
Reasons include a friend's funeral, buying bearings (unavailable in Carmarthen!), Sustrans meetings and at some point (when I get round to it ) registering my house with the Land Registry.

Visiting Carmarthen (18mile rtn) for shopping, banks, dentist, delivering daughter for w/e with mum etc etc over twice a week.

Visiting parents (43mile rtn) used to be weekly, now I have to drive.

Cycling over 100 miles to attend an Audax is pleasure, I assume?

I dont know why you exclude commuting from your list as that is the ultimate utility for cycles and dwarfs my rides.

[horizon]

Cycling over 100 miles to attend an Audax is pleasure, I assume?

No, the Audax itslef is the "pleasure" (although not everyone would think so ) but getting there I presume is often done by car (at least when I last looked at Audax there were penty of parking options at the start).

[meic]

There is now a bureaucratic mechanism where you can have your journey to and from the Audax counted as an extension, so it becomes an Audax ride to the Audax ride. Now, if I apply for that my ride to and from the event doesnt get on your list but if I dont bother to apply, it does!
Unless I ride over the night before, in which case I am off the list because I am then touring!

[horizon]

I dont know why you exclude commuting from your list as that is the ultimate utility for cycles and dwarfs my rides.

I had to think about this one when I posted. It was mainly to distinguish it from all the local i.e. short distance utility rides. It was also to flag up that while commuting to work over say 25 miles is indeed a long distance, it might be seen as more justifiable, or as training perhaps or as an obvious alternative to a traffic jam on the M4. But the journey where the roads are clearer, the expectations of those who await you are less predictable, what you need to carry may have "required" the use of a car - that is the sort of journey which to my mind justifies the title of Long Distance Utility Ride (thanks for the capitals, Mick F!). I suppose I also wanted to avoid a flood of long commutes and tease out the rarer perhaps more interesting journey.

[horizon]

There is now a bureaucratic mechanism where you can have your journey to and from the Audax counted as an extension, so it becomes an Audax ride to the Audax ride.

I think that's great. Why travel by car specifically to do a journey by bike?

[meic]

Why else would I even have a car?
This must make up over 95% of my solo car usage.

I assume your question was rhetorical but I will answer it anyway.

Most of us are pushing ourselves to the limit with the Audax itself and are not capable of another 100k extra.
Most Audaxes already start too early and you would seriously cut back on your sleep the night before if having to set off 2 or 4 hours earlier.
In my case my 100k route doesnt meet Audax regulations and I would have to make a considerable detour over distance to qualify, so I didnt bother accrediting them.

I do think that the start of this scheme has made a considerable difference to the type of rider that the points system favours. In favour of those who dont use cars as much, if at all.

[Big T]

Getting back to the subject of the thread.

I rode from Nottingham to a conference in Market Bosworth, a round trip of 80 miles. People at the conference were astounded by this. They did a travel survey asking how people had travelled and had to add a new category for me.

If attending a meeting, I'll often cycle to an intermediate station. For meetings at Peterborough, I cycle to Grantham (25 miles) and catch the train from there. For meetings in Crewe, I cycle to Derby(19 miles) or Tutbury(32 miles) and then catch the train.

A colleague cycled to a conference in Cheltenham (100 miles) and another in Castleton(50 miles).

My son cycled down from Nottingham to his girlfriend's house in Eton Dorney, west of London - that's 140 miles each way.

Edited to correct spelling/grammar

[horizon]

They did a travel survey asking how people had travelled and had to add a new category for me.

[thelawnet]

I pick my kids up from school on my bike at 4:15pm on Friday (1.5 miles round trip), go home, get changed, cycle to the rock climbing centre (6 miles), drop one off there, then cycle to swimming (1.75 miles), go swimming with the other child, cycle back to the rock climbing centre (1.75 miles), cycle to a restaurant for dinner (2 miles), then cycle home (8 miles).

Not really long distance perhaps, 21 miles in all, but a bit more than just going to the shops.

If I need to go into London, I prefer to cycle (30 miles each way), though no kids on the back!

As a matter of fact at the moment I don't really do any cycling that's NOT utility cycling, although that's certainly not to say I don't enjoy it!