Approach to commuting

[familyguy]

The purpose of my commute is to get me to work in one piece while taking my morning exercise. Speed is no consideration and although it's a steady ride I'm never in a hurry to get to work.

Ditto. Its morning exercise, with the aim of arriving safely, more than anything. Homeward runs get a little more energetic though.

Jim

[Aushiker]

I have just started commuting this week and have ben using it as a casual roll into work.

For those who treat it as training wat are you carrying in. I can't imagine training hard carrying a backpack like I am currently.

Also I commute in 'normal' clothes...can't imagine the looks I would get showing up here in lycra!

Hi

I do my intervals on two specific days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, which means that every second Thursday I am on Sir Lancelot with panniers. I still do intervals; I am just not as fast as if I am on Froggie, but the work out is still there (the whole point of it training).

Andrew

[maicoboy]

Like most others my commute is about 13km each way if I take the most direct route but I stretch it out to 26km each way to make it longer, it's basically the Brisbane river loop with some extra bits added on. It is a time effective way to train.

I wear a HR monitor that beeps at me whenever drop below 130bpm, ensuring I work hard during the commute.

I don't bother about trying to set fastest times or average speeds while commuting because it just encourages you to take more risks. If you get a bad run with traffic lights, roundabouts etc then you're not tempted to put yourself in harm's way just because you're trying to set a commuting PB ... that only you know or care about.

[martinjs]

I do try for fast times and average speeds but only when I'm feeling good but in my case it's completely safe as I do about 90% of my rides on country roads so there's very little extra risk.

When I'm feeling a bit flat I cut my commute shorter and just cruise.
Gotta push sometimes or I'd get lazy as I don't race or train in groups so it's all up to me.

Martin

[casual_cyclist]

Well, after a 200km ride yesterday, today's commute is definitely going to be a recovery ride.

I usually rest on Monday but today I need to get into work fast and cycling is my quickest way of getting there.

[Barto]

I commute 4 out of 5 days. It's only 10 kms on the way in but I usually stretch it to 20 odd for the return. I can't seem to help myself, but I always seem to be racing the clock! Trying to cool off at the work end is always a bit of a hassle though.

Cheers
Bart

[ve safari]

Set out for a PB this morning, missed it by 36 seconds. Very annoying!!!

[twizzle]

Set out for a PB this morning, missed it by 36 seconds. Very annoying!!!

I gave up on those kinds of goals. Too dependent on weather and traffic.


Every ride is a training ride for me. NoDoze tablets sit in the drawer at the office, and I tend to catch up on sleep on the weekends. The week is two enduro's of about 2 to 2.5 hours, one FTP session on the crit track ( 2x20 or similar) and one strength/tempo ride depending on how I feel (1 - 1.5 hours). Plus two race events each week.

I hate to say it... but I'm looking forwards to the summer race series ending in five weeks time. I'm burnt out.

[trailgumby]

I find a big glass of milo-and-skim milk, plus a piece of fruit make a great recovery drink/top up when I arrive at work. That sees me though the morning, still feeling great from the ride.

If you are feeling crap from going too hard, this will help.

I find I have to use the HRM to keep my HR down for the trip home, otherwise I'm too revved up to get to sleep until quite late, and by the end of the week I'm completely smashed from sleep dep (this when I was riding most days on a 20km commute).

My commute is now 30km one way, with some great hills en route, so I ride home and back on alternate days.

[ve safari]

Smashed my PB yesterday by 3 mins. Suffered this morning, very slow to warm up and get going, yet I finished strong. Still 2 mins off PB, but I reckon I lost 5mins in the first 10km.

[ransogg]

40y.o. 20kg overweight. 6 weeks gone on no smokes. 8kms each way over hills. I'm just glad 2 be able 2 get there.

[Cranky Jim]

Way to go Ransogg.

I am 6 weeks into cold turkey too and that's $420 in my pocket already. I got rid of the car 18 months ago too. More money in the pocket. I reckon I am saving up to $10k a year without the car and $3.5k a year without the fags. What a lovely recession I am having !

[ransogg]

LOL. I'm not sure how much I've saved, but I've lost 4kg & I can get up 2 hills that I never thought possible at the start. I'm still far from fit, but I'm getting there. Got to start somewhere.

[slowflow]

weight loss currently 15klm each way, going to 20 over the next 5 weeks.
down to 103kg target 90

[ve safari]

Jumped on the scales today - 105.1kg. That's 22kg lost since this time last year.

[rearviewmirror]

My commute is 15km each way, I usually go flat out the entire way, I look at as a 30 minute spin class. Doing this 10x per week (morning and evening commute) is quite tiring. Every time I tell myself to have a nice easy spin in it turns out to be a hammerfest anyways. My commute will soon be 30km each way, I plan on taking that commute much easier as it will be ~1250km/month.

[gregorian]

My commute is either 25km in the morning / 20km in the evening or the full 40+40=80km journey, and I'm not fit enough to do that hard. My legs whinge too much on the afternoon run.

So I just do it at a comfortable pace. My attitude is that if I do it regularly and don't wipe myself out physically, then that's the exercise. I don't need to push it too hard. You guys with skinny wheeled bikes can zoom on by.

