Ideas for making a commute tougher?
11-03-10, 04:43 PM
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Ideas for making a commute tougher?
Recently I started biking to work, which surprisingly has been working out well for me. It's a 10 mile commute each way, and I've been biking 4 days a week now. It's basically my only source of exercise currently, as I've never really been able to stick to a gym regime.
I've been slowly getting faster and faster on the commute, but, being able to speed through to work may not be the best idea since there's a lot of foot traffic on my bike path and I don't want to be constantly zooming around people at high speeds. Since my bike has panniers on the back that I use to carry my work stuff, I was wondering if it would be a decent idea to load the bike a bit heavier to make for a tougher commute?
Or any other suggestions that would help my commute-style training?
I've been slowly getting faster and faster on the commute, but, being able to speed through to work may not be the best idea since there's a lot of foot traffic on my bike path and I don't want to be constantly zooming around people at high speeds. Since my bike has panniers on the back that I use to carry my work stuff, I was wondering if it would be a decent idea to load the bike a bit heavier to make for a tougher commute?
Or any other suggestions that would help my commute-style training?
11-03-10, 04:54 PM
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Take a different route. Make it longer, ride on the road instead of a "bike path", etc.
11-03-10, 05:22 PM
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That's what I did. I turned my 8 mile MUP commute into a 15 mile road commute, which has more incline as well as longer/straighter stretches than the path. And on the street, if you want more resistance, you can push the speed.
That's what I did. I turned my 8 mile MUP commute into a 15 mile road commute, which has more incline as well as longer/straighter stretches than the path. And on the street, if you want more resistance, you can push the speed.
11-03-10, 09:53 PM
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I ride a high cadence, slower speed, on the way to work at no more than 50-60% effort. On the way home, sprints up the rollling hills, and 2-3 minute repeats at 80-90% effort
11-04-10, 02:11 PM
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Hmm, the idea of doing a high cadence at an easy gear sounds pretty good to me. As you can probably tell, I'm basically completely new to the world of biking. I've just sort've been biking at whatever gear feels comfortable to me without too much stress.
I'll experiment a bit tomorrow on my commute, should definitely be interesting, and definitely sounds like what I'm looking for.
I'll experiment a bit tomorrow on my commute, should definitely be interesting, and definitely sounds like what I'm looking for.
11-05-10, 07:19 AM
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I have a 15 mile commute and to make it harder I started doing it on a single speed. Between the hills and stop and go's at red lights it's quite a workout. I can do it in under an hour.
11-05-10, 09:39 AM
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Hmm, the idea of doing a high cadence at an easy gear sounds pretty good to me. As you can probably tell, I'm basically completely new to the world of biking. I've just sort've been biking at whatever gear feels comfortable to me without too much stress.
I'll experiment a bit tomorrow on my commute, should definitely be interesting, and definitely sounds like what I'm looking for.
I'll experiment a bit tomorrow on my commute, should definitely be interesting, and definitely sounds like what I'm looking for.
11-05-10, 10:36 AM
#8
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How about attaching one of these?
https://www.hoopskills.com/images/pro.../runnchute.jpg
If that's not enough, you can get even bigger ones:
https://www.jumpusa.com/speedchuteboth.jpg
https://www.hoopskills.com/images/pro.../runnchute.jpg
If that's not enough, you can get even bigger ones:
https://www.jumpusa.com/speedchuteboth.jpg
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