From 0 to 13 miles and Back Again

holsweet

For a long time I've been thinking about commuting 13 miles to work from Kent into central London and back again. I used to love riding bikes as a kid and spent majority of my summers out with friends cycling. I've spoken to friends and colleagues about commuting and they have just laughed at me and put it into my head that I can't do this. Variations along the lines of 'you're a girl', 'you're not strong enough and it's too far', 'you're too nervous and it's too dangerous' which quite frankly has only made me want to do this more.

I'd really appreciate if anyone had any advice on starting out as a complete newbie to road cycling. What tips everyone would suggest about mileage, starting out and anything else I should know before I take on this challenge.

Garry H

Just try it and see? Don't get run over.

Man Of Lard

Try it on a Sunday - less traffic & you'll find out if you're fit enough to do it.

CiB

13 miles is an hour at an steady pace, so physically it's entirely doable, even for girls.

Confidence will come v quickly, so that's a non-event too.

Wear the right togs, have some lights on even in daylight, and be confident. You could do a lot worse than buy a copy of CycleCraft by John Franklin, on which the Bikeability test programme is based and is a hive of v useful info. It used to be recommended a lot on here, maybe it should be again.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Franklin-Cyclecraft-complete-enjoyable-cycling-children-Paperback/B00RWQ1RPC/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493758369&sr=1-2&keywords=cyclecraft+by+john+franklin

cougie

13 miles is no distance at all unless you've a medical condition.

Trying it of a weekend is an excellent idea though. It's probably the equivalent of a 5k run and thousands of people do that each weekend.

MiddleRinger

Is it relatively flat?
Do you have a very physical or tiring job?
Are there showers, lockers & secure bike parking?
What type of bike do you have?
Do you need to do it every day in all weather?

That's 26 miles/day, which will add up to some fatigue if you are doing it five days a week. Start out trying the route on a weekend to see how you go. Note how long it takes and any difficult roads. Maybe test out some route variations. Then go for it on a weekday (not Monday). Slowly build up your mileage and number of days. Bike commuting can be very rewarding.

jgsi

13 miles each way is a really nice distance.
Successful commuting (the one you do each and every day) is more about routine and practicality.
Routine to get up earlier, bike always well maintained even after wet days. Time expenditure required here.
Practicality - place of work having storage for peace of mind and somewhere to change also in peace.
Summer months is a lot easier to start than winter.
Less worrying about fitness and God forbid 'feeling tired' - a commute will actually energise you more than the huge majority stressed about train connections or traffic jams.
Commuting n a bike means control.
I use a rucksack but it is never overloaded.
Dealing with traffic/pinch points can be a pain, I admit, but a route plan or 2 is always useful.

davesnothere

Just do it. Prove the doubters wrong. Your sex, age, ability, fitness has nothing to do with it.

A weekend test ride is a very good idea. If you then feel you need to build your fitness a bit first then spend a few weeks training weekends and evenings. It won't take long until you're doing 13 miles without thinking

GO FOR IT

yiannism

If you start doing it daily you will burn your self soon. Start at the weekends doing that distance, and then when you feel comfortable put an other day, but give time to your body to adapt and increase days accordingly. Cycling other than endurance sport is also sport of patience.

Still that distance especially when you split it on 2 parts as you plan to do is very doable for everyone. Just the better athlete will do it faster.

ben@31

The beauty about cycling is setting yourself a goal or an objective and going for it. When you get into cycling and start racking up huge distances, it can be a mental challenge.
Prove those doubters wrong !
My advice to anyone is pace yourself and take it easy. At a low intensity 13 miles is doable. It's only when you exert yourself like a pro that's racing in the Giro, that you blow up. I'm sure ultra distance cyclists are going at a fraction of their capability.
Make sure you have a decent set of durable tyres that are resistant to punctures. I've had a nightmare with punctures on a cycle lane, with debris and glass (deliberate???).
If you're commuting to the same place, I'd keep the D-Locks at your work, you can keep them locked to a post when not in use. As good D-Locks are heavy to carry around with you.
I'd keep some kit at work in a locker. Like another set of shower gel/ toiletries , towels and a change of clothes. Sometimes I'd drive in on a Monday (or a rainy day) to replenish my locker with a fresh set, so I can cycle the rest of the week without carrying it all.
I always recharge my Garmin and lights straight after every ride, so they're never going flat mid-route.
Always ride defensively by anticipating that all car drivers are unsafe and will pull out / not see you. Always look over your right shoulder before cycling into the middle of the road and no heroics by zig-zagging inbetween traffic, sometimes it's safer to wait stationary in the line of cars at traffic lights rather than trying to squeeze through them all.

geryben

And every time it is totally unique - even if you riding the same route. Adventure!

Joshgav

If they think that girls can't ride bikes they should see quite how fast some of the women near me do on Strava segments! 13 miles (as long as it's not all vertical up and downs) is a great commute distance.

imafatman

The distance is no problem at all, you might feel a bit farked the first week or two but your body will adapt very quickly.

The biggest issue as a new cyclists to London is dealing with the traffic. You have to be confident and in control of your bike, need to learn when and where you have to take space on the road to cycle defensively.

I would start doing early morning weekend rides into London, the traffic will be lighter and you can build your confidence.

And for goodness sake DO NOT undertake large vehicles like busses or lorries or anything with the capacity to crush you. Don't slide through tiny gaps of cars either because when they pull off you might be in a place you really don't want to be.

Keep your head up and looking forward at all times with your fingers covering the brakes. London is a chaotic place and you need to be ready to react. This comes second nature eventually but I see a lot of new cyclists looking around when they should be looking ahead.

Good luck, prove em wrong.

fenix

OP not been back ? Hope she wasn't put off by the nobbish naysayers. 13 miles sounds good to me.