Long commutes

graeme_s-2

I've been commuting 5-6 miles each way for a few years in all weathers now (even equipping a bike with ice tyres last winter). Due to our new house not being ready until December and the buyer of our current house wanting to be in before the end of August I'm facing just over 4 months of commuting ~20 miles each way. I've got about 3 weeks to prepare for this, so any tips or things I should consider before nearly quadrupling my commuting mileage?

These also happen to be some of my busiest months at work. On the one hand I'm quite excited by this, on the other I'm a bit daunted by the considerable increase in daily distance.

meanredspider

Would be sensible to build up to that distance. How you do it is up to you.

Expect to be tired for a while, too and make sure you eat properly.

stuartturbo

I went from nothing to the same distance
Currently twice a week after a 9hrs hard day.going for three this week !!
Biggest thing i would say is extra sleep may be required.
I leave myself extra time in the morning to recover LOL

uphillstruggle

Whilst the daylight is good I have been doing 40miles hilly round trip most days of the week on the back of long hours.

It becomes part of the norm and although it is more gradually tiring than I expected once you get into the swing of it it is only just over an hour of exercise at a time-so enjoy!

Only wish I could do it in the winter.

graeme_s-2

I haven't checked properly yet, but I don't anticipate it will be hilly. I'm a triathlete and do a reasonable weekly mileage with some long rides, though dont usually manage 200 miles a week. I think building my weekly mileage over the next few weeks is probably a very good idea!

Chris`I

I've come from not a huge amount of riding (maybe 45 miles a week) to doing three to four days of 36 mile (round trip) commute a week. Think I could go to four or five times a week now too without too much hassle. The main thing is not to push too hard, keep the heart rate/RPE a little lower than normal riding.

I work with a triathlete and going by the amount of training he does, you shouldnt have much problem with this level of riding so long as you take it easy. 3 weeks should be more than enough to build up to it too so long as you do a fair bit of riding already. Some of the commutes can become training rides too so you'll get better results on the bike when competing.

Twostage

Chris`I wrote:

Some of the commutes can become training rides too so you'll get better results on the bike when competing.

Now there's a good idea :idea: .Make some commutes just easy rides and some training events.
I do 40 most days and it is doable.

stevie_90210

I do 20 miles each way. Depending on my rowing practice I do this between 1 and 5 times a week - so quite variable.

I'd suggest keeping a lot of recovery snacks at work. It can be surprising how much energy you'll need.

graeme_s-2

Chris`I wrote:

I work with a triathlete and going by the amount of training he does, you shouldnt have much problem with this level of riding so long as you take it easy.

Should probably have qualified that by saying I'm not a very good triathlete

I attempted Brighton Marathon in April and got ITB syndrome, so I've not been able to run until quite recently, and have put on a bit of weight as a consequence. Part of me is thinking this could be the perfect way to shed the extra timber and set me up for some PBs next year!

I sometimes do a 20 mile ride at lunch with a colleague (up to twice a week), so on those days I'm less than 10 miles short of the daily mileage I'll be doing on my commute. I think it's the every day nature of it that I'm most concerned about.

Will be able to use a car should it be necessary, but I would far prefer to cycle it than drive.

clarkey cat

I do 20 miles each way. I do it most days and cover about 160 miles a week.
sometimes I go fast (1hr 10) and other times I just cruise along (1hr 20).
Its not really any bother once you get used to it.

graeme_s-2

Thanks Clarkey (and others) - I think that's what I wanted to hear

stanarchist

stretch
eat well
sleep
don't worry too much about times
invest in decent clothing
you'll love it !

chris_bass

I've been doing 45ish miles a day for the past few months, 5 days a week. I built up gradually training for a charity ride and just kept it going.

Legs get a bit tired towards the end of the week, but after a few weeks it does become the norm and gets easier!

protein is your friend, I haver a milkshake after each trip (morning and evening), not sure if it helps but it sure is tasty!!

give it a month and you'll be looking for a longer route home

graeme_s-2

Right - today was my first day. Hills are definitely going to be my biggest problem. This is the profile of my ride to work, which you'll note is the downhill trip:



Did it in 1:14, but made 3 wrong turns and had to U-turn to go the right way. Suspect I'll get a bit quicker with time.

meanredspider

Graeme_S wrote:

Right - today was my first day. Hills are definitely going to be my biggest problem. This is the profile of my ride to work, which you'll note is the downhill trip:

Did it in 1:14, but made 3 wrong turns and had to U-turn to go the right way. Suspect I'll get a bit quicker with time.

