First ride to work

billybuntus
billybuntus Posts: 38
edited September 2013 in Health, fitness & training
In an effort to get fit I did my first ride to work yesterday. Been hitting the gym doing cardio and weights for 3 ish months and had the opportunity yesterday to ride to work (usually take the missus to work on my way in but she had a day off).

I've been using the bike in the gym and have gotten up to a pretty decent level on it (or so I thought)

12 miles there and 14 back (took a different route home). My legs are tired today that's for sure, I felt like I was riding through treacle for the last few miles and a quick look at my back tyre revealed I was running low on air. I just pressed on to get home as the pump I was carrying was truly rubbish (tesco special).

Time to invest in a new tyre pump!

Comments

  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    billybuntus wrote:
    doing cardio and weights for 3 ish months
    Bloody hell, good effort, the most I'm managed is about 6 hours :lol:

    Keep it up, it gets easier with time. Also, it's always worth carrying puncture repair kit or a spare tube, and a pump, cause you never know.
    My photos
  • billybuntus
    billybuntus Posts: 38
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    billybuntus wrote:
    doing cardio and weights for 3 ish months
    Bloody hell, good effort, the most I'm managed is about 6 hours :lol:

    Keep it up, it gets easier with time. Also, it's always worth carrying puncture repair kit or a spare tube, and a pump, cause you never know.

    :lol:

    I had a full compliment of tools with me in my rucksack
  • RidingSeed
    RidingSeed Posts: 33
    try keeping a relaxing pace when you're going to work and hit it harder when you come back. should help you improve your performance at work i guess.
  • guilherme
    guilherme Posts: 2
    Keep your head up, keep your heart strong!! :D
    You already made the hardest thing! You just need to keep going and try not to push to hard now.. you're in the beginning of "this journey" and you don't want to lose that psychic motivation! "RidingSeed" gave you a really nice tip..
  • nasha48
    nasha48 Posts: 231
    Make sure you keep a record of your times both into work and back home. This way, you will keep motivated to improve each time you do it. Probably a bit obvious but make sure you concentrate on your gears/cadence, especially if your putting some effort in on the way home. Then, when you smash your PB, be sure to text your work mates to tell 'em! :mrgreen:
  • billybuntus
    billybuntus Posts: 38
    50 mins there and 55 mins back today. Not bad but could do better.
  • 97th choice
    97th choice Posts: 2,222
    Massively depends on what bike you are on, at a guess you are averaging about 20kph which isn't too bad at all on an MTB.
    Too-ra-loo-ra, too-ra-loo-rye, aye

    Giant Trance
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  • billybuntus
    billybuntus Posts: 38
    97th choice wrote:
    Massively depends on what bike you are on, at a guess you are averaging about 20kph which isn't too bad at all on an MTB.

    Works out at average of 13.8 mph

    Always feel like I'm slow though. Definitely need to increase my hill climb strength.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    I do a similar distance on a road bike, and the average speed for my ride can often be around 15mph. Lights, crossings and junctions really slow you down.

    It felt like a huge effort when I first did it (on a road bike) but now it feels like a normal part of the day and I sometimes mix it up with a couple of off road commutes on the MTB too.

    Well done, stick at it, and enjoy all the eating you'll have to do!
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • billybuntus
    billybuntus Posts: 38
    bails87 wrote:
    I do a similar distance on a road bike, and the average speed for my ride can often be around 15mph. Lights, crossings and junctions really slow you down.

    It felt like a huge effort when I first did it (on a road bike) but now it feels like a normal part of the day and I sometimes mix it up with a couple of off road commutes on the MTB too.

    Well done, stick at it, and enjoy all the eating you'll have to do!

    Thanks for that. I don't feel so bad.

    I'm 50/50 pavement/road. Only due to some very busy sections of road and if I'm climbing steep hills I'd rather be on a pavement than moving at a snails pace on the road.

    I'm hoping to do it 2-3 times a week when the wife passes her test.
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    Keep at it. I'm a 5 day a week commuter. Your body adjusts and it will reap benefits for weekend rides and off road. You'll murder folk on climbs.

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