Commuting - Well and truly hooked on riding

Well,it finally happened. I rode my usual 17 miles to work today put in my eight hours and then rode the 17 miles back home and kept on going! No, i did not desert my family, i just decided to go for a recreational ride after a long week of work and commuting.
I guess i've been commuting for 2 months now but i've never had the energy to want to go riding after getting home but today was different.The ride isn't hard for me now and i feel really good when i get home so i guess i'm fated to add miles upon miles to my commute to feed my addiction. If there's a 12 step programme for this i don't want to know about it!

:D

Andre-Rans Wave

Andre,

One day (a friday) after work, I decided to take a ride around Stone Mountain after my commute (or as a "final leg" of it.) It added about 10 miles or more with lots of hills.

One thing suprised me: I didn't seem that much more tired after the ride!

I read somewhere that cyclists on long endurance rides don't like to stop for very long. If they do, they get stiff.

I really feel great after my rides now and don't feel that much more tired either when i extend my ride. It really makes it all worthwhile when you can see your level of fitness increasing.

Andre-Rans Wave

Similiar story. I commute once a week. Reason, it is 26 miles to work. A little long. I work 12.5 hour shifts. Usually commute in 2 hours and some odd minutes. Can't ride day shift -have to leave at 3 am.
So when on midnight shift- I leave home at 2:30 pm. Thirteen hours later I come home. Do this once each midnight rotation. Use my heart rate monitor to see how much more of a strain I am under after completing midnight shift. Do this the first midnight rotation of the lot. Only one out of 3 midnghts.
Anyway on a really nice day, sun shining- tired, but feel good;have been known to tack on an extra 5-10 miles to complete some errand. Just because I can not give it up.
Guess if I were a totally dedicated cyclist, I would leave at 3 am to commute, while on day shift?

For my commute i have to leave at 5 am which is one of the reasons that i only do it 3-4x a week.

I can relate!

When I first started commuting the 7 miles to work, it was all I could handle. But, after a while, I started adding little detours to my ride. Then, I got a road bike, and my detours kept getting longer and longer! Now, for my morning commute, I do 27 miles, and 13 for the trip home. I work in an office, so Tuesday through Friday, I have to be to work at the crack of 9, so I have time in the morning for a nice ride! Since I have no lights on my bike, I will probably have to change my routine when we go off daylight savings time.

I don't know of a 12 step program for bikers..maybe a 12 mile program! Add 12 miles to the commute...but then you will want to add more and more, so I guess that won't work either! Oh well, good thing we like to ride! :)

Originally posted by nebill
..Then, I got a road bike, and my detours kept getting longer and longer!..


:cool: Envy, envy, envy.

Hey Bill, Im achin to try a roadbike on for size. I've been commuting on a mountain brick, er, bike and I see other guys (and gals) on road bikes and they look sooooo sleek and fast its tempting as hell to pour all my money into a spankin new road or cyclocross bike. I find I do spend more time on pavement than on dirt and I think I would be able to put a road bike to good use. Plus I'm wondering if the fast look of a road bike is just that, looks, or are they noticeably speedier than there dirt dwelling cousins?

JonT,

It sounds to me like you have convinced yourself! Time to get crackin' and find that road bike! :thumbup:

Hey Jon, the road bikes ain't just for speedie looks! They are fast!

My first bike was a cool little cross trainer, 21 speeds, 700x35 tires, bottle racks...all the neat stuff! I managed to maintain an average speed of 12 mph on my commutes.

Then I got a road bike! My first week my average speed picked up 4 miles per hour! Quite an increase! I have ridden a lot of miles, and my speed has not always been that high, but when the conditions are right, and the body is willing, the road bike rocks! One lady described riding a road bike as a Zen type experience...you get in a zone, and you just go and go and go. And, when I arrive at work, my mood is elevated and I am ready to go! You'd think that the boss would give me a raise for riding my bike!

Originally posted by Jon T.



:cool: Envy, envy, envy.

Hey Bill, Im achin to try a roadbike on for size. I've been commuting on a mountain brick, er, bike and I see other guys (and gals) on road bikes and they look sooooo sleek and fast its tempting as hell to pour all my money into a spankin new road or cyclocross bike. I find I do spend more time on pavement than on dirt and I think I would be able to put a road bike to good use. Plus I'm wondering if the fast look of a road bike is just that, looks, or are they noticeably speedier than there dirt dwelling cousins?

Jon, I have both a road & a mtn. bike. For road riding, the MTB is never even considered unless the road bike is unavailable (in the shop for example).

While the MTB is slower, it's more a matter of feel than anything else. A good example is trying to flick each bike through a right-hand turn at a city intersection at say, over 20MPH. It's doable on the MTB, but it will complain, and you almost have to wrestle it into the turn to pull it off.

On the road bike -- an easy nudge on the handlebars, the bike drops effortlessly into the turn and before you know it it's time to straighten up and go.

This is not to say that road bikes are immune to the laws of physics. If you overdo it, you'll go down! Nevertheless, the responsiveness of a road bike makes it easier to get closer to those limits and it feels a lot better when you do.

Good point, Steve. One of the first things I noticed about my road bike was it's responsiveness. On several occasions for one reason or another, I have suddenly pushed a little harder on the pedals, and felt that the bike was going to jump out from underneath me! As my limited skills have improved, I find that my road bikes are always up to the challenge! A good road bike is an elegant, superior and exciting ride!

I don't care what I ride, I'm just addicted to riding point blank. If I don't get my fix, I start to become irritable.

Originally posted by Chris L
I don't care what I ride, I'm just addicted to riding point blank. If I don't get my fix, I start to become irritable.

Amen, brother!

Two of my three bikes have be decommisioned for repairs during the past week. I have to ride my 1973 3 spd in the mean time. It is not quite as nice as the others, but, man is it a workout. That thing is geared harder than anything I have ever ridden. First gear on the 3 spd is like 12th gear on my 24 spd MTB. But, at least I am getting my riding in.

I got in 220km today, all of it badly needed. It was a very good ride.

I believe Chris L should have the goal of riding to the moon, and returning safely to the Earth.

Originally posted by Pete Clark
I believe Chris L should have the goal of riding to the moon, and returning safely to the Earth.

Now that would just about have to be the ultimate climb!