Pre- Work Morning Cycling

pabloweaver
pabloweaver Posts: 444
edited July 2007 in The bottom bracket
as the British summer continues in glorious style , i have been thinking about getting up early and going out for quick 15- 20 mile spin pre work . ( post work getting harder to do due to location traffic and a brief change in work pattern ) .....thats the easy bit ....although im not to bad at getting up in a morning , i do have to admit that i feel very tired in the morn when i open my bleery eyes .

now then ...just looking for ideas , suggestions or inspiration from other folk who may already do this ( cant cycle to work btw ...already though of that ! ) .. i figure i have to be up at 6 to be out for half past and back in for latest half 7 .....am i mad or just misguided ?!?!?!

what does everybody else do ?
http://www.northcheshireclarion.co.uk/

Great club in and around the Warrington area.

Comments

  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Not sure where you're based, i'm in London and get up at 6 when it 'aint raining and cycle to Richmond Park, 1 lap and back - almost bang on 20 miles. It can be hard to get up but as soon as I'm out on the road I feel great, and even better once I'm done. I swap bikes at home and then ride into work, and always feel fresher and more motivated on the days I've put my morning 20 miles in. So my advice is go for it, get a route planned and get out there!
  • SteveR_100Milers
    SteveR_100Milers Posts: 5,987
    I've done a morning 20 miler a few weeks ago when it was sunny....up at 5 home by 6-30 and then off to work as normal. It was amazing how many other early morning commuters I met, it was like a parallel universe....
    http://www.pontypoolrcc.co.uk/
    www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44397853765
  • JonSkids
    JonSkids Posts: 464
    I had a two year stint where distance / timing (young sprog at home) meant that commuting wasn't an option. Got up an hour earlier - out on the bike - quick shower etc and into work via the pleasures of the M4.

    Early morning is the best time of day so go ahead and give it a go, it's really worth it.
  • pabloweaver
    pabloweaver Posts: 444
    ok ...im officially im officially going to start my regime of getting up earlier ( which prob helps if i go to bed earlier ! ) ....here looking forward to looking like a Panda next week ...but the pay off will be worth it im sure !!

    weird tthing is i can never sleep properly when i know i have to get up earlier ............stop it paul your just making excuses now !!!
    http://www.northcheshireclarion.co.uk/

    Great club in and around the Warrington area.
  • Ghost Donkey
    Ghost Donkey Posts: 914
    I'm terrible in the morning. I discovered a ride to work (or for leisure in your case) and then a shower works wonders for moral. As long as you've had a reasonable amount of sleep you'll feel better than if you had just got up at that time. I used to set off at six, ride nine miles to work, have a shower and a change and be sat down with toast, a banana and a cup of tea at seven when everyone esle started to get there. The only thing I did on company time was clean my teeth.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    I struggle to get up to go to work when I drive, but can quite easily get up an hour earlier to ride in (40 mile round trip commute to/from work I try to do twice a week weather permitting).

    Before I rode to work I found it quite easy to get up at 6am for an early morning ride/run on a Saturday, but still couldn't get up at 7.30am for work!!
  • TheGreatGatsby
    TheGreatGatsby Posts: 818
    Do it you wont regret it. I get up at 3.30 every morning to go for a 20-50 mile ride and its amazing. Wouldnt swap it for the world. The same issue for me though is that I cant comute to work - cos I live there! - and it gets hard durin the day to get out for the length of time I want to ride. So basically I get up early and do my ride there and back and can be showered stretched and fed before I have to start work at about 7.30.

    sounds mad but its well worth it.

    Gats
  • beanzontoast
    beanzontoast Posts: 1,457
    Can't match Gatsby, but I'm up at 5, out for a spin and back home for breakfast every weekday. Then I check my email... and ride to work!
    Edited by beanzontoast looking ever so carefully for mistakes
  • pabloweaver
    pabloweaver Posts: 444
    !!!!! now i feel really lazy looking at some of the time slots people wake up at !

    ok ..im shamed into it more than anything else :oops: i will def do a weeks worth come rain hail or sleet ( considering all of these are standard fare now anyway !! ) to see how it suits me ...if any body sees me asleep in a warrington hedge please remind me to get my sorry backside to work ! :lol:
    http://www.northcheshireclarion.co.uk/

