Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Easy pace or 'pushing it'?

Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Easy pace or 'pushing it'?

Old 02-20-14, 01:20 PM
  #1  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 23
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Easy pace or 'pushing it'?

I'm wondering what people in this forum feel about the speed issue on commuting.

I'm noticing that if I leave anywhere too close to 'just in time' I don't enjoy the ride. Yes, it probably increases my fitness and ability to ride farther at a faster pace, but it also increases my stress, as my job requires that I clock in by the start of my shift.

I enjoy the commute much more when I allow sufficient time to ride as I feel, which can be as fast or as slow as I want at ~6 AM on the dark empty MUP and residential streets that make up the short 3.5 mile commute.


Brian

Last edited by Dermbrian; 02-20-14 at 01:45 PM.
Dermbrian is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 01:33 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: SoCal
Posts: 6,517
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 276 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 3 Posts
My commute is about 2 miles so I treat it as a sprint so I can get a better work out
rms13 is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 02:11 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Lancaster, PA, USA
Posts: 1,851

Bikes: 2012 Trek Allant, 2016 Bianchi Volpe Disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I usually average somewhere in between. I don't kill myself and end up exhausted at work, but I also don't take an easy pace. I tend to average 15-17mph over 7 miles with a very large hill in the middle. Flat cruising speed usually 18-20mph.
spivonious is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 02:30 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
NOS88's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,489
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 2 Posts
I'm embarrassed to say this, but my speed depends on how eager I am to get to work on any given day.
__________________
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. - S. Wright
Favorite rides in the stable: Indy Fab CJ Ti - Colnago MXL - S-Works Roubaix - Habanero Team Issue - Jamis Eclipse carbon/831
NOS88 is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 02:45 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 596
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I do a bit of both, depending on the day or on the same commute.

Some commutes I push hard to try to make good time overall. Others I slow down and just enjoy the ride.

I track my commutes on Strava - so sometimes even if I take it easy I may push myself on one short climb to see how I do.

I think a key factor though is if I am pushing it because I want to push it or becuase I have to be in at a particular time for meeting. That later causes stress and I enjoy it less. If I have the luxury of time I enjoy pushing it often knowing that I am only pushing it because I want to, not have to.
mstraus is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 02:56 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
CrankyOne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,403
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 358 Post(s)
Liked 48 Times in 35 Posts
I average about 13 mph, a very comfortable and enjoyable pace for my upright city bike. On really hot or humid days I'll slow down a bit to keep the sweat at bay (or at least minimize it). From a fitness standpoint I don't think there's much difference between pushing it and having an enjoyable no-sweat pace until you get beyond maybe 10 miles each way.
CrankyOne is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 03:13 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 57

Bikes: 2013 Trek 7.2

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I'm pushing it pretty hard (for me, 17mph avg, 20mph cruise) on my 15 mile commute. As with any commute, I want it to be as short as possible!
VinceB is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 03:40 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
FenderTL5's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Nashville TN
Posts: 794

Bikes: Trek 7.3FX, Diamondback Edgewood hybrid, KHS Montana

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have to constantly remind myself, "Don't over do it the first 3 miles"
That said, I average 13.5 - 15 mph on this route every day (depending on wx/wind).

Attached Images
File Type: jpg
Route1.jpg (51.7 KB, 33 views)
FenderTL5 is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 04:36 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
curbtender's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SF Bay Area, East bay
Posts: 8,680

Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball

Mentioned: 52 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1589 Post(s)
Liked 2,486 Times in 1,188 Posts
I've become less eager to ride in different traffic at a new later start time. It's become more like my ride home. Either way, it's time spent on your bike. I still kick it up a notch if I get sidetracked. Being that I'm riding for a workout, some days get more attention then others...


Originally Posted by NOS88
I'm embarrassed to say this, but my speed depends on how eager I am to get to work on any given day.
curbtender is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 04:41 PM
  #10  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 23
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by FenderTL5
I have to constantly remind myself, "Don't over do it the first 3 miles"
I can see why! OTH, I hope that same hill makes for a nice cool-down on the way home. My own ride is more uphill in the morning, downhill at night...and I'm glad about that at the end of a 12+ hour shift.

