returning to commuting by bike; advice please

[alecstilleyedye]

i'm expecting to start a new job in manchester next week and it's 29km away.

it's been a while since i've done any regular cycling, and over two years since i did any regular commuting by bike.

i tried the route yesterday; macclesfield to manchester via the a6 and then, thanks to getting a bit lost in the centre, back through didsbury and cheadle (which, as it turns out, is a little longer, but avoids some long uphill drags), and i feel that the distance is certainly not beyond me. it's one thing to do the route on a sunny day, of course, and another to do it in the dark at rush hour.

should i do a day or two a week and build up to every day commuting when the weather gets better, or maybe do some dual-mode commuting by leaving the bike at a half-way station and taking the train in?

i couldn't ask for better facilities as there is underground bike parking, and lockers and showers due to the on-site gym, so it would seem rude not to go in by bike every day...

 

[ianrauk]

How about cycle in every other day?
It won't take you long to get used to the distance.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i did think about that, or perhaps strategically using the train on monday to take suit and shirts etc. for the week in, and on friday to bring all the dirty laundry home.

doing that will, of course, guarantee beautiful cycling weather monday and friday, and freezing horizontal rain the rest of the week.

a big factor will be whether or not i have the facility to dry my cycling gear at work...

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

Did you do the route at the time of day you will normally be riding it?
Some of my commute is along the same as yours (A57 and through Ancoats) It is very busy in the evenings (4pm onwards) I dont notice it so much in the mornings as I have a 7.30am start at work. The A6 is a bit of a nightmare, but most of South Manchester is in rush hour traffic.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i'll probably be leaving macc at 700 and coming back at about 1730, so i guess it's going to be busy. i trialled the course out in the mid morning/early afternoon. the a6 traffic was still quite busy, with lots of red lights. at least early on i'll be able to use the bus lanes

 

[G3CWI]

should i do a day or two a week and build up to every day commuting when the weather gets better, or maybe do some dual-mode commuting by leaving the bike at a half-way station and taking the train in?

Cycling to Hazel Grove and getting the train from there will save you a small fortune in rail fares. There are nicer routes than the main roads but they are a little longer of course.

 

[Turbo Rider]

Aaaaah, takes me back to when I started commuting and oooooooh the pain! I tried to do every day on a 23 mile round trip when I started, but found that my legs were crackered by Wednesday, so I shifted to 2 days then a break on Weds and then 2 days. Trouble I had with that though, was that I'd find myself crying inside on a Wednesday when I'd see other cyclists cycling in, so after about 3 weeks, I was blasting through Weds as well. Tips wise, I'd have to say use the gears to take it easy as often as possible, make sure you eat (sensibly) after a ride and have half a litre of a home made isotonic drink within an hour of before a ride, just to keep the carbs up. Also...enjoyyyyy!!

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

i'll probably be leaving macc at 700 and coming back at about 1730, so i guess it's going to be busy. i trialled the course out in the mid morning/early afternoon. the a6 traffic was still quite busy, with lots of red lights. at least early on i'll be able to use the bus lanes

My journey is the other way to yours, I go from Bolton to Bredbury. The traffic lights are a pain but just part of the journey. Its a commute, not a race. It does take it out if you for a while doing 40+ miles a day but you soon learn to pace yourself to make it to the end of the week.

 

[Panter]

I'm new back to cycling after a lay off as well. I have a new commute now, far, far shorter than the old one (which is about the same as your new one)
Personally, I did every other day for a couple of weeks, then concurrent days and now cycle full time.
I think you may find yourself suffering a little bit to start with, maybe aim to cycle Tuesday and Thursday to start with (gives you the car to transport supplies on Monday and Friday) and just see how you get on?

30kms isn't a great distance to a seasoned cyclist, but if you've not done it for a while, it's far enough! (speaking entirely personally)

 

[fossyant]

I would avoid the A6. Parrs Wood Rd is a good option from Parrs Wood if via Cheadle. A colleague comes in from Macc but he drives and parks at Wilmslow or Handforth then rides in

 

[400bhp]

Agree with Fossy, the A6 isn't great, particularly as you get close to Stockport. Just too many side streets.