Cycling UK Forum

Yes, that sounds better.
I need to do just a few more 40s to get an E40 for this year.

If I look at my mileages for the last 20 years or so, I'm easily an E60, perhaps pushing toward E70. Having done a few days touring in Tasmania in the mid 80s, a 500 mile charity ride in USA, 3 E2Es, a Grand Tour - all of which were about 80 miles a day for a grand total of 67 days ie E67.

But I don't think any of that should count.

Hmm, my daily mileage is 35, so that makes me an E35!

If I understand correctly, in order to increase this to E40, I'd need to add 5 miles to my commute and ride for 40 days, i.e. 8 working weeks.

Then I could go back to 35 miles a day and my E-number will stay at 40?

Hmm, there aren't enough hours in the day to put it up by much!

I don't see what prevents anyone keeping both annual and lifetime Eddington numbers, or decade for that matter.
Like any measure of endurance or achievement, you just need to know the period it's measured over.

Eddington numbers close to the number of days in the period would be a real sign of achievement; for example, a quarterly Eddington of 90 would be something pretty special, and even a monthly 30 would be tough (and impossible in February).

OTOH, you could rack up monthly 30s for a lifetime, and if you rarely went further, you wouldn't increase your lifetime Eddington by much.

Ratatouille wrote:As I recall from the programme, when Eddington and his friend are out cycling they speak of their mileage targets for that year and and compare it to the mileage totals for previous years. Therefore, I'm wondering whether Eddington meant the count of rides to be reset for each year? This would make some sense and compensate for the apparent advantage otherwise enjoyed by older cyclists.

It's not an advantage if all riders reach old age.

steady eddy wrote:Are these the same as the e numbers in food? Seem about as useful!!!!

Both sets of E numbers can make you hyperactive by the sound of things

Eddington numbers are definitely a lifetime number.
Quotes from the man himself (extracts from Eddington's letters to Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, quoted by the latter in Eddington: The Most Distinguished Astrophysicist of His Time (1984, Cambridge: Cambridge, p. 6).)

My cycling n is still 75. I was rather unlucky this Easter as I did two rides, seventy-four and three-quarters miles, which do not count; I still need four more rides for the next quantum jump. However, I had marvellously fine weather and splendid country, chiefly South Wales (July 4, 1938).

n is now 77. I think it was 75 when you were here. It made the last jump a few days ago when I took an eighty mile ride in the fen country. I have not been able to go on a cycling tour since 1940 because it is impossible to rely on obtaining accommodations for the night; so my records advance slowly (Sep 2, 1943).

When he died, his E was 87.

Mick will have to think of a new name for his short term numbers.

When I am out on a 127 mile Audax, I will stop for lunch, can I then count that as 2x63 miles and likewise for all long rides and get me up to E60?
I will of course reclasify these rides when I get older and need longer distances

I was thinking that .....

When I was commuting, I rode 17 miles each way. Is that a 34?
I suppose it should be ok, as it is on one day.
Then again, what happens when you go for a ride overnight?

We need definitions!

My numbers are going the 'M numbers'.

My problem is, that over the many years I haven't been keeping a detailed diary of my rides (no internet in those days!). I know that in my youthful years I notched up many (imperial) centuries but I'm sure my lifetime E-number is nowhere near the magic '100'. Possibly in the '50s. Nowadays with the big six-oh looming on the horizon for me, it needs to be a very good day for me to attain a metric ton! My annual E-number is probably in the twenties. Perhaps next year I ought to keep a proper diary. I'm rather shy of sites like Cyclogs - does it have an Eddington-number calculator on it by any chance?

Am I right in saying that to work out your Eddington No. you list all your ride distances for the prescribed time period (probably the year so far) in decending order and then when the distance is less than the number of rides above it then that ride no. is the E number?

i.e
1 - 113miles
2 - 109
3 - 107
etc
29 - 31
30 - 28
etc

Would this would give a E. No. of 29?

You could also work out an E No. for each year and then a Lifetime E that would be the number of years your E was above x, in the same way. (I've just found outt that I'm no good at describing recreational mathmatics in words)

zenzinnia wrote:Am I right in saying that to work out your Eddington No. you list all your ride distances for the prescribed time period (probably the year so far) in decending order and then when the distance is less than the number of rides above it then that ride no. is the E number?

Yes - that's right (and your explanation was clear)!

meic wrote:When I am out on a 127 mile Audax, I will stop for lunch, can I then count that as 2x63 miles and likewise for all long rides and get me up to E60?
I will of course reclasify these rides when I get older and need longer distances

I'd count it as one ride. Otherwise it would make the larger numbers pretty much unattainable, even if you keep riding long enough.
Call the same ride so long as you've not changed out of your cycling gear into civvies, so PBP was 1x750 and not (1x320 + 1x200 + 1x230), despite a couple of nights kip along the way.

I dont normally wear special cycling gear. Would distance between having showers/baths count? Not so useful for rough campers!
Please dont anyone take this seriously, just playing with the idea.

andrew_s wrote:

meic wrote:When I am out on a 127 mile Audax, I will stop for lunch, can I then count that as 2x63 miles and likewise for all long rides and get me up to E60?
I will of course reclasify these rides when I get older and need longer distances

I'd count it as one ride. Otherwise it would make the larger numbers pretty much unattainable, even if you keep riding long enough.
Call the same ride so long as you've not changed out of your cycling gear into civvies, so PBP was 1x750 and not (1x320 + 1x200 + 1x230), despite a couple of nights kip along the way.

But the way to get up to higher numbers is to have more rides above your existing E no. rather than less rides of a higher milage. So, unless your E no. before the PBP was above 320, you would be better doing them as seperate rides.

I'm here by accident.

I googled "E" and "HIGH" and got this page.

Not what I was looking for at all.

>;o)

Gazza

P.S. This year my E number would be very low, around the 10 mark.