bbeck

today was my third day commuting by bicycle to work. it is a hilly 9 mile ride one way. it takes about an hour to ride it i have done it in 45 minutes but thats pushing all the way. just thought i would share.

rumrunn6

that's a cool bike. what model?

PHANTZM

awesome! if I didn't have a 31 mile commute one way I would love to cycle in to work.

bbeck

2008 Specialized Sequoia Elite

breadbin

fair play to ya!! keep it up. and yep its sure is a nice bike

how do you manage the shower and stuff? i'm thinking of cycling into college for my last week soon but my face would be like a tomato by the time i get in. its 17 miles each way!! but i'd say it feels fantastic to leave the car at home or whatever transport you used to use

rumrunn6

think long and hard and rack your brain - isn't there a shower somewhere on campus? the gym maybe?

if not you can shower at home to be clean then sweat all you want and do a sink bath of sorts with a washcloth and diluted shampoo. bring a hand towel and complete change of clothes. you can do it, just work the problem.

I like neutrogena shampoo cuz it rinses really well and works as a body wash too. carry that in a small bottle 50/50 water a little goes a long way!

go in wicked early so you can have privacy and get all set up before anyone else shows up. the ride in is always AMAZING. the ride home - a bit less amazing - but when you get home - you will feel so great - take a bath and have a beer! :-)

gotls1

Congrats! Commuting by bike is so much more fun than commuting by car.

bbeck

so far the shower hasnt been a problem. i shower before i leave and take my time on the way in. i wear my bibs and a bright jersey and bring a fresh set of clothes for work. i do the sink bath and a fresh coat of deoderant. i leave my riding clothes in the wharehose to dry during the day. i also have a fan on my desk that helps with the cool down.

the company i work for said if i was to continue to commute by bike they would build a shower when they build the new addition. until then ill do as stated above.

Daspydyr 

That is good people to work for. That is also a great looking Spelzd. Congrats all the way around. I bet by now you are feeling the improved leg strength.

bbeck

yes I am feeling it. i have been riding after work with friends and averaging around 90 miles a week. but i was driving to work then across town to ride my bike. the commuting is letting me get the exercise and my commute at one time. granted it has not been easy to adjust to getting up a hour early in the morning.

jyossarian

Do the multi-mode commute. Drive your bike to somewhere w/ a parking lot around 10 miles (or whatever) from wherever you're going and ride the rest of the way in.

seenoweevil

With you on that! Congrats on the commute and the bike as well! We've had great weather here for several weeks already, and I can feel the strength returning and see my commute times improving every few days!

Neil_B

When I did my 17 mile commute, I showered before I left, cleaned up in the bathroom sink at work, and changed into my normal work attire. Not a big deal.

ChrisO

That's what I do; drive ten miles then pedal ten miles. Much better way to wake up in the morning than a couple cups of coffee.

spthealien

What I do sometimes is get dropped off to work with my bike (wife or public transportation). Then I ride the 20 miles back.

breadbin

great!! it's looking more realistic now there are so many options for commuting these days. i think there are showers and sure if not i can always do the sink thing and again if the 17 miles is too much i can drive halfway. if i stick to my guns though over the summer, 17 miles will be a walk in the park

oh thanks for posting this bbeck and sorry for hijacking and its only an hour earlier think of the good its doing!!

youcoming

I commute whenever I have a chance, luckally we have showers at work and I wear a uniform so all I require to bring is underware and work socks. Oh and my food which is a lot as I work 12 hours and I eat every two - three hours. It's a 43.9k commute or just over 27miles. With lights and stop signs etc. takes me anywhere from 1h50m to 1h35m. Usually longer in as it's pretty much uphill the whole way and typically into a wind, the way home is amazing though I've done the ride home in 1h25m straight time. I admit when working weekends I kinda use this as a short training ride.
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/7483963

adamant

Bback. That's great. My problem is I have to be at work at 7am and I am 12 miles one way. I have to leave early in the dark. I like to try it.

cyclokitty 

Bike commuting is great. Congrats Bbeck. I work from home now and that means most of my rides are errand runs. But when I was commuting the 8 km to and from work, cycling was the best way for me to unwind after a crappy day. Otherwise the back to back crappy job and trip on the subway made Cyclokitty a very angry kitty.

magohn

+1 - My commute TO work (12 mile) ends with a 1.5 mile, almost vertical, climb to my workplace. Im still weak on BIG hills. Especially at 7AM. Therefore, 2-3 times a week, my wife cycles out to my workplace and rides my truck home. I then have my bike at work (I bring it in my truck) and ride the 12 mile back home. The ride home also finishes with a 1 mile hill but its not quite as bad as the hill going to work.

My wife is 180lb lighter than me and doesnt seem to mind the hill... ;-)

It is nice to get home and your daily ride is already done...

bbeck

I have to be in at 7:00 as well. i have front and rear cheap lights on the bike and a cheap headlight on my helmet. i rode all winter after work on the MUP here in nashville it was usually dark when i got there so i got used to riding in the dark quick. its not so bad.

LongT

This may sound hokey but when I used to commute by bike I felt like I was out of work as soon as I got on my bike. When I drive I don't feel like I'm out of work until I get home.

I commuted by bike pretty consistently for about 20 years. Now I work second shift, narrow roads with relatively high traffic volume. Maybe when I was younger I would have braved those roads in the dark but not now.

Congratulations on the start of commuting. Enjoy it!!

Bill

superdex

Congrats! 18mi/day will not only turn you into a beast of a rider, it'll make you all svelte and sh1t. Great job!!

Peter_C

Great work! Call me a 'newb' but for my life, what is a "MUP" please?

I have a goal to make at least one round trip to work by end of summer. It's bout 19 miles one way by freeway...so, I am guessing it will be mid 20s each way by a nice Biking route.

I can only imagine how great you felt achieving this! Bravo!

Pfishingruven

Congrats on the commute!


Multi Use Path...for the non bikers too! They get offended when you just call it a bike path