Furthermore I'm not out to get the journey done asap.
I like the exploratory side of riding. My journeys are long enough that there are plenty of options. Bits of the suburbs to discover. New tracks or zigzags through side streets. I know that's not in the spirit of many peoples commute, but it's my own personal eccentricity. Sometimes it means my personal internal compass is 90 degrees off and I've been heading in the complete wrong direction for half an hour, but that's part of the game.
Suburban Orienteering.

[Scott2Work]

I am 45 and got back into cycle commuting because:
i it is the only way I can find the time to get the regular exercise that I need.
ii it is fun
iii it saves money.

Therefore I try to push hard enough that I will see the benefits (no pain, no gain), but not so much that I will not make it through the day/week (due to either fatigue or heart attack). As a side note I would observe that at my age the process of getting fitter seems to be taking a lot longer than I remember from last time, patience so they say is a virtue. But I am getting there 10Kg's lighter and I have gotten to the point where I do the 15Km each way everyday, and when time and energy permits take the 30Km scenic route. Other than just pushing harder, and here the idea of the HR monitor appeals, I am also looking at ways to increase either the distance or the 'hilliness'. I also found that keeping an eye on my average speed seemed to be a better way to watch my speed increase than daily times, working on the idea that over a week the externals should average out (15Km/Hr to 25Km/Hr), until the computer got wet.

It is fun! And as the weight comes off and the fitness improves it just keeps getting to be more fun.

As for the money saving, well lets just say that I worked out that by the time I got to 8,000Km's I would have paid for the new bike. Of course I did not allow for the gadget junky in me. By the time I finish getting the new tires, mudguards, wet weather gear, computer (now I have to add a new one with HR monitor & cadence), lights, reflective gear, hot weather gear like hydration stuff. Did I mention I was a gadget junky?? I will probably have to get to 20,000Km's. to break even. This is a slow process as I try not to spend more than 2 or 3 times what I am saving fuel costs on gadgets each month. All that and I have only 2,000Km's on the computer.

Two out of three aint bad.

[hannos]

36km commute each way with a backpack. Trip usually takes me 1hr 10 tio 1hr 20 with no winds and depending on traffic lights.
Trip computer tells me I do about 29km/h average on the way to work and 26km/h on the way home.

I find it tough to sit in an easy gear and just idle along.

[gdt]

I go nicely into work, I deliberately pull myself back if I'm getting enthusiastic. It's just too easy to over-do it (especially on hot Adelaide summer mornings) and suffer during the 40Km back homewards later in the day.

To avoid terminal boredom, on the last 15Km stretch homewards and into the wind I'll do intervals between the 90Km speed signs, which are evenly spaced. Although not on swim training nights, since the guy who runs those has a radar for weakness and is as totally sadistic when we are in the pool as he is as nice when we are out of it.

Since I commute every day, I don't sweat it. If I'm not in the mood for some exercise then I'm content just to twirl the pedals until I am at work.

[kiso]

As for the money saving, well lets just say that I worked out that by the time I got to 8,000Km's I would have paid for the new bike.
...
I try not to spend more than 2 or 3 times what I am saving fuel costs on gadgets each month.

Scott, you're saving a lot more than you think. Fuel is only a small part of the cost of running a car - depreciation is the biggest. Unless you're commuting on a $10,000 bike, you may have paid for it already!

[ve safari]

Finally cracked the commute from home to work in under and hour! 27km in 0:58.46 - I'm very happy with that. Down to 103.0kg as well.

[hannos]

Finally cracked the commute from home to work in under and hour! 27km in 0:58.46 - I'm very happy with that. Down to 103.0kg as well.

Awesome work.

[Scott2Work]

As for the money saving, well lets just say that I worked out that by the time I got to 8,000Km's I would have paid for the new bike.
...
I try not to spend more than 2 or 3 times what I am saving fuel costs on gadgets each month.

Scott, you're saving a lot more than you think. Fuel is only a small part of the cost of running a car - depreciation is the biggest. Unless you're commuting on a $10,000 bike, you may have paid for it already!

Kiso, What you say about depreciation may be true but for the moment I still have to keep the car. So it sits out the front of the house depreciating due to age, all be it a little slower due to the K's not being clocked up. I have just had to pay both rego. and insurance for the year, neither insurance companies or Vicroads reduce their charges just because the car only gets used part time. Maintenance and fuel costs will drop right off, have just put it in for a major service including machining the front breaks (ouch), once I have caught up on the backlog. But if my thinking is correct, whilst I have to keep the car fuel and maintenance are really the only saving that can be clearly seen.

Regards,
Dave.

[BrisVegas]

my commute is mainly about losing weight. My weight had crept up to 117kgs and I just wasn't doing any regular exercise. I live 38km from work and haven't got the fitness to ride all the way yet, but I'm riding about half that distance 5 days a week now. I've lost 11kgs so far since January and I want to get down to 90kgs eventually.

As it happens, my wife lost her job last month which has meant things are pretty tight financially. The $180 a month saved on train fares is helping, but it means I'll have to wait a while longer to get a shiny new road rocket bike. I posted elsewhere, but am seriously thinking about selling the second car and dedicating myself to riding ALL the time. That would be my excuse to grab a shiny new bike, lights, jerseys, new helmet and all the cool toys I lust after!

I'm not a fast rider by any means, but I motor along as fast as I can on my MTB. The couple of times I've ridden for more than an hour I've covered around 25km. If I could nudge 30kmh eventually, my work commute wouldn't be a whole lot slower than public transport, and I'd be racking up some serious kms each week.