It's not too horrendous - about 450ft (I assume it's feet - metres would be mighty impressive) lowest point to highest point. It's just quite undulating between the summits. Just take it steady and build up to it. Worry about the time later. Well done.

graeme_s-2

meanredspider wrote:

It's not too horrendous - about 450ft (I assume it's feet - metres would be mighty impressive) lowest point to highest point. It's just quite undulating between the summits. Just take it steady and build up to it. Worry about the time later. Well done.

Thanks

It is in feet, I'm commuting in Warwickshire, not the Peak District . As long as I can do it within 1:30, then it's a sensible way to get to work, and I can be on time without having to get up too stupidly early, so I'm fairly happy with that. You're right, it's not too horrendous, but it is hillier than a lot of the riding I do.

andyrr

Mine is fairly similar'ish : shorter (17.5 miles) with total climbing of 1300 ft (returning home - it's 790ft climbing on the way in)
Some days it will feel just a drag the whole way, some days better, riding it regularly will necessitate you sometimes just allowing a bit more time so that you can take it easier.

graeme_s-2

I did it two days running on Tues/Weds in both directions, getting a bit slower each day. Feeling mostly ok, but tired. Worked from home today, will cycle into work tomorrow, then out for drinks after work, so will get a lift after that, completing my first week.

Next week I have a beer tasting night near where I work on Wednesday, so will stop over at a friend's house. I can potentially work one day from home again as well to break things up a bit, and allow me to build up my weekly mileage.

I had a few aches and pains and felt generally pretty tired last night, but the day off today has done me a world of good, and I'm ready and raring to go again tomorrow now.

A few observations so far:

I'm getting much colder than I normally would in the mornings. Climbing a hill for 10 minutes after I leave the house gets me all sweaty, then I'm rolling along for much longer periods rather than just sprinting between sets of traffic lights for 20 minutes like my old commute.

My feet in particular are getting cold. I've always ridden all year round in summer shoes, with a single pair of merino wool socks when its cold. Even when it's been -7, or down near freezing and lashing it down with rain I've found my feet have stayed warm. On Wednesday it was 13 degrees when I rode in, and even after a hot shower at work my feet were still cold when I got out.

My gear is pretty gross by the time I come to ride home, and everything needs washed by the time I get home. Makes sense, as mileage wise 1 day of this commute is like 4 days of my old commute, and i would never have gone 4 days without washing my gear before.

meanredspider

Cool. Sounds like you are doing well. I find the uphill vs downhill bit quite hard for temperature on my commute. Getting the right amount of warmth is difficult. One tip (that I keep meaning to do myself) is to keep a note of temperatures and what you wore. For instance, I know that above 10-11C I'm perfectly comfortable in a S/S jersey but below I need L/S or arm warmers. I know there were cut-off points for fingerless gloves & a point where the lobsters needed to come out too. It all helps for a comfortable ride.

Yes - you need to allow for fresh gear daily. Check for vents in the soles of your shoes. My Shimanos I've put tape over the vent on the inside - keeps my feet much warmer. Keeping your legs warm really helps your feet too.

Good luck

prawny

I used to do 20 miles each way 5 days a week with 1900ft of climbing in total. Packed it in last winter when I got tonsilitis and have been been riding for fun instead.

The real killer is trying to do it quickly every day. I always tried to be quicker than getting the train and it used to really drain me, I was useless at the weekend.

I rode in yesterday for the first time in a while and enjoyed it, but if I was going to do it full time again I would take my time, It took me an hour and 10 mins to get home but I'm sore today.

Also, riding in for me was carp for losing weight, since I stopped I've lost a stone by watching my diet and going to the gym.

graeme_s-2

prawny wrote:

Also, riding in for me was carp for losing weight, since I stopped I've lost a stone by watching my diet and going to the gym.

I lost quite a lot of weight (a couple of stone) when I first started cycle commuting, so I'm hoping upping my distance will shed off a bit more timber.

Interesting comments re the time. I'm giving myself an hour and a half to do it each way, and coming in at more like 1:15, so I don't feel particularly rushed, which is working for me at the moment.

chuckcork

I've been doing 19 miles each way for about 2 years.

Not terribly difficult in summer, a bit harder in winter (obviously). No particular secret to it but some suggestions:

-get good tyres, at 40 miles a day you'll be running a higher risk of flats which puts a dampener on things if it happens too often

-get good quality clothing for when it gets cold (<10C). I was doing rides to work last winter when it was below freexing, the coldest was -5.6C when I set out, this is quite doable if you have good gear

- eat properly

- avoid excessive alcohol, as your performance will improve without it. I really notice the difference in limiting alcohol intake myself, my stamina increases quite considerably when i ditch the booze even after just a few days.

