Absolutely will do! I took a break today and drove in. I didn't want to, but I don't want to burn myself out too quickly (heeding some sage advice above). It kind of stinks knowing that the truck is parked outside, and it stunk ven more when I had to fill up this morning (with Diesel at $4.25?!?!?!). :)

My legs (quads, specifically) are sore--but not overly so. My back is feeling it a bit too, but I'm sure that's a result of a desk-chair-and-couch-weakened core. I aim to fix that!

Looking forward to Monday!

I'll give you some more advice that I hope you also find sage-y. Don't wimp out too quickly either. I'm not saying that driving today is wimping out too quickly, but don't set a habit of deciding to drive instead of ride just vaguely "sometimes", for the reason of "maybe I should".

I recommend you lay out some concrete goals; how many days per week/month do you want to be riding once you've grown past the initial hump? How long do you want to allow yourself to get to that point? Give yourself a weekly allowance of driving days that ramps down from here to there, and get somebody else to monitor your progress with you and help keep you accountable. If not your wife, I'm sure the nice folks here at BF would be glad to help!

Don't forget to include in your long term expectations some consideration of how you expect to deal with rain, snow, cold, Dr/Dentist appointments, etc, all the things that will definitely come up, and how you will decide whether they demand a special driving day.

Rube, I hear ya, and I've already established most of the things you mention. I plan to drive in only one day a week, at most. I'm hoping that turns into *zero* days rather shortly, and it very well could have been this week except that I'm being smart and listening to my body a bit... I want this to become a way of life for me from this point forward, as much as I can determine that. And like I mentioned, I already miss the ride and am looking forward to Monday! :thumb:

My sentiments exactly! After addiction you'll start asking yourself "why do people sit in traffic their cars?"

Had a great ride this morning! The weather is exceptionally nice and spring-like (for Southern California), and I wore a pure cycling jersey for the first time (good move, as it got warm rather quickly). I took the slightly tougher way in, and just had a great time riding.

I think my next couple of adaptations will be a nice Osprey backpack (I'm getting a little tired of rocking two packs--the Fox hydration and the messenger bag over it) as my current set up is cluttered. I'm also thinking of those Betabrand pants you see advertised here--anyone have any experience with those? I had my Jogalite velcro band slip off my pant leg and I caught the edge of my pants. I suppose any more pant leg and I could have gone down--so, I need a better solution, and for now, I don't want to ride in shorts (don't want to hump too many clothes in).

Anyway, I'm still at it... :thumb:

Nicely done! Keep it up (but keep it fun). :)

I highly recommend racks and panniers. It's nice not to have to carry anything on you and let your bike do it for you.

6.4 miles, 11 MPH average... this according to Strava. Now I have a benchmark... :)

It's definitely geting easier and more fun.

Nice! I keep track of my commute times (sometimes, strava or endomondo or something automatic would be easier); my commute is a little under 6mi, my first entry was 10.59mph.

Last Friday was my first commute for time after a couple months of taking it easy from a back issue; crushed my previous personal best by 2.5min!

There will be ups and downs, but if you track regularly and work at it, you will enjoy a downward trend!

+1 about tracking your rides. I use Endomondo but it really doesn't matter what app. I'm not into trying to best my speeds but it's really satisfying to see accumulated distance and improvements in time. I also enjoy checking in on the "How was your ride today" thread

If you're on a 4-lane road, it's almost ALWAYS best to be farther out in the right lane. That way people MUST change lanes to get around you. And since it's a 4-lane road there's always that left lane there for them to do so. If you hug the right side then people think they have enough room to edge past you in the lane, or by just barely crossing the lane lines, which almost always means they pass too close.

I know it may sound more dangerous, but it really is safer. High-vis clothing helps a bunch, also. I've ridden on plenty of 4 and 5-lane roads around here. When I used to hug the right side, I got people buzzing me and honking all the time. When I'm farther out into the lane, they always change lanes fully.

Patrick, that makes a lot of sense. There is that inner fear of being hit from behind by a careless or distracted driver, so that always had me hugging the right. But I see your point--especially if the driver(s) has another lane option. I think I'll try that. Thanks!

Like I said, wearing high-vis helps (it certainly boosts my confidence), and also having a nice, bright rear light. The Cygolite Hotshot is a great bang for the buck light at $30 or less, and USB rechargeable. Some kind of mirror would probably help your confidence, also. I've been meaning to get one but just haven't yet. It kinda sucks having to turn my head to look back.

