Commuting - Do you ride hard on your commute or take it easy?

How many of you push yourself hard on your commute and how many make it a leisurly ride. If you alternate what percentage do you do of each?

For me, I seem to push myself hard about 2-3 times per week, and then I take the nice cruise in the other days. The cool part is, my recent cruise speeds are at the level of my old "working hard" speeds.

For me there's not much difference from day to day. I push pretty hard, normally. If I were to slack off, I'd be late by as much as 5-10 minutes. If I pushed hard, I'd come in maybe a minute or two sooner. I do 18-23 MPH normally. I probably average 14 or so MPH because of traffic lights.

I tend to push myself on the way to work. I've even done my own personal time trial on the way to work once. It's a 11.8 mile ride, so it's a good TT length. If I fall in with another rider/commuter I really push harder too. I guess I'm a bit competitive.

On the way home, I probably only push myself 2 out of 5 times. The main reason for that is that I'm usually tired after a full day of work and it's all mostly uphill coming home... and there's usually a head wind. I don't really take it leisurely, but I definitely don't push it everytime.

PBW

I make sure that I enjoy myself. Usually that means pushing things at least a little each day.

If I'm not feeling 100% on some days I ease off rather than feel I have something to prove.

On really nice days I usually take my time if I am not rushed. Do not get me wrong...it is still a good work out. On most other days, I focus on keeping my cadence in a range which keeps my heart in the optimal workout range.

I usually push pretty hard. I tend to have good days and bad days. Some days I can seemingly fly with very little effort required and others I struggle at the smallest hill.

Some days I can pump at max speed and barely raise a sweat (even in Summer!) and other times (in Winter, temp of -5deg C) I break out in a lather of sweat before I'm at the end of the street!

Weird.:(

I live a bit too close to work to make a commute worthwhile, so I go round part of the river. This part of the cycle path is on the leeward side of the largest part of the river, and that is 20-odd K's from the ocean.

The general prevailing sou-westerly winds that whip across the river and slam into the cycle path means that I have to work pretty hard on a commute even if I don't really want to ... Seems that there are only 1 or 2 days a month that there isn't a howling head/cross wind. The trip back I feel like a champion though ...

Usually ride at a leisurely pace in the mornings - half asleep, don't wish to arrive at work drenched in sweat, and push it a bit on the way home - great way to switch off after work. Thought of a hot shower and dinner helps get me home quickly.

I find it difficult to take it easy. If I don't put sustained effort into the cycle then I just want to stop and walk. I've also got this problem with running. Unless I'm with a group if I go too slow I just stop running and walk

I smell the roses on the way in and hammer it out on the way home.

I generally take it pretty easy on my 9 miles in to work. It's dark anyway and just kind a warmup for the day. My rides home range from 16-25 miles and are planned easy or harder rides.

My route is about 6 miles each way with plenty of stops. I generally cruise with a few sprints thrown in to avoid getting crushed by the traffic :p

It has to be hard or it just gets boring, obviously the are some days that I just haven't got what it takes, those days I HAVE to take easy.

I'm basically the Dutch/Danish style of cycle commuter -- city bike with step-thru frame, suit and tie. No desire to arrive at work sweaty. I normally just cruise along, looking like somebody's Dad. Heck, I am somebody's Dad, so why not?

However, I was also on the cross country team years ago. When I spot another cyclist up ahead, I automatically start hammering. Guess I'm just an old war horse.

:)

Paul

i kind of alternate - maybe 1 day a week going really hard, maybe 1 day really easy and then the rest fast but maybe only 80% effort i give in my recreational and training riding. in sumer during training, it also varies as to my schedule ("rest" day after big workout i go SLOW)

i've commuted occaisonally with my HR monitor and was surprised that even my "easy" days i'm still at 135 or so (165LT, 195max, so 82% of LT and 69% of max) --- when i'm riding hard or late for something i often push over my LT in a sprint to make a light or something...

riding full-training pace (within 10 beats of LT) is just too sweaty for commuting as i usually only change and shower at home BEFORE my ride, not after - so major sweating is undesirable. so going home i push more than riding to work.

Full-on baby.

Unless I'm hung over. Then I take it easy.

Incidentally, the morning commute is the perfect cure for hangovers...

I try to take it easy, but I always seem to end up pushing myself.
Still, I am going to try to force myself to go easier on some days in an effort to extend my weekly mileage while commuting. As it is, I don't cycle everyday, and I want to change that.

I usually just enjoy the ride and appreciate the fact it takes me out of the idiotic car.. So much more pleasant this way and a better frame of mind when I get to work...
Since my 428 mile tour in September I am definitely stronger.. I have been getting to work about 15 minutes earlier and not physically noticing the the extra work I am doing.. When I feel great I have found myself pushing it and feeling really good about it.. On a nice sunny day and you want to be outside on the bike, I find myself regretting ending the commute even if the commute is getting home after midnight shift..

I like to vary it. It also depends on traffic - if it's heavy I find it's sometimes easier to go with the flow...

Richard

Ok, I'll be the only one to admit that I totally take it easy... both ways! It's all about reducing VMT's for me! (My ride is only 3 miles, at my slothful pace it takes maybe 5 minutes longer on a bike than in the care).

VMT is lost on me. :confused: Someone slap me upside the head if I should know that acronym.

On the ride in, I tune my speed to the weather conditions and how I am dressed, mostly to avoid working up a sweat. On the ride home, I usually push much harder.

Originally posted by Sailguy
VMT is lost on me. :confused: Someone slap me upside the head if I should know that acronym.
I was lost, too, Sailguy. Now that I think about it, I think it means, "Vehicular Motor Transport."

;)

(I'm sure it wasn't, "von Munchausen's Tales.")

:D

Violent Murderous Transportation?

Valuable Minutes Travelling?

Vacant Moronic Thoughts?

Very Messy Transport?

Very many teletubies.

vehicular mayhem today.

i know you guys are all just joking, but we should give the real answer:

Vehicular Miles Travelled

i.e. miles driven in a motor vehicle

it's a stat that the EPA or census or whatever government agency it is that tracks for cities...

places like Portland Oregon have somewhere in their plan the stated goal to reduce VMT which helps make decisions when deciding between funding roads, transit, bike lanes or pedestrian facilities.

Thanks Nathan, I guess that's the government worker in me talkin'! I ride mostly to reduce my towns Vehicle Miles Traveled, and thus pollution, traffic, flab, road rage (although I don't know if bikes do that for motorists trapped in their cars, I think they get a little twinge of envy seeing us on bikes...)

Thanks for the clarification on the VMTs. I'm just glad the answer wasn't the Teletubie one, that would have scared me. :p

Tonight I'm going to try a spinning class after my commute, so I am taking the nice leisurely pace. Took an additional 5 minutes for me to get into work this morning.