Commute changing - from 9 to 30 miles

xcmad

Changing jobs in 2 weeks, the cycle commute will change from a hilly 9 miles to a lumpy 30 miles each way (amersham - hatfield).

Seeing as its a new job will drive for first few months and do the odd cycle in, but will ramp up cycling shortly after. Current average weekly mileage is 130m.

Any advice? Will I be permenantly knackered? Anyone commute near here?

rjsterry

xcmad wrote:

Changing jobs in 2 weeks, the cycle commute will change from a hilly 9 miles to a lumpy 30 miles each way (amersham - hatfield).

Seeing as its a new job will drive for first few months and do the odd cycle in, but will ramp up cycling shortly after. Current average weekly mileage is 130m.

Any advice? Will I be permenantly knackered? Anyone commute near here?

Yes. You're looking at at least 1hr 40mins each way, probably more like 1hr 50mins to 2hrs if it's hilly and much of the route is through built up areas. That's getting on for four hours a day on top of 8hrs of work. That's not to say you shouldn't go for it, but you might find that you can't get above 4 days a week with any regularity, especially if you want to do any riding for fun at the weekend. One down side of only riding to and from work is that it can make cycling seem like a bit of a chore sometimes.

Pep

I don't believe someone can commute regularly 60miles a day.
Some days no problem, many days ok, most days can't believe is doable. :?

However it goes, good luck with your commute.

saladdays

Are you tired after cycling 130 miles a week?

Also, Amersham to Hatfield is 20 miles.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Amersham&daddr=hatfield&hl=en&geocode=FeKGFAMdTrr2_ykriULmXV12SDGK_vOQ0mS7Uw%3BFR_WFQMdO5L8_ykd7VCtwiJ2SDGw71_OnsYYOw&mra=ltm&dirflg=w&sll=51.70597,-0.416107&sspn=0.19531,0.527687&ie=UTF8&ll=51.716181,-0.416107&spn=0.195266,0.527687&z=12

So that's 200 miles a week. Only one way to find out if you can do it.

xcmad

Also, Amersham to Hatfield is 20 miles

I live 4 miles the other side of Amersham... but yes, with that route its shorter. You are a google maps master.

jobless

I just googled it at 20 miles ew, so not sure of the route you are thinking about.

But doing a lumpy ride from Chesham to Hanger lane regularly and any more than about 120miles and the hunger and tiredness is just too much. Esp if i try and ride/swim at the weekends

I'd say you'd be looking at splitting it or just 2/3 times a week. each way is going to be >1000 calories.

I rode mine the other day and the HRM calculated it at ~1500 calories for 1:08 for the 23 miles. I have no idea how that was worked out - I am just going by the watch for illustration.

You are going to have to eat that at some point. so diet becomes very important.

I used to do 60 miles a day from Chesham tor Richmond and that I could only do 3 times a week. But that was relatively flat (apart from the bit through amersham and chesham.

Good luck - take some energy bars with you.

shm_uk

I often extend my commute to work to a 20-mile lumpy route, then a different route (15 lumpy miles) home.

I did this Mon-Thurs last week. First time I've done that distance 4 days on the trot.

Legs were feeling pretty tired on the ride home on Weds evening - struggled up hills that would normally not be too bad.

I tired to blame the headwind for that, but it was nothing if not worse on Thursday :-)


Goes without saying really, but if you're planning 30 miles each way the key is getting enough rest/sleep, and make sure you eat properly.

I would suggest doing it Mon, Weds, Fri to start with. Or at least no more than two days back-to-back.

Robstar24

I commute Rickmansworth-City and back 5 times a week, 24 miles each way.

i do feel pretty tired come friday and the legs on the way home are usually heavy by then. as to weekend riding, I don't get that much time for it anymore since getting married and having a baby, so i might manage a 40-50 miler once or twice a month, occasionally more.

i quite enjoy it, one tip is to make sure you stretch before and after: seems like obvious advice, but with repeated cycling effort over a long distance your legs will thank you for it.