    Great club in and around the Warrington area.
  • Mike Willcox1
    Mike Willcox1 Posts: 311
    Until recently I was up at 4.30. Out on tbe bike at 5.00 and back by 7.00am. Best part of the day. No cars to speak of and funnily enough best of the weather too.
  • jjojjas
    jjojjas Posts: 346
    I cycle to work, but when I had to drive to work a few years ago I used to get up at 5:30 and run for 45 minutes then get a shower & off to work. Did a 13 hour shift also, sometimes 100+ mile from home.
    The only reason I ran was that riding for 45 minutes just wasn't enough at the time, whereas 45 minutes running really took it out of me :lol:
    I get up at 7 now and I'm knackered, but the kids het me up a few times during the night... :cry:
    go forit. as already said, its the best time of day.
    Jas
    it looks a bit steep to me.....
  • barq
    barq Posts: 428
    I sometimes do it, the only problem I find is that because I'm flexi-time my morning rides can end up taking a very long time :wink: which then means I have to stay really late in the office.

    If you do start doing it, preparing everything the night before is useful. Crashing around the house in the small hours looking for some vital piece of kit is no fun and if you live with people they won't thank you for it!
  • Mosschops2
    Mosschops2 Posts: 1,774
    I'm another one who occasionally does a morning cycle. On Wednesdays and Fridays I have no children-related obligations (get dressed / take to nursery), so I try to leave the house at 7.20 ish, and increase the 2.5 mile commute to a 15-20 mile commute, and take a shower at work.

    Only occasionally too lazy or tired to manage this. I struggle with lack of routes (in terms of choice) given that I want to cycle out of town, but still enjoy it come rain or shine when I manage it!
    baby elephants? Any baby elephants here?? Helloo-ooo
  • carlstone
    carlstone Posts: 602
    Yeah, just do it.

    I get all my kit ready at night. Make sure you have all your kit ready for any weather conditions (usually wet weather at the moment :( ).

    I get up, take dog for a walk then head out for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Then get shower at work. I take all my work clothes in on Sunday night (24 hour access at work) which is only 2 miles from home).

    The only problem I find is that when you get out and are feeling good on the bike you don't want to head in and just want to stay out all day :) .

    I'm not a morning person but after 20 minutes I really get into my stride and it energises you for the day ahead (definitely more productive now).

    As I said I get shower at work and then have breakkie.

    I'm a great advert for the governments cycle to work scheme :D
  • chunkytfg
    chunkytfg Posts: 358
    Oh the joy's of shift work.

    In for 7am by bike which is anywhere from 12 to 21 miles depending on at what point i decide to hop on the tube then finished by 2.30pm and again the ride home can be anything from 12 miles upwards depending on how i feel.

    Lat turns mean if i get up at 8 and have brekkie the morning rush is just finishing as i get out and have about 4 - 5 hours to play with.

    And nights means the nature of my job means i can get anything up to 6 hours kip a night menaning i can realisticly have at least 3 days a week that i dont need to go to bed between shifts so have all day to ride if my legs could stand it
    FCN 7

    FCN 4

    if you use irrational measures to measure me, expect me to behave irrationally to measure up
  • Moose11
    Moose11 Posts: 235
    Man this is inspiring me to give it a shot for a week or so as well and see how I do!!! 6am alarm tomorrow morning maybe?

    Thing with me is however, I can go out in the evenings and do have the time so the tought of that keeps putting me off doing the morning ride.
    www.cycleseen.com
  • Naz
    Naz Posts: 353
    It's definitely a great start to the day. If I go out I get up at 5.50am, out of the door by 6 then back home at 7.30 to get ready for work. Usually do a 25 loop from Surbiton to Box Hill and back or 3 laps of Richmond Park.
    Naz

    www.kingstonwheelers.co.uk
  • sloboy
    sloboy Posts: 1,139
    I did it for the first time for ages this morning. It is the best part of the day - often because it has the lightest winds as well as little traffic.

    Obviously you have watch out for fatigue though, you don't get all this extra time for nothing, but for me at least that time in the morning is about the only time I have fully control of my diary !
  • notanotherhill
    notanotherhill Posts: 137
    interesting responses. I generally try to do my training in the mornings as it dosent affect family life (two young kids). Its also a great incentive to give yourself a bit of a push (if i dont get up in the morning I dont get to train sort of thing). Im lucky in that I have access to showers in work and im in a uniformed job which has laundry facilities on site so im not concerned with dragging clothes in and out. Where possible i try to do 40-50 km before work and then the commute home is 16km via the long route or 10km straight if im tired. Its a system that works for me.

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