Commuting - New Commuter, few questions for you long timers.

Hey gang. Fist off, a few months ago while reading the net while rendering at work I came along this "bike to work week" thing, and it sounded interesting. Since then I did some research, got myself a cannondale road warrior 4 and started riding to and from work. Nothing crazy, 16 miles round trip. I'm hooked big time. I am a former junior olympic athlete and this is filling a void ive had for years. Without sounding totally crazy, I honestly feel like I have a new lease on life... from a bike of all things! Anyways, for the past few days I've been reading these boards and looking at the 100+ pages of bikes from the sticky thread and it got me thinking....

1. What's the deal with fenders? It looks as if the most of you have them, I just don't understand why? Is it a weather thing? I live in LA, and just started riding, and I just don't understand what the use for them is. I know its a really dumb question, but this seems to be the best place to ask. Maybe I should have them, if I should, I'd like to know why. That is all.

2. How many of you guys have a massive itch to go cycling on the weekend? I find myself almost sad that its Friday night, on a long weekend, and I wont have to cycle back to work 'till Tuesday. I'm not sure I can wait that long.

3. Since I was younger, I've put on a little weight, not much, but a bit. At this point I'm 6'1" 190lbs. My question is, do you put on weight as in leg muscle, or do you burn fat, or is it something in the middle like I assume?

Anyways, I'm so hooked... your going to have pry this bike off me in 50 years, and it wont be easy!

Fenders keep dust off. I wouldn't use them just for that. I wouldn't have them if I didn't need them. Not that I ride much in the rain, but we have damp roads often in the morning and spray comes up. Big difference And the rare rain I get into just wets the bike, rather than getting it covered in filth.

I cycle any time I want. Usually I'll do a couple of 25 to 60 mile rides a week.

Generally legs get a little larger, but the overall metabolism starts leaning things out everywhere else.

Fenders keep you from getting a big black stripe up your back and your feet getting soaked when it rains. When I commuted in L.A. I didn't have fenders. I just parked a weekly freebie paper in my rack and that seemed to catch enough for L.A.s infrequent rains. Here in Arkansas, I consider them essential.

I personally am mostly a utility cyclist. Not that I don't love riding, but that I do all my errands on bike as well as commuting. It also means that if I want to go ride somewhere, first I have to ride to the start. I did enjoy a number of rides 50-70 miles while training for a century. But other than that, I need motivation to find the time for this extra riding. If you want to ride, ride. Variety is good.

I don't worry about weight. It is where it is. Though riding will tend to make you leaner if you don't start eating more. Hope this helps.

Fenders will help prevent water being splashed up on your backside or spray on your face. However, a important aspect of having fenders is preventing dirty water from reaching you bicycle, specifically your drive train. Whether or not you have fenders could depend on how much it rains where you live. How clean you need to arrive to work.

I consider myself a "lifestyle" cyclists and cycle everyday or 6 out of 7 days. Not mandatory but helpful to have a second bicycle to ride on the weekend to change things up a little. Normally on the weekend my riding is more leisurely down to the coffeeshop or town square, talking to neighbors.

Bicycling everyday as a commuter serves a purpose and at the same time can improve your fitness including losing weight. I would suggest getting a barbell set to do some bench presses, military presses, curls, and do some situps. Even Tour de France cyclists have strong legs and hips but their upper body does not receive any targeted exercise.

6'1 190? You're insulting people (like me -- 6'1, 205) asking questions about weight loss.

double post?! but HOW?!? :)

Here in Oregon, it only rains once a year, but that once is from October to May, so during that time fenders are crucial. I didn't use fenders last summer when I was just getting started, and I'm thinking about taking them off this summer.

I definitely do weekend rides when I have time. I particularly like organized rides. Last month I did a metric century (100kilometers/62 miles), and now I'm trying to get myself in shape for a full century in a couple of weeks. Tomorrow I'm doing the Urban Assault Ride (http://urbanassaultride.com/), which I'm not sure will qualify as an "organized" ride, but will be a lot of fun.

Weight loss is a relative thing and not always good in itself. When I started commuting by bike last year I was 5'9, 235 pounds. Combining a sensible diet plan with biking, I lost 40 pounds in about six months, but looking at myself in the mirror one day I noticed I was starting to develop "old man chest" so I started going to the gym for some upper body work. Since then, I've held steady at 195 )mostly because I relaxed my diet), but I've been getting leaner. I'd like to drop another 20 pounds, but the weight itself isn't the real goal. BTW, I also dropped 40 points of cholesterol in the last year.

Anyway, adding weight in muscle mass and losing weight in fat are both good things, but if you're not losing weight and you want to be, look at what you're eating. As painful as it is to admit, losing weigh usually does require diet and exercise. Either one alone tends not to work well.

1. Fenders are great for rain or riding on wet surfaces. If it's not wet where you ride, I wouldn't worry about it.
2. I ride all the time. I ride to work and back, I ride for fun after work and on the weekends. Cycling isn't a lifestyle - it's life.
3. My legs got bigger and more toned, and as long as I don't eat like a complete pig, the waistline stays within reason. I go to the gym to keep my upper half in shape. Having saggy man-boobs takes away from the effect of having sculpted calves and quads.

