Road Cycling - What time of day do you ride?

Today, I had just about the worst riding experience ever. I woke up at 7:00am, and since I am in high school, and don't work, I decide it is the perfect time to take a bike ride. I end up leaving around 7:30. It was just awful...cold, a ton, ton, ton of cars, and windy! The cars were not nice like they usually are, and they gave me no room, and pushed me into the far right of the bike lane. I almost got run off the road a few times. I get to a "country road" area that I like to go, and get really discouraged because the road was so cracked and bumpy, and I could not ride in the middle of the lane (car lane) because there were so many freakin cars. I always thought the morning was just perfect for biking, but I guess not.

I usually leave the house anywhere from noon to 6:00pm. When do you ride?

It varies, during the week it's about 5:30-6:00am. On the weekend, if riding by myself I will leave my house around 7:00am. I like riding early, where I am it's quiet and there is minimal traffic. It's much more hectic in the afternoon/evening and don't enjoy the ride as much because of it.
I guess it has a lot to do with where you live and the general volume of traffic in your area.

during the week its 5:30am, on weekend most of the group rides start @ 7:30am or 8am. no need to fight traffic or apply sunscreen.

I leave for my ride around noon every day. The only exception is if I'm riding with someone else or doing a group ride (not very often).

5pm for me on MWRF (I leave work at 4.45, and it is a short drive out of the traffic, and onto the open road), and SS depends on what else I have to do and the weather, usually around 9am or around 1pm.

Sunday group ride leaves at 08:00. If I ride during the week, then it's always at about 05:00 for the very reasons you stated - rush-hour. I can get a 60-mile ride in by about 08:00 and not get hammered too hard by the cars since the last 6 miles or so is through residential neighbourhoods and the country roads I hit are less travelled by the rush-hour folks anyway.

For those who ride during the middle of the day ... what do you do, and are they hiring? :D

It was just awful...cold, a ton, ton, ton of cars, and windy! The cars were not nice like they usually are, and they gave me no room, and pushed me into the far right of the bike lane. I almost got run off the road a few times.


I've noticed this! People are very high stress in the morning, and you don't usually realize it if you are a working stiff, because you are on of THEM. But I notice the same thing, if I have the day off and am relaxed, I notice more how people are rushing around, speeding along what are supposed to be 30mph streets near the Galleria, cutting off and being competitive. It's the stress and adrenaline of getting to work on time, and for most Americans that means you better be in your seat by 8:00 a.m. (the magic #) or you get ****.

I noticed this on the drive to my riding spot yesterday when I was trying to get a ride b4 work.

Anytime between 5:30 and 6AM is when i leave. On the way back, i try to take a route that is against traffic and/or not generally traversed. Even then, i got buzzed by a FeDex truck the last two mornings...the guy went so close by, it looked deliberate.

Any later and the commuter car traffic gets too aggravating. Its almost as if they are wishing that you'd rather be in a car, so they dont have the inconvenience of giving you a wide berth etc. Especially in densely populated states.

Anytime I have the chance to!

I ride at 5:30 - 6:00 PM also. Tomorrow I will ride about 100 miles at 8:00AM and it will kill me for the first few miles especially b/c I don't get to sleep before midnight. I cannot do the early morning rides too well though I do commute to work by bike at 8:00 but it's only 5 miles and I take it slow.

I grew up in CT and can vouch for the high stress people at least in the city areas but for the most part I remember people being tollerable of cyclists more so then where I am now anyway. Maybe you should avoid the rush hours and head out around 9:00

I usualy work from 12 noon to 11pm so I ride 7am - 9.30am (about 40 miles) and one day a week I try to ride 60-100 miles. Where I live, early morning is quiet, blus I like the cool weather in the morning.

When I ride before work I'm on my bike at 6:05 to meet my buddy across town at 6:30. We ride hard on the American River Bike Trail until 7:40 or so and I swing back downtown to the office. As you've discovered, the 7-8am hour is incredibly inhospitable on the city streets: drivers are stressed, distracted, and over-caffeinated.

