HiYoSilver

First of all I need to thank you all for the encouragement and wisdom shared this past year. Today is my 1 year anniversary of cyclo-commuting. Without your advice and help, I would still be driving to work.

Highlights
1. commuted 102 times for just over 1,000 miles.
2. learned to dress for winter
3. learned to equip bike for safe night riding
4. lost 5 lbs
5. have more energy
6. learned to carry less to work
7. fixed too high gearing problem
8. survived 2 flats
9. learned biker jargon
10. bike is over 1/2 paid for by cyclo commuting

Opportunities for growth [ala lowlights]
1. 6.5 mph hill is still sometimes 6.5 mph hill
2. avg speed is plateauing at 13.5 mph
3. laptops are a pain, 1 carry trip, 1 laptop hit the road. The protective case worked that time, but don't want to try again.
4. can't keep cadence above 90 for either one way trip
5. gets harder to just jump on bike in winter
6. still breathing too hard at times


The item that concerns me the most is the speed plateau. I'm afraid with leveling of speeds, there won't be the incentive to keep pushing. It's much harder biking now than it was as a younger guy. I'm no longer in agony after a ride, but then again, I'm also not not noticing the ride. I recover faster, but still notice I'm recoving from the ride.

Anyway, thanks again. And any words of wisdom as I start my second year?

BlazingPedals

First of all, congrats on completing a year. I'm a bit jealous; I used to commute by bike but since I've moved I haven't found a good route. But... they just repaved the road on my normal route, so maybe it'll work...

On to your problem - speed. I've found the biggest factor in my commuting speed was lights, with the bike being the next. Using my hybrid with fenders & lights, 13-14mph was a good speed for me. Often in heavy snow my speed wasn't much more than walking speed. Strike that, in heavy snow my walking speed would have been reduced too! No matter what bike I used, squeezing out more than an extra mph required hitting all the traffic lights right. So don't worry about the speed, unless you're late for work!

Words of wisdom? Yeah, how about giving us some?

FarHorizon

Congrats, HiYo!

With all the progress you've made, my suggestion is to not focus on the lowlights. Just keep pedaling and the speed/breathing/cadence will take care of themselves. If you're really mussed about them, do some weekend riding or add some sprints to the commute.

As to the laptop, get a good basket or rack and then strap the laptop to the carrier. I've put my laptop in a nylon (padded) carrying case and then strapped it onto a rack. So long as you don't let the bike fall over, it's fine. Alternately get a full backpack and put the laptop in there - unless you fall the computer'll be fine.

Respect & kudos for your achievements! Keep on pedaling.

stapfam

The highlights are great so well done for them. The lowlights--weeellll.

That 6.5 mph hill is probably one that none many of us would like to attempt let alone do. 13.5 as an average? pretty good in my book. Not fantastic, but give it time. Laptops-- I use a pannier on the tandem occasionallly and I nearly bought one that would take my laptop. It would have required a new case but the one for this pannier just clipped on. Cadence of 90 is better than when you started, and remember that all of us are different. Lower cadence will give more power so that is probably why you can do the 6.5mph hill. Can understand the winter riding but thats why the wife has a car- so she can drop you at the office. If you are not breathing hard- you are not working hard enough.

No- you are doing allright. I have been riding for 15 years, and I just wish that I could get the determination to get out on the bike more. Look for the improvement to come next summer and you will be wondering why you wrote this thread.

HiYoSilver

I know why I wrote the thread-- so I am less likely to drop off and drive when I should be able to ride many more days this winter. If I know others might ask, I'm more likely to say I just have to do it.

The laptop problem was I goofed by using the bike rack net bungies. The plastic clip broke where it attaches in the hole by the axle. I guess it was stretched too far. Next time, I'll use better bungies, or straps. I've put off getting a pannier, as I dont want to buy one just for the few times I have to use the work laptop.

The 6.5 hill I thought I was making progress on. A few times I cleared it at 10. It's a short but steep hill. It comes out of an underpass and climbs quickly to above road level. Right now I'm blaming it on the rain we had monday, so I didn't ride. [ south denver got snow, we got rain.]

I understand about lower cadence giving more power. I just want the full range of normal cadences. I thought with the full range then I can start working on best gear for the road. Just at times gets frustrating cause what used to take a few months, is taking much longer to get back in condition. I used to ride more miles daily for years. Just a tad different at older age.

13.5 is my average since May. This last quarter it's been jumping around the 14 mark. I figure if I can get in many good days this winter, I'll be better for spring and summer. I do about 16 on the downhill in the evening but only 12 on uphills in the morning.

The timeout for stop lights makes a big difference in one day versus the next, but over 25 days it averages out to not being significant.

