first day commuting :D

gadgets

did the deed today, rode to work today for the first time (not counting the test run of course). It was only for 9.74 miles which I did in 1 hour and 3 minutes.

Used a messenger bag which had my laptop and other bits and pieces for the first time, my body's contact point to the saddle is sore more than usual because of the added weight :oops: . Legs also slightly sore, have to walk around to loosen it up.

A bit low on energy, a PowerBar gel (green apple) is keeping me up

Agent57

Congratulations! Keep it up, and don't let the weather put you off.

UndercoverElephant

Congratulations, seems to be the day for new folk. It's quite a buzz, isn't it?

Kieran_Burns

My word - they're all coming out the woodwork!

You'll be with the pannier brigade before you know it

sharm1969ca

well done gadget! I'm a newbie myself and just done my first real commute today also, keep it up mate, with all the support from these guys on here well be flying round in no time. Wishing you bright sky's and clear roads mate.

Wallace1492

sharm1969ca wrote:

Wishing you bright sky's and clear roads mate.

Bright skies and clear roads in Glasgow means that we are in the middle of a nuclear attack..... still, it would do £5m worth of improvements to Maryhill Road.

All the best to the newbies.....

gadgets

thank you all for the kind words and encouragements. i think the buzz i am feeling may be due to the powerbar gel (i like sugar but the taste of green apple is just yukk but it does seem to work)

with regards to the pannier brigade, I will resist until I get conscripted hehehehe

salsajake

They are all at it today! There is only one spare bike stand at my work, usually there are about 6 spare - I had nowhere to throw my towel!

prawny

Congrats Gadgets! What side of town do you come in from and waht bike am I looking for? There's not that many of us round here

gadgets

hi prawny - coming from the city centre to Blythe Valley via Stratford Road. I will be on a slow fixed tail mtb with skinnies (26 x 1.5 tyres anyway). you could hear my huffing and puffing as an early warning

How about you? I have seen a few using Stratford Road but most are going the other way.

prawny

I'm the other side coming from cannock way through kingstanding. There's only usually 2 others I see going my way in the morning and maybe 1 in the other direction.

snooks

gadgets wrote:

did the deed today, rode to work today for the first time (not counting the test run of course). It was only for 9.74 miles which I did in 1 hour and 3 minutes.

Used a messenger bag which had my laptop and other bits and pieces for the first time, my body's contact point to the saddle is sore more than usual because of the added weight :oops: . Legs also slightly sore, have to walk around to loosen it up.

Well done, you'll be racing anything than moves soon!!!!

If yer bum is sore tomorrow, i.e. when you sit on the saddle you make a sound like a cat being sick, give it miss a that day and cycle in the next. You could try to cycle through the soreness, it goes after a few miles, but the day after it will still be sore.

Also try to leave as much stuff at work as possible. I commute with a laptop, but I'll happily leave it at work if I won't be using it that evening.

I leave my shoes, emergency clothes (oh poo I've forgotten my pants/T-shirt/socks) towel, deodorant, shampoo/shower gel in a locker at work....think light and fast

I've tried carrying much more (like 8-10kg) and my rse wasn't used to it

I leave my lock in the storage area and just carry underwear and jeans and my laptop if I have to.

gadgets

yup, i jettisoned a few more things out of the bag (notepad, some pieces of paper) to shave on the weight. Thursday is my next run, so I will take some clothes to work tomorrow for Thursday (I already left a pair of shoes at work).

I took a slightly longer route going home (11.51 at 1hr 11mins) traffic was worst, am still tentative when moving to front with the traffic jams. the only person that I will soon be racing will be me .

gadgets

second day seems to be harder, maybe it was more windy .

it took me about an extra minute more today, same route except that the distance is now 10.25 miles (had to change the settings on the bike computer from automatic to manual, it detected the wrong wheel size)

CiB

Write off the first few days - it's a whole new set of muscles to get working properly, and a new perspective on the run to work compared to doing it by car / PT.

Carry the absolute minimum whenever you can. And let us know when you decide to swap the fixed tail mtb for a road bike. I'd say either mid-September, or next March when you sense a whole summer's worth ahead. You will, so you may as well give in now and get the right kit for the job.

And drop the gel - 10 miles shouldn't warrant anything more than a bit of squash.

Enjoy the buzz.

gadgets

am a cycle scheme rider so, if I do ventur to the dark side it will not be until next August (that is if my company is still doing the cycle scheme).

As far as the gel, that was just to try what it tasted like and I would say that I will only take take when I'm really really really desperate. it tasted nasty.

the conscription to the pannier brigade might be sooner though, I may look into something like this:
http://www.clarijscovers.com/site/EN/PANNIERS/IN-STOCK/

sharm1969ca

gadgets, same here mate, my second day in the saddle today as yesterday i was still a tad sore, more tired than anything else, and also like you added about another minute or so to my time, strange eh! starting to really love it out on the bike now though, after today it will be 60 miles ive done this week just too and from work but am of all week next week so i can see leeds/liverpool canal calling me. Hope your enjoying the commute as much as me mate, keep us posted on your progress.

CiB

Course you now have to add yourselves to the stats pages as well. Link below. If you don't reckon on hitting 5000+ miles in the next 3 months not to worry, go for the Monthly Target instead. Although you can't for August as we're past the halfway point of the month. Tell you what - ask me nicely and I'll put your numbers in anyway tonight. Can't say fairer than that can we?

girv73

Well done gadgets, 9+ miles is not to be sniffed at. Keep it up and don't let winter put you off!

OldSkoolKona

Cool, all these newbies. Great news (and nice to hear, alongside the stories of doom and gloom).

My tuppence worth, read the Beginners Guide stickey, read Cyclecraft, and get some Cycle Training(even if you've been cycling for ages I would recommend that last one, I did it through work and learnt a few new things even though I'd have classed myself as and experienced cycle commuter)