Here's a *great* video that demonstrates the effectiveness of both lane position and high-vis clothing.

http://vimeo.com/album/1881848/video/17300276

+1 on High vis
+1 on bright rear light (I've got the hotshot, too)
+1 on mirror.

In my case, I've got a recumbent with a fairly laid-back seat angle. Turning to look is damn near impossible sometimes. I feel quite naked without a mirror...

This is a very inspiring story! Keep going man, you won't regret it and you'll too, be addicted sooner or later! :P

good video, but if I saw more video of what's going on behind me I'd stop commuting!

Good for you, Erwin8r. I've been using my bike as transportation for over 35 years, and I still get a big -- perhaps even inflated -- feeling of accomplishment every time I get somewhere by bike.

Thanks guys! I feel very much the same way (especailly when I get home at night and know that the truck never left garage...).

My biggest dilema now is choosing between the slicked-out MTB or a full-on road bike. :)

You don't have to decide, since you own both. Ride them both on different days. You may find yourself putting fenders on one of them, which will make it your rainy day bike.

You haven't shown us your road bike yet. Come on, get with it.

Ok, but I am shamefully undeserving of this steed (and when I get down to the weight I want, I am going to reward myself by "upgrading" it to the Campy Record stuff I've always wanted on it):

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...r/4e87db9a.jpg

Btw, 6.5 miles, 12.3 MPH average, and knocked a few minutes off my ride this morning--and I took the more hilly route in... :thumb: So, it was 3 days again this week (but 5 days of riding--I rode on Wednesday with the wife and kids after work).

Damn, you have some great bikes. And I assume you earned the money to pay for them honestly, so you do deserve them. I know you're saying you're not an impressive rider, but it really doesn't matter. You're riding and enjoying. That matters.

I tried a saddle just like that on my road bike for a couple weeks, couldn't get used to it. I now have a lower-end Selle Italia that feels much better to me.

Patrick, although I "grew up" on Flite saddles (from the ol' BMX plastic ones, to the one pictured), I find that I am also in that camp-- I now prefer Fizik Gobi saddles and SLR Super Flow saddles (two that seem to fit my bottom best). I want to try a Selle SMP Pro, but they are darned expensive!

Good on ya, mate! As one who first began commuting to work last year, I'd add that just keep on keepin' on and you'll gradually become so accustomed to it that it will become something you look forward to. Most days, anyway!

The other thing I learned is for short commute like yours or mine (mine is about 15 miles round trip, depending on a few variables) I got to the point where I realized with a bit of advance planning that I really didn't need to carry stuff to and fro each day, so I could lose the back pack altogether. Starting out with my typical car commute mindset I didn't realize how natural it was to 'overpack.' Now the only thing I carry is what I'm wearing, plus one water bottle on hot days. Very liberating. Just something to consider trying before automatically adding paniers, racks, and such.

Do you purchase lunch out somewhere every day? Does it not get hot such that you get sweaty? Many of us can't afford buying lunch every day, and most don't have the luxury of a super-temperate climate where sweating doesn't happen on a commute.

I have a quick release seatpost mounted rack that I use for panniers. When I commute, I put it on the bike. When I'm going to for a "fun" ride, I often take it off. I can't really tell the difference between riding with it there and not there.

(So, I wouldn't work too hard to avoid the rack and panniers... :D ).

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LITHrZhbM7...6/IMAG0777.jpg


While it's true that I don't really have a choice and can't wear a backpack, using a rack and panniers is just so much easier.

Cheers,
Charles

Whoa! If my panniers looked like that, I would work pretty hard to avoid them! I don't want to run the risk of being arrested for trying to attract 5 year old girls...

They attach securely, hold a lot, and were cheap.

Did I mention they were cheap? (2 for $20).

Personally, I'd rather spend the money making the bike nicer instead of making the bike look nicer. But, hey, any money you spend helps move the economy along, so spend it how you want. :)

Polka dot panniers? I approve, especially if they were cheap. There's always fabric dye if you felt the need...



But this thread delivers! Really inspiring stuff. I almost wish I was working in the office tomorrow in order to commute in.







...almost...





OP, Don't worry about what you look like on a road bike. I'm a Clyde as well (6'3", 290) and I ride a road bike. Not as beautiful as yours, but to the same effect. I personally think the thought of me on a road bike is like a bear on a tricycle. I must make someone smile :lol:

They're not actually polka-dotted, but have some weird bird icon on them.

http://www.nashbar.com/images/nashba...-NCL-ANGLE.jpg

(It's hard to tell from the pictures, but they aren't as ugly as they seem... :D)