Butterflies

[3narf]

Who gets tensed up before the ride home?

Mornings are OK for me as it's fairly quiet at 5 - 6am. But an hour or so before setting off home I get quite strung out.

I think it's because I can't really ease into it; it's full on all the way home and the traffic is heavy and aggressive (it's stressing me out just typing this as I'm setting off in 5 mins).

Wish I could relax a bit, but I suppose it's good to take it seriously.

 

[ianrauk]

I always look forward to my commute home. And it's mainly on a very busy A road. So like yours, as you say, full on.
Over the years I have got used to all the traffic and incidents. Any moton incident usually get's a f*** You and the finger then I have forgotten about it.

 

[magnatom]

I must admit, if I was getting butterflies just for commuting I'd be worried. That just indicates that you are worried or concerned about your commute home, which isn't ideal!

Are you new to commuting? If so then hopefully with experience that will settle. If you've been doing it for a while then you need to look at changing something so that you are not so concerned. Maybe, a change of route (even if it is longer)?

 

[Panter]

I always feel a little uneasy before setting off. not quite sure why, and it evaporates in the first pedal stroke, but it's always there before I set off.

 

[snapper_37]

I always feel a little uneasy before setting off. not quite sure why, and it evaporates in the first pedal stroke, but it's always there before I set off.

+ 1 but I put it down to being very excited to be getting out and getting home rather than anxiety.

 

[magnatom]

I absolutely look forward to every commute (maybe just a hint of dread when the weather looks rough). When I started out, yes I did feel a little nervous, but as I got more experienced, I found that went and I just looked forward to it.

If I had butterflies, to me that would represent that I was dreading something, that some part of my commute scared me. If I felt that, I'd like to think I could change things to get rid of that dread. From 3narfs description, it does sound like the butterflies come from some form of fear. That to me isn't entirely healthy. Surely you shouldn't fear your commute home!!

 

[magnatom]

+ 1 but I put it down to being very excited to be getting out and getting home rather than anxiety.

If that's what it is fair enough. In fact now I think about it, the thought of heading home to a house full of screaming weans does fill me with fear......

 

[Bman]

I look forward to homeward commute. Even though I have the kids to come home to, I get greeted with a "Daddy Home! Hello Daddy!"

Its all worth while in the end

 

[her_welshness]

Who gets tensed up before the ride home?

Mornings are OK for me as it's fairly quiet at 5 - 6am. But an hour or so before setting off home I get quite strung out.

I think it's because I can't really ease into it; it's full on all the way home and the traffic is heavy and aggressive (it's stressing me out just typing this as I'm setting off in 5 mins).

Wish I could relax a bit, but I suppose it's good to take it seriously.

After 7 years of being on the bike I still get that frisson of something. I don't know whether mentally its just putting myself into cycling mode or what?

You say that your ride home is not fun, I can imagine you getting tensed up then - where abouts do you ride? Is there an alternative cycling route/network that you can negotiate instead? On my last commute I had the good fortune of a cycling colleague who gave me the knowledge about the local networks between the different libraries that I used to work in and that helped me enormously. Perhaps consider a longer route that has much less traffic and you can start accruing some extra mileage and look on it as a bonus for being fitter?

 

[david1701]

today I found myself thinking about the route and clock watching, admittedly I was taking an extra loop to ride a few miles alongside the sea but still its a new feeling

 

[JDP]

Come 4pm, I'm looking forward to the ride home. Not only do you get to blast on the bike, you get to leave work!!

 

[johnr]

Mostly I go home late at night and see very little traffic. Tomorrow I'm finishing at 5... mostly I'll feel cross at all the tresspassers on my road. I get more problems coming to work in the afternoons, especially if the 4 x 4 crew are rushing to pick up Nigel and Fiona from school.

Still, work would drive me completely insane if it wasn't for the riding...

 

[gbb]

Its easy to forget we're all different. One mans meat and all that. I wouldnt lose any sleep over it, the feelings there for a simple reason, you probably just don't like heavy traffic. Nothing wrong with that, although it doesn't help you.
Me, i love the traffic at rush hour. I love the jostling for position, love to travel faster than long lines of cars, love to flick in and out of morons who think they can block you.
I'd LOVE to ride in London ...and if it wasn't obvious, i definately look forward to commuting home at rush hour.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Commuting is just part of my routine, I don't look forward to it and I don't dread it, its just part of life's routine.

 

[BrumJim]

Sometimes. Don't like it. I'm a very nervous cyclist in the wet, but in the dry the nerves go soon after I've started. I suppose my mind is trying to tell me that sitting in a tin box on four wide wheels is safer than unprotected on two very narrow ones, but longer term its better for me.