Do you find yourself going as fast as you can when you commute or are you more relaxed?

[Threevok]

I can't chase the KOM's on the road section of my commute, as they were set - the last time the Tour of Britain passed through.

I have a mate that spent months trying to beat them - before he realised

 

[ianrauk]

I can't chase the KOM's on the road section of my commute, as they were set - the last time the Tour of Britain passed through.

I have a mate that spent months trying to beat them - before he realised

I don't do Strava for my commute.
However you can tell the cycle commuters that do.

 

[Threevok]

I don't do Strava for my commute.
However you can tell the cycle commuters that do.

I do - but mostly to log mileage on parts (although I do attack my times on that last hill - as I previously admitted)

 

[I like Skol]

endorphins

That's the word I was looking for. Beats going to the gym for them and makes the commute a pleasure instead of a chore.

 

[Welsh wheels]

On the way there, yes, as it means I don't have to get out of bed so early On the way back, depends what kind of day I've had. If I've done a 12 hour shift I'm not exactly bombing it back afterwards!

 

[subaqua]

I don't do Strava for my commute.
However you can tell the cycle commuters that do.

i use it to record the distance on new routes . and show my work colleagues in Bristol what time i leave home as they think i have the life of riley

 

[ianrauk]

i use it to record the distance on new routes . and show my work colleagues in Bristol what time i leave home as they think i have the life of riley

Erm... you do don't you

 

[Noru]

I take it easy on the way to work to avoid arriving in a sweaty mess.

Faster on the way home. Though I've stopped going hell for leather on the commute as I was taking more risks.

Unless I've got to go in for 6am or finish after 8pm when traffic has died down then I go for it.

 

[subaqua]

Erm... you do don't you

I am not in the music biz

 

[mjr]

Heh, it does sound like it doesn't it! In all honesty it's because of family commitments though - I don't get out any other time on the bike (aside from a monthly 80mi spin that i fix in the diary) so i have to push myself when i get the chance.

Nope, still not understanding why you "have to".

There's a time and a place for bimbling but it's no substitute for endorphins

It's now thought that you can get them from laughter too, not only pain! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267132/

 

[bikingdad90]

Most of the segments on my way into work are taken by elite and pro cyclists after the 2016 British road time trials came through 90% of the route both ways so I have no chance of getting onto the boards.

I can just about manage when giving it some welly my 5.2miles inbound ride in 15 mins 44 seconds in perfect conditions or under 19mins if I have to stop at lights. Any longer and I feel like it was a wasted ride. Plus on the off chance I come across another cyclist it's SCR all the way.

 

[dhd.evans]

Nope, still not understanding why you "have to".

I think my motto for riding should be "Don't stop when you're tired; stop when you're done" Most of my riding is compressed into my commutes so if I were to bimble I'd feel like i'd wasted my biking time. It's part of the reason that when i see I'm ahead of schedule on my commute i'll take a longer route home simply to catch a few extra miles; i enjoy pushing myself, especially on commutes. Plus, y'know, Strava...

 

[mjr]

Most of my riding is compressed into my commutes so if I were to bimble I'd feel like i'd wasted my biking time. It's part of the reason that when i see I'm ahead of schedule on my commute i'll take a longer route home simply to catch a few extra miles; i enjoy pushing myself, especially on commutes. Plus, y'know, Strava...

I'm not sure whether Strava is screwing up cycling, or if the sort of people that enjoy Strava are the ones who would be running stopwatches on bits of their commute anyway. I'll leave it here now and I've written this before, but I do worry about those who view bimbling as wasted cycling and it's all about ever faster-faster, never about what you see or who you meet, because one day you'll max out for some reason (age, injury, ...) and what happens then?

 

[dhd.evans]

I'm not sure whether Strava is screwing up cycling, or if the sort of people that enjoy Strava are the ones who would be running stopwatches on bits of their commute anyway. I'll leave it here now and I've written this before, but I do worry about those who view bimbling as wasted cycling and it's all about ever faster-faster, never about what you see or who you meet, because one day you'll max out for some reason (age, injury, ...) and what happens then?

Don't get me wrong, i don't view bimbling as wasted cycling - in fact i enjoy a weekend bimble with the wife and kids, or to the shops etc. but when it's me against me on the commute I task myself. Those who bimble are still riding and I have respect for all those riding, be it TDF speeds or tortoise speeds!

 

[mjr]

Don't get me wrong, i don't view bimbling as wasted cycling

Not only was I thinking of where you wrote the direct opposite:

Most of my riding is compressed into my commutes so if I were to bimble I'd feel like i'd wasted my biking time

But also:

Any longer and I feel like it was a wasted ride.

There may well be others earlier in the thread. It seems quite an oft-claimed view.