77midget

Hello all,

been forum bouncing for a while looking for resources and tips as I get back into biking. I recently threw off the shackles of my auto-commute in favor of biking to work. I have a 10 mile commute each way, and it is somewhat hilly, but I am getting used to it. It really is a rewarding experience. My primary goal was fitness, as the fuel savings are not that much week over week, but over time they will add up.

I have already noticed a difference over the past 2 weeks of commuting, in that I can attack the hills more, sustain decent mph at my preferred cadence, and am much faster in time, overall.

I had the bike already, so the only real investment I have made was for some clearance sale bags and a rack, along with some bar ends. I now have a rack with some mid sized soft panniers and a trunk bag. This is a big improvement over the backpack that I was using.

My short term goals are improvement on my commute, but long term I want to bring my car-commuting to a minimum and improve oveall fitness.

looking forward to learning more from these boards.

East Hill

Hi 77midget, do you have any photos of your commuter? I know for myself that the money I save bike commuting isn't that much, but it still gets me out in the fresh air, gives me exercise, and gets rid of a lot of stress. What's not to like about all that?

Welcome to BF, and feel free to PM me with any questions !

East Hill
Forum Moderator

Suzie Green

Hey welcome to the forum from another MA biker...I'm in the north central part of the state. Yeah there sure are plenty of hills, actually anywhere west of Rt. 495 but they say the best way to get good at climbing hills is to climb hills!

77midget

I hear that. I am just outside 495. I definitely notice that the hills are making a difference. After a couple weeks, I am starting to be able to power through them a bit better, and my overall speed and time is getting better. Started off doing 48 minutes for the 10 miles each way, and today on the way home, which includes a 2.5 mile steady incline, I did 37 minutes. Once I get a bit stronger, I can start grocery shopping too, as the hills on the way to the grocer make my commute look like flat track.

Suzie Green

Hey cool enough, you're not far from me then. I'm just west of Fitchburg in the Gardner area. If ya see Grandma here bombing down hills on her yellow Cannondale, wave and say hi!

bac

You share the goals of many on this board for sure.

Welcome to BikeForums!

... Brad