My commute takes on a new purpose

Feltup

Oh heck, I've got an entry for the Fred Whitton!

Commuting for the next four months will not be the same as I have some serious miles to pile in now.

So do you commute purely for the sake of getting to and from work or is it more than that?

DonDaddyD

Last year when I had the Giant M2 and bought my Roadie in August, I would have selected "To get to twork and to keep fit".

Now I've set myself a real target to participate in at least one sportive (something 30miles and easy).

So now I'm:

"Training for an event oh and to get to work"

In fact end of January I'm going to enter something and most likely ride a Capital to Coast with Bass....

woodyonthebeach

To lay a strip of awesome and destroy all who ride my roads

Keeping fit and some training for good measure

Feltup

woodyonthebeach wrote:

To lay a strip of awesome and destroy all who ride my roads

Uh oh!

soy_sauce

To get to work and to loss weight

woodyonthebeach

Feltup wrote:

woodyonthebeach wrote:

To lay a strip of awesome and destroy all who ride my roads

Uh oh!

just felt like being different that's all. oh yea and get my own back on some of the employees were I work, teach them for ripping the piss about cycling when they sit in traffic and wait to get across bridge.

Littigator

to avoid public transport and the germ infested numpty filled nightmare that is the tube!

And just because I absolutely frickin love cycling!

Rich158

Feltup wrote:

Oh heck, I've got an entry for the Fred Whitton!

Commuting for the next four months will not be the same as I have some serious miles to pile in now.

So do you commute purely for the sake of getting to and from work or is it more than that?

Bugger, so have I. It was purely an act of bravado, I never expected to get in :roll: :roll:

Your not kidding on those extra miles, finding a few appropriately sized hills is pretty high on the agenda as well

Eau Rouge

I actually started cycling to work as after I moved it was too short a journey to subject the car to every day. (just over 2 miles)

linsen

I ride to work because I can (well sometimes anyway)

Clever Pun

woodyonthebeach wrote:

To lay a strip of awesome and destroy all who ride my roads

Keeping fit and some training for good measure

ditto and actually getting to work

Feltup

Rich158 wrote:

Feltup wrote:

Oh heck, I've got an entry for the Fred Whitton!

Commuting for the next four months will not be the same as I have some serious miles to pile in now.

So do you commute purely for the sake of getting to and from work or is it more than that?

Bugger, so have I. It was purely an act of bravado, I never expected to get in :roll: :roll:

Your not kidding on those extra miles, finding a few appropriately sized hills is pretty high on the agenda as well

I feel a few miles in the peak coming on. Double crossing of Holme Moss with Snake and Winnats thrown in anyone?

I entered because I love the Lakes and have spent many years climbing and hiking there but apart from when I was 14 and did Wrynose east on a 42x21(lunacy) I have never really cycled any of the great passes.

Rich158

It sounds like you've a bit more experience of big hills than me, I've never done anything like the severity of the FWC, but I do relish a challenge. What sort of time are you aiming for?

It's time to check our every climb over 20% in the SE methinks, sugestions anybody.

redddraggon

FWC, bah, if you'd wanted a real challenge you'd do the DLMC.

woodyonthebeach

the dragon ride is a bit tasty if you ask me. 113 miler is a good crack if you like that sort of thing

Feltup

I would love to get under 8hrs but to be honest just getting around without walking would be great too. How about you?

There are a couple of 20% hills in the Chilterns but most of them are pretty short. It is hard to find long continuous hills. I like Watlington hill and the ones coming up from the Oxfordshire plains are about the longest near me.

The Peak and Brecons are the closest proper hills for us Southerners I guess.

Rich158

TBH I'm just aiming to get through it without walking, about 8 hours would be good, although it'll be the longest I've spent on a bike for a long time. I've got a couple of 20% hills close to me, but they're nowhere near as long as Kirkstone or Hardknott. I think I'll just be the idiot continually riding up and down them between now and May.

I have considered the DLMC reddragon, but I can't find anyone stupid enough to do it with me, I normally need someone to wind up and keep me motivated

I have signed up for the Tour of Pembrokeshire though which is another fun 115 miles

Feltup

I used to cycle a bit as a teenager but hadn't done any notable riding until May last year when I bought my Felt through the cycle to work scheme with the aim of doing the Dunwich Dynamo with some mates. As soon as I got the bike I got the bug and now for some reason I have decided I can get around the FW!

Have you done the Dunwich Dynamo? Really fun event, free to enter but you have to pay in advance if you want to get the coach back. If I am free the first weekend in July I may do it again and if the fitness is there maybe an out and return.

fonty1978

To start with it was to get to work and save money, but now after having clocked up 1000 miles in the last 6 months i like how fit it keeps you.

Rich158

Not yet, I hadn't even heard of until just now. My folks have a place in Dunwich so I think I might just turn up and give it a go. At least it'll be a little less hilly

I've had a couple of rides in the local area going up towards Southwold and then back down to Aldeburgh and back up the coast. I'll have to double check whether the house will be booked for that weekend, we might be able to put a few people up There's a bloody good pub in Dunwich as well and the fish and chips from the seafront cafe are excellant

Rich158

Thinking logically, I'll probably take my car up to Dunwich and jump on the train back to London, so if anyone's participating in the Dunwich Dynamo I'll have room for two other bikes

Feltup

My top tip for the DD is to have decent front lights as some of those lanes are pitch black at 2am and riding them this year with a poxy cateye was terrifying! The other terrifying thing was watching my mate descending some of the hills at 30+mph on his fixie, it was his first ride on his brand new Condor and so had no knowledge of how close to the upper limit his legs were. Still can't believe he did 120miles on his first ride on a fixie, he even towed me for the last 10! Fingers crossed I can keep up with him on the Fred Whitton.

btw might take you up on the car offer if I decide not to ride back to London.

Feltup

fonty1978 wrote:

To start with it was to get to work and save money, but now after having clocked up 1000 miles in the last 6 months i like how fit it keeps you.

Good going! I think I am more alert during the day after my commute in and the overal increase in fitness is definitely a bonus.

Rich158

120 miles on a fixie :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Do you check him out of the asylum purely for this one event

girv73

To get to work and to keep fit, and it's quicker than public transport.

I do love to cycle though.

And I've a notion to enter my first sportive this year, so I guess I'm edging on to option 3 on the poll.

Feltup

Don't edge just dive in! That's what I have done and getting my entry in the FW has really invigorated me. It's funny how the pain of cycling up Winter Hill no longer feels like a chore but a goal.

Rich158

girv73 wrote:

To get to work and to keep fit, and it's quicker than public transport.

I do love to cycle though.

And I've a notion to enter my first sportive this year, so I guess I'm edging on to option 3 on the poll.

Go for the sportive, I jumped in at the deep and last year and did the Southern Sportive. It was the single best thing I have done on a bike, i don't think I cycled a single mile alone and met some great people