Originally Posted by
CliffordK
Excellent!!!
I have started wondering if there is a bit of an odd effect, that the cyclists that do longer commutes may do better than the cyclists with shorter commutes, even if it means expending the effort over longer distances.
In my case, I get a lot of my riding and overall fitness from commuting.
While I don't typically push real high speeds, it still is a lot of miles, and the overall fitness is certainly getting better with time.
And, of course, those with longer commutes will tend more towards road bikes than the typical commuter bikes.
I'm sure all of this is true, because I get to observe lots of bike commuters here. I've met a few extreme commuters, such as one who rides from Westchester County to Brooklyn. I met him on a trail. He was moving really fast on a road racing bike. He slowed down to ride with me for a few minutes because he was near the end of his ride home, and he was tired.
Then again ... there was something about the 13 mile commute I had at my previous job that seemed to wear me out. Maybe I wasn't approaching it well. I only did it 2 or 3 days a week. My current commute is 6.5 miles each way, and I like it so much better that I do it every day. I'm averaging slightly more miles per week as a result.