Unfit bloke starting a commute.

[Rhythm Thief]

I never thought a seasoned (ex) cyclist like me would start a thread like this. I mean, I've got three bikes, all with SPD pedals. I've commuted around the West Midlands conurbation in all weathers. I've done Audaxes and been touring. I've ridden a track bike 25 miles on rural A roads in the dead of night pissed out of my head. (Best draw a veil over that one.)
But I haven't ridden regularly for about four years, and I haven't ridden at all for about 18 months. Now I've finally got a full time job where I've got somewhere to leave a change of clothes and my safety boots, I'm starting to think about riding to work again. It's 17 miles, give or take, from Ross on Wye to Gloucester, which involves a couple of pretty serious hills (at least, they look serious to me). I'm 39, I'm as unfit as I've ever been in cycling terms and while I still look reasonably svelte, I actually weigh around 17 stone, which is about four stone overweight for me.
My main worry is that I'm being overambitious. When I was 23 I used to commute 24 miles each way without a second thought, but I'm not 23 any more. I don't get the time to ride for its own sake any more, and that never did a lot for me anyway. Has anyone else kick started their cycling resurgence with a similar commute? Did you survive it? Am I likely to keel over after the first five miles? I think I just need a little reassurance that I'm not being silly.

 

[Vikeonabike]

RT, I started at 42 after a 15 year break from the bike, 16 miles each way..(no hills though). Take it steady, start with 3 times a week and build up. Your body will love you for it!

 

[Panter]

My commute is a similar distance.
I kept trying to build up to it (complete novice, overweight and unfit) by doing local loops etc but in the end just threw myself into it.
I imagine you'll ache, a lot, after the first time and I would imagine a couple of times a week would be ideal to start with but if you used to be able to easily achieve it when you were younger, I can't see you'd have any problems after a while.

Just give yourself plenty of time on your first run in, in case you end up walking up some of the tougher bits near the end!

Good luck!

 

[BentMikey]

Of course you can do it, as long as you're willing to make the compromises necessary.

If it were me doing it, I'd take your car and your bike to work together, and then ride home. Ride back the next day, and take the car back home. That way you can spend some time just doing half of it whilst you get fitter. Oh, and ride slooooooowly. Much less intensity will mean it's much easier and that's what your body needs to start with. You can always start riding more often and harder in the months and years to come. I'd also have no shame eating a lot to power that sort of distance.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

just mtfu.....

. seriously though, i'm 42 this year, reasonably unfit and weigh 17 stone, i commute between 30 to 40 miles per day (dependent on placement), 4 or 5 days per week (4 when on nights) and i live in seriously hilly rossendale. you'll be fine, as long as you don't try to do stupid times, i.e scr every day.

18 months later, i take the long way to 'work' if it's too short (less than 30 miles per day) and now i ride fixed.

best advice i can give you, don't skimp on the quality of waterproofs, it makes the difference to enjoying a wet season, to surviving (seriously, hypothermia is not a good thing) a wet season.

oh and if you like your best bike, don't use it to commute. it'll upset you after a few weeks, when your pride and joy looks just as bad as the bso's in the bike racks.

good luck.

ps,
my first 4 weeks were the hardest, both physically and mentally. i started to enjoy it after that, tho sometimes i do have 'off' weeks where it seems like purgatory. but 'them' weeks pass quickly enough, then i enjoy it all over again.

 

[Andrew_P]

14.8 miles each way for me, 46 overweight and unfit. I cross the north downs which for me is/was a challenge. I do exactly what tiny suggests, I leave the bike at work, drive in on a Sunday evening leave my clothes and spare socks etc and ride home. The main benefit for me doing it this way is that I find the motivation in the morning the most difficult, but if the car is not there I have zero choice. Then I decide daily whether to ride home of drive home but I make sure I at least do one run a day.

Main advice would be to take it slowly to get the feel for it, now is a great time to start even when it is wet it is not too bad as it is fairly warm, cold and wet can be bad news if you are not prepared.


As the advert says just do it!

 

[DrSquirrel]

1000ft over 17 miles isn't too bad. I assume you're going to keep off the A40?


Like everyone else - one day at a time, im sure you know you can ride 17 miles right? What's the problem then?

 

[BentMikey]

Must admit I'm glad I only have to climb the North Downs once a day.

p.s. RT, we are the same age, and I do a physical job, so no excuses! And no comments from me on 17st vs svelte!!!

 

[pshore]

....My main worry is that I'm being overambitious. When I was 23 I used to commute 24 miles each way without a second thought, but I'm not 23 any more.

Used to cycle a lot in my yoof and now I am 38. Four years ago I was unfit car commuter and then and then I started a new job that gave me somewhere to store my bike and clothes safely. It's the best thing that happened to me! I think I was heading to an early grave and other health complications.

My commute is only 7 miles each way, but now I am doing the long way in, like 35 miles once a week. 17 miles each way sounds daunting but if you are not committed to doing it every day it can be fun and rewarding, not a chore, just like your ol' days.

Maybe the distance is a little over ambitious, maybe not, go find out at weekends and cycling to work on a Friday.

Re the age. I think I am a reasonable fitness at 38 but I have ridden with plenty of 50 somethings who have shown me a clean pair of heels. Chapeau.

Enjoy the rediscovery and joy of cycling !

 

[endoman]

Go for it, I've just done 3rd 15 mile commute this week, and I've had the bike less than 3 weeks, never ridden properly before, and zero fitness coming into it at 4 stone overweight and 43.

Will return later to make it a 30 mile day, I'm lucky I have the option to leave bike at work if needed.

 

[Norm]

17 miles is a fair distance for an each-way commute but there's some good ideas posted here.

The stand-out thoughts for me are to take it slow at first and to only do it once a day to build up to it.

I don't think that 17 miles each way is necessarily over-ambitious, as long as you take your time. You know you could ride 17 miles in 3 hours, doing it in an hour might be a strain, find a happy medium that doesn't require you to push the whole way.

 

[BSRU]

There is always the sensible suggestion of doing a half and half, drive part way cycle the rest, reducing the driving part as you become fitter. Or as a guy I work with does, he has a 20 mile commute each way, so he alternates, one day driving one day cycling.

 

[Andrew_P]

Must admit I'm glad I only have to climb the North Downs once a day.

I find northbound (going home) the worst, but once I am at the A23/M23 it is lovely 4 mile downhill sprint home!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I started 14 miles one way train home and built it up. 5 days a week both ways took about three months to get to. Every spring I have to start over after train+bike both ways during the winter.

You have to start somewhere. My start was riding the route on a Sunday to get an idea of what was involved effort and time wise.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Start off just doing a Friday, that way you've got the weekend to recover (assuming it's a Mon - Fri job). See how you like it and build it up as you fancy.