Well, thanks again. Interestingly, with the uptick in the price of gas, I'm seeing a lot more commuters on the road.

fat biker

Congratulations! Well done. Now, keep it up.

I have just started bike commuting again, several days/week only. Long story.

Slow? 13.5 average sounds pretty good to me.

Ride Safe,
Jeff, the fat biker

glassman

I think you are doing very well. Keep it up and Good Luck with this year!

berts

"The item that concerns me the most is the speed plateau"
the relation between training effort and performance is logarithmic meaning progress is much more rapid at the beginning of training and levels off as time progresses. this is true for everyone. if you are really interested in increasing speed you will have to go beyond commuting and start interval training.

cyclintom

I wonder why you'd complain about plateauing at 13.5 mph on a commute? You don't even have enough time to warm up properly and if you're feeling tired and needing to recover after you've plainly been pushing harder than you should.

For 5 mile trips average speeds of 12-15 mph on an unloaded bike are common. 6.5 mph hills are just that.

Here's a suggestion - if you want to improve your speed and strength join your local bike club that has a group that you like. If they're a little faster than you it will egg you on.

As for your commute - good work and you'll find a great deal more benefits as time goes on.

HiYoSilver

Logarithmic scalc, ugh, that's like the wind resistance scale, ugh, ugh.

Not warmed up properly, humm that's an interesting concept. I kind of like your suggestion. I think when spring rolls around I'll try to add more riding that just the commute. I expect to log about 30 miles a week during the winter and guess I should add about 20 miles/week in the spring as well on a one day ride. Leaving one day for recovery.

Does that sound about right for a workable plan?

cyclintom

I ride about 5,000 miles a year. I did a tour earlier this year riding up to a mountain Century and then riding back for a total of 5 days averaging 70 miles per day.

I'm just about to turn 61 and have been riding for the last 16 years now. Time flies when you're having fun.

When I started riding I was doing 10 miles a day every day for a year or so. When I started riding with the club I made the mistake of trying to join the fast group. Luckily I soon found that I could (barely) keep up with the moderate group and welcomed the ride with the slow group now and again.

I plateaued again and again. I started racing and got so strong and fast that I was shocked at myself. I remember when I was racing that I came to a hill which used to be an awful grind and realized half way up that I was still in the big ring and didn't notice that it was much of a climb. I'm long past racing now and your strength disappears rather rapidly when you're not pressing as hard as you do when you're racing. But I did 70 miles over the weekend including 3,000 feet of climbing - which means that I got to do 3,000 feet of descending.

I can tell you that every single year I've noticed improvement since I've started. Unfortunately I've noticed that I've lost some here and there as well, but overall my riding is better and more enjoyable every year.

Yesterday I rode up the club ride and no one else showed up. Man! Throw in a little cold air and they run like chickens from a hawk. But I rode up to Mountain Blvd. and climbed over a nasty little rise. That used to be a climb which I had to throw in my complete concentration on. Now I just ride up it. Maybe not fast, but I have no fear of not making it. And now I can TALK to someone on that climb if I'm not trying to keep up with someone faster.

I rode past the Mormon Temple and then went through the Fruitvale neighborhood past million dollar houses that overlooked San Francisco Bay.

Down through the not-million-dollar houses of the flats and into Alameda where I stopped at this really girly coffee shop. They happen to make the BEST scones and so it's worth putting up with the frilly crap around the place. Not to mention they give you Devonshire Cream to put on it. And the ride's effort makes you less guilt ridden about the calories.

Hey, life is good and getting better!

cheeseflavor

I agree with Tom. We just joined a local club this year, and were doing twice weekly rides of 25 and 30 miles. One ride was a faster ride than the other, but both were fun and challenging. Overall, it was a great experience. A good chance to meet other cyclists, many of whom were our age, share our passion for the sport and challenge each other to ride better. I really, really learned a lot this past year because of the experience.

Steve

HiYoSilver

Appreciate the long story. I don't see myself racing, but I can picture the ride down from the temple to alameda. Reminds me of stopping on the way back from the White Elephant sale and hitting a real dive, somewhere in flat part of Oakland. Not spotless, but they had one of the best barbeque's ever.

Participation in fun rides around here is spotty, but come spring I'll look and see if I can find a group to ride with. Thank you for the encouragement.

stapfam

Get the Cornish Clotted cream and Then you will have to put more effort in to get rid of the calories, but the difference in taste is worth it.

One advantage of being a lightweight is that we can take these extra treats out on bike rides. Its either that or a full breakfast.

Diet before a ride is one reason for not doing aswell as expected. Hard Day at the office, and did you have enough Carbs for lunch? Then ride home and run out of energy.