-obviously, look after your bike! Keep it well maintained, at 40miles a day you'll wear out parts much more quickly.

prawny

Graeme_S wrote:

prawny wrote:

Also, riding in for me was carp for losing weight, since I stopped I've lost a stone by watching my diet and going to the gym.

I lost quite a lot of weight (a couple of stone) when I first started cycle commuting, so I'm hoping upping my distance will shed off a bit more timber.

Interesting comments re the time. I'm giving myself an hour and a half to do it each way, and coming in at more like 1:15, so I don't feel particularly rushed, which is working for me at the moment.

It's definitely worth trying, don't get me wrong, if I wasn't married with young kids I'd still be riding in now. I think I probably over ate so I could make good time on the way home. I really needed to either do long and steady or short bursts like I'm doing now, I used to treat every commute like a time trial. Yesterday I was properly hammering myself, I was pleasantly surprised how quick I could go considering the lack of riding I'd done this year.

graeme_s-2

prawny wrote:

It's definitely worth trying, don't get me wrong, if I wasn't married with young kids I'd still be riding in now. I think I probably over ate so I could make good time on the way home. I really needed to either do long and steady or short bursts like I'm doing now, I used to treat every commute like a time trial. Yesterday I was properly hammering myself, I was pleasantly surprised how quick I could go considering the lack of riding I'd done this year.

Its only for four months. We've sold our house (because we had a buyer and they wanted in), but the new build we're buying won't be ready until December. In the meantime we're living with my Mum who lives 20 miles from where I work as opposed to the 5.5 miles away that both my old and new houses are from where I work!

prawny

Joy! :shock:

4 months shouldn't be an issue, have fun! Joy! :shock:

4 months shouldn't be an issue, have fun!

graeme_s-2

prawny wrote:

Joy! :shock:

4 months shouldn't be an issue, have fun! Joy! :shock:

4 months shouldn't be an issue, have fun!

:?:

Sounds like you have a fair bit of joy to spare there... :?

I just meant that I can probably put up with some of the downsides, as it's a temporary situation with a definite end. I'm actually starting to enjoy it, and I'm already looking forwards to increasing my mileage next week, as I'll be doing the route on more days.

graeme_s-2

Week 3.
Once I've cycled home tonight, I'll be on ~170miles for this week. Did the commute both ways 4 days, and 3 days on the trot, so the most I've done yet (took Tuesday off to go and see Stage 3 of the ToB). Must admit, I really struggled in this morning. Was as slow as I was last Tuesday when I spent the whole journey struggling into a headwind. Just felt dog-tired, my arse hurt and I had nothing at all in my legs. Generally finding the trip home easier (and faster), so hoping that won't be too hard this evening.

I think my main problem at the moment is that I'm not getting enough sleep most nights. I'm not getting much more than 6 hours during the week, so my plan for next week is to address that. I'm planning to ride in and back every day Mon-Thurs next week, and then work from home on Friday. So same mileage as this week, but non-stop for 4 days, which will be the most I've done. The week after I'll go for the full week riding each way and should break the 200 mile barrier then.

Have already covered more miles this month than I did in the whole of September last year, which included the Tour of Britain Pro Ride in Stoke which was over 100 miles by itself.

meanredspider

Cool - make sure you aren't pushing the speed too hard - at least for now. Makes the world of difference to me if I ride sensibly on a 5-dayer than if I get sucked into going quick. I want to get back to those now my son's finished his chemotherapy and I can build the miles more consistently. Remember to take a week's rest every now and then. You'll be amazed what it does for your speed - feels like you've been supercharged. Good luck with the ride home and your 4 straight days next week

stevie_90210

Well done!! Sounds like it's going well. You definitely need more sleep though, especially with that amount of exercise.

graeme_s-2

Thanks meanredspider.

I don't feel any particular compulsion to go quickly on the way in, as I know I'm generally quite slow, but I must admit I do get sucked into racing along on certain sections on the way home. Will have to try and keep that in check, as I'm sure powering along on the way home is contributing to my slowness in the mornings.

graeme_s-2

stevie_90210 wrote:

Well done!! Sounds like it's going well. You definitely need more sleep though, especially with that amount of exercise.

I know - I'm sleeping much longer at the weekends, but I need to be getting 7 or 8 hours every night during the week. Definitely my plan for next week!