bit off more than i can chew

[Angry Blonde]

i used to cycle to work six mile each way nothing too taxing, i have changed jobs and this new place is 23 mile away, all of it up hill, all the way.

i peddled past there the other week on a fifty mile run. but yesterday i decided to do a trial run, to see how long i was looking at, but i had to quit after ten miles for some reason my legs just wernt there at all yesterday.

ive never had to quit like that before. i went to mcdonalds at twelve and rode my bike at one, im wondering whether it was a fuelling problem or just a really bad day. but its also got me worried it will happen again on my way to work.

its the cycle track from washington to consett which is a uphill slog all the way. its also going to be very dark if i set off at four am, because i think it will take me a good hour and a half !

 

[talisman50082]

Set off at 4am, 1 1/2 hours, 23miles each way. Are you nuts lol.

 

[annedonnelly]

That's a long way, all uphill. Cold, dark winter mornings aren't the best time to start that new commute.

Can you drive half way there? Coming home will be easier though!

 

[Angry Blonde]

coming homes a breeze, but its a long slog like, could drive half way but i have to remove both wheels to get bike in the car and i cant be bothered with the chow on of putting them back on and squeezing it in the car at four am

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Get the gearing right and it's no different to riding on the flat. A bit dull n boring but some tunes can help with that. The added bonus is that you'll be warm all the way to work, makes choosing layers a bit easier too.

How many days a week?

 

[steveindenmark]

I drive a Kia Picanto and its small. I can get it in the car by taking the front wheel off. What do you drive a Smart car?

I ride 12 miles each way and in Winter it is enough. I set off at 4.30am.

 

[Angry Blonde]

was hoping for three days to start with
i drive a mercedes without a boot, and with 27.5 wheels i have to take both wheels off to fit accross back seat

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Sounds doable. I did a comparable distance for ten weeks once, on placement on a Brompton. I lost a LOT of weight though and was reasonably fit at the end of it. Just make sure you get your calorie intake right, especially in winter where we tend to need more calories just to keep warm.

 

[Angry Blonde]

im just a bit worried my legs give in again, was strange that yesterday, does many of you lot peddle nearly two hours to work ? cheers for the advice though @bromptonfb

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I would keep at it, its going to get easier, but like others have said its a long slog, but certainly worth it as coming home is a breeze!
The thing I think is to try and get the legs warmed up a little before you set off.

I have been commuting for 5 and a half years, and every morning when I set off down the road, my legs feel like lead, and I think every day they are in bad shape and its going to be hard, but after about 5 miles they are into it and ready to keep going. Its surprises me how long they take to get to warmed up and ready ,but in this poor weather they just take more time.

The good thing is that if you keep going thru the bad weather the fitness and such come next spring when the weathers great will be fantastic. That's one of the main reasons I keep going thru winter, so come summer the fitness does not have to be regained.

So if I had a 4 mile commute I would think my legs were no good at all!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

im just a bit worried my legs give in again, was strange that yesterday, does many of you lot peddle nearly two hours to work ? cheers for the advice though @bromptonfb

I think you're over thinking it a little. True, it must be a bit disconcerting that on the trial run something went wrong. Possibly try another trial run with paying attention to fuelling correctly the night before. If you don't test your dysfunctional assumption that you won't be able to do it - how will you know if you can or can't?

 

[steveindenmark]

was hoping for three days to start with
i drive a mercedes without a boot, and with 27.5 wheels i have to take both wheels off to fit accross back seat

I have no sympathy for people with more money than me. At least I can bike to work. :0)

 

[byegad]

Gearing to keep you moving even when tired and don't do it every day should do the trick. I used to do 16 miles each way and it was up hill all the way home!

 

[jonny jeez]

Like everything, with practice it will get easier....which is simple to say but really hard to do when wrapping it around a full time job.

If you really want to ride this every single day then an elec-assist bike may be the answer. It'll cost you upwards of £2.5 k but that is still cheaper than a yearly train ticket, or a car. Uphill riding on an assist bike feels like flat riding and on the way home you will switch off the assist...(it'll limit you to 15 mph anyway and you'll not want that on a down hill ride).

You can swap out the rear block on an assist bike to "break the law" and adjust the range and top speed (which are inversely proportional to one another).

I know its not purist, but it will solve the issue.

Check out the Kalkhoff range,

http://www.kalkhoff-bikes.com/en/e-bike-info.html

I tested a bunch of Ebikes a few years ago and I found the Kalkhoff to be really good bikes with a very well thought out drive system...beware cheaper alternatives, riding some of them doesn't feel as natural and I even found one trek version to feel positively dangerous.

I didn't go for the ebike in the end and am glad as choosing a road bike instead opened up a whole new world of riding for me. that said, My 22 mile (44 Mioe) commute was flat and only ever about 3 days a week.

 

[Crankarm]

Like everything, with practice it will get easier....which is simple to say but really hard to do when wrapping it around a full time job.

If you really want to ride this every single day then an elec-assist bike may be the answer. It'll cost you upwards of £2.5 k but that is still cheaper than a yearly train ticket, or a car. Uphill riding on an assist bike feels like flat riding and on the way home you will switch off the assist...(it'll limit you to 15 mph anyway and you'll not want that on a down hill ride).

You can swap out the rear block on an assist bike to "break the law" and adjust the range and top speed (which are inversely proportional to one another).

I know its not purist, but it will solve the issue.

Check out the Kalkhoff range,

http://www.kalkhoff-bikes.com/en/e-bike-info.html

I tested a bunch of Ebikes a few years ago and I found the Kalkhoff to be really good bikes with a very well thought out drive system...beware cheaper alternatives, riding some of them doesn't feel as natural and I even found one trek version to feel positively dangerous.

I didn't go for the ebike in the end and am glad as choosing a road bike instead opened up a whole new world of riding for me. that said, My 22 mile (44 Mioe) commute was flat and only ever about 3 days a week.

No not a cheat bike …….. sacrilege!