Another commute to work thread....

Herman,

try riding your existing bike to work once or twice (maybe on a
weekend, if you like), since you're not certain about the conditions
on the Taff Trail. If much of the ride is not paved, you might well be
better off riding an MTB than an RB.

If you're existing bike feels fine for the trip, use it. Otherwise,
look around for a more suitable ride. I use an MTB commuting in town,
as the road conditions are poor and many of the roads I use are poorly
cleaned (lots of broken glass). I've never had a puncture on my MTB.
I've had lots of punctures on my RB. The RB would be more efficient to
ride, but punctures are too much of a bother.

If you do get a new bike, consider a commuter bike. Not all road bikes
are easily equipped with racks and fenders. You will want those items
as well as good lighting. Good lighting is very important when riding
in the dark.

Jeff

HermanToothrot said:

I am thinking of commuting to work by bike. As I am getting ensconced in
my 30s, the fat is consolidating! And this must stop.

My commute would entail an approximate 26 mile round trip from
Caerphilly to Cardiff (according to data from Google Earth). My question
is:

Do I need a new bike?

Yes. Irrespective of how many bikes and of what sort they are, there
are always reasons to buy a new one.

Quoted message said:

Currently, I have an old Trek 820 Mountain bike. I've had it around 10
years. It has been a great purchase. When I was in my early 20s, and
going through a (late) Holden Caulfield phase, I used to ride my bike a
lot to make myself feel better. And the Trek has never let me down. But
would I need a Road bike for a daily commute of this distance? The
terrain would be a mixture of road and trail (the Taff Trail to be
precise). I think that a great deal of it is now tarmacked so that
should make things easier. I was thinking of getting an entry level bike
(after 5 minutes of research) like the Trek 1000. Any recommendations?

For reasons already discussed in other threads, a touring bike makes an
ideal commuter - you will want to buy panniers and lights, of course.

Just flicking through the Edinburgh catalogue that dropped through the
door the other day, their Revolution Country looks just the ticket, fo a
mere 399 of your British pounds. Of course, you could spend more if you
wanted to.

Quoted message said:

As for transporting clothing and getting changed - I have a locker and
shower available to me at the office. So I guess I'll cycle in 4 days a
week (eventually after I have built up some stamina!) and take clean
clothes in on the one day that I get the train in.

It depends, of course, on what you wear for work. There are suit
carriers available that clip on to the bike like panniers. On the other
hand, I commuted a similar distance daily, carrying shirt, shoes, chinos
etc every day ordinary panniers. I found that if they were folded
neatly, and the panniers were sufficiently full that the stuff stayed
put, they were perfectly respectable at the other end.

Quoted message said:

Oh - I have another question. Is it true that cycling shortens your
hamstrings? I'm still a keen football player so, if it is true, I guess
I'll have to stretch daily to avoid any related injuries?).

Don't know, but it shortened my belt a good few inches.

"HermanToothrot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am thinking of commuting to work by bike. As I am getting ensconced in my
30s, the fat is consolidating! And this must stop.

My commute would entail an approximate 26 mile round trip from Caerphilly
to Cardiff (according to data from Google Earth). My question is:

Side note : you've got a downhill trip to work, and a decent train home. If
the 26 mile round trip looks a bit much, you've got a decent get-out!

cheers,
clive

Clive George said:

"HermanToothrot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am thinking of commuting to work by bike. As I am getting ensconced
in my 30s, the fat is consolidating! And this must stop.

My commute would entail an approximate 26 mile round trip from
Caerphilly to Cardiff (according to data from Google Earth). My
question is:

Side note : you've got a downhill trip to work, and a decent train home.
If the 26 mile round trip looks a bit much, you've got a decent get-out!

cheers,
clive

That is true. The ride down from Caerphilly to Taffs Well is great!
You've just made me realise that I love that part! I could ride the
trail down there - but it is more fun to ride on the pavement down the side!

Quoted message said:

Herman,

try riding your existing bike to work once or twice (maybe on a
weekend, if you like), since you're not certain about the conditions
on the Taff Trail. If much of the ride is not paved, you might well be
better off riding an MTB than an RB.

If you're existing bike feels fine for the trip, use it. Otherwise,
look around for a more suitable ride. I use an MTB commuting in town,
as the road conditions are poor and many of the roads I use are poorly
cleaned (lots of broken glass). I've never had a puncture on my MTB.
I've had lots of punctures on my RB. The RB would be more efficient to
ride, but punctures are too much of a bother.

If you do get a new bike, consider a commuter bike. Not all road bikes
are easily equipped with racks and fenders. You will want those items
as well as good lighting. Good lighting is very important when riding
in the dark.

Jeff

I'm fairly confident about the conditions. I last rode it 2 years ago
and I don't recall any problems. Plus the trail terminates in Cardiff
Bay - really close to my office so I'm not worried about punctures on
the city side of things.

And, I think, the riding to work thing may well be an April to September
affair.....when the footy season starts I'll relent otherwise I will get
injured.

HermanToothrot said:

I am thinking of commuting to work by bike. As I am getting ensconced in
my 30s, the fat is consolidating! And this must stop.

Quoted message said:

My commute would entail an approximate 26 mile round trip from
Caerphilly to Cardiff

Good shout, that'll burn the pounds off within months. I started cycle
commuting at 29 in early 2000 and have never regretted it.

