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I was just having a bit of a random brain-fart earlier and thinking about how I record multi-day rides. Usually an overnighter would end up on Connect/Strava as two separate "rides", though I've subconsciously made a couple of exceptions when I've been doing a recognised ITT or event and total elapsed time is used as some sort of measure of "success".
Thinking on, I wondered if there was any difference in my mind about trips that are hotel-to-hotel, campsite-to-campsite or those that just involve some sort of wild camping.
I don't think there's a right or wrong on this but just curious to see what other folk do.
May seem a bit tech phobic, but at the end of a day I photograph my garmin etrex screen as a daily record then reset it for the next day. Sometimes I even remember to archive the days ride! Don't do strava or anything similar, my phone gets used for mapping only.
....aaaand doesn't make any difference whether camping/hostel/b&b etc.
I use my Garmin Venu watch. It can be recharged in a matter of minutes. I use my old Garmin Edge Touring for my primary navigation with my phone (using GPX Viewer app) as my backup.
I record each day as a separate ride, have even done two (to a ferry, then from the ferry to the next B&B) or three (to a place we're visiting, from there to the ferry, from the ferry to the B&B) rides in one day. Always B&Bs though, we don't do camping / bivvying
I can't be bothered. On last years big bike ride I started recording the details of the ride each day then realised I just didn't care so stopped
its about smiles not miles for me. .
I have tried leaving my Wahoo on to record as one long ride, but can lead to problems.
So i tend to record it is seperate day rides, if i want it to read as one long ride or gpx, then i simply stitch the seperate gpx together using gpx.studio which is ace.
As many.
Garmin and record each day ,or I do continuous(with charging) if it's a through the night 24hr ride.
Really need to get my front dyno sorted out for charging
A new ride each day for me, unless as above a ferry ride breaks it.
Yeah, if it's a continuous, overnight ride then I'd record it as one ride. If I stop to eat - one ride, stop for a pee - one ride. But what if I stop for a short nap? Does it make a difference if that nap is in a bivvy bag or tent? When does a nap become a sleep? See - it's complicated 😂
The ferry issue is a good one. I'd normally not record it as one ride if I was in a boat, train etc. as that would exaggerate the distance. I did on NCN78 though as it was total elapsed time I wanted to record. (I think I still have the FKT for NCN78 😉 )
A lot for me is if it is touring/ bikepacking or an event/ race.
Recently did the 200 mile Smoke Ring challenge, always mid-pack, but recorded that as one ride despite putting head down for a couple of hours in bivvy bag, as it is interesting to compare yourself to the guys and gals at the front of the race, and marvel at how little they stop etc.
if it is touring, then record each day, then i tend to attach photos taken with that days route in Strava, as it helps my ailing middle age memory...
I wondered if there was any difference in my mind about trips that are hotel-to-hotel, campsite-to-campsite or those that just involve some sort of wild camping.
In terms of the ride experience overall, to me yes but in terms of what counts as 'one ride' no, imo - I'd say you ride until you stop so a tour is a set of individual rides and the Q is what counts as a stop. For me a stop is a sleep, a meal is just a break but both eat into your ground-covering rate on a multi-day ride.
As you say, an audax or ITT is an end to end single ride that will show total elapsed time and correspondingly lower average speed - perhaps that's the answer in those cases whether 200km or 2000km.
Well if you've got each day in Strava and want to record the overall tour you could upload them to Veloviewer, create and download a csv file of the rides, stick it in a spreadsheet and do whatever manipulation of the figures you want.
Ride Leading stuff I've done, it's been separate days rides uploaded to Strava and then (if I want to) I can always stitch them together in VeloViewer.
A mate has just done a big tour through Europe and he was uploading his rides to Strava as they happened with associated photos then when he was back he uploaded a big "complete tour" map from Veloviewer. He had rest days, long days, short days, ferry trips etc in there so leaving the GPS running for the whole thing would have been unwieldy.
if your a garmin connect user - use expedition setting for multi day rides.
Separate days for me. Normally post a photo of the total route including numbers on the final day
Thanks for all the replies. Looks like my current thoughts on it align with most. It's just that gray area between nap and sleep I need to think about 😂
I just go on gut feel in whether it’s separate rides or not - it’s for my own benefit anyway.
In the unlikely event that someone else thought I’d somehow done it ‘wrong’ I would politely tell them to stick their opinion back up their arse.
New ride recorded daily.
I aim for a yearly total not miles per ride.
It’s just that gray area between nap and sleep I need to think about 😂
Rule of thumb 1: if the nap/sleep spans midnight, it's a sleep
Rule of thumb 2: if the nap/sleep is before dinner (or "main evening meal"), then it's a nap
There will be other rule of thumbs as well...
😜
More Tourer than bikepacker and safely in the bar so nap/sleep debate...use ridewithgps because can upload photos / screen shots as a day to day record...bit narcissistic and pointless but for multi day rides I'll use whatever movie maker is on my win10 pc upload the pics and some titles and end up with a video clip of the trip