Going for the record commute time...

salsajake

What sort of thing spurs you on to go for a record?

Just looking at the fact that we currently have an easterly wind, the weather is good, I have my road bike today and not my (road-converted) cyclocross commuter and thinking I could try and beat my best of 58 mins, when there was a stronger NNE wind. I also have a rest day planned tomorrow.

Problem is, I still think I am recovering to former levels of fitness so don't want to do myself a mischief. I think I'll spare it this time, but what kind of factors lead to you lot "giving it a right good go"?

lost_in_thought

salsajake wrote:

What sort of thing spurs you on to go for a record?

Just looking at the fact that we currently have an easterly wind, the weather is good, I have my road bike today and not my (road-converted) cyclocross commuter and thinking I could try and beat my best of 58 mins, when there was a stronger NNE wind. I also have a rest day planned tomorrow.

Problem is, I still think I am recovering to former levels of fitness so don't want to do myself a mischief. I think I'll spare it this time, but what kind of factors lead to you lot "giving it a right good go"?

MMmmmmmm easterly.

I like a good tail wind, but I think it's cheating.

salsajake

yeah but you aren't going to set a record time with a headwind and are more likely to with a tail wind, so that seems to be the only time worth bothering. It comes up soooo often - "how long does that take you?" It would be nice to say something other than "the quickest I've done it is 58 minutes". Who was it that said "there is no such thing as a tailwind, just a good day in the saddle"?

prawny

I find the best way to set a really fast time is to go for a pootle :? I just can't help myself

blu3cat

something considerably cooler than today would be ideal, and the lights all green all the way home.

Maybe we should add wind speed measurers (couldn't spell the technical term ends in meter and has a few more vowels and loads on Ns.) for abosolute comparison of times.

jonginge

My times are sooo dependent on the state of the lights and the traffic. Nuffink to do with tailwinds, nossirree. In fact my PB was with a headwind*


* This is not true

toshmund

Personally, I think you can only claim a PB on a still day. A rarity, I know...quite often like a windtunnel nowadays! Like with the Athletics, you would have to add a caveat of "wind-assisted". With a tailwind recently, I had one of those fixed gear nirvana moments (!?) but I would avoid too much acclaim. Going in the opposite direction I would have been 9 mph, and begging for a epidural or something

nasahapley

I too think tailwinds are cheating a bit. I set my fastest time into work with a howling NWesterly and haven't come close to it since, even though I'm definitely fitter now. I tend to add the times for going in and going back home together, little bit fairer that way.

blu3cat

oh and my PB for my commute was done an a 14KG steel beast of a hybrid rather than my CF Roadie :shock:

salsajake

2:03 would be the combined record then, on the same day, that was a northerly, which I guess was neither fair nor foul. I did a 1:05 that AM, and that's what I did this PM, so if I do beat 58 mins, then I will have 2 new records. I think you may have just spurred me on! I even have my GPS today too, so I can make sure my average doesn't fall below about 18...

CiB

Wind is natural, so it's not a bar to setting a PB. Your PB is the quickest you can do it surely? Maybe pumping yourself full of steroids etc is going a bit too far but taking advantage of the conditions doesn't disallow it.

I was spurred on by wanting to get it down under the hour; a >20 avg speed. Took a while but now it's done I don't bother so much, just enjoy the ride and try to knock it off in a reasonable time, around 1h 5m or less. If there's a howling gale blowing the right way one morning though I'm up for it; 59:58 is the current marker so that's the time to beat.

nasahapley

salsajake wrote:

2:03 would be the combined record then, on the same day, that was a northerly, which I guess was neither fair nor foul. I did a 1:05 that AM, and that's what I did this PM, so if I do beat 58 mins, then I will have 2 new records. I think you may have just spurred me on! I even have my GPS today too, so I can make sure my average doesn't fall below about 18...

Good stuff Jake! I say I add the times together for both ways, but I can't actually remember what my record is. I know I've beat 50 mins both ways a few times, so I guess it's around 1:38. I'll have to start paying more attention myself!

R_T_A

Just looking at pictures of porky me 10 years ago is enough for me to MTFU and pedal harder

blu3cat

R_T_A wrote:

Just looking at pictures of porky me 10 years ago is enough for me to MTFU and pedal harder

+1, but from 16 months ago. 2 Stone and counting.

Jamey

I don't even think about whether to try for a PB until a good 8-10 mins into the commute... By that time I know whether the lights have been green enough for me to bother trying. If everything seems to be going in my favour (lights, wind, conditions, how I'm feeling) then I'll open up and give it some but it would only take one or two junctions to be at just the wrong part of the lights' cycle and I'd have to give up hope, so it's pretty rare that:

A) I even start trying for a PB, and...
I continue trying for more than a few big junctions.

That said, there have been a couple of 'magic days' where everything came together.

Aidy

I tend to find I go for "good" times when I'm about halfway and realise I'm making good time.

I find that it's more traffic dependant than anything else though, really going for it tends not to gain me too much time before I'm forced to slow down to filter/pass cars or stop for lights/crossings.

Gazzaputt

Using the Garmin set to auto pause always gives a real indication of how quick I've gone.

Traffic does affect going for a PB but not as much as weather conditions.

I set a minimum low speed and try to stick to it. Also I have about 3 miles of dual carriageway so head down, arms in and keep the cadence high. Of course a good long SCR helps!

biondino

I need to have a slightly faster competitor to chase/scalp - it focuses both my speed and my technique and I inevitably find I've knocked a minute or two off my expected time.

