Your commuting speed

[Cubist]

I used to try and beat my own time every time, but eventually it became a bit of an obsession, and I imagined that others were watching to see how well I was doing. Anyway, the little men in the white coats told me to take the computer off the bike and enjoy the ride. It works, inasmuch as I no longer fret if I'm faced with a headwind on the way home. I used to average about 13.5 mph over both legs of the journey which drops 1000 feet in six miles

and then climbs it again on the way home

. , but here's a little taster of my morning ride in:

View: http://www.youtube.com/user/fakestrat#p/a/u/1/9XsELlYZUmU

 

[cloggsy]

What camera are you using good sir?

 

[monnet]

Best thing I ever did was ditch the computer on my commuter. I have a couple of routes which I use and I know how long it takes me to do them. I can pretty much guarantee the time I will be sat at my desk from the moment I leave the house. Beating times on commutes can become addictive (and dangerous as you take risks if you're 'on a time' - IME).

I have computers on the training and race bikes and, to be honest, I just use these to a) tell me the time and b) how far I've been. If commuting were my main exercise I'd probably go harder but I usually use it to keep the legs ticking over (and it's the quickest way to get to work). Doesn't stop the competitive instinct kicking in every now and then when I see someone up front/ just behind though!

 

[Cubist]

The camera's a Veho Muvi

 

[kashiy]

Ive been commuting for over a year now straight in West Central London, Its a good run say about 17.3km but the speed is so dependent on the time of day and also the amounts of red lights on the way. I average around 42minutes and have found that I,ve basically reached a plateau where my time doesnt really go below 40 mins, that is apart from one blustery morning where I got to work in 33mins! Wish I could ride that speed all the time. However most of the route I like to keep it between 27km to 30km /hr.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I used to try and beat my own time every time, but eventually it became a bit of an obsession, and I imagined that others were watching to see how well I was doing. Anyway, the little men in the white coats told me to take the computer off the bike and enjoy the ride. It works, inasmuch as I no longer fret if I'm faced with a headwind on the way home. I used to average about 13.5 mph over both legs of the journey which drops 1000 feet in six miles

and then climbs it again on the way home

. , but here's a little taster of my morning ride in:
http://www.youtube.c...u/1/9XsELlYZUmU

Faster card will stop that jerking (included one is usually a low quality class 2, any class 4 will suffice).

Anyway - I don't think its the best idea to be going up the insides of vehicles at speed.

As for the roundabout, that lane is for going left, not straight on - the vehicle in the right (straight and right) was not indicating right so I assume they were giong straight on as well - usage of the cycle lane in this manor would also be dangerous. The car from your left could have also assumed you were turning left and pulled out on you...

It seems you need to stop chasing an average speed, I don't see why you need to push so hard either considering its mostly downhill.

 

[Cubist]

Indeed

Watch the vid again, and the bit where I am cycling up the inside of the vehicles you will see me feathering and modulating speed, so that at no point am I a sandwich between the parked cars and the moving ones. You'll see that I move as far out from the doorzone as I can, and match this with making sure none of the cars to my right are alongside me when I do. It takes a bit of judgement, but makes sure I am not going to be car-doored or squeezed.

The roundabout. Again, timing. I enter the r'about when the car in the rh lane is at a standstill. I have timed my approach to coincide with the gap after the car already crossing from the right, and the car to the left is still stationary, waiting for the car passing from his right to do so. By the time that car clears the junction he is only just ready to pull out, and I'm already passing his bonnet. If you cycle with your head up and plan ahead, you can get your timing right.

I'm not arguing with your viewpoint by the way. Perceptions differ depending on experience. (and personal experiences)

Thanks for the tips about the card. I ordered a class 4 one but it is no less jerky.

Push so hard? Cos it's fun, and a pulse-raiser before a day of utter drudgery.

 

[BentMikey]

That's much more risk-taking than I would normally accept from my own riding. Undertaking at speed through the door zone and blatting through a just changed pedestrian crossing whilst overtaking vehicles.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I saw the crossing but decided not to mention it, though I don't think it was ideal.

And neither do I accept the explaination for "overtaking" on a roundabout, up the inside of a car that was in front of you. If the car is going the same direction as you, and you deem it clear to go - it is also clear for the car to go.

Again, being in the left lane doesn't help your situation.

 

[subaqua]

http://gb.mapometer.com/en/cycling/route_1243246.html


8 minutes this morning including stops at lights. thats by crude calcs 15mph average

 

[adds21]

It takes a bit of judgement, but makes sure I am not going to be car-doored or squeezed.

I can't help feeling that if someone was driving a motorized vehicle in the same manor, and it was caught on video, we’d all be up in arms about how bad it was, even ignoring the undertaking, which I assume is legal because of the bike lane.

I’m not denying it’s fun, and I’m not saying I’m not guilty of the same from time to time, but IMO, it just goes to show there is often a huge difference between what the driver/rider of a car/motorbike/bicycle thinks they are capable of doing relatively safely, and how it’s perceived by others.

 

[endoman]

<br /><br />
<br />
Use your commute to get fit, do it alternate days and build up.<br />

<br /><br /><br /

I shall do that. But at 15 hilly miles I need a month to be able to face it!

 

[John the Monkey]

Am I on my own with this, or is there a frustrated time trialler in all of us? Surely pootling along leisurely does little to hold the interest day after day after day?

If you can't find joy in simply being on a bike, you might be doing it wrong

It used to concern me when I first commuted - these days, it's a shoulder shrugging kind of thing. Commutes are too unpredictable and need too much attention for serious pushing of the average, and I don't really bother any more, personally. I still record the figures, mind.

 

[Cubist]

All points of view accepted and no offence taken. If you like you could use my video as an example of what happens when you get ueber-competitive with yourself. As I said in my original post, this was how things got when I had the computer on the bike and became obsessed with bettering the performance each time.

I took the risks in the knowledge that the bike was set up, and convinced that I was alert, skilled and on top of my game. I used to ride big ****-off superbikes and am confident in my abilities at 30-35 mph on a well-maintained bike. The headcam doesn't convey half of the information that anyone can assimilate in those sorts of circumstances. That said, i am not advocating anyone emulates that sort of riding.

As for the door zone, Mikey, watch again, and find a period in that cycle lane where I was within dooring distance. You'll see I'm on or over the cycle lane white line every time there's a car in the parking spaces, and at no time will you be able to see me sandwiched between a passing car and a parked one.

Oh, and as for the crossing, watch how I filter on the outside and then confirm it's clear before standing on the pedals and passing the first car at the lights. That's the advantage of an arse-hatchet.... you can actually see what's going on around you

It's still a fast ride in to work, but that vid was shot last summer, and I've had an awful lot of counselling since!

 

[BentMikey]

As for the door zone, Mikey, watch again, and find a period in that cycle lane where I was within dooring distance. You'll see I'm on or over the cycle lane white line every time there's a car in the parking spaces, and at no time will you be able to see me sandwiched between a passing car and a parked one.

That doesn't match with this screen capture of your video:



Assuming the camera on your bike is above the front wheel, then you're aimed square at the edge of the door with your middle, possibly the worst place to hit, and you're sandwiched by the car on your right.