Revelation!

daviesee

After a 2 week cycling holiday in Mallorca (jealous? ) I am still finding it hard to get back to the normal routine.
Yesterday I realised that I had forgotten my towel for the shower after commute and had to make a decision.
Turn back or pootle.
I decided to pootle.
You know what?
It wasn't that much slower and the fact that I didn't need a shower at the end probably resulted in a quicker door to desk time. Plus I enjoyed the ride. Quiet roads may have played a part.

I will have to remind myself that I don't have to go fast.

EKE_38BPM

I realised this years ago. I would have to leave home early when trying for a PB as I'd have to cool down in the locker room before showering compared to pootling the last mile or so and then just getting changed (no shower) when I rode slower. It was a short (six mile) commute though.

On a normal pace day I would shower at home, cruise to work, have a cool down pootling period and then get changed into my work clothes.
On a fast pace day, I would wring myself out riding quickly then spend a few minutes cooling down in the locker room before showering and changing.
There must be a crossover point where the time gained by going fast on the road exceeds the extra time to cool down and shower, but I never reached it.

dhope

EKE_38BPM wrote:

There must be a crossover point where the time gained by going fast on the road exceeds the extra time to cool down and shower, but I never reached it.

Not over 6 miles in the city there isn't. Traffic lights etc just wipes out the time time advantage but you still end up needing to cool down at the end. Hasn't stopped me trying, mind.

Kieran_Burns

daviesee wrote:

After a 2 week cycling holiday in Mallorca (jealous? ) I am still finding it hard to get back to the normal routine.
Yesterday I realised that I had forgotten my towel for the shower after commute and had to make a decision.
Turn back or pootle.
I decided to pootle.
You know what?
It wasn't that much slower and the fact that I didn't need a shower at the end probably resulted in a quicker door to desk time. Plus I enjoyed the ride. Quiet roads may have played a part.

I will have to remind myself that I don't have to go fast.

Road beginners is over there ---->
Commuting General is over there

---

>

Come back when you've realised the error of your ways...

daviesee

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Road beginners is over there ---->
Commuting General is over there

---

>

Come back when you've realised the error of your ways...

My natural instinct is to go fast but I have decided that for a 6 1/2 miles commute, it is just not worth it.
SCR can go hang. Until someone passes me :twisted:
A 50 mile loop home after work on a nice day on the other hand..........

roger_merriman

fairly sure for urban riding fast makes little sense in terms of time saved, just too many lights and what not.

But most do i'm sure because it's fun/keeps them fit/they dan't want to be overtaken...

daviesee

Some context.

Yesterday's "normal" run.

6.21 miles.
Average heart zone 1.4.
Maximum heart zone 4.1.
16.5 average mph.

Today's "pootling" run.

Average heart zone 1.0.
Maximum heart zone 2.9.
15.9 average mph.

Time saved - 1 minute 14 seconds.
That's a lot less than it takes to cool down, shower and dry.

6.21 miles hardly counts as training so I have found a new riding style for going into work.

bobbygloss

That seems very different to my results.
Distance = 7.8 miles.
Normal:
29.5 mins, heart rate average 158, max 181.
Pootle:
41.5 mins, heart rate average 93, max 139.

12 minutes feels like quite a saving.

spasypaddy

i completely agree, i have a 7mile commute and if i race it home and absolutely bury myself it can be done in 21mins. on the ride to work i take about 33mins as i dont rush myself.

rolf_f

Bobbygloss wrote:

That seems very different to my results.
Distance = 7.8 miles.
Normal:
29.5 mins, heart rate average 158, max 181.
Pootle:
41.5 mins, heart rate average 93, max 139.

12 minutes feels like quite a saving.

That seems a bit odd to me. I can do my 9.5 inbound commute in under 30 minutes on my Ribble Gran Fondo (a bit of climbing, some flat and a good bit of gradual descent).

To take 41 minutes over it, I'd probably need to take my heavy steel MTB with Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tyres and find a nice headwind.

It may depend on how cycel fit you are. If you are riding at the maximum speed you can get in without needing a shower, even a slight increase speed will make the difference.

daviesee

Bobbygloss wrote:

That seems very different to my results.
Distance = 7.8 miles.
Normal:
29.5 mins, heart rate average 158, max 181.
Pootle:
41.5 mins, heart rate average 93, max 139.

12 minutes feels like quite a saving.

Simple explanation is that I don't boot it as much as you on a normal ride. My 121/158 (z1.4/4.1) v your 158/181.
And my pootle is faster than yours. My 114/142 (z1.0/2.9) v your 93/139.
Therefore the discrepancies between my rides are less.

