For me this is true.

My commute is only 10 miles round trip. The first month or two I'd work hard and get pretty out of breath and my legs would hurt. Ofcourse I was always riding pretty hard as I see the commute as a replacement for driving to "the club" and taking a spinning class. Over time I'd easily be able to ride faster and faster. The legs did get much stronger and for the most part didn't bother me much any time during the Fall or Winter. During the Winter there was much more Wind so that had my lungs working much harder. Spring finally arrived 3 weeks ago... for a while it seemed like Winter would never leave is here in the "frozen" North. For the first week life was easy as the Winter winds appeared to be lessening, the Studded snow tires came off, and I could ride with fewer layers. Now the commute was being coming easy and somewhat boring.

Then I went and bought a road bike... Now I ride the road bike any day the weather looks clear and use the hybrid is there is a chance of rain. I also use the hybrid to bring a few days woth of extra cloths, and extra cans of soda (I have just love my ONE 12oz can of Pepsi at lunch), and any other supplies I may need. When I have the road bike I'll regularly take a long ride in or home adding an other 10 to 15 miles to my commute. So my base commute is getting easier, but I have made it more fun and interesting my adding distance and therefore I just go longer and faster. Just yesterday I had the need to go to one of our satelite offices. What a great excuse to ride an extra 25 miles!

So there you have it. When the commute gets easier, you'll start getting adicted and invariably you'll find more and more reasons to go for a ride. Therefore it doesn't get easier... but you'll be a MUCH stronger rider.

Enjoy the ride,
André

I never said stop because you're sore, I said give yourself a break in the beginning. Build up at first. If you ease into it, give yourself time to heal and recover between workouts, you'll increase your gain more quickly, especially for endurance sports. I know this guy is not training for the marathon, but taking a day off here and there for a couple of weeks just might give him the chance to recover that he hasn't been getting by working those muscles twice daily for weeks on end. Sure, he'll get used to it after a few weeks or months, anybody will. But he'll get used to it more quickly with some recovery in between.

I'm really not talking about overtraining at all - I'm a marathoner, and I'm looking at this from the point of veiw of endurance sports training. Yeah, I know I'm making a big deal out of a 3-mile commute...

Sometimes less is more.

I'm one of those people that now rides centuries and randonees. When I started out I couldn't ride a mile without coasting. And my five mile flat bike commute had me breathless by the end.

IIRC, and its been a long time now, it took about 2 weeks of doing it 5 days a week before it felt "easier". But that was flat. I don't know how steep your "uphill" is but if its significant it may take quite a bit of time before it feels like the hill is easier.

The fact your legs hurt and are continuing to hurt, tells me that its likely that either your bike setup needs to be tweaked (maybe your seat is set too low), and/or you are trying to push too big of a gear. Pick an easier gear and spin the pedals faster instead of spinning the pedals slowly in a hard gear. Also be sure to pick a pace that is comfortable and you can maintain, if you are riding anaerobically (such that you can't carry on a conversation at the pace you are riding) you'll get tired quickly.

What kind of bike are you riding? Hybrid? Mountain bike? Road bike? Smooth tires or knobby tires? Make sure there is plenty of air in your tires, nothing like low air pressure to make a ride feel really sluggish. Also make sure your chain is lubed. Hopefully you have enough gear range to get you up the hill effectively, an old single speed bike would indeed be a challenge.

And it could be your bike that is tiring you out. I can ride 200 km rides, but trying to go more than 5 miles on a heavy upright bike (more wind resistance) with a bouncy seat and sluggish drivetrain has me quite pooched! If you think it may be the bike test ride some at a bike store or try and borrow one for a friend to see if it feels easier for you on the other bike.

And it doesn't hurt to try some weekend rides that are a bit longer, its possible (and particularly if there is a lot of stop and go in your 3 miles) that you don't have long enough to get warmed up to find a groove.

Oh and even though your commute is short, I'd recommend toe clips and straps if you just have plain pedals right now, you can wear any shoes with them (unlike clipless), but they will hold your feet in a good position so they won't slip going uphill - it does make going uphill easier!

Look forward to hearing how it goes!

It will get easier over the first few months - could take 6 months before you think back to the beginning and realize that it's a lot easier than it used to be. Some of that is technique (i.e. doing the right things at the right times), and some of it is conditioning. Then after a few years you'll start to notice that it becomes harder - yep, we all get older! Keep in mind that if you always do the same route you'll get used to that exact level of activity - adding more distance won't be easier, but at least you should adapt quicker to more cycling than if you were still green.

Ok I only read the first post I am short on time.. Are you sure its a "good hurt" vs a "bad hurt" after your 3 mile ride? If your bike isn't adjusted right / right size for you, you could be getting bad hurt. Bad hurt usually effects joints like the knees, ankles, shoulder, elbows and tendons where the muscle attaches to your skeletal structure. What I call "bad hurt" represents damage to your body that can become permanent or reoccuring soreness.

