# How do you track your annual mileage?



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

Ok, a new year is coming up and I'm jealous of y'all that meticulously track your annual cycling mileage.

How do you do it? GPS/Garmin-type gear? Manually maintain a spreadsheet? Paper and pencil with estimated distance?

My challenge is that my riding is spread out across four or five bikes. I'd be interested in what works for you.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

I measure the distance of my steps and retrace all my cycling by foot.

Seriously though, you have four or five bikes and in the course of purchasing and riding them you haven't noticed how people keep track of miles?


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## zyzbot (Feb 3, 2004)

I have a computer on each bike and keep mileage records with a spread sheet.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Garmin uploaded Garmin Connect website.


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## magiclight (Dec 20, 2011)

I made an Access app that allows me to track rides on different bikes. However, Excel can give you pretty much all you would want.
Tom


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## terry b (Jan 29, 2004)

Excel spreadsheet,

Date, Bike, Time, Miles, Where, Monthly Distance, YTD


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## savagemann (Dec 17, 2011)

I use an old garmin 305. going on its third year.
Use the included software and garmin connect.
Also use strava website.
I find i use strava more for tracking my progress than garmin connect.
Gps ftw !


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

I was using apps on my iPhone but now use the Garmin 500 and Strava. I'm not anal about it and this year it took some time to dial in my system so 2011 is not accurate.. If you use multiple bikes, the Garmin is good because it does not need any wires or wheel sensors and can just go with the bike you're using.. I don't care about tracking cadence.


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## Bizman (Apr 27, 2011)

I don't use a speedometer, odometer (or clock), on my bicycles. From years of living in the area I have rode these routes many times in a car and know the mileages. When I ride these routes on the bicycle I keep track of the mileage in my head. I would say I actually ride more miles than what I keep track of. This is not high tech of course, although does challenge the mind! 

With the mountain bike I don't keep track of total miles through the year, although I do ride it and the road bike regularly.


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## Davefromaine (Jun 24, 2002)

bikejournal.com

I use the free service - for a yearly charge you can get a few more options, but the basics have worked well for me for 2 years now.


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

Garmin 800


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## FatGut1 (Dec 16, 2008)

Bike Journal 

Progress log

Strava


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Exel spread sheet for 3 bikes. I never reset my odometers. I write down the mileage on New Years Day & don't look at it again until the next New Years Day. I also keep track of maintenance & wear items, e.g., tires, chains, cables, bearing overhauls, etc.


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## laffeaux (Dec 12, 2001)

I ride with a Garmin. I enter the mileage, hours and elevation gain into an Excel spreadsheet to keep a running total. Since a ride road and mountain I keep separate mileages for both, but one total for annual hours and climbing.


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## cinelliguy (Jan 4, 2011)

Garmin 500, upload to Strava. Done.


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## Mtn2RoadConvert (Aug 28, 2006)

Have a Garmin Edge 500 and upload rides to Strava to track distance, hours and elevation gain.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

*what works for me*



moonmoth said:


> Ok, a new year is coming up and I'm jealous of y'all that meticulously track your annual cycling mileage.
> 
> How do you do it? GPS/Garmin-type gear? Manually maintain a spreadsheet? Paper and pencil with estimated distance?
> 
> My challenge is that my riding is spread out across four or five bikes. I'd be interested in what works for you.


I have a basic computer (aka cheap) on each of my four bikes. I use a shareware program called Velocipede to enter and track all my data. I've been using this program for at least 10 years so I have a lot of data invested in it


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## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

Davefromaine said:


> bikejournal.com
> 
> I use the free service - for a yearly charge you can get a few more options, but the basics have worked well for me for 2 years now.


+1.

I use the paid service at $20 a year, for almost six years now. It lets you track more stuff, and, although I don't use one, lets you upload from a GPS.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

Excel spreadsheet

For each ride I simply enter the date, miles, and a brief description of the ride. I enter the miles in separate columns for each of my bikes so I can track them separately. Also enter any maintenance notes, such as when I replace tires or other components, so I can track how long parts last.

From the raw data, I can graph my miles over the course of the year and compare it to prior years, or look at how many rides of different distances, or look at miles on a monthly basis, or calculate averages, basically evaluate the data any way I want.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I don't any more, because it wouldn't matter to anybody but me, and it doesn't matter to me. Most of my miles are done commuting, and I have no computers on the bikes I usually commute on.

When I did track annual mileage, I wrote each day's miles on a paper calendar, and added them up each month. 

All this technology is fun, but it doesn't have that much to do with cycling.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

*goals*



JCavilia said:


> I don't any more, because it wouldn't matter to anybody but me, and it doesn't matter to me. Most of my miles are done commuting, and I have no computers on the bikes I usually commute on.
> 
> When I did track annual mileage, I wrote each day's miles on a paper calendar, and added them up each month.
> 
> All this technology is fun, but it doesn't have that much to do with cycling.


