I have just started commuting to work 13 miles per day any advise?

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Breatnac

New Member
I have just started commuting to work 6.5 miles each way after not cycling for 10 year.

I am after any advice I can get on diet or cycling. I have started a blog to plot my discoveries along the way. It is at http://breatnac.blogspot.com/

I have signed up for the London to Cambridge cycle ride in July and the London to Brighton cycle ride in July.

I have started getting sponsorship for the London to Cambridge, if you have any advice about any of these issues please either reply to this or add a comment to my blog.

Many Thanks

Breatnac
 

Maz

Guru
Welcome to the forum and good on you for cycling to work.
What bike do you ride? Are you on the road for all or part of the journey?
 

longers

Legendary Member
Hello Breatnac,

Well done for starting to commute by bike, it sounds like a reasonable distance. Have fun and be careful.

Where are you based and what bike are you riding?

Others will have better advice than me so I'll leave them to it.
 

zimzum42

Legendary Member
I know you're new, so welcome to the forum.

However, my OCD overcomes my politeness, so I must point out that the first thing you need before you start commuting is to look up how to spell advice....

;)
 

wafflycat

New Member
If you can, get some bike training to the new national standards - this will help you with safe, assertive (not aggressive) cycling. http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4747

Get hold of a copy of Cyclecraft by John Franklin http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/ read, and use the good information in there (it was used as the basis of the cycle training standards).

Keep your bike well maintained and it'll look after you.

Punctures *will* happen, so make sure you can change an inner tube, inflate back up to pressure to get you on your way again.

Use lights front & rear when required.

Lock your bike when you have to be away from it (don't forget making sure your wheels are locked too).

That'll do for now, I'm sure there'll be folk along with lots more.
 

biking_fox

Guru
Location
Manchester
Welcome
That's about the distance I do.

Diet - take the time to get up early enough to eat breakfast! Cycling on an empty stomach isn't fun. Make sure you eat something for lunch at work as well.

Always carry with you - lights, waterproofs, spare tyre, pump, tyre levers

Ditto, read cyclecraft

lastly: It's not a race. Car drivers will be annoying but bask in the rosy smug glow of sensible travelling and try not to let them get to you.
 
Hello!

I have also signed up for London-Cambridge. Must think about some sort of training for that.....

My tuppence: get some good waterproof trousers. You won't need them that often, but when you do need them, it's the difference between being miserable and thinking you want to catch the bus instead, and still going in on your bike and thinking it actually wasn't that bad.

;)
 

Maz

Guru
User1314 said:
3 Never under any circumstances attempt to talk to a fellow cyclist commuter
Is this a London thing? cos I talk to just about every cyclist I pass even if just to say 'hello', and they're normally quite responsive.
 

gary r

Guru
Location
Camberley
always try & leave heavy items at work (shoes,Trousers etc) i just carry a clean shirt & underwear,If you dont have a shower use baby wipes to freshen up,If you do have a shower buy one of the micro towels from a camping shop,They dry quickly & so you dont have to have a great big bath towel hanging about in the office.On the bike make sure you have spare tubes,good pump & set of allen keys,13 miles a day will soon be a breeze!!!
 

Tynan

Veteran
Location
e4
I chat with others from time to time

That's far enough to consider proper clothes, bib tights you can wear in the rain, a proper top and a very lightweight pack down top for the rain

clipless if you;re keen on going quick

if you're plodding along then regular clothes and pedal are fine

quicker in proper gear is good fun though

multi tool will handle allens plus some other bits

I use a hand towel, big enough and dries fine in 24 hours
 

Maz

Guru
Tynan said:
I use a hand towel, big enough and dries fine in 24 hours
You mean for cleaning up after roadside repairs?
I keep a pair of disposable rubber gloves in the saddle bag. So much easier.
 

Tynan

Veteran
Location
e4
no, have I missed something? that's for the shower at work and I leave it at work anyway

don't really do roadside repairs, if I do I get messy and let the gloves deal with it thereafter

latex gloves at home, I suppose a pair in the panniers wouldn't add toooo much weight
 

Maz

Guru
domtyler said:
How do you get your saliva to come out of your nostril? :tongue:
That's his party trick. He also drinks milk and expels it through his tear ducts.
 
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