Your body should adapt to the stress after a short time and a month seems pretty long but it can take a while. "Good hurt" is called DOMS by weight lifters and health professionals and stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It represents your muscles breaking down and regrowing stronger. When I took a weight lifting class at college the general feeling was although annoying, DOMS is fine because it ties in to a reaction of your body getting stronger (kind of like how a suntan is supposed to help prevent the sun from hurting you, your body adapts). I found an article on it and it says massaging can reduce the pain by %30:

https://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/doms.htm

Answering a few questions...
--I ride a hybrid bike with flat bars and upright geometry. I have smooth, skinny tires (Schwalbe Marathon).
--Now that you mention it, maybe my seat is too low! I'll mess around with that over my weekend.
--The pain I'm feeling is DOMS, not joint pain.
--The hills are gradual, but the ride home is pretty much a constant climb. I'm not sure how much downhill I have on the way home, but I do know that it can be measured in yards rather than blocks or miles.
--I stretch, hydrate, and eat like a horse. My diet is mostly healthy, except for when my wonderful coworkers bring me fast food.
--I have two panniers with a combined weight of about 7-10lbs. (depending on weather - big temperature change = pack more layers).

This would really do it. If my saddle is for some reason lowered so little as half an inch, my legs start to complain after less than a mile. Riding with a saddle that's too low is sure to cause lots of hurting, and make you really inefficient.

That's good.

Gear down and SPIN. Take it easy. So what if it takes you a little longer to get home?

Hey,

I think you may want a　resting stop. The common symptom for noob quitting runners/jogger is not knowing it is perfectly OK to rest-stop or "walk it." I think the same applies for bike-commuting.

I regularly take rests at stop lights when I get tired. If there is no light, there is always some coke-machines, so I stop for an "Oolong". I used to go for Pepsi, but I am older now.

Tomo

P.S. You know I regularly stop to worship sexy bicycles. I think you can call that rest-stop too.

Took me 6 months to really get used to it everyday, and another 6 before it could come natural.

girljen,

Congratulations on starting. Trust me, you are over the hardest part. Things will get better. Just keep it up!

since you didn't say anything about your fitness level before you started, I'm assuming you didn't take up cycling to work as something to do in between your marathon running. That being said, it will take some time to develop the leg muscles to cycling. How much time depends on your level of fitness, your willingness to work at it, and your general athleticism. Without knowing you, I can't really say. I can talk about my own experience, and maybe you can deduce from that some meaningful info.

I started cycling for exercise seriously after suffering an ankle injury that prevented me from running. I'd been running 20 to 30 miles a week forever (like 25 years or so) on top of the weekly basketball game, twice weekly volleyball league, and other assorted outdoor activities. I used to be an athlete in college, and still weight the same as I did when I graduated. In short, I was relatively fit and used to exertion.

On the first group ride I got shelled, quickly. I went into the red, eyes got crossed, legs ached and my lungs felt like they were coming out my throat. That was maybe 3 miles in to a 30 mile ride. I kept coming out, each week hanging a little longer, each time going a bit more. I also understood that things improve with practice and began to ride more in between the friendly group rides (sarcasm intended).

After about 6 months I began to catch on. After a year I was solidly with the group. Now five years later I ride as fast, as hard, or as long as I feel like and can hang with any of the local guys. My commute is 6.5 miles round trip. I ride between 120 to 250 miles a week, and have for the last five years. Clearly my fitness level doesn't come from riding three miles to work. Yours won't either.

I suggest you pick out several routes that add some daily miles to your riding. Vary them so you don't get bored, match what you do with how you feel (feel tired, go slow and rest, legs hurt from yesterday's effort, go straight home) so that you don't prevent yourself from doing tomorrow's ride. Keep putting in some effort and I promise it will get easier.

Best wishes, and congrats again for riding to work.

Sounds like you're doing everything right, and constant climbs are tough when you're starting out. +1 on Berniebikes post, and the important part is to find some longer rides that fit into your schedule. Consider riding a couple evenings a week or a day on the weekend, go 10+ miles on some flatter terrain to find your groove (crazybikerchick is a wise one).

When I started last year, I found an steady incline near my house and periodically rode up and down it until I get tired. This year I laugh at how puny the grade is compared to riding into the Highlands neighborhood

Keep your morale up Jen. I think your psychology can play a big enough role to slow you down or help you keep going. You're doing fine, it usually takes a month or so before you really start noticing the difference. I would make sure your seat is sitting high enough and you're getting full extension on your rotations. But other than that, just keep chipping away at it. Finishing off a ride with an uphill can be brutal and will definitely help build strength for future hills and easier terrain. Happy Pedaling.

I was going to say that.

girljen, not to sound insulting, but what is your "starting" fitness level? I remember my first bike commute...9 miles, and I thought I was going to die. I didn't think it would be a big deal, since I was a regular runner, to the tune of 3 mile runs several days per week. Hoo boy was I wrong.

If you're starting from your couch, per se...it may be a while.

For right now, don't force it too much. Over that short of a distance, the difference in time between giving the ride all you have and spinning a little easier won't be hugely significant. In time your fitness level and your riding strength will catch up. Then you'll be posting back here about wanting a different and faster bike to keep up with your abilities.

Congratulations on starting. I promise you, it gets better. A lot better. So much better that you'll feel a bit irritated at the days where you have to drive for whatever reason.

