How to try my first cycle commute

whome

I am contemplating trying cycling into work one day (before the weather gets too poor). However it is a long ride of about 30k each way, I think, mostly on a fairly high traffic roads. At least the elevation appears to be fairly flat (*)

I have recently got back on the bike after many, many years off and apart from some very short rides (1-2k) I have only done one longish relaxed social ride (~45k, most of the day).

I am thinking the train might be a backup plan for the return leg (so it could be a one way ride). Or even if desperate, to complete the journey. Partly just psychology so I don't have to convince myself I have to do 60k - eek!

The biggest problem is I am not really getting any chance to do medium/long length rides beforehand and probably not even many of the 1-2k runs. i.e. it will be a major jump from normal.

I have a mountain bike (hardtail) with road tyres.
I am thinking I should allow about 2 hours for the journey.
Any comments or suggestions ?
(I know about taking any clothes change beforehand etc).



* - A rough route in bikely shows some hills at the start, but I think that is a mistake or I can find a flatter route. Even with those 181m climb (229 on return)

Aidocp

I used to commute a route that was about a mile shorter than yours it took me about an hour an a half door to door. The way I liked to do was take the bike in on the train in the morning when everybodies rushing to get to work (me too) and so i wouldn't have to get out of bed to early and cycle home at night, in my own time when things I found were a bit more relaxed.

whome

I am not sure of the process of getting a bike on the trains, but suspect that evening is more likely than peak hour in the morning. Also I would get away with cheap day single in the evening .

An hour and a half was presumably once you had been doing it for a while. I am guessing I need to allow myself a little extra the first time.

Shadowduck

Wow, that's quite a commute! Could you take the train / drive part of the way and bike the rest, gradually work up to the distance that way?

ash68

As has already been said that's quite a commute if your going from next to no cycling to that.Roughly 40 miles a day is too much to start off with.IMO. Cycle in to work one morning,train home , train in the morning,then see if you feel like biking home that evening.That would be my idea.You could take spare clothes etc. on the morning you use train to work and fetch the stuff home when you use train one evening. You may only feel like cycling 2 or 3 times in a week, but that's a good start and gives your muscles/body time to rest and recover.Don't forget spare tubes etc in case of punctures,and take some spare cash and a mobile phone in case of emergencies .Above all enjoy it and look smug when you get to work with a big grin on your face

dondare

Tho' some commuters do this (and more) 30k (18 miles) each way is a lot to be doing every day. It's also a lot to be doing in Autumn and Winter so you're not starting at the best time of year.
Start with a good bike, well set up, and take it easy. Aim on doing it, rather than doing it fast. If you get tired or even fed up, take a couple of days rest. Don't let it become a chore or else the shorter, colder days will wear you down; pick fine days and enjoy the ride. Always have a contingency plan for getting home if you can't face a slogging it.
Get a few rides in over Winter (the bike can sometimes get through when all other options fail) but wait til Spring before using the bike every day.

RufusA

whome wrote:

I am thinking the train might be a backup plan for the return leg (so it could be a one way ride). Or even if desperate, to complete the journey.

Worth checking with the train operator what their bike policy is; most are distinctly commuter unfriendly. For example for me SWT won't allow bikes on trains that arrive in London between 7ish and 10AM or 4:30ish and 7PM departure. IMHO totally useless for any "biking" commute / emergency.

Personally I'd be inclined to find a railway station on the commuter route 5 - 10 miles away from home with good secure bike parking. Then you can ease yourself in to it with a medium sized ride, lock the bike up, and catch the train in the rest of the way.

This is what I do, one day I plan to go the full commute each way, but until I've got all the baggage, clothes and spares sorted I'm wimping it for now.

Or if you have a bike rack and there is free parking 5 - 10ish miles away from the work, then a park and cycle might be a cheaper idea!

HTH - Rufus.

baudman

I was gonna make Ash68's suggestion (Ride am, train pm, train am, ride pm).

Also think about train part way and ride the rest, to build up to it. There's quite a few commuters here in Melbourne who are driving to the semi-inner 'burbs where parking is cheap/free and then cycling the rest of the way in, past the bumper-to-bumper traffic to a nice free parking spot for their bike. I also know of a few who do that with the train (although it's more a case of how far away their work/home is from the train station).

RufusA

baudman wrote:

I was gonna make Ash68's suggestion (Ride am, train pm, train am, ride pm).
Also think about train part way and ride the rest, to build up to it. There's quite a few commuters here in Melbourne who are driving to the semi-inner 'burbs where parking is cheap/free and then cycling the rest of the way in...

Trains you can take bikes on...
Free parking in the 'burbs

Luxooooree!