CiB

Galing this morning. Current PB for the 21m is 59:58; set off this morning and soon realised that I had wind assistance so cracked on, but only after cruising the first half mile at a steadyish pace. Then got held up rolling slowly across chevrons on the main road that I cross, looking for a gap in traffic. Blitzed it the rest of the way and stopped the clock here on 1:00:01. More patience at the main road would have stopped the computer during the wait and shaved easily 10 seconds off the time for what would have been a new PB, down in the low 59:50s. Cobblers. Hopefully tomorrow will have a similar wind to have another go.

nasahapley

That's a point, do people use the 'auto stop' (or whatever it's called) function on their computer when timing their commute? I always go with total elapsed time for a proper door-to-door figure (not saying that's 'right', it's just what I do).

Anyhow, got sub-50 for the way home last night depsite the roundabout and traffic light gods being against me, and so sub 1:40 for the round trip; well chuffed with that.

CiB

nasahapley wrote:

That's a point, do people use the 'auto stop' (or whatever it's called) function on their computer when timing their commute? I always go with total elapsed time for a proper door-to-door figure (not saying that's 'right', it's just what I do).

Most [that I've ever seen] computers start & stop automatically; my current one adjusts the elapsed time by 2 seconds to allow for the fact that it takes it that long to to know that the signal has stopped reaching it. I go for the cycling time figure, because it's lower and it represents actual cycling time, not time spent hanging around at lights, GWs etc which is too much of a variable.

DiggingDeeper

The auto mode takes away the variability of the the traffic so you get a more accurate reading of your time. However if you record lots of door to door time statistically the highs and lows pan out, but you need a lot of readings.

Mr Ginge does not go with the start stop philosophy I believe. Keeping it real I think he prefers - he has monster quick times despite not using start stop so I don't think he has to worry.

I use the start stop method and tend to discount any time when I feel the wait time exceeds 10% of the elapsed time.

Combine a tough day at work, coupled with sensible nutrition during the day and I get some early scr action to get the speed up sooner rather than later, then game on. Sometimes you just know you are going go for it, sometimes the wake up call when you get done by some suited Brompton is all it needs.

The Easterly is currently killing me on my ride home.

CyclingBantam

I always use the start stop function. I feel it is more accurate as it highlights my actual performance as opposed to showing that I was stuck at the lights for ages making a super quick ride become slower than average.

CiB

Arms aloft. My prev PB was 59:58 for nr 21 miles and it took an age to hit that. Wind assisted this morning but mainly through tree-trunk leg power, I smashed that one over the fence into the car park 3 units away - 56:31. Yes. Stop start on the computer was irrelevant as I started quick and only had to lift slightly on a couple of roundabouts. Yes. Geddin there. 56:31 :shock:

Kieran_Burns

ChrisInBicester wrote:

Arms aloft. My prev PB was 59:58 for nr 21 miles and it took an age to hit that. Wind assisted this morning but mainly through tree-trunk leg power, I smashed that one over the fence into the car park 3 units away - 56:31. Yes. Stop start on the computer was irrelevant as I started quick and only had to lift slightly on a couple of roundabouts. Yes. Geddin there. 56:31 :shock:

You see - THIS is why I didn't decide to join you for a short section of your century ride! :shock:

I'm dead chuffed getting 50 mins for my 14 miles - you're scary. :P

CiB

Kieran_Burns wrote:

You see - THIS is why I didn't decide to join you for a short section of your century ride! :shock:

I'm dead chuffed getting 50 mins for my 14 miles - you're scary. :P

Flattery...

It's been building, regular sub 1h 5m runs lately, then 1:00:01 yesterday so it seemed on, and I sent an email to the weather girl on Look East yesterday asking her to keep this wind on for another day or so. It was good of her to oblige.

Sea_Green_Incorruptible

Ha! Me too this morning!

The combination of an Easterly tail wind and the god of the traffic lights shining on me LIKE NEVER BEFORE meant that I cracked the 24 minute mark on my v hilly 7.5 mile commute. 23:54. I got a whiff that the record 'might be on' about 3 miles in and was really pushing it from there on it. I am knackered - properly knackered - but elated.

I really thought the 24 minute barrier was unbreakable. Kind of like the 4 minute mile in the '40s. I still can't quite believe it.

Fireblade96

Pah ! I thought I had a PB this morning but I can't really count it because
(a) the new computer seems to have the auto stop/start thing, so my time (from computer) will be lower anyway
(b) the bl**dy thing reset while I was trying to remove it from the bike so I lost the readings !

I *should* have been on for a PB, but spent at least 5 mins sat at traffic lights on the A4. Some of them stay red for ever :evil:

Might give it a go on the way home, but might take the scenic route and enjoy the weather...

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

My times are sooo dependent on the state of the lights and the traffic. Nuffink to do with tailwinds, nossirree. In fact my PB was with a headwind*


* This is not true

<puts on best Welsh accent> Well, see, it's a combination of factors reeeeeally.

Lights, traffic. And a stonking great tailwind.

lardboy

Another PB here. There's something about this morning. It seemed quite still, so that might be why. I got my 5.8 miles down to 24.50 riding time. Not a massively quick time, averaging out at 14 mph, but as I've been about 12.5 for ages, that's got me well pleased. When I MTFU with a bigger ring at the front, that could come down a bit as well, but it really does depend on central London traffic, which can be an unpredictable nightmare at times.

nasahapley

Got a pb on the way home yesterday - 47.06 door-to-door for the 15.7 miles, for an average of bang on 20. Wasn't particularly lucky with the lights/roundabouts either so well chuffed with that. Unfortunately I wasn't on for the combined in-and-back record due to riding into the back of an old dear's car on the way to work! Had to shell out £50 for a new rear light cluster - what a c0ck.