Am I kidding myself?

accountdeleted

A middle aged man seeking opinions from fellow middle aged commuter...

I have (well had; more details below) early 80s road bike. It's done 11,500miles since I got it (single speed, ranged between 69-74 gear inches). Nearly two years ago I got Swytch ebike kit converted 3,500miles ago .

I commute 16-18miles a leg, with 1,000-1,200ft elevation gain according to Strava. Average speed around 16-18mph. I used to commute 2 - 3xweek pre -bike conversion and it wasn't easy. I blamed the heavy steel and having one gear (obviously I'm not to be blamed). ebike conversion definitely helped but never felt I achieved the mileage on Strava.

Well, the recent heatwave buckled the fork. As contingency, I transferred the Swytch kit to my wife's flat-bar Claud Butler hybrid bike (absolute brick, no info on the internet). Didn't bother swapping SPD pedals...

Luckily, the current work allows hybrid working which means 1 -2x week in the office.

So, it got me thinking...

Hang up my old frame as an ornament (It was my dad's but frame was never my size anyways). Time to get lighter, right sized, modern, value for money road bike like Triban 520 Disc. Keep Swytch on my wife's for the pre-school drop-off/pick-up and to encourage my wife to use the bike (she loved it!).

And commute in my own steam... with a heavy bag (laptop, change of clothes, towel)... 18miler that I haven't done in my own steam for nearly two years... I gained fat and lost fitness in that two years... but a new shiny 10kg bike will whiz through the traffic like nobody's business.

Who am I fooling?!
Typical symptom of mid-life crisis?

MattFalle

fooling no one. it'll be testy for the first two weeks but after that fine.

ugo.santalucia

It's a fairly long commute, you won't be able to do it every day, but maybe a couple of times a week is fine. In winter it will be harder. Longest commute I had was 12 miles each way, used to do it every day, but it was tiring in winter, with wind, rain, darkness...

pblakeney

You are fooling yourself if you think you will whiz through traffic.
On the other hand it will get easier and/or faster.

You were definitely fooling yourself by using an assisted bike.

daniel_b

If you have done it in the past, then I'd say clearly you are more than capable of doing it again.

I commute marginally further than you, either twice or three times a week, and with similar elevation.

I keep as much stuff as I can at work (Trousers, toiletries, shoes, porridge oats, protein powder etc) to minimise what I need to take in, but still have to lug a laptop around, but use a single pannier to do that.

I'm currently relegated to a heavy hybrid shod with 35c marathon plus tyres - it's pretty slow and ploddy on that, but still free exercise, and nice to have a bike ride to look forward to at the end of the day.

If my gravel bike ever arrives, I will be moving across to that for commuting at some point, but it's just been pushed back again by 3 weeks, so not holding my breath.

Depending on your route, it might be worth looking at a gravel bike as a possibility, pretty sure Decathlon have a well regarded one for not that much cash.

Good luck, and do update with how you get on :-)

P.S If the swytch thing can be swapped easily between bikes, could you maybe use it some days if you are feeling tired or something?

MattFalle

ugo.santalucia said:

It's a fairly long commute, you won't be able to do it every day, but maybe a couple of times a week is fine. In winter it will be harder. Longest commute I had was 12 miles each way, used to do it every day, but it was tiring in winter, with wind, rain, darkness...

rubbish.

get on bike

pedal bike

feel tired occasionally until you're used to the ride.

absolutely no reason at all why OP can't do it.

ugo.santalucia

MattFalle said:

ugo.santalucia said:

It's a fairly long commute, you won't be able to do it every day, but maybe a couple of times a week is fine. In winter it will be harder. Longest commute I had was 12 miles each way, used to do it every day, but it was tiring in winter, with wind, rain, darkness...

rubbish.

get on bike

pedal bike

feel tired occasionally until you're used to the ride.

absolutely no reason at all why OP can't do it.

Every day it is difficult, especially in the winter. I did 12 miles each way for a few years, but wouldn't want to go any further, to be honest... every other day in winter you have 20 miles an hour wind in the face, then you have the risk of ice in the morning, the odd day when it doesn't stop raining...

kingstongraham

I've gone back to commuting, only half the length of yours - and a backpack is a real annoyance that I need because it's only twice a week and it's not so easy to leave stuff as it was in the before times.

If you can't leave stuff at work, and your commute is your main use of the bike, get something with panniers and mudguards.