R.

whome

Hang on, hang on. Your all leaping to the regular commute bit, I was just talking about a trial run or two.. I agree is not a good time over autumn and winter to start commuting. For this I was just trying to get a run in (or more if I get a chance) to try it out - and to say that I've done it

Realistically I don't think I will end up commuting regularly by bike as the train is reasonably good. And better direct than any intermediate stations (so a disadvantage to part cycle, part train).

I definitely agree I need to find out about what the cycle policy is on the train.

Good idea that to bail out on the way in, I don't have to take the bike on the train, simply lock it and pick it up on the way back.

And I will do try to find some time to do part of the journey before doing the full 30k.

Crapaud

When I first started commuting I would have had a 12 mile, each way, commute. I tackled it by cycling 2 1/2 miles to the train station then 1 1/2 miles to work. As it got easier and I got stronger, I changed to getting the train in to work and cycling home - I didn't have to be back for a specific time, unlike work. Eventually I felt strong enough to commute both ways.

From the experiance of others I think 30k is too far to do from the start - build up. Most folk who try to do this kind of distance, even only a couple of times a week, get disillusioned and give up fairly quickly.

Whenever I have to change my route I usually plan out the route on a map and give it a trial run on a Sunday. This gives an idea of the traffic, time to do it and the difficulty. I then use this info and make adjustments accordingly.

whome

OK, so the consensus appears to be that I shouldn't just try the ride one workday, as I was planning, but work up to a full run in one way or another. Perhaps I will just leave it until I've ridden the local part a few times so I at least know the first quarter or third.

Adjusting the bikely waypoints (some were just off the road) removed the strange hills that I didn't know about and now gives -
Total climb: 28m Total descent: 75m
And obviously the reverse going home. Which sounds pretty good to me and favours the ride in journey for my first attempt.

I found this site for help on cycle policy on trains
http://www.atob.org.uk/Bike_Rail.html

Many thanks,

sbullett

Hi Whome

Your potential commute is a similar distance to my "long" route (17.7 miles), although a little flatter (mine's got 300m climbing), and on similar busy roads. This may sound daft, but when I started commuting a couple of years ago, I decided to ride in early to avoid the traffic. I set off at 0530 (which does take some getting used to) which requires an office which opens early, but it's worth it for the handful of cars and lorries which pass me compared to full rush hour.

In terms of preparation and speed, I hadn't ridden further than a couple of miles for years when I started, but within a few weeks by average speed had increased from approx 14mph to 15-16. Now I've got a proper road bike I've got the speed up to 17-18mph and the journey time to under an hour. I will admit though to using the train when the wind is strong in the evenings, not much fun battling a 20mph headwind all the way home....

Whatever you end up trying, enjoy and look forward to when you're hooked and want that first road bike.....

orv

Hi Whome,

FYI I've built up to a 22mile commute over the past year. I still don't do it everyday both ways but I try to do the full both ways at least three times a week depending on how I'm feeling.

Orv's three step process (tm):-

1. I started with a small folder that I could take on the train without any problems, and then I'd catch the train into work and cycle the part that would normally be on the underground (about 5 miles).

2. I then got myself a larger folder (24" wheels) and started doing the same route but once or twice a week doing the whole run home. I'd do the run home so I didn't worry about how long it would take me and also I don't have the killer (for me) climb over the north downs going in that direction.

And finally... step 3... I just couldn't help myself and bought a road bike (it was to be for my birthday, but heh ), and now as long as I feel like it I cycle the route both ways three times a week, and on the other days use the folder and just do one way or just the run at the end.

oh and I've got a garage full of bikes now.

If you've been doing the occasional long social ride then I don't think there's any reason not to jump right and and try the whole ride home one day. I'd suggest leaving work early one day to try it out. That way you won't feel rushed, the traffic should be lighter, and with the nights drawing in you should be able to do the whole run in good light.
If you haven't ridden/driven the route before then it wouldn't hurt to take a map with you.
Another option is to ride the route one weekend and check out any possible shortcuts/quiet roads along the way.

markinengland

Why not drive in with the bike in the back of the car? This way you can park and ride, working your way back until you find a distance that suits you, or eventually to all the way in and back?
I found this worked for me when I started my first commute.
Mark

orv

This way you can park and ride

I guess it depends on where in the country you are. Parking anywhere isn't realistic going into London for example.

markinengland

I drive along the A2, park near where the A2 and A20 meet nearish to Catford and then cycel 8 miles in via Lewisham, New Cross, Peckham, Oval, Vauxhall etc. Seems realistic to me as I do it! There are still quite a few places you can park within 10 miles or less of the centre of London.