which part of amersham you from? the A404 from chorleywood up to amersham through little chalfont is probably my least favourite stretch of road that i know: very bad surface, narrow, quite busy road, and it has a useless cycle path next to it, which i never use as it's so bad,

xcmad

Robstar24 wrote:

which part of amersham you from? the A404 from chorleywood up to amersham through little chalfont is probably my least favourite stretch of road

Live closer to Holmer Green, which is toward High Wycombe side. Rarely cycle amersham way (except on the mtb of course, lotts wood) so unsure of the roads/surfaces. The route saladdays posted looks great, will try next weekend and see what it's like. Good excuse to escape on the bike for a few hours

Need to buy a car too - been commuting 100% by bike for past 12 months.

saladdays

xcmad - get Google Earth on your computer. It's great, you can plot different routes and then find out the max, min and average gradients. Downhill on the way in and flatter on the way back - hurrah!

prj45

I do 120 - 160 miles a five day week in London and don't find it too bad, but it's PRACTICALLY FLAT!

Having said that is say riding 20 miles along a hilly route (given there are plenty of down hill bits) the same level of knackerdedyness as doing 20 miles on the flat?

cjcp

If I do 200 mile Mon-Fri, the legs feel it, but there's only one way to find out... might be worth building up to begin with.

Good luck.

uphillstruggle

I do a regular 40 mile hillyish commute and tend to train hard at the weekend having re-introduced running following injury.

The commuting certainly adds to a surprising amount of fatigue and I appreciate the enforced rest days when work commitments prevent exercise.

I think food intake is more important than I initially thought though my Garmin only shows about 550 calories burnt per journey.

phillipjohnson

If you can use trains or buses for some or all of the journey consider getting a folding bike... you can do the whole journey if you want or just hop on public transport for some (or all if the weathers rubbish or you can't be bothered) of the journey.

Its a good way to keep up the regular exercise and enjoyment of cycling during the week if the whole commute is too far.

meanredspider

prj45 wrote:

Having said that is say riding 20 miles along a hilly route (given there are plenty of down hill bits) the same level of knackerdedyness as doing 20 miles on the flat?

Nope - not in my experience. I have a range of routes and typically the hillier ones are shorter. I'm far more knackered after a week of doing the hilliest version than I am after a week of the least hilly (but longer) version (they are all pretty hilly). I think part of the problem is that you don't get back all the energy you put in on the uphill sections on the downhill - especially because wind resistance increases by the square of speed so some of that uphill (potential) energy is lost. There's also some physiological reasons too about the effort levels.

coopster_the_1st

xcmad wrote:

Robstar24 wrote:

which part of amersham you from? the A404 from chorleywood up to amersham through little chalfont is probably my least favourite stretch of road

Live closer to Holmer Green, which is toward High Wycombe side. Rarely cycle amersham way (except on the mtb of course, lotts wood) so unsure of the roads/surfaces. The route saladdays posted looks great, will try next weekend and see what it's like. Good excuse to escape on the bike for a few hours

Need to buy a car too - been commuting 100% by bike for past 12 months.

At least you do not have to climb out of High Wycombe at the start of your commute.

The roads through the villages on the way to Hemel are not too bad but they are rolling and there are few flat bits.

I think you will struggle to do more than 2 or 3 consequtive days on the bike as the hills just take too much time and energy.

Have you thought about splitting your commute? e.g. Drive to work, ride home, ride back to work, drive home or drive part of the way and then cycle the remaining 10 or so miles?

You will certainly have great fitness if you can regularly ride the commute 5 days a week.

Good luck with it

coopster_the_1st

prj45 wrote:

Having said that is say riding 20 miles along a hilly route (given there are plenty of down hill bits) the same level of knackerdedyness as doing 20 miles on the flat?

As per others experiences, flat riding is so much easier than hilly riding.

I use to commute 17.5 miles a day with 9 miles being lumpy and the remaining being pan-flat.

I now commute 22 miles with it being pratically pan-flat and this is a much easier commute and only takes around 5 minutes longer on average. This 22 mile commute is definitely doable 5 times a week whereas the old commute was a real struggle to do 3 days a week.

And rural commutes do not get to rest at traffic lights every couple of minutes :P

xcmad

Thanks all. Loads of top advice.

I'm buying a 2nd car for work use. Will aim to cycle in twice a week to keep up the mileage.