time zones
- Thread starter Steelhorse
- Start date
Each Time Zone you cross changes the local time either ahead one hour or back one hour depending on if your moving east or west. The elapsed time just keeps accumulating.
I'm going to base these examples on a Saddle Sore 1000. A 1000 mile ride in less than 24 hours. That is of elapsed time from start to finish.
Example 1: SS ridden all on the same day. You started your ride somewhere and your DBR shows 06:00 AM. You drive 1010 miles or so to make sure you meet the distance and your ending DBR shows 10:00 PM. 16 hours has elapsed from start to finish. 6 before noon and 10 after.
Example 2: SS ridden across two days. You started your ride somewhere and your DBR shows 06:00 PM. You again drive the 1000+ miles or so and your ending DBR shows 10:00 AM the next day. 6 hours on the first day and 10 hours the next day. Again, 16 hours elapse from start to finish.
Example 3: SS ridden across time zones going west. You started your ride somewhere in the Eastern Timezone and your DBR shows 06:00 AM. As you drive the 1000+ miles you just happen to arrive at, and cross into, the Central Timezone at noon (It makes the math easy that way). You continue your ride and your ending DBR shows 9:00 PM. Using the math from the examples above, it appears that you were able to shave a whole hour off your ride and completed the required distance in 15 hours. 6 hours in the Eastern Timezone and only 9 in the Central Timezone. Good Job! However this is not the case. As you move west, local time decreases by one hour each time you cross into a different timezone. Therefore you must add an hour to the local time at the finish to get the correct elapsed time which in this case is still 16 hours. The opposite is true going east. You must subtract an hour from the local time when you cross into a different timezone to fine the correct elapsed time. The elapsed time is what is important. A stop watch displays elapsed time.
The graphic below shows the timezone of the United States. Think of the sun rising in the east and setting in the west and where the sun is in the sky at your location at noon (Directly overhead) and where it is in other parts of the country. Then think of where the sun will at your location when it is noon in the other locations. I hope this helps and I haven't confused you more.
I'm going to base these examples on a Saddle Sore 1000. A 1000 mile ride in less than 24 hours. That is of elapsed time from start to finish.
Example 1: SS ridden all on the same day. You started your ride somewhere and your DBR shows 06:00 AM. You drive 1010 miles or so to make sure you meet the distance and your ending DBR shows 10:00 PM. 16 hours has elapsed from start to finish. 6 before noon and 10 after.
Example 2: SS ridden across two days. You started your ride somewhere and your DBR shows 06:00 PM. You again drive the 1000+ miles or so and your ending DBR shows 10:00 AM the next day. 6 hours on the first day and 10 hours the next day. Again, 16 hours elapse from start to finish.
Example 3: SS ridden across time zones going west. You started your ride somewhere in the Eastern Timezone and your DBR shows 06:00 AM. As you drive the 1000+ miles you just happen to arrive at, and cross into, the Central Timezone at noon (It makes the math easy that way). You continue your ride and your ending DBR shows 9:00 PM. Using the math from the examples above, it appears that you were able to shave a whole hour off your ride and completed the required distance in 15 hours. 6 hours in the Eastern Timezone and only 9 in the Central Timezone. Good Job! However this is not the case. As you move west, local time decreases by one hour each time you cross into a different timezone. Therefore you must add an hour to the local time at the finish to get the correct elapsed time which in this case is still 16 hours. The opposite is true going east. You must subtract an hour from the local time when you cross into a different timezone to fine the correct elapsed time. The elapsed time is what is important. A stop watch displays elapsed time.
The graphic below shows the timezone of the United States. Think of the sun rising in the east and setting in the west and where the sun is in the sky at your location at noon (Directly overhead) and where it is in other parts of the country. Then think of where the sun will at your location when it is noon in the other locations. I hope this helps and I haven't confused you more.
If you're stopping and starting in different time zones, it might be a good idea to have a timer running and using that to see where you're at. That way you're not having to do time zone conversions in your head while distracted and tired. Also some apps allow you to show clocks for multiple times zones.
This is one reason to have a clock on the bike set to your starting time zone. Don't change the clock when you change time zones, always leave it on the starting time zone and that is your benchmark for your ride time, be it 24, 36 or more hours. The time zone changes will be represented in your DBRs, but don't factor into your overall time. On old school paper submissions, you needed to list the time zone of each DBR as well as the time on the DBR on the fuel log. That was something best sorted out after the ride was over, not during the ride. Easy to look things up later instead of worrying about it while you're riding.
