How do you warm up for the commute?
12-03-12, 10:41 AM
#26
It's true, man.
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On a perfect day, I drink a glass of water, do 10-15 minutes of prayer/meditation, eat 1 egg, 2 bacon, 1 toast, then 20-30 minutes of full body calisthenics/workout via either the SWorkit Pro or BootCamp apps on my phone.
Most days, it's 5-10 minutes of P/M, oatmeal or fruit and 10-15 minutes of workout.
SWorkit is more stretching with some endurance work, BootCamp is strength-based, higher impact and can incorporate dumbbells.
The trick then is to get suited up for an 11 mile cool/cold weather ride without letting sweat pool up and freeze me the first 4 miles. I have to have things pretty well laid out so I can hit the door fast. But I do feel pretty dang good when I get out of bed in the mornings.
My first couple miles are slightly downgrade, and I usually have some degree of tailwind on the ride to work. I have to pedal pretty hard to stay warm after I already have a sweat going. On days with a headwind, it's out of the North, and much chillier, so I have to pedal harder, but have more chill to overcome.
Most days, it's 5-10 minutes of P/M, oatmeal or fruit and 10-15 minutes of workout.
SWorkit is more stretching with some endurance work, BootCamp is strength-based, higher impact and can incorporate dumbbells.
The trick then is to get suited up for an 11 mile cool/cold weather ride without letting sweat pool up and freeze me the first 4 miles. I have to have things pretty well laid out so I can hit the door fast. But I do feel pretty dang good when I get out of bed in the mornings.
My first couple miles are slightly downgrade, and I usually have some degree of tailwind on the ride to work. I have to pedal pretty hard to stay warm after I already have a sweat going. On days with a headwind, it's out of the North, and much chillier, so I have to pedal harder, but have more chill to overcome.
Last edited by truman; 12-03-12 at 11:16 AM.
12-03-12, 11:03 AM
#27
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My ride in is an easy 4.5 mi and has a total ascent of 147.64 feet. I spin fast and easy for the first couple miles.
Last edited by Notso_fastLane; 12-03-12 at 11:07 AM.
12-03-12, 11:38 AM
#28
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get up, bump the heat in the house (winter clipless shoes in front of the vent), glass of water, take the dog out, shave/wash. put on all my bike gear (including jacket), then shoes last.
i've got about 1/4 mi before a decent hill climb on the way to work. after that i'm good.
(i don't eat or coffee until i get to work)
i've got about 1/4 mi before a decent hill climb on the way to work. after that i'm good.
(i don't eat or coffee until i get to work)
12-03-12, 11:49 AM
#29
incazzare.
I can't imagine needing to warm up for a 20 minute ride. Are you riding at racing speeds or something? I have a 40 minute commute and I don't do anything to warm up, but then, I'm not really pushing the envelope on the ride, either. My suggestion is just take it easy. Your commute IS your warm up--for your day!
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12-03-12, 12:05 PM
#30
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Eat oatmeal, walk the dog.
12-03-12, 12:54 PM
#31
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Creaky joints are often combined with fading short-term memory, natures helpful way of enforcing a warmup:
Pack bags.
Put on coat, shoes, helmet.
Can't find gloves.
Run upstairs to retrieve gloves.
Go out. Lock door.
Check door locked.
Forget phone.
Run upstairs to retrieve phone.
Lock door
Check door locked.
Get bike out.
Forget if I check door locked.
Run back and check door locked. It was.
Now warmed up sufficiently for gentle ride.
On a big day of riding on tour, I find that I get to my max performance after about 4-5 hours of steady riding.
Pack bags.
Put on coat, shoes, helmet.
Can't find gloves.
Run upstairs to retrieve gloves.
Go out. Lock door.
Check door locked.
Forget phone.
Run upstairs to retrieve phone.
Lock door
Check door locked.
Get bike out.
Forget if I check door locked.
Run back and check door locked. It was.
Now warmed up sufficiently for gentle ride.
On a big day of riding on tour, I find that I get to my max performance after about 4-5 hours of steady riding.
12-03-12, 02:41 PM
#32
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I just keep my bike in easier gears and spin the first few miles. That warms me up just fine. My route is very hilly, so my knees start complaining if I go out too fast without spinning at an easy pace for a while.
12-03-12, 03:37 PM
#33
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your commute is too short. can you move further away?
12-04-12, 01:44 AM
#36
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Cold coffee and chicken with a 3 minute steep walk on the treadmill, then ride 7 miles to gym, workout and begin my work day at the gym, repeat the treadmill for the ride home.
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12-04-12, 01:51 AM
#37
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Dont make things more complicated by buying more stuff. If it takes you 15 mins to warm up and then you only have 5 mins of higher speed, then dont go for the higher speed. Just enjoy the ride at a slower pace. If you need to commute for training, then take a longer route, or just go out on weekends.
12-04-12, 02:41 AM
#38
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I start my morning commute with a gentle ride over the first 2 miles to the first traffic light. From there is a half mile sprint, followed by a quick ride the rest of the way. The evening commute starts with a walk from the timeclock to the lockers, then through the factory to my bike, as a warm up. But then my ride home is done at a gentle pace.
12-04-12, 06:13 AM
#39
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I feel the same way on my direct 4½-mile direct route. So I use it only in foul weather. I take a longer 9¼-mile hilly, meandering route much of the time, and other times, a 16¼-mile flat loop that starts by heading 6 miles in the wrong direction.
I warm up by starting out easy for the first few minutes.
12-04-12, 07:08 AM
#40
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I warm up by riding up the little hill in the park, about a mile into my 10 mile commute. I use the rest of the ride to cool down. I know I'm in trouble if I'm already warm when I get to the hill.
12-04-12, 01:30 PM
#41
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Have you tried yoga? I was skeptical at first when a friend recommended it, but I went from barely being able to bend over to pick a pencil up off the floor to being able to touch my toes with straight knees for the first time in decades. Also, the foam roller is totally worth it (hurts like hell at first, though).
+1 I have to remind myself it is a commute so I back off until warmed up then I start riding faster.
Final thought within a mile I have nice little climb that warms me up and has me wondering if I have to much on. althought the descent before makes me wonder if don't have enough on.
12-04-12, 04:29 PM
#42
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The only warm up I do is walk to the bike.
12-05-12, 11:31 AM
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My knees can get a little creaky too in cold weather. Keeping them warm is paramount. I like to take as hot a shower as I can and wear full length pants in temps below 35F. I ride out slowly then pick it up to generate heat. I will probably get some leg/knee warmers so I can wear shorts as much as possible, they're just more comfortable to me. Even with these precautions I feel, on very cold days, that my knees don't really loosen up until I'm nearly at work. Also, for the last few years I've been going to the gym on Saturday mornings to really focus on leg strength/knee healt. It seems to be working, even at 42 my legs have never felt better (losing 20+ pounds didn't hurt either).
12-05-12, 11:59 AM
#44
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I take a hot shower, drink hot coffee. If I did all this stretching and stuff I wouldn't have enough energy left for the 11 miles to work
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12-05-12, 10:12 PM
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12-06-12, 04:28 PM
#46
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So, what stone is that written on?
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12-06-12, 04:34 PM
#47
genec
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This has been my solution forever. When I've done long tours that had me riding 100 mile days, the first 20 miles or so were "warm up" miles for the rest of the day. Slow and easy with lots of stand up "flexing the limbs" while actually on the bike.
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