For me setting and tracking mileage goals is a form of motivation.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

DaveG said:


> For me setting and tracking mileage goals is a form of motivation.


For me, it's more about just keeping a journal of one of my passions. Tracking miles is just part of it.


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## xrayjay (Feb 21, 2010)

Davefromaine said:


> bikejournal.com
> 
> I use the free service - for a yearly charge you can get a few more options, but the basics have worked well for me for 2 years now.


+1 on bikejournal. You'll still need a bike computer....The nice thing is that you can see where you are compared to everyone else on bikejournal, nice motivation.


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Garmin 500 and GoldenCheetah.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

I just write the mileage on a calendar. I don't really add it up at the end of the year but I do a weekly total usually in my head. Guess I'm pretty old school. I do like toys but riding to me is for fitness and fun. I like to try to hit 100 miles a week though it's hard in the winter time.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

2 Edge 500s shared between my various bikes.

Garmin Connect is my usual tracking method for metrics like mileage. I rarely look at the annual totals until towards the end of the road season (end of October for me), and usually only to maybe push myself into squeezing in some arbritray round number. The weekly and monthly totals are much more important to me.

This year I'm geeking out on a completely new metric- power. I'm starting to use WKO+ now, since Garmin Connect is worthless for power analysis. I was using Training Peaks for a short time, but the need to buy an expensive subscription (with far too many features I don't want/need) to share files pretty much ended that experiment. Having an online download of my basic ride information with a journal function that my coach can read and compare to my power files is all I really need, so staying with the familiar interface of Garmin Connect is the way I'm going to go for now.


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## MojoHamuki (Feb 20, 2009)

I've used the following:

1. Garmin Connect
2. Polar Pro Trainer 5
3. FirstBeat Athlete
4. WKO+
5. Perfprolog
6. TrainingPeaks

So far I've liked parts of one but wish it had parts of other. So far I've enjoyed Perfprolog the most. Designed mostly for use with the computrainer but works with garmin and polar just as well. Really great for looking at performances over multiple rides from the same course. Flat fee to purchase with free updates (which come every few months and download right through the program no fuss) 

Here is a link to the site: PerfPRO


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## f3rg (May 11, 2008)

Davefromaine said:


> bikejournal.com


Yep, Bike Journal is great. I've used it for 3-4 years now, and it's nice being able to go back to past rides and see what notes I made.


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## lk1965 (Dec 18, 2011)

Garmin Edge 500 uploaded to Garmin Connect works well enough for me. My total for the year as of today, is 7,232 miles...I'm pretty pleased with that considering this is only my 4th year of riding.


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## Ziggy (Sep 12, 2006)

I use regular cycling computers, then store the info and notes in "Cycle Stats".


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## frpax (Feb 13, 2010)

I use Ride With GPS.

Map Bike Rides with Elevation Profiles, Analyze Cycling Performance, Train Better. Ride With GPS


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## Torelli4 (Mar 1, 2005)

I've been using the one from this sight with a few modifications. I color code the cell for each bike.

Mileage Log Sheet | Suffolk Bicycle Riders Association


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## rkdvsm (Jul 15, 2006)

Anyone use cyclemeter? I'm thinking about using this in lieu of the Edge 500. Anyone with an opinion of cyclemeter?


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## jwskaterboy (Oct 9, 2011)

I don't worry as much about miles anymore they are only good for setting goals uou should focus on time in the saddle and effort put into it


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## meat (Aug 10, 2006)

I like my abacus. I actually use a Cateye since my Garmin died a premature death and they would not honor the warranty.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

terry b said:


> Excel spreadsheet,
> 
> Date, Bike, Time, Miles, Where, Monthly Distance, YTD


+1

I also have a wide column at the end of each row where I make comments. Often it's about the weather, but sometimes other stuff too. It's fun to read that stuff at the end of the year and remember that I really did ride home in 119 degree heat index on July 22, or trip and break my toe two days ago, ending the season earlier than I wanted.


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## DEK (Feb 12, 2005)

Simple bike computer to track the miles.

Save them on Bike Journal to compare to others. Also keep a spreadsheet of my own.


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## maximum15 (Feb 6, 2004)

Like the mileage range chart -- thanks for giving me the idea to chart mine. I think I will do it for my riding history by year and see how far the bell curve has shifted.


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## redvespablur (Aug 23, 2011)

Strava and Garmin Connect


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## tucg15 (Sep 2, 2011)

rkdvsm said:


> Anyone use cyclemeter? I'm thinking about using this in lieu of the Edge 500. Anyone with an opinion of cyclemeter?


I use Cyclemeter and it works great! I have it on my iPhone 4 and I made a bike mount out of an old holster case. I cut the clip off the back and mounted the holster on the stem with a couple of zip ties. Works perfect. 

