Mileater - 2016 and beyond

[HK]

As you may be aware, the current Mileater org is stepping down.  The current state of play is that the Mileater is firmly stuck in the 20th century with not too many AUKs participating. If changes like including Strava as a recording method for your AUK petit HAMR were included, who would be interested in taking part in 2016 and beyond?

[L CC]

Including Strava in your challenge would be like relying on GMaps walking for your route verification.
Fine, except for all the limitations, foibles, irritations, until it changes/ dies, and then utterly shite.

I don't really like doing miles for the sake of miles, so I'm unlikely to ever join- but I thought much of the point of the mileater was the diary? The record of events, not just miles? I suppose more dedicated Strava users than I add photos and comments to their Strava.

[HK]

The Mileater was set up to record miles and give people like Nev Chanin a better way of recording than in a CTC diary.

My perception of the way forward with the Mileater would be to make it more inclusive, so Strava or similar for people who are focuses on just the miles but a different approach for those who want to record events via photos and the written word.

My Mileater is split in two, Strava for miles and Tumblr for photos and the written word.

The Mileater reports in Arrivee are currently very dull, so contributions there would defiantly be brilliant.

[postie]

Would be happy to do a mile eater. But dont do strava etc. Happy to submit a spread sheet with monthly total's.  I have been recording my mileage for 25 years now.

[HK]

I negotiated spread sheet submissions with the current org many years ago. Unfortunately he didn't make this public.

To my mind it doesn't matter how you record your miles. You just need to be able to submit a record of your daily mileage, monthly and year total as the end of each year.

Mileater should be inclusive, not exclusive.

[Delph Cyclist]

Should I know what an HAMR is?  I'm sure someone has likened the RRTY * to being on a HAMsteR wheel but I doubt that's anything to do with it.


* sorry, there's me using initials too!  Randonneur Round the Year in case anyone is unsure


PS while I type this, they are playing Jethro Tull on the radio.   It's good to hear AUKs doing their day jobs

[HK]

HAMR is what Steve A is riding at the moment, effectively a competitive one off Mileater.

Good to hear that you are listening to the Tull. One of the band members used to be an outstanding randonneur.

Are we perhaps tempting you into the wonderful world of the Mileater?  No annual distance is too small. 

[Delph Cyclist]

HAMR is what Steve A is riding at the moment, effectively a competitive one off Mileater.

Good to hear that you are listening to the Tull. One of the band members used to be an outstanding randonneur.

Are we perhaps tempting you into the wonderful world of the Mileater?  No annual distance is too small.

Of course, Highest Annual Mileage Record, I should have know that.

[postie]

So hk, are you running the 2016 mile eaters? As 2016 is lest then two weeks away.

[HK]

Trying to find out if there is demand as the Mileater needs some work putting into it to make it accessible to riders.

[Chris S]

I haven't logged my riding for a couple of years. I miss the motivational aspect of it. I might go back to it, and this would be as good a context as any.

[hillbilly]

I think an online format would be a welcome alternative. 

I used to do the diary (have two or three, from memory) but in recent years haven't been motivated to keep one. 

My riding tends to get logged on Strava, for the convenience (upload) and also because the monthly challenges maintain a bit of motivation.  I'd "attach" myself to a Strava community or similar if branded AUK MileEater.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I don't think HK is aiming at an either/ or approach. She is quite keen on folk choosing whatever option they wish to log their miles.

[Whitedown Man]

What does participating in the "mileater" thang offer to a rider who isn't within a shout of winning the prize? (Genuine question.)

I already know that I ride more than most civilians and many club cyclists (I will top out somewhere between 13,000 and 14,000 miles this year) but a hell of a lot less than the top echelons of the AUK community. It seems to me that a daily / weekly / monthly reminder of this would just end up being demoralising. What am I missing?

[eck]

Not everybody (including me) is hooked on Stravaaaah!
There are free sites like bikejournal.com and mycyclinglog.com that you can easily use to log your rides.
Would either of these be acceptable?