Definitions and lights/junctions will make a big difference.
My definition of pootle is 18mph on the flat instead of 22mph and as little effort on hills as is practical. That's enough to avoid sweat.

Kieran_Burns

18 on the flat is a POOTLE????

In what bloody universe is 18 on the flat a pootle?

That's the HIGH end of my cruising speed. If I see 18mph I'm happy.

daviesee

Kieran_Burns wrote:

18 on the flat is a POOTLE????

In what bloody universe is 18 on the flat a pootle?

That's the HIGH end of my cruising speed. If I see 18mph I'm happy.

During my commute there is a one mile flat straight(ish) with only one set of lights that are rarely triggered by the side road.
This morning I maintained a steady 18 mph with my heart rate varying between 118 and 125.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/176359429
Hardly pushing it.

bornagainroadie

"You do not have sufficient privileges to view the activity with id 176359429"

I am not worthy.

daviesee

BornAgainRoadie wrote:

"You do not have sufficient privileges to view the activity with id 176359429"

I am not worthy.

Ahhh. Privacy settings. Now fixed. I think......

Gizmo_

I love those long, flat-but-imperceptibly-downhill stretches. Stick it in top gear and just roll the gear over for a mile or two...

Fireblade96

I'm with the "pootle-to-work" brigade :oops:
Saves having to cool down/shower when I get there, less risk of running over errant goslings too !

On the way home, otoh, I tend to go for it as much as is safe on a shared path, and then boot it up the final uphill road section so I arrive home a sweaty, breathless mess.

daviesee

Gizmo_ wrote:

I love those long, flat-but-imperceptibly-downhill stretches. Stick it in top gear and just roll the gear over for a mile or two...

Middle gear and 80rpm does me fine 8) I know where you are coming from though :P
Flip side is that on the return leg I have to turn right on a dual carriageway road, albeit with a 30mph speed camera.
Safest way is to ramp up to traffic speed and merge in. Not easy, especially with a headwind.
If it is downhill on the way to work then I am awesome on the return

Tricycleboy

I don't have the ability to pootle. I have tried, but i get bored. Even if no one is there to play with i still race the cars.

I think its because i'm childish.

roger_merriman

Kieran_Burns wrote:

18 on the flat is a POOTLE????

In what bloody universe is 18 on the flat a pootle?

That's the HIGH end of my cruising speed. If I see 18mph I'm happy.

internet speeds! ;-)

Initialised

No, the trick is to wear little enough that any sweat you might emit is blown away so it wont accumulate, then you don't even have to change. Thus a sweat free commute is determined by ambient temperature rather than rider effort, hence coming back from hot place = fast but not sweaty when back in cold place.

Gizmo_

Tricycleboy wrote:

I don't have the ability to pootle. I have tried, but i get bored. Even if no one is there to play with i still race the cars.

I think its because i'm childish.

Yeah, I have that problem. I think I'll take it easy, roll up the first hill, charge down the other side, charge up the next one...oh.

unclejimbo1983

I take the view that I have to shower at some point before work, so I might as well go hell for leather and cool off at work with a cold shower. I also find it safer to match traffic speed as much as possible in the city. Also, I'm a big child who thinks everything is a race (this is the real reason!)

In any case, I break into a sweat running 10 meters for a bus, so I can't imagine how slow I'd have to pootle to stay dry, especially in the summer.

daviesee

unclejimbo1983 wrote:

.... so I can't imagine how slow I'd have to pootle to stay dry, especially in the summer.

Fair point.
My view may change if the temperature ever gets above 10 degrees :evil:

jonny_trousers

Gizmo_ wrote:

Tricycleboy wrote:

I don't have the ability to pootle. I have tried, but i get bored. Even if no one is there to play with i still race the cars.

I think its because i'm childish.

Yeah, I have that problem. I think I'll take it easy, roll up the first hill, charge down the other side, charge up the next one...oh.

+1 to that. I like the exercise of the commute as well as the thrill in riding fast, but there are plenty of times when I tell myself that I'm just going to take it easy as I rode hard the day before/want to do some fast training later, only to be overtaken by a fellow commuter and not be able to stand for it. Until I took up cycle commuting I didn't have a competitive bone in my body.

Kieran_Burns

daviesee wrote:

unclejimbo1983 wrote:

.... so I can't imagine how slow I'd have to pootle to stay dry, especially in the summer.

Fair point.
My view may change if the temperature ever gets above 10 degrees :evil:

My bike comp showed 21C when I left this evening. I was sweating by the time I got to the main road... shorts, short sleeved top and fingerless gloves.

Bit of a bugger with the headwind though. Still, at least it was warm...