How far do you commute?

[BentMikey]

My job can involve a lot of walking on certain days and having to commute for 22/23 miles after a days graft is getting me a bit worried

I think it's tough, but do-able if you build up to it slowly. My job involves skating and teaching, so is also fairly good exercise on top of a 40-45 mile commute. A few strategies help me to cope:

Ride slowly, though this is hard to do in London.
Drink recovery drink on arrival at work, and when I get home. Careful attention to hydration and nutrition.
Pay careful attention to getting as much sleep as I possibly can.
Wear compression tights to speed recovery overnight.

 

[Guvnor]

Thanks for all the info folks. Seems that a few of you are in the same boat so i will give it a go and see how i get on. Thinking of it, quite looking forward to it now

Is there any of you that do it on a Hybrid? or do you think getting myself a proper fully fledged road bike is the way to go? I've been thinking about converting to a road bike for a while anyway so may just make the jump before the move

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Mine's 34 miles* round trip per weekday, with gentle hills, i.e. mostly coastal. I also have this mental problem called workoutitis . I've been taking it easier the last week, though, as my left Achilles tendon is hurting a bit, so don't want to push my luck.

Also, for what it's worth, I ride a Vivente tourer (my only bike) that weighs 15kg, with 28mm tyres, and although not having a full-on roadie may slow me down a bit, the tourer gets me around well enough.

Regards,

--- Victor.

* 55km over here

 

[400bhp]

Is there any of you that do it on a Hybrid? or do you think getting myself a proper fully fledged road bike is the way to go? I've been thinking about converting to a road bike for a while anyway so may just make the jump before the move

Depends how good your hybrid is I guess. Personally I'd want a road bike. Just see how it goes.

FWIW I have a 17 mile round trip which I do 4 x per week on the bike if I can.

Perhaps start off at 1 day a week, building up an extra day say every 5th week.

 

[Norm]

Your call, Guvnor, and it depends what you mean by *spit* hybrid *spit*.

If you have a flat-barred road bike (such as the Specialized Sirrus), it will probably be as light and as appropriate as as a bike with drops. If you have a rigid mountain bike, then it will be heavier, slower, inappropriately geared and generally harder work. One of the reasons that I really dislike the word "hybrid", it is, in this context, completely useless as a description.

IMO.

Of course, if you are looking for an excuse to get another bike, then whatever you have is inappropriate and you need a new one.

 

[BentMikey]

Or one step further, and a low racer:

 

[Mark_Robson]

What's that contraption worth Mike?

 

[Guvnor]

Your call, Guvnor, and it depends what you mean by *spit* hybrid *spit*.

If you have a flat-barred road bike (such as the Specialized Sirrus), it will probably be as light and as appropriate as as a bike with drops. If you have a rigid mountain bike, then it will be heavier, slower, inappropriately geared and generally harder work. One of the reasons that I really dislike the word "hybrid", it is, in this context, completely useless as a description.

IMO.

Of course, if you are looking for an excuse to get another bike, then whatever you have is inappropriate and you need a new one.

lol, okey dokey. My hybrid is a Boardman Pro LTD, very light flat bar with 700cc wheels. Do you think it will do the job?

 

[Norm]

lol, okey dokey. My hybrid is a Boardman Pro LTD, very light flat bar with 700cc wheels. Do you think it will do the job?

Damned right it will.

Unless your significant other is reading and you want another bike anyway, in which case those Boardman bikes are useless on the road.

Lovely bike, very suitable for the ride you are doing, IMO.

 

[Guvnor]

Cheers Norm

Dont matter if she's watching or not, she's got no say in the matter as i'm the man of the house(he says, looking over his shoulder to make sure she's not in the room)

on a serious note, she know's i'm after a road bike anyway and anything that will keep me fit and healthy is a good thing in her eyes so its a win win situation

 

[gaz]

Or one step further, and a low racer:

proof, if need, that mikey has a stabiliser

 

[tordis]

According to online route planners, my journey is around 11 miles each way, so that makes my round trip 22 miles. Crikey, I didn't even realize it's that far

 

[Corporate Ascents]

Around 20 mile round trip

 

[adds21]

Mine is about 15 miles round trip, but the return 7.5 miles is just under 1,000 feet of climb (there is a less hilly way, but I enjoy the hills, so usually go that way these days).

If the weather is nice, I'll add several miles in the morning.

 

[Cap_Scarlet]

I have only just started in the last two weeks. My round trip is around 23 miles (I have not measured it accurately yet) of which a big chunk is off-road.

The worst thing is that it is mostly downhill on the way to work and therefore uphill on the way home. The climb is fairly brutal (just under 1,500 feet - no seriously) and therefore whilst my jounrney time to work is around 35-40 minutes, the retrun trip is around 80-85 minutes.

Even if I could do the trip every day (which I don't think I could), I am not sure I would want to as I also enjoy running.

My current objective is to bike it 2-3 times a week, run 3-4 times a week (not to work!) and squeeze a day off in somewhere!

Oh - I am 45 but not overeight