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Assume the answer is yes. HK will say so if not.

[slohill]

Apologies if this question is answered in several other places---but where do we send our completed 2015 mileater diaries to have them validated and obtain our 2016 paper diaries?

[hillbilly]

A benefit/drawback* of Strava (and presumably other similar sites) is that you can create a group/club and then your mileage is shown against others "live". 

I think it can also be set up as a closed group, so as to keep it to those registered to the MileEater scheme. 

Although perhaps that's going beyond what the MileEater scheme was set up to be (where you only really keep in touch with other riders post season).

Strava is by no means perfect, particularly for AUK type activity where the emphasis is on "how much" rather than "how fast".  I'm not well enough versed in alternatives to know whether I'd prefer to use them over Strava.

I'd quite like to see the MileEater take off, if I'm honest.  It has a different vibe to other aspects of AUK, and its a vibe attuned to how I view long distance cycling.


*delete according to your view of whether seeing your results against others is a good or bad thing

[Bairdy]

I always fill in my mileater diary, I find it useful as I also log things like *fitted new chain or *bought 6 virtual DIY's brevets.
I'd be willing to continue as it is but happy to adapt and change as I'm quite a modern gentleman.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

What does participating in the "mileater" thang offer to a rider who isn't within a shout of winning the prize? (Genuine question.)

Self-satisfaction, I guess. 'Aiming to win' the Mileater is frowned upon by virtually all of the high mileage types. Distances are self-reported with no proof needed, so you could lie through your teeth and have a fantastic (in both senses of the word) total distance.

I think it was mostly set up as a gateway drug to the 300,000 Mile Club.

[Andydauddwr]

Never done the existing mileater, but something a bit more modern would appeal.

I did bikejournal for years, dumped it to Excel when I stopped and maintain that as a main record.  I do use Stravaaah, and find some of the visuals useful, but it does lack a few things which would stop me using it solely, not the least of which is the ability to similarly export to Excel!

Other point to ponder is whether indoor miles should count.  I'm increasingly doing more with my smart trainer in the virtual worlds of Zwift.  It's harder work than riding outdoors and actually the most data-rich riding I ever do with all of the measured power data from the trainer, plus HR and cadence.

Mmmmm data...

[mikek]

I've never entered Mileater as I couldn't imagine maintaining the paper diary. The concept appeals though if it was manageable online. I've recently adopted Strava as it has been interesting seeing how high mileage riders have accumulated their miles. I'm not particularly interested in the other ride stats so any not-so-proprietry online logging would do athough the Strava feature of showing where people have ridden is appealing.

[hellymedic]

I have three old Mileater diaries in an inaccessible drawer under my bed, with all my brevet cards.
I'll get them out and read them with nostalgia one day.
Maybe...

[Whitedown Man]

Other point to ponder is whether indoor miles should count.

Noooooooo ..... surely only a short hop from there to "should I count the miles I was going to do but stayed under the duvet instead" 

[MikeFromLFE]

I've got a few old Mileater diaries which I very occasionally look at either for reference purposes or for nostalgia.
I stopped entering Mileater when I started entering my rides on a spreadsheet- and now I use RwGPS.
The electronic versions lack the ability to include witty asides and little sketches (!) - at least easily, and I feel they are less permanent somehow than paper.
If I really, really wanted to continue with paper records I'd buy a notebook from a shop and do it that way. If AUK (we) want to continue with Mileater then electronic submission is probably the way to go, either that or a self-certified end-of-year total submission- which feels a bit 'dry'.
On the other hand the question remains- what is the purpose of Mileater? I doubt it motivates, there's only one trophy, and you don't need it for nostalgia or records.

I'd suggest that if Mileater is to continue then there needs to be a number of different awards apart from greatest annual mileage. For example - 'highest mileage outside UK', 'greatest climbing height', youngest/oldest/opposite sex, tricycle/down-wrong/hand cycle/eliptigo etc, 'highest average ride length' as random top-of-my-head thoughts.