And let me add that when September rolls around, do whatever you can to avoid elementary schools if you ride in the morning. Suzy Soccermom is more likely than Bob Boozehound to send you to the Great Peloton in the Sky.

During the week I ride in the late afternoon / early evening. I get up at 5am to go to work so early morning rides during the week are out.

On the weekends I try to get out by 7am to avoid the rush on the paths. Also, that gets me home early so I can do other things during the day.

During the week I ride in the late afternoon / early evening. I get up at 5am to go to work so early morning rides during the week are out.

On the weekends I try to get out by 7am to avoid the rush on the paths. Also, that gets me home early so I can do other things during the day.


I almost always ride between 5:30am and 7am start time

I usually ride about 6AM and sometimes about 7PM.

weekdays usually around 5:30-6PM, my weekends I ride when I get the chance, no set schedule.

heres my weekly schedule, give or take. I never stick to it for week straight though...


Sunday 9:00 am group 60miles

Monday 6:00 pm 40miles

Tuesday 5:00 pm group 40-50 miles

wednseday 6:00 pm group 40 miles

Thursday 6:00 bridge intervals between GA and SC

Friday 6:00 pm 40 miles

Saturday 1:00 pm usually 55-60 miles


http://img52.exs.cx/img52/8923/Talmadge.jpg

I usually leave the house anywhere from noon to 6:00pm. When do you ride?

Late afternoon, usually starting around 5pm. With my fair skin, I need to avoid the sun, so even on weekends I tend to go kind of late, at least in the summer.

I've tried riding in the early morning (sometimes I do that during heat waves), but it's never felt good, probably just because I'm not used to it.

Rob

workdays, I ride my bike after 6:00 P.M. (summerTime here still a bright day) on my days off, I will ride around 10:00 a.m., if I ride with the boys on weekends I would start from my house around 8:00 a.m. and and be at the start point quarter before Nine, and the group ride start or takes of at 9:00 a.m. go up North of Toronto....

Get up at 06:15 and only go about 10-15 miles. Home by 7:30am and at the office by 8:00am. Weekends (ususally Saturday or Sunday) about the same time, but try for 20-30 miles. I've only been at it for a few weeks.

Any thoughts on riding everyday? I did it for the first time this week and wanted to know if there was any benefit to taking days off or not.

I have a question for everyone who works here...Do you get a ride in before work? Also, what time do you go to bed to get up at 5:30.

I have a question for everyone who works here...Do you get a ride in before work? Also, what time do you go to bed to get up at 5:30.

I do. Call it a pre-work training ride or a commute with a 20 mile detour. If I am going to have a decent ride, I need to be in bed by 10:30.

Anytime I'm awake really. Doesn't matter to me :)

I tend to go riding around 10-11 AM, as I'm still sleeping in late due to a weird work schedule and an overdose of partying. On the weekends, I'll do an early morning ride if I'm not too worn out from the night before.

I work in a high-pressure French restaurant as a captain, so my legs get quite the workout, even if I don't go riding.

workdays, I ride my bike after 6:00 P.M. (summerTime here still a bright day) on my days off, I will ride around 10:00 a.m., if I ride with the boys on weekends I would start from my house around 8:00 a.m. and and be at the start point quarter before Nine, and the group ride start or takes of at 9:00 a.m. go up North of Toronto....
Oscar, Do you do the Donut run?

Me leave the house between 5 or 6AM for work, ride home between 5 to 6PM.
Weekends, could be 4 could be 5 or whenever the Warden drop's her guard and I can blow out of here!!

I have a question for everyone who works here...Do you get a ride in before work? Also, what time do you go to bed to get up at 5:30.
Bed? between 10 to midnight, I get up at 5 normally, if I'm feeling lazy, 5:45...

Always late. I don't go ridin' 'til I've had at least two craps :D (sorry :( )

Even on my days off I don't get out 'til about 3pm