MattFalle

ugo.santalucia said:

MattFalle said:

ugo.santalucia said:

It's a fairly long commute, you won't be able to do it every day, but maybe a couple of times a week is fine. In winter it will be harder. Longest commute I had was 12 miles each way, used to do it every day, but it was tiring in winter, with wind, rain, darkness...

rubbish.

get on bike

pedal bike

feel tired occasionally until you're used to the ride.

absolutely no reason at all why OP can't do it.

Every day it is difficult, especially in the winter. I did 12 miles each way for a few years, but wouldn't want to go any further, to be honest... every other day in winter you have 20 miles an hour wind in the face, then you have the risk of ice in the morning, the odd day when it doesn't stop raining...

I used to do 10-15 every day in and out dependant on what route I took inc lunchtime rides sll year round.

its wet - put a jacket on
its cold - put an extra layer on
its windy - ride against the wind.

he's riding a bicycle to work not doing Selection.

I agree totally re rucksack comments though - mug that off as soon as poss.

andyrr

MattFalle said:

ugo.santalucia said:

It's a fairly long commute, you won't be able to do it every day, but maybe a couple of times a week is fine. In winter it will be harder. Longest commute I had was 12 miles each way, used to do it every day, but it was tiring in winter, with wind, rain, darkness...

rubbish.

get on bike

pedal bike

feel tired occasionally until you're used to the ride.

absolutely no reason at all why OP can't do it.

If it’s 2/3 times per week and not all consecutive then depending on fitness an 18 mile each way commute is ok as long as you’ve sufficient time to not have to start hammering it. I used to do a 35 mile round trip commute 2 or 3 times per week carrying minimal gear - driving days were used for bringing stuff in and out - and by the end of the week I was sometimes feeling a bit worn out. I was younger/fitter then but also raced so that contributed to the fatigue levels. Getting a mile into the return journey and feeling really worn out, when it’s wet, windy and dark isn’t fun. If the car journey is a fair bit quicker then the fun can go out of it but if the easy option (car) is not hugely quicker then you can still knock the effort off a little, get home a little slower and feel pleased with yourself.
Long’ish commutes can become slightly easier but you’ll possibly improve to take it in your stride but other things like work, family, bad weather, extra time built in to the start/end of the working day etc can contribute to it not being an easy, stress free option.
Planning is also key - bike well maintained and ready for the morning, food prepped the night before, clothes etc transported in by car, lights charged up.

pblakeney

My technique when I was doing a similar commute 5/5. Take it very easy on the way in (no showers), push it going home. My fitness improved dramatically, but it was summer only.

DeVlaeminck

It's quite a big load - 175 miles a week - but plenty of amateurs do more and with higher intensity stuff thrown in so it's definitely doable.

It's going to be great for your general cycling fitness - mentally though it's going to be hard at times especially if you don't have an easier option like a car, bus etc.

Being honest I wouldn't do it other than on nice days.

masjer

MattFalle said:

ugo.santalucia said:

MattFalle said:

ugo.santalucia said:

It's a fairly long commute, you won't be able to do it every day, but maybe a couple of times a week is fine. In winter it will be harder. Longest commute I had was 12 miles each way, used to do it every day, but it was tiring in winter, with wind, rain, darkness...

rubbish.

get on bike

pedal bike

feel tired occasionally until you're used to the ride.

absolutely no reason at all why OP can't do it.

Every day it is difficult, especially in the winter. I did 12 miles each way for a few years, but wouldn't want to go any further, to be honest... every other day in winter you have 20 miles an hour wind in the face, then you have the risk of ice in the morning, the odd day when it doesn't stop raining...

I used to do 10-15 every day in and out dependant on what route I took inc lunchtime rides sll year round.

its wet - put a jacket on
its cold - put an extra layer on
its windy - ride against the wind.

he's riding a bicycle to work not doing Selection.

I agree totally re rucksack comments though - mug that off as soon as poss.

@andscrim said you only commuted once, but found it too cold. That was in summer!

accountdeleted

Thanks very much everyone, I recognise most of you that responded, so good to hear from the usual suspects (I've been here for good few years, lost my login details). In fact you helped me to build into 14mile commute when I joined here.

Good to see Matt still being Matt.

The key factor is the commute to office is up to twice a week. I think I can do 18miler commute once a week (and recover in between!). I used to do this a few years back (20mile to work, that was fun but taxing).