As for Cyclemeter, it is very accurate and I have never lost a signal yet. What
s also nice is that you can go into other apps and use the phone whenever you need to without losing your current ride. After I ride, I update the info to MapMyRide. It's seamless. I definitely recommend the app.


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## smoothie7 (Apr 11, 2011)

I made a excel spreadsheet that lists each month and each bike that I have and I record total miles each month.


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## tntyz (Nov 6, 2011)

Garmin Edge 305 uploaded to SportTracks. At first, all the stats were fun. Now I mainly monitor miles for maintenance purposes and hours of total exercise.

Goals change as you get older . . .


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## Jim311 (Sep 18, 2009)

Jesus, some of you are turning the noblest act into the most mundane one. Are you guys accountants? I ride when I feel like it and when I don't feel like it I don't ride. How far, how fast, where, how much I climbed.. it's just not worth the effort to keep track. I've got enough spreadsheets at the office, thanks.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Jim311 said:


> Jesus, some of you are turning the noblest act into the most mundane one. Are you guys accountants? I ride when I feel like it and when I don't feel like it I don't ride. How far, how fast, where, how much I climbed.. it's just not worth the effort to keep track. I've got enough spreadsheets at the office, thanks.


Word!


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Excel. I record date, ride time, and maybe some notes or something. I'm still a little more of a mountain biker and distance is a terrible metric off-road. I actually get more saddle time on road bikes, but distance compares very badly between the two disciplines, and I also commute to school on a bike. Time arguably doesn't compare that well either, but oh well. Get too detailed and it's not useful anymore.

I use a runner's watch, a bike computer, or a guesstimate depending on whether or not the bike has a computer and whether it's a "real" ride or a commute. I figure I'm close enough to have a useful record. I'm really just trying to have a sense of my weekly and annual volume, so when I do train for things, I can figure out how much training volume makes sense for me in a semi-intelligent way.


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## Pscyclepath (May 22, 2008)

Cateye Enduro cyclecomputer on the bikes in main use. I don't have a computer on my MTB or fixie, but can pretty well judge my distances/time for those. I keep two logs, one in an MS Access application called CycliStats, the second on BikeJournal.com.


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## Pedro S (Mar 28, 2011)

Cateye cyclecomputers on my road and mountain bikes. I log date, distance, trail location or route info, and any other notes I want to add into a spreadsheet. New worksheet for each year.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Geez, I look at my mileage on a simple cyclometer when I head out on the road in the spring and then again when I head inside for the winter. Then I do some subtractions. I don't count indoor trainer miles - they just aren't the same.


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## TiCruiser (Feb 21, 2009)

I use SportTracks. It does not seem as popular now as when it used to be free.


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## nor_cal_rider (Dec 18, 2006)

Equipment: Garmin 500 or 800 (the 800 firmware recently updated to allow 5 bike profiles)

Recording method: Strava and Garmin Connect


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## Bob Ross (Apr 18, 2006)

Jim311 said:


> Jesus, some of you are turning the noblest act into the most mundane one. Are you guys accountants? I ride when I feel like it and when I don't feel like it I don't ride. How far, how fast, where, how much I climbed.. *it's just not worth the effort* to keep track.


Gee, mundane, or _lazy_? Hmm...which do I wanna be?


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## Cyclin Dan (Sep 24, 2011)

I ride with a Garmin 800, and track everything with WKO+, Garmin Connect and occasionally MapMyRide. I'll probably look into Strava this year as well. 

The Garmin is great, and easy to use on multiple bikes.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

I don't. When my Garmin is working, it's there. When it's not, or if I left it on another bike, I don't track it. Interesting, but not necessary. I know that AlanE will always ride more than me, so what's the point?


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## bobthib (May 28, 2009)

frpax said:


> I use Ride With GPS.
> 
> Map Bike Rides with Elevation Profiles, Analyze Cycling Performance, Train Better. Ride With GPS


RWGPS ftw!

I've got a Garmin 305 and use it on 5 different bikes. 2 of the bikes have cadence, the other two just have mounts for the 305 unit.

I don't track distance by bike, but I could. Most is on my road bike, tandem 2nd. Very few miles on the MTB, commuter, or the hybrid bike.


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## jays35 (Feb 1, 2009)

I have a Sigma 9.0 and use it for both of my bikes. But I also use ProCycle which uses a spreadsheet format. I have used it for 3 years and really like it. 

Home


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## Love Commander (Aug 20, 2009)

www.dailymile.com

Fun site. Keeps track of my swimming and running, too. Also lets me heckle my friends.


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## dexetr30 (May 6, 2010)

I use a combination of GPS and bikejournal.com. My GPS is a Garmin etrex vista HCx. I don't keep track of cadence or hear rate so this unit works well for me.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

Same as Eric. I use a Garmin 500 and Golden Cheetah to record my rides. I also upload my big rides into Strava, but don't bother with the mid-week training rides.


