To Adam the Botswanian

spasypaddy
spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
edited July 2009 in Commuting chat
Met a legend of a commuter today, had just ridden up the hill into highgate village and down the other side on my fixie and was knackered. Get to a set of lights to get my breath back and see a guy sitting close to me he'd joined at the roundabout at the bottom of the hill and was sitting near me. Got chatting to him and advised him not to sit in my wheel due to the spray i was giving off he said i think i will anyway because ive got quite far to go...

turns out hes cycling from central london to luton. Had started that morning for the first time. 80mile around trip. He plans to do it twice a week, then three times then all week...

WOW.

I rode an extra 6 miles at his pace to give him a tow as i was in such awe of him.

Comments

  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    Sounds like a news story from a few months ago - man with 60 mile cycle commute or something. They just slipped in the bit at the end about him only doing it occasionally.

    Personally, I'd say that 20,000 miles a year on a bike would be pretty reasonable for a neo-pro and that you might struggle to hold a job down on top of that.

    But bravo for doing it occasionally.
  • fuelex
    fuelex Posts: 165
    Hey spasypaddy,

    You still out of breath on your fixie, you should get the gears out man! :wink:
    p.s. was the 6 miles at his pace faster or slower?
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    6 miles was at his pace, dropped down to 14mph for him along the flat.
  • chuckcork
    chuckcork Posts: 1,471
    Was doing a 80km round trip to my last job, but only once a week.

    Anyone who can do it every day in a week, what kind of person are they?
    Inspired?
    Deranged?
    Knackered?
    Fit as f*ck?
    All the above?
    'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze....
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    sigh!!!

    lightweight :wink:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
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  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    chuckcork wrote:
    Was doing a 80km round trip to my last job, but only once a week.

    Anyone who can do it every day in a week, what kind of person are they?
    Inspired?
    Deranged?
    Knackered?
    Fit as f*ck?
    All the above?
    Part time?
  • robmanic1
    robmanic1 Posts: 2,150
    My commute is a very rural 56 miler!

    Done it twice in three years :oops:
    Pictures are better than words because some words are big and hard to understand.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/34335188@N07/3336802663/
  • Aidy
    Aidy Posts: 2,015
    chuckcork wrote:
    Was doing a 80km round trip to my last job, but only once a week.

    Anyone who can do it every day in a week, what kind of person are they?
    Inspired?
    Deranged?
    Knackered?
    Fit as f*ck?
    All the above?

    I dunno, that's only 25 miles each way, I reckon that's not too bad for an every day commute.
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    Aidy wrote:
    chuckcork wrote:
    Was doing a 80km round trip to my last job, but only once a week.

    Anyone who can do it every day in a week, what kind of person are they?
    Inspired?
    Deranged?
    Knackered?
    Fit as f*ck?
    All the above?

    I dunno, that's only 25 miles each way, I reckon that's not too bad for an every day commute.
    Off you go then.
  • Aidy
    Aidy Posts: 2,015
    Aidy wrote:
    I dunno, that's only 25 miles each way, I reckon that's not too bad for an every day commute.
    Off you go then.

    I'm already on 17, my original routing was 20ish, I think.

    Working at the other end of London would get that to 25, and I'd still bike that.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Aidy wrote:
    chuckcork wrote:
    Was doing a 80km round trip to my last job, but only once a week.

    Anyone who can do it every day in a week, what kind of person are they?
    Inspired?
    Deranged?
    Knackered?
    Fit as f*ck?
    All the above?

    I dunno, that's only 25 miles each way, I reckon that's not too bad for an every day commute.
    It's not that much. Mine's 21, done it three times this week as per usual and see no reason not do it Thursday & Friday too now that the schools are off and I have the time. Going home I've been taking the picturesque route to make it up to 23-24 miles in a flimsy attempt at catching Porgy in the Stats race for 15th place obscurity. 25 isn't a huge distance.
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    I do a moderately hilly 40 miles everyday, apart from today cause I've got a sniffle. I wouldn't start catching the train again if I moved a bit further away.

    It's all a bit silly over 10 each way isn't it really :D
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