Once a week means I'd have to take laptop / shower stuff / office clothes / lunch with me each time, which I didn't have to before; I used to take a load by car or bike so I'd have lighter load ride most of the time. I'd take people's advice on pannier to offload from my back.

Also thanks to @daniel_b for the suggestion - I can always take my wife's hybrid ebike conversion when I'm not feeling it! That's a comfy fall-back plan.

I also get what people mean by winter commute. Oh I know; cold, wet, headwind, more gear. Usually I'm 1-2mph slower. Again, up to twice a week isn't that bad.

Triban RC520 Disc (or I might go budget RC120 Disc) seems to fit the "value for money" bill. Disc (cable actuated hydro), Shimano 105 (bar Microshift cassette), fittings for mudguards and racks, takes wider tyres.

With a new modern bike, maybe I get into cycling beyond commuting (if I have time between work, kids and doing up house). That's where I'm kidding myself...

accountdeleted

I'm back, the OP.

I got a bargain RC500 (mechanical disc, Sora, 28c marathon+) for the price I was willing to pay. I'm in between size and it was the smaller size. Lots of self-bike-fit fettling.

I did 2x 18miles commute. averaged 14-15mph, took 15min more than the ebike conversion. Last 2miles to home I bonked.

I thought that was pretty ok! Room for improvement, definitely.

Going from 1983 touring bike on single speed to a 2021 alu/carbon frame with Sora and disc are major upgrade.

I can do this. For once a week. But winter is coming...

accountdeleted

Ok I'm back again, the OP.

I've now done 3 weeks of two consecutive days a week. I'm managing this, even in the recent cold snap. Hovering 14-15mph and 80-90W (according to Strava's calculation). My fitness is coming back. I feel free from not being reliant on ebike anymore.

So thanks everyone and thanks to myself for believing in myself.

Keep cycling.

singleton

Good for you.
I'm sure it will continue to get easier as your body continues to adjust and adapt.

MattFalle

singleton said:

Good for you.
I'm sure it will continue to get easier as your body continues to adjust and adapt.

is this the point he crashes into a hedge and breaks every genital he owns?

#jinxed

daniel_b

accountdeleted said:

Ok I'm back again, the OP.

I've now done 3 weeks of two consecutive days a week. I'm managing this, even in the recent cold snap. Hovering 14-15mph and 80-90W (according to Strava's calculation). My fitness is coming back. I feel free from not being reliant on ebike anymore.

So thanks everyone and thanks to myself for believing in myself.

Keep cycling.

Great stuff AD - I wish I could say the same, I've only been riding in once a week, but have been hitting the turbo every other day when not riding outside, which is also boosting my fitness

andyrr

MattFalle said:

singleton said:

Good for you.
I'm sure it will continue to get easier as your body continues to adjust and adapt.

is this the point he crashes into a hedge and breaks every genital he owns?

#jinxed

Every genital he owns? How many would that be assuming he owns the usual number? Do some have 2 or 3 ? Are you au fait with some bicycle-riding species that have multiple genitals or is that sentence, as many of yours seem to be, written by a 3 year old?
#whatthehellishesmoking

MattFalle

andyrr said:

MattFalle said:

singleton said:

Good for you.
I'm sure it will continue to get easier as your body continues to adjust and adapt.

is this the point he crashes into a hedge and breaks every genital he owns?

#jinxed

Every genital he owns? How many would that be assuming he owns the usual number? Do some have 2 or 3 ? Are you au fait with some bicycle-riding species that have multiple genitals or is that sentence, as many of yours seem to be, written by a 3 year old?
#whatthehellishesmoking

its on GCN, mid last week we think.

accountdeleted

Boom I'm back, the original poster.

Just about over a year (2,500miles) on RC500 and I feel I'm back to pre e-bike fitness! I acknowledge it was over the summer but I can do 18.5miles leg commute at averaging 15.5-17mph, even 17.5mph with tailwind (approx. 900ft total elevation).

Reading back, I was bonking on last few miles on the return journey on second consecutive commute; I now can do three commute per week (111miles/week), all in my own steam.

I can maintain the gearing at one to two heavier than when I started. I'm not bonking. I feel quite good. I even tried different routes adding some gravel sections.

Well, I'm not aging as I thought I was.

Keep cycling!

PS. I'm noticing more commuters on bike. So great to see this. Perhaps it might be the pannier effect, I also noticed overall that car drivers are more "bike aware" on roads (there are still one or two bad apples a leg, of course).