The easiest commute I will probably ever have

While waiting at a light just after leaving for work, a group of 7 club riders on their weekly recovery ride pulls up behind me. How convenient for me, they were going the same direction for about 60% of my commute. It's been fairly windy this week, so after pushing hard through it for 4 days I did not mind the break. I wish they had been going faster, but then again I didn't want to pull for them. Now I can wake up every Friday exited, hoping to find my gravy train to ride into work

I assume you asked whether it would be OK to draft off them?

I've done similar stuff. I was slogging into the wind a while ago and a club ride came by. I joined the group for a while, then eventually we came to a red light at a busy intersection. It was all very friendly and jovial. I told them I was just getting home from work and they asked how long my commute was. I said, "17 miles... and I'm about 12 miles into it." They said, "You ride that far to work?" I said... well, not every day, but I'm working toward that and they thought it was pretty cool.

commuting + wheelsuck = snot rocket in the face.


True story! I was riding along last winter, and there was a ninja behind me that didn't let me know he was there - I just blew a snot rocket and he freaked. Hit him in the face and splattered. 'Twas a big 'un.

I'm tired of all the commute-racing business. I ride slowly and sedately to work because I don't want to build up a sweat, yet I sometimes see folks going all-out just to pull ahead of me.

All this commute-racing business to me just illustrates guys (mostly) with inflated but fragile egos who are unwilling to really see what they're capable of. Commuting is not a race, and to get self-validation from "winning" a commute is ridiculous. You're just picking the lowest-hanging fruit and telling yourself that you're a better man for it. And this is coming from me - I'm self-admittedly uber-competitive, sometimes to a fault.

If you want to actually race, go ride with people who actually want to race - your local roadies. You'll either find out that you really are the next Lance Armstrong, or much more likely, humbled when you see your real standing amongst guys who actually race road bikes. I highly doubt that any commuter who has never raced a bike in a road race or a triathlon, would be able to even begin to keep up with a mid-level Cat3 road bike racer in in the first 3 minutes of a fast-paced ride.

its always fun to ride with others, makes a boring commute exciting again

There was no racing involved in my story. There were a group of riders out riding. I rode with them for a while. It was a pleasant exchange for all involved. Where do you get "commute-race" out of that? As for all-out riding.... if I don't push myself a bit, I'll never get there. You ride "sedately" for.... how many miles? I'm guessing less than 5.

No, and it wasn't necessary. Casual pace on the MUP, and it was clear they were OK with me riding along. The group passed another commuter later and he joined in for a bit. At any point they could have dropped me or I them.

Re: agarose2000's post...don't be mad at others because you don't want a good workout, wear cotton, and/or can't bother wiping down when you change at work. Me, I'd rather use my 1+ hours to/from work everyday to improve my conditioning. Spare us the remark that commuting distances aren't a good workout...all one has to do is take the scenic route home, and there's something to be said for hitting inclines and headwinds with an extra 20 lbs in tow. Personally, I'll be getting dropped on the weekend club rides in the very near future.

Also, based on your attitude, we can only assume you've got the engine to really use that Dura-Ace of yours.

Sure commuting is not a race - but it doesn't mean going fast isn't fun.

Amen!

Before I moved, I often found myself whizzing along on a nice stretch of road with little traffic and very few lights. Occasionally I would encounter another cyclist on the same route, doing the same thing. Now my commute is lights, lights, lights all the way down, and no really good way to avoid them, so I'm perfecting the art of timing them so I never have to come to a full stop: the options seem to be sprint like a madman or cruise like a yacht, so lately I'm sprinting like a madman. (I don't, of course, sprint through yellow or red lights; that would be both illegal and completely insane; I am, in fact, only moderately insane.) Yes: going fast is fun.

I just happened across a local program described as a 'bikepool' -- our local rideshare/organized carpool organization has apparently decided to try to play matchmaker for Louisville bike commuters.

I signed up and requested a novice commuting buddy, since I'm pretty comfortable on the road. I was thinking it might be nice to have someone to chat with on the ride in, and I might be able to help another budding bike commuter get his or her wings, so to speak.

Now I see the error of my ways. I should've requested not one, but five or so experienced commuting buddies, in order to harness the power of drafting.

Curses, foiled again!

It's a balancing act, do I get up earlier? Do i push a bit harder? i have to get in by a certain time, can I actually crawl out of bed early enough to cruise in, or have I left it late enough that i have to push?

You're so vain, you probably think this post is about you...don't you, don't you?

I'm in the speed-lovin' crowd. It's most of the fun for me. I get no satisfaction from passing other commuting cyclists, but I'll race a car any day.

never ever had that problem/oppurtunity(?) here i'm usually just happy to see anyone else in the road.

Exactly. If you move to within 5miles of work, you get to chill out and enjoy the ride and not stress out about the commute.

Haha, awesome. Calling out people for being pseudo-roadies is pretty presumptuous on its own... and trolly, but whatever. Good thing you're dogging it on your dura-ace cervelo.

I like to hustle it to work... I like to keep my ride under a half-hour. I also work in a shop so I don't care if I'm sweaty when I get there. Sometimes I get up late and have to boot it, other times I'm hungover and it takes longer but it's still good.

agarose2000, i'm so happy for you that you've found your 'comfort gear'. If others find theirs, and it's faster than yours, well, guess what...? They're gonna pass you. Like I will, not because I need some validation, but because I need to work my legs, my lungs, and my heart. Since my job involves getting sweaty, it matters not if I work some up on the ride.

It's funny how you insist on your own uniqueness, yet condemn it in others.

Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.

No skin off your knuckles if you don't want to have a little commuter race, right? I'm sure these pathetic commuter guppies attacking your position might get annoying otherwise! That is, if you did care about such triviality.