A Commuting Challenge for you

Clever Pun

try attempting your commute standing up... go on, it'd be interesting to see how fit you are and you'll soon appreciate sitting and spinning like never before.

I did it on friday 7 miles in as a warm up then the full 13 miles on the way home

my seat was fecked so I had no choice... it was slow and painful.

lost_in_thought

You could take the seat off altogether for additional motivation.... :shock:

Sounds like an interesting exercise, especially for me - I rarely if ever stand up. On my bike, smart@rses.

Clever Pun

it's amazing exercise for your triceps... it's especially good if you blasted them at the gym hours before :x

redvee

Another challenge is to do your ride non-stop, ie keep forward motion however small at light and juctions etc. I've managed it a couple of times on my commute. The standing up thing can be done quite easy too.

whyamihere

Problem is that bikes with heavy panniers tend to sway somewhat when you stand... Doable, but a bit disconcerting.

tardington

Is there a commuting trackstand record? I must search here for Chocolate foot, etc.

neil_sheehan2000

I used to commute on a BMX! Admittedly the trip was only two miles each way, but I think I met both the standing up and constant forward momentum challenges- the seatpost was stuck very low down (I'm 6' 2") and the brakes didn't work.

The bike got stolen about a year ago, but I still see it about town sometimes. Quite frankly, they can keep it...

lost_in_thought

The continual forward motion thing is pretty easy really - you just end up going a lot slower in London for all the red lights.

The standing up, as whyamihere points out, is a lot more exciting with panniers. Or just one. Full of ball-bearings. For example.

soy_sauce

thats a good idea except i can't standing up cycling....well, just don't know how to do it properly... :oops:

i saw people shift the bike to one side then the other when doing so but i just can't work out how and when to shift the bike the one side or the other.... any advice?

Clever Pun

Anyone managed it yet?

lost_in_thought

I'll be trying it tomorrow... on my FG.

Gold star to me if I make it!

Clever Pun

lost_in_thought wrote:

I'll be trying it tomorrow... on my FG.

Gold star to me if I make it!

kin right a gold star if you manage it on a fixed... good girl.

jedster

LiT,

you mean you manage that huge gear without standing up on the hills?
:shock: :shock:
What are your knees made of, titanium and kevlar braid?

J

lost_in_thought

jedster wrote:

LiT,

you mean you manage that huge gear without standing up on the hills?
:shock: :shock:
What are your knees made of, titanium and kevlar braid?

J

Nah, it's london innit! No hills...

I do have to stand up on some of the ones in RP though.

Soul Boy

Did a five miler many years back when some ne'er-do-well stole my saddle. Funnily enough I haven't ever thought of doing it for fun....it wasn't.

Forward momentum thing is a bit difficult, especially round a city, unless you advocate the dreaded RLJ!

However I've probably only put my foot down a handful of times during my commute in the past few years, trackstanding is now second nature, gives me something to do at all the lights I get stopped at and gets me away motorbike quick over the first few metres. Just don't all go trying it, I can see cyclist dominos at every junction, not pretty....

lost_in_thought

Fnarrrrgh that's hard work that is, and so slow!

I managed it on a fair few of the straight bits with no lights, problem is that at a cadence I can sustain standing up my max speed seems to be about 15mph.

Which is rubbish.

If I could SPRINTcoastSPRINTcoast it would be less knackering, but my speed would probably average out about the same.

Nonetheless, a good warm-up for the legs - I will be trying to incorporate more standing up into the slower parts of my commute in future.

R_T_A

Clever Pun wrote:

try attempting your commute standing up... go on, it'd be interesting to see how fit you are and you'll soon appreciate sitting and spinning like never before.

I did it on friday 7 miles in as a warm up then the full 13 miles on the way home

my seat was fecked so I had no choice... it was slow and painful.

Memo to self: Never try your ideas again. My thighs have been injected with napalm :shock:

Maybe I shouldn't try and keep the same pace....