Bike commuting is a gateway drug. Resistance is futile.

Don't forget dog feces. Some of my commute is on an MUP, a favorite place for people to walk there dogs. Most never bother to clean up there dogs mess so you inevitably run through a pile here and there no matter how careful you are to avoid or if riding at night you generally never see it at all. Without fenders that "crap" ends up all over the bike, your clothing, your water bottle, and you sparing nothing from the disgusting results.

In terms of weight loss its as easy as counting Calories. If your commuting the amount of calories your burning in a week is going to skyrocket, to make up for that it is very possible your body is going to feel more hungry. Anyways, if your diet is staying pretty much the same then you should lose weight Calories Burnt > Calories Consumed = Weight Loss

You'll probably put some muscle mass in your legs to, but if your burning fat then you will lose more weight then you are gaining in muscle

I've always been athletic and gotten lots of exercise. I've been lifting weights steadily for 2 years. I find that I am hungry a lot from all of the biking (commuting and other rides) and lifting and walking at work. I like to eat when I am hungry (:p), and I enjoy a few suds on the weekends. Hence even though I burn a lot of calories, I eat a lot as well. I have a lot of muscle and don't look like a typical road bike rider. After 40, the calories just don't roll off as well as they used to.

I love to ride on a Saturday or a Sunday. Usually something like 20-50 miles. Today I rolled 33, but stopped in the middle at a little pub and had a beer and a burger. No weight loss there, but a happy camper. I commute anywhere from 2-5 days a week and don't get too compulsive about it. If I feel like it I do, if I don't, I don't.

Once or twice a year I take a bike tour of one to two weeks. Fully self contained. I use fenders. They are light and keep yuk off of you.

I have two bikes. One strictly for commuting and rides with my wife. It has all the lights and bags and gear on it for commuting. My other bike is stripped down more (no rack, lights...skinnier tires), and I use it for my weekend rides and tours (I pull a trailer on tour).

Cycling is a way of life, which you are just finding out. If I lived in LA I would commute year around. I only commute from about April to October. The fog and ice and snow and rain makes it difficult here in the winter. So, I get on the exercise bike in the off months and hit the weights harder. Never let yourself get too far out of shape for cycling in the winter and you will love spring that much more.

3. Since I was younger, I've put on a little weight, not much, but a bit. At this point I'm 6'1" 190lbs. My question is, do you put on weight as in leg muscle, or do you burn fat, or is it something in the middle like I assume?

A little of both. At first fat burns, then muscle builds, depending on your commute and commute style. I ride my commute like a crit. race, an all out, 17 mile haul. If it were shorter and sprinterier (is that a word?) I'd probably be bulking even more. For those who ride longer and more aerobic they're probably building lean muscle. I think I'm building a good combo. Really, my thighs and calves have increased in size, but not by much, but they've become more defined.

My butt has decreased ;)

it aint bragging if ya got it.

Hey gang. . . .

1. What's the deal with fenders? It looks as if the most of you have them, I just don't understand why? Is it a weather thing? I live in LA, and just started riding, and I just don't understand what the use for them is. I know its a really dumb question, but this seems to be the best place to ask. Maybe I should have them, if I should, I'd like to know why. That is all.

Depends where you ride. I live in the Chicago area, I have an "all weather" bike with fenders, and a "dry weather" bike without.


2. How many of you guys have a massive itch to go cycling on the weekend? I find myself almost sad that its Friday night, on a long weekend, and I wont have to cycle back to work 'till Tuesday. I'm not sure I can wait that long.

I ride less on the weekends now than before I started riding to work.


3. Since I was younger, I've put on a little weight, not much, but a bit. At this point I'm 6'1" 190lbs. My question is, do you put on weight as in leg muscle, or do you burn fat, or is it something in the middle like I assume?


I was somewhere in the middle. I only "lost" about 10 lbs. However, my gut went way down. I had to go to a smaller waist size on my pants. My legs are obviously much bigger than they were before. So I have to believe that I lost more than 10 lbs of fat.

1. What's the deal with fenders? It looks as if the most of you have them, I just don't understand why? Is it a weather thing?
Yep. I absolutely hate fenders, but try riding a couple hours a day without them. You will not only put a nice stripe on your back, but you will also find mud and grime oozing through the vents in your helmet. Plus, the fenders also help keep grime off components. I pull 'em off in dry weather.



2. How many of you guys have a massive itch to go cycling on the weekend? I find myself almost sad that its Friday night, on a long weekend, and I wont have to cycle back to work 'till Tuesday. I'm not sure I can wait that long.
That's because commuting is utility cycling and the other stuff is recreational. On weekends you can ride further on the best roads rather than dealing with heavy traffic. The weekend is the best time to bike.


3. Since I was younger, I've put on a little weight, not much, but a bit. At this point I'm 6'1" 190lbs. My question is, do you put on weight as in leg muscle, or do you burn fat, or is it something in the middle like I assume?
I've been active my whole life, so weight loss has never been an issue for me. However, if you ride enough, you will both gain muscle and lose fat if your body needs to.