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## andyaa (Mar 5, 2008)

Just got a Garmin 500 for Christmas. Garmin says the battery will last 18 hours. Do you charge it after every ride? What do you do on multi day rides when electric power is limited? Say, 300 miles over 5 days, which I do a couple times a year. Will the 500 store enough data points for 5 days of riding? The manual seems say it will fill up then stop collecting data rather than overwrite old data. Do I need to bring my laptop along on my bike ride to download the Garmin data to, so I can gather data for all 5 days?


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## TiCruiser (Feb 21, 2009)

andyaa said:


> Just got a Garmin 500 for Christmas. Garmin says the battery will last 18 hours. Do you charge it after every ride? What do you do on multi day rides when electric power is limited? Say, 300 miles over 5 days, which I do a couple times a year. Will the 500 store enough data points for 5 days of riding? The manual seems say it will fill up then stop collecting data rather than overwrite old data. Do I need to bring my laptop along on my bike ride to download the Garmin data to, so I can gather data for all 5 days?


I use a small battery-powered recharger for my Garmin Forerunner if I am out of recharging range. Just have to pack a few batteries along.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

I recharge mine every 2 or 3 days when I upload my ride data to the computer.


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## MTBryan01 (Oct 17, 2011)

moonmoth said:


> meticulously


Meticulously? 
Ride 
Download to one of many websites 
Repeat 
Let the cloud do the work


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## BanditSRT (Jan 5, 2012)

Garmin Forerunner 305 for me. Works great but sometimes it's a little slow acquiring satellites.


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## trekracer20 (Jan 10, 2012)

When I'm riding seriously, I always record my rides on a computer, and then write down the numbers in a logbook. Like others, I also find something nice about comparing figures with a month ago, several months ago, or previous years.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I use a free on-line tracker called at My Cycling Log

Logging my rides takes all of about 15 seconds. I just enter my mileage, time and select which bike I rode from drop-down menu. The site calculates average speed and has all sorts of data-analysis and graphics tools. It really is no hassle at all.

I can understand some folks just wanting to ride and not tracking anything, but I don't understand the big deal about it. Tracking my mileage, speed, time etc. provides motivation, and it's also just fun to see how I ride each week, month, year. I've been tracking my exercise for probably 20 years, going back to the days when I was primarily a runner, but also hiking, swimming and cycling.


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## scirocco (Dec 7, 2010)

+5 on bikejournal.


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## dawgless (Jan 15, 2012)

I see a lot of you are using different software for the Garmin's. Why would that be? With my Garmin 500, it stores all the data and is trackable on the Garmin Training Center program. Based upon my software, it does all the tracking for me. Here's an image of what my program looks like. I've attached a picture of how my program looks.


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## inayim (Aug 28, 2011)

i take the cheaper route and have a sigma bc906 speedometerthat counts every mile that i ride


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## TiCruiser (Feb 21, 2009)

dawgless said:


> I see a lot of you are using different software for the Garmin's. Why would that be? With my Garmin 500, it stores all the data and is trackable on the Garmin Training Center program. Based upon my software, it does all the tracking for me. Here's an image of what my program looks like. I've attached a picture of how my program looks.


 With the SportsTracks program I mentioned earlier, I can track mileage on different bikes, or components. I can also set up maintenance intervals so I don't go too long without greasing hubs etc. That is the main reason I don't use the Garmin site anymore.


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## GreenCherry (Jan 23, 2012)

I use a Garmin with Garmin Connect


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

I have a rather complex method. I subtract. That's right...I subtract last year's odometer from this years's current odometer reading. I'll tell ya, it works like a charm although some might need to use a calculator.


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## inayim (Aug 28, 2011)

that sounds pretty motivating trying to meet or beat your miles from last year. nice trick!


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## CleavesF (Dec 31, 2007)

Ridenet

before I used my Garmin and a cyclocomputer. Now I really hate having a computer on my bike, I felt I was too dependent on it for looking at stats like MPH etc... I told myself I'd be a better rider if I just did it by exertion and being able to judge my own speed for cornering which makes me better at judging cars' speeds as well.


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## frankdatank1337 (Jul 25, 2010)

I use Strava on my iPhone since I carry it with me while I ride (it stays in my pocket). I also use a regular cycle computer for checking distance and speed while I'm riding.


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## 1bamafan14 (Jan 24, 2012)

With my bike computer and my milage log. I did this with a gps when I was running.


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## beckham23 (Jan 25, 2012)

I use imapmyride...or any similar apps if you ride with a smart phone...


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## elijahornothing (Jan 25, 2012)

I have had apps on each of my smartphones (blackberry, iphone, droid) they work just fine


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## motox155 (Jul 9, 2009)

Garmin Connect and Strava.


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