Brian
Dermbrian is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 04:47 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Jim from Boston's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times in 171 Posts
Originally Posted by Dermbrian
I'm wondering what people in this forum feel about the speed issue on commuting.

I'm noticing that if I leave anywhere too close to 'just in time' I don't enjoy the ride. Yes, it probably increases my fitness and ability to ride farther at a faster pace, but it also increases my stress, as my job requires that I clock in by the start of my shift.

I enjoy the commute much more when I allow sufficient time to ride as I feel, which can be as fast or as slow as I want at ~6 AM on the dark empty MUP and residential streets that make up the short 3.5 mile commute.
I have a year-round 14 mile one-way commute early in the morning, and my commute is my only way to train for longer distances in the nice weather. But it's tough to do intervals that early and dampen my enthusiasm for the commute; and right now it’s still too dark to read my stopwatch. So here’s an alternative I find easier to accomplish:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
…I just use “Rating of Perceived Exertion” (RPE) as my monitor (see below). I consider my usual happy-go-lucky pace is at an RPE of 11 (50 out of 100 on Jim's scale), and … ride most of the commute at a steady 60…
RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION SCALE
Code:
           RPE scale*                              Jim's scale
•	6 - resting                                   10-20 
•	7 - very, very light                            20-30
•	9 - very light                                  30-40  
•	11 - fairly light             50 (usual pace; my 60% Max HR)
•	13 - somewhat hard                              60   
•	15 - hard                                       70
•	17 - very hard (Lactate threshold;     80 (my Max HR)
      breakpoint between hard but steady 
      breathing and labored with gasping)       
•	19 - very, very hard                            90-100
* On RPE scale, 10 times the number is equivalent to heart rate. For cardiovascular effectiveness, one should exercise to ~ 60% of maximal heart rate: Max HR = 226 – age (for women), 220- age (men).

Actually, that above full post is specifically directed towards the benefit of intervals, and how I would monitor them with RPE, rather than a heart rate monitor or power meter. The above abbreviated version describes my usual regimen in prior years. Included in the full post is a reference to an excellent broadcast from a radio talk show that has inspired me to take up intervals when it gets lighter on my commute.

But IMO just riding at a slightly greater RPE I think is more beneficial than just cruising, and more tolerable than "pushing."

Last edited by Jim from Boston; 02-20-14 at 04:58 PM.
Jim from Boston is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 04:50 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Giant Doofus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 1,050
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I always take an easy pace, especially on the way to work. I ride in regular clothes, and don't want to get to work all sweaty. On the way home, I'll sometimes push myself a bit, but usually not. I enjoy looking around at the neighborhoods I ride through.

My commute is just under 6 miles each way. It takes me nearly a half hour each way.
Giant Doofus is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 05:08 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
bhop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 1,894

Bikes: Bianchi Via Nirone 7, Jamis Sputnik

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I'm not a morning person at all, so i'm almost always "cutting it close" which means I usually have to push pretty hard in the mornings. Luckily it's mostly downhill to work. On the uphill ride home, I just cruise.
bhop is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 05:15 PM
  #14  
Pedalin' Erry Day
 
lasauge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Newbury Park, CA
Posts: 1,159
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 752 Post(s)
Liked 363 Times in 195 Posts
I try to gauge my effort so that I move at a decent speed, but I keep my intensity low enough to avoid becoming sweaty - when it's extra cold or extra hot I reduce my exertion a little further for the same reason. Here's how it feels relative to other kinds of riding:

dawdling < slow < general commute/errand riding < riding for fun < riding fast < extra effort on a fast ride < sprint
lasauge is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 05:20 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
Jim from Boston's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times in 171 Posts
As described above:

Originally Posted by lasauge
...dawdling < slow < general commute/errand riding < riding for fun < riding fast < extra effort on a fast ride < sprint [= RPE ]
Jim from Boston is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 05:53 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
PatrickGSR94's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Memphis TN area
Posts: 7,391

Bikes: 2011 Felt Z85 (road/commuter), 2006 Marin Pine Mountain (utility/commuter E-bike), 1995 KHS Alite 1000 (gravel grinder)

Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 676 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 13 Times in 13 Posts
I rarely can average more then 14 MPH on my hilly commute, and it always takes me over an hour. So I'm always pushing it so I can either get to work and have time to clean up (or because I left too late) and also going home so I'm not too late getting home. Even so on days I ride, I'm gone from the house a solid 12 hours (6 AM to 6 PM) which is annoying sometimes.
PatrickGSR94 is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 06:25 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,440
Mentioned: 23 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 863 Post(s)
Liked 234 Times in 136 Posts
Mine is also a short (15-minute) commute, so there aren't too many variables that would make me late if I hit a snag on the way. Regardless, I always leave about an hour early so that, if some whim hits me to take a detour or stop for breakfast, I can still do that with no stress at all.

I think whatever attitude about time prevails in the rest of your life probably just carries over to your bicycle commuting habits. For me, the risk of being late for anything, whether it's work, a lunch date, a movie, anything, produces much more stress than I want to deal with at this stage of my life. Leave early, pedal comfortably, love every minute of the ride.
Papa Tom is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 06:44 PM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
I use the commute as part of my training so some days it's a set of intervals, some days it's tempo, some days it's recovery.
caloso is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 08:57 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
Big Lebowski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 328

Bikes: Trek 9th District, CAAD 10, Crux

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Depends where I am at on my ride. I push it on the busier roads, but catch my breath on the quieter ones.
Big Lebowski is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 09:27 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
 
devianb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 868

Bikes: 2008 Dawes Haymaker 20XX Leader LD515 TotoCycling Road Bike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 28 Times in 18 Posts
I prefer a nice leisurely ride to work. I am not going to use up valuable energy before starting an 8 hour shift. Maybe after I work I might ride a little quicker. If I want to push it and ride fast that is what I have the other bike for. I would rather do that on my time off.
devianb is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 09:52 PM
  #21  
Member
 
scububa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 27

Bikes: Litespeed Classic - DuraAce, Trek 2120 upg w/9-spd Ultegra

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I haven't commuted in a long time. But, I had a ten mile each way commute for a couple of years in Dallas. I would take my office clothes for the week in on Sunday while running other errands and hang them at my desk.
My commute in was mild pace to keep from getting too sweaty. At the end of the day, I'd put my riding shorts on and stuff my days office garb into a bag and I'd bust butt riding home. We lived in an apartment or condo with a pool and I'd ride up and fall into the pool.
scububa is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 10:17 PM
  #22  
vol
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,797
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Liked 18 Times in 12 Posts
One important lesson i learned is that, leaving home early enough is a good safety measure, in that it reduces the chances of accidents due to rushing to catch the light, squeezing past a truck when it's not safe, endangering pedestrians, hitting objects on the road, etc., etc., just in order not to be late. I ride at leisure speed, sometimes really slow (such as these days, to avoid the splashes from the melting snow). When riding in a rush, the mind also can't fully concentrate on the road because of the anxieties--"don't be late" overrides "ride safe".

In short, it's all about safety. There isn't much scenic enjoyment for me on my route
vol is offline  
Old 02-20-14, 10:56 PM
  #23  
Farmer tan
 
f4rrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Burbank, CA
Posts: 7,986

Bikes: Allez, SuperSix Evo

Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2870 Post(s)
Liked 28 Times in 23 Posts
Go easy on the way in to minimize sweat (15mph average, zone 1-2). it's 9 miles with some moderate hills.

Then, depending on how hard I rode during the weekend, either tempo (17mph), recovery (15mph), or traffic intervals (30mph between signals) on the way home.
f4rrest is offline  
Old 02-21-14, 02:10 AM
  #24  
Senior Member
 
wsgts's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Panama City, FL
Posts: 251

Bikes: 2018 Specialized AWOL, 2013 Surly Pacer, 2011 Raleigh One-Way, 1973 Raleigh Super Course, 2020 Surly Big Dummy

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Liked 30 Times in 21 Posts
I try to go easy, doesn't always work....

T
wsgts is offline  
Old 02-21-14, 05:57 AM
  #25  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: WKY
Posts: 730

Bikes: 2014 Trek Crossrip LTD, 2013 Raleigh Misceo

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I find 5 or 10 mins makes a huge difference in the amount of traffic on the road so, I try to leave a bit early.
downwinded is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.