Can I cycle to work??
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Finally I have started cycling to work! today was the first day. I did 12Km in 33 minutes which is less time than subway takes to the office. Cycle Express!!0
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Hopefully I will be up to 5 days a week within a couple of months
Remember to listen to your body and learn the warning signs of overtraining. In other words, don't rush the 5 days a week commuting unless you are really feeling good. Your body will adapt and if you move at normal commute speeds then overtraining will not be a problem.
Of course if you are hard-headed like me and use your commutes for training then overtraining may come into play :-D Case in point, I tried outrunning the rain into work this morning and averaged 19mph over 21 miles. More than one morning a week with that kind of effort and my legs will take a vacation ;-)0 -
I am also thinking to come to work on my cycle. Going to office will take 35 minutes (12 Kms) as it is downhill and straight. But coming back is uphill and it will take 90 long minutes. This bit is stopping me from cycling to work. I am thinking just to come to work on my bike and going back I can still take the subway. May be once a week I can try going back as well.
First of all, congrats on making the trip to work via bicycle. Welcome to the fold of cyclo-commuters. Be warned it is addictive.
Next, as you commute more then you will find that the hills you once dreaded now offer only training opportunities. Of course I still think of each hill as a waypoint on my commute but that is only because I move a little slower uphill. However, compared to when I first started commuting I am now flying up the hills.
Wasn't it Greg Lemond that said something like, "hills don't get easier, you just go faster". I find that they get somewhat easier and I am getting faster going up them most days as you will soon discover as well.
Chapeau!0 -
Thanks for the encouraging words Dahamac. I am ready to be addictive as cyclo-cummuter. Uphills are still something to tackle. I really hate when people over take me on the hills. I am going at walking pace and they go at quite good pace. Hopefully this should become habit soon.0
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I have about a 14mile commute each way, here's some tips:
My drive is only 11 mi, but I purposely make it longer to avoid places with more risk or more interruptions. Have a look at possible alternate routes that may add safety margin.
When I started, I would frequently use my bicycle rack on the car to drive myself to work, ride the bike home, sleep... ride in during the next day, then use the car to get back home. This has an advantage of being able to shuttle clothes (clean+dirty) back and forth as well as the obvious advantage of being easier (1 way each day instead of 2).
Make sure you are prepared to eat more to fuel the extra exercise, particularly as you go to back-and-forth in the same day. Ditto for hydration.
Get a blinking taillight as bright as you can afford and use it anytime cars are present. Also, get as bright a jersey as possible so that there's minimal chance of a motorist missing you in their field of vision.
Understand the bike/pedestrian laws in your area and follow them well. Don't assume motorists have done the same, however. Always err on the side of caution.
Finally, have fun!0 -
Yesterday I did the full return trip from the office first time. Usually I dont come back all the way. But I managed all the uphills yesterday. Weather was really nice and wind was blowing on my back. I did 12km going to office in 36 min and coming back I did 11.5 kms in 68 minutes. Time for coming back is not bad either considering more than half the way is uphill. Yess!
Our subway station is going to close for renovations for 3 months by the end of next week. In order to save time my best bet is to cycle to the office. I dont wish to stand for the alternate bus when i got legs and my bike!!!0
