First Commute after Christmas

NFMC

So I cycled to work this morning. Cold and crisp and very little traffic...it should have been perfect.

But no, I was nearly dying! The furthest I've ridden in my week or so off has been to the corner shop. I'm hardly super fit (far from it!) but it's amazing how quickly your body loses its usual levels of fitness.

Thank goodness going home is pretty much downhill.

As Jan 5th is expected to be the first day back for many I wonder how everyone will get on on Monday??

woodford2barbican

Only problem was that I have lost my commuting spidey sense just two trips in 3 weeks has meant I am ring rusty and found myself making basic errors of concentration.

Clever Pun

I pushed myself harder than I was expecting as there were actual scalps ahead of me... performed pretty well although it made me feel unwell

I think getting this friday out of the system will make monday easier

going out for a 30 miler on saturday on the fixed see how I get on.

I only trained in drinking and stomach stretching over christmas

Bassjunkieuk

Mine wasn't too bad, not as much fun as last years commute but then my bike was new then :-) Can't say it's been a bad year and me and the bike have had a great time!

Monday was my first ride after xmas as asides from the freezing cold wind trying to turn my face into an ice cube it went fairly well, just a shame about the lack of other cyclists!

girv73

My first commute of 2009 will probably be on the 12th, and the one previous to that was around the start of December. Five or six weeks ill with absolutely no cycling or other exercise ... it's gonna be a hard ride, but I'll do it.

itboffin

x4 rides = 95 miles since Christmas but today's was the slowest by far, not sure why.

hisoka

I put in about coughing my guts up. But then again I am ill with "flu like symptoms" which I take it to be a cold that has a particularly nasty cough hehe

tardington

It was cold! I forgot how hard that makes it :? Also much wine and maybe some cigs over the xmas period... Got my new xms tyres on though, so it was pretty good over all.

philbill1973

I only got christmas day and boxing day off , so my commute has been fine, just got back from the spam bike ride, THAT was hard work !

DiggingDeeper

I managed 2 rides out during the break but Friday's ride in was slowish (2 mins off the usual of 42 mins) but the trip home was hellish cos off the headwind. That's my excuse anyway. Will give it the full beans tomorrow and see what the legs and lungs do!

coffeecup

I was looking forward to the first day back after over two weeks without my beloved Bianchi. I gave it a good clean over Christmas, including removing and degreasing the cassette, replacing the chain (an anxious but rewarding first time maintenance job!!) and giving it a new set of brake pads.

But the legs let me down a little this morning. The spirit was willing but the legs were like jelly. I reckon I was a good 5 mins slower than normal on a 10 mile commute.

This evening though - a different story. The bike seemed to glide and the legs were rejuvenated. The ride home was effortless and fast. A real pleasure on a cool crisp evening

Anyone able to explain the contrast or have similar experiences???

Dr Nosh

Well my first commute today after the xmas hols was on roads, cycle path that were like skating rinks - last night it snained about 21.00 and then froze - I could hardly stand up.(Sober this morning !)
1. Half a walk
2. Half a very very gentle free wheel down inclines.

Others in the office thought that I was blo**y mad.

Actually enjoyed the walk, and then beat the traffic out tonight (as normal) on the ride home.

jonginge

Surprisingly ice-free. Was expecting carnage this evening after the wet roads this morning but happily they'd dried out before freezing. I still took all the corners at very slow speeds just in case.

Same as coffeecup I felt quite good on the way home and got a PB despite the careful cornering

always_tyred

I felt completely relaxed and warm after my commute this morning.

This is because I took the train after my freewheel became free in both directions.

This upside is that this happened on my driveway, and not on the Mennock Pass, in the dark, the evening before. Phew.

jonginge

Always Tyred wrote:

I felt completely relaxed and warm after my commute this morning.

This is because I took the train after my freewheel became free in both directions.

This upside is that this happened on my driveway, and not on the Mennock Pass, in the dark, the evening before. Phew.

Erk. Sounds a bit like this:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... light=pawl

itboffin

JonGinge wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

I felt completely relaxed and warm after my commute this morning.

This is because I took the train after my freewheel became free in both directions.

This upside is that this happened on my driveway, and not on the Mennock Pass, in the dark, the evening before. Phew.

Erk. Sounds a bit like this:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... light=pawl

I think I had a minor case of hub freeze on the SS the other day, same symptoms but locking out not freewheeling, i'd assumed my cones we're to tight.

Rich158

How cold :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

My first commute this year today, and omg. Even my cycle computer gave up and refused to give me a realistic reading, either that or I really was hitting 50mph on the flat

Got in to work and the shower room is so cold my shower gel has turned to ice cream, whoopee, and the trickle of water that passes for a shower is luke warm.

At least I still have that smug sense of superiority that I am burning of the christmas turkey, mince pies, cake, sweets and alcohol

always_tyred

itboffin wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

I felt completely relaxed and warm after my commute this morning.

This is because I took the train after my freewheel became free in both directions.

This upside is that this happened on my driveway, and not on the Mennock Pass, in the dark, the evening before. Phew.

Erk. Sounds a bit like this:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... light=pawl

I think I had a minor case of hub freeze on the SS the other day, same symptoms but locking out not freewheeling, i'd assumed my cones we're to tight.

Trust me, its not hub freeze. Hub freeze does not cause a crunchy broken bearingy rattly sound (which began on the descent of the Dalveen Pass and made me stop to check for broken spokes, crunched wheel bearings, knackered pedals and bb).

And I spent all that time defending Shimano on that other thread as well.

Shameano freewheels are censored . There, I said it.

chromehoof

I was training over xmas so reckoned I'd be fine on my first commute back (did >200 miles last week). Then, on leaving my house yesterday, before I'd gotten to the end of the 5 meter long driveway I slipped in ice and landed hard on my elbow. 4 seconds into my first commute of 2009 and I was eating tarmac. One wonders what the rest of the year has in store!