Oh, hills are what seperate strong cyclists from the rest. I try then to ignore what some of the really ugly ones are telling me about my own ability.

Sometimes the gradual climbs are the worst. It's very insidious...your eyes perceive a relatively flat road, and your brain can't understand why it's so...hard...to...pedal...

Its been a year and I have gotten better and I always seem to challenge myself so progress seems nonexistant. I ride to work with 35-40 lbs of school books and whatnot. It is a 3 mile commute. The way home didn't get easy until about 5 or 6 months I started biking. If you are not use to hills then it is a real pain in the arse to get use to. Especially if you weight a lot, your bike is more than 35 lbs and you are carrying gear on top of that.

Your biggest problem is right there. A 3 mile ride is very short. You are essentially sprinting every day, which is a lot of short term hard effort and then you stop. Endurance requires more build up with less effort. You wouldn't ride a century the same way you can ride a 3 mile ride. You have to conserve your energy to ensure that you can finish the long ride.

I'd suggest you go for longer rides on the weekend...and even on the weekdays. It sounds like you are taking the most direct route to work and home. Take the short route in and plan a longer route to go home. PM me if you need route suggestions.

Another issue may be clothing. If you are riding in street clothes...jeans, in particular...they can be restricting and energy burning. Lord knows I don't look good in Lycra but I don't wear it for fashion. I wear it because it moves like a second skin and doesn't restrict my legs or make me work harder.

To do a century, by the way, usually takes about 12 weeks of prep time with a progressively longer ride schedule. It's not something that most people decide to do spur of the moment.

Also, stop by in the mountain plains regional forum. It's getting a bit boring in there.

Scanned through the posts and if you are just starting out, I would disagree with those who suggest adding riding on the weekend. When I first started my 15 mil RT commute, I would gradually wear down over the week and would need the weekend to recover. I remember strong "Monday legs." Fridays were pitiful.

After a few years of doing that on a hybrid, I was in better shape, bought a road bike, and soon the commute felt too short and too easy. Took about 3-6 months of group riding to get to where I could hang without suffering.

I now try to ride at least 100 miles per week, but am fine going 150 or 200 miles per week. Did a ride of 70 miles of last weekend and would have been happy doing another 70 if it weren't for the rest of my life interferring with riding.

It will come. Make sure your bike fits and, if you are riding every day to work, take the weekends off this year.

In my first year of cycling my only cycling was my 17mi RT commute. I hiked on weekends which certainly helps cardio. As I pointed out earlier my average speed during this period doubled.

I decided to join a club and found I had no problem riding the same pace for 40-50mi.

Yes - long rides can help build endurance, but it is not the only way. I do think a bit more than 6mi RT will be needed though.

If the pain is only DOMS (vs. joints, tendons, sharp pain) then enjoy it. Seriously - it's good.

Al

+1 on the sexy bike watching.

There's this one particular spot on my route which overlooks a farm and sometimes the cows come up near the fence. There's a large rock, and I stop there every morning to take a drink of water and stretch. Just thirty seconds, you know, but it really makes me feel better. You can do this without even getting off the bike. Just remember to take a minute and breathe, collect yourself (long stoplights are good for that).

Except it does get easier if you choose not to go faster. And if one takes that route, eventually it will be easier to go faster too. Perhaps not out to Greg LeMond's level, but to a pretty reasonable approximation of a transportational biker.

That's a good thing, then. The cause of the DOMS is you working hard. Hybrids usually have triples, giving super-low low gears, so lazily spinning up the hill is always an option. You could also take it easy, coast more.

Paul

+1. One idea is to keep a check on your time/speed this week. Then, in about 3 weeks, check your time/speed again. It will be less. Then try to ride at the speed you did during the first check.

Voila! You are faster and fitter.

All the other stuff about making sure your bike fits you properly, your pedalling speed should be quicker in a lower gear than slower in a higher gear, is also valid. Don't worry, everyone goes thro' this stage. And in about a year, you'll find yourself giving advice to a newbie. In the meantime, get used to this forum. It is full of opinionated ignoramuses who slag each other off at the slightest opportunity. It would be so much better if only they'd realise that I'm right.

Keep at it and good luck

If you are riding in the same wind the rest of us are around here, the level of effort for your 3 mile commute has the feel of a ten mile commute (see thread Wind on the CO Front Range)! That wind is making us all tired! I'm betting, as others have suggested, that your seat is low and that you may be mashing rather than spinning. I would have LBS (Wheat Ridge Cyclery?) look at seat height. I wouldn't think, however, that a complete head-to-toe fit would be necessary for a 3 mile commute.

Stay after it...it will get better. The day will soon come where you'll be unhappy if you have to be off your bike for some reason.

I haven't read all the responses, but ...

1) Make sure your bicycle fits you

2) Start building up your distances. Those of us who do centuries and randonnees didn't do 6 miles a day 4 to 5 days a week, and then all of a sudden went out and rode a century ... we may have started with 6 miles a day, 4-5 days a week, but then we started adding 10% per week to our distances, and gradually built up to longer distances. I predict that the day you cover 12 miles all in one go, your 6 mile commute will really start to seem easier.