commute's leaving me a bit knackered in the evening…

[defy-one]

I do this twice a week and use a road bike. Certainly feel it the next day. Think your doing it the hard way on a mtb. Even a road hybrid would be better

 

[Crankarm]

20 miles each way? No wonder you are knackered. Can you at least do this on a road bike instead of a MTB to make things more efficient?

I am currently riding a Kona Kula 17 miles each way or I was riding 30 each way, until an incident last week, without any probs with the bike affecting journey time or enjoyment of riding. Suspension forks locked out and Marathon XR 1.6 tyres, easy peasy.

 

[Maz]

I am currently riding a Kona Kula 17 miles each way or I was riding 30 each way, until an incident last week, without any probs with the bike affecting journey time or enjoyment of riding. Suspension forks locked out and Marathon XR 1.6 tyres, easy peasy.

Cambridge is flat as a pancake though.

 

[Crankarm]

Cambridge is flat as a pancake though.

I know, tell me about it. Awful terrain for a MTB.

Although when the wind blows, it is equivalent to riding an hors category climb.

 

[Crankarm]

20 miles each way? No wonder you are knackered. Can you at least do this on a road bike instead of a MTB to make things more efficient?

Mrs alecetc may go bananas if Mr alecetc gets another bike as you suggest (n+1) which would make being knackered a safer option.

 

[al78]

Errr ............ actually it is very do-able. You would be fine.

Not for me it wouldn't. My round trip is half that distance and it has taken me six years to get to the point of being able to do that every working day, well, in the warmer half of the year anyway.

I used to have a 24 mile round commute and never managed to build up to five days a week, so a 36 to 40 mile round trip would be out of the question I think.

The point I am making is that you can't just extrapolate your abilities on to everyone else. I would guess that if you wouldn't feel tired after 180-200 miles a week, every week then you have exceptionally high fitness and stamina (by exceptional I mean >99% of the population).