Quoted message said:

Do I need a new bike?

Currently, I have an old Trek 820 Mountain bike. I've had it around 10
years. It has been a great purchase. When I was in my early 20s, and
going through a (late) Holden Caulfield phase, I used to ride my bike a
lot to make myself feel better. And the Trek has never let me down. But
would I need a Road bike for a daily commute of this distance? The
terrain would be a mixture of road and trail (the Taff Trail to be
precise). I think that a great deal of it is now tarmacked so that
should make things easier. I was thinking of getting an entry level bike
(after 5 minutes of research) like the Trek 1000. Any recommendations?

Tyre type is as important as frame type. If you're already comfy on
the bike, to start off with try it with narrowish road tyres (probably
700 x 28's for a mixture of road and track) before shelling out
hundreds of £££ on a new bike. If you're used to riding knobbly
tyres, you'll be encouraged by the difference moving to road tyres
makes.and will whet your appetite for a new road bike with STI gears,
which will be even better. As said, try it on a weekend first and see
how long it takes you. Within six to nine months you'll probably be
doing it in nearly half the time.

Quoted message said:

As for transporting clothing and getting changed - I have a locker and
shower available to me at the office. So I guess I'll cycle in 4 days a
week (eventually after I have built up some stamina!) and take clean
clothes in on the one day that I get the train in.

Oh - I have another question. Is it true that cycling shortens your
hamstrings? I'm still a keen football player so, if it is true, I guess
I'll have to stretch daily to avoid any related injuries?).

I play 2-3 times a week for at least an hour at a time and havn't
noticed any problems. I don't stretch daily or before riding, just
make sure that I do lots of stretches before footy. Cycling has built
up my stamina lots, I used to be amongst the first to tire but am now
still running at the end of the game when back before bike I faded
after half an hour.

Go for it, you won't regret it. Just make sure you're highly visible
on the road, have a bell for the track, and always assume everybody
else is either a) an idiot, b) a psychopath, or c) both. And
personally, I wouldn't recommend any earphone-based entertainment which
is at the end of the day just another distraction, mixing it with
vehicles requires full attention to be done well and safely. Other
people have different views.

Do let us know how you get on, good luck.

HermanToothrot said:

My commute would entail an approximate 26 mile round trip from
Caerphilly to Cardiff (according to data from Google Earth). My question
is:

Do I need a new bike?

No. Road bikes are better for roads, and mountain bikes for mountains, but
to be honest, the difference isn't that big. There are plenty of people
who ride >50 mile trips on mountain bikes. Unless you're planning on
riding some ludicrous distance, or you need every last yard an hour of
speed, an MTB will be fine. Slick tyres would be a wise investment,
though, as would a pannier or such for carrying stuff (rather than a
backpack).

Quoted message said:

As for transporting clothing and getting changed - I have a locker and
shower available to me at the office. So I guess I'll cycle in 4 days a
week (eventually after I have built up some stamina!) and take clean
clothes in on the one day that I get the train in.

Sounds legit. If your locker's big enough, you could take the train once a
fortnight or whatever. I don't think i'd bother trying to take clothes on
the bike routinely - unless you have an iron at work, there's no good way
to take a jacket or shirt.

tom

--
We start here and head south.

in message <[email hidden]>, HermanToothrot

(') said:

I am thinking of commuting to work by bike. As I am getting ensconced
in my 30s, the fat is consolidating! And this must stop.

My commute would entail an approximate 26 mile round trip from
Caerphilly to Cardiff (according to data from Google Earth). My
question is:

Do I need a new bike?

Currently, I have an old Trek 820 Mountain bike. I've had it around 10
years. It has been a great purchase. When I was in my early 20s, and
going through a (late) Holden Caulfield phase, I used to ride my bike a
lot to make myself feel better. And the Trek has never let me down. But
would I need a Road bike for a daily commute of this distance?

Soft knobbly tyres are exceedingly draggy on tarmac, and a mountain bike
has a more upright and consequently less aerodynamic riding position
than a road bike. Also, if your bike has suspension, this is almost
certainly parasitic on the road, and is costing you energy. On a
mountain bike unmodified, you are going to have difficulty exceeding
12mph average, unless you are very fit.

On the other hand, a pure road race bike isn't very forgiving of less
than perfect surfaces, so if some of your off-road sections are not
tarmacked, a road race bike is not the best choice.

There are essentially two compromises you could aim for. The cheaper one
is to fit slicks to your mountain bike and pump them up hard, and either
lock your suspension (if you have it) or swap suspension forks for rigid
- ideally carbon fibre - ones. This will greatly improve the bikes
performance on tarmac for a total spend of about £40 - £120.

The other is to get something like a cyclo-cross bike, and fit it with
slick tyres. Cyclo-cross bikes are designed for racing off road, but
with drop bars like a road bike. They are tougher and more forgiving
than road bikes while still having good aerodynamics.

Quoted message said:

The
terrain would be a mixture of road and trail (the Taff Trail to be
precise). I think that a great deal of it is now tarmacked so that
should make things easier. I was thinking of getting an entry level
bike (after 5 minutes of research) like the Trek 1000. Any
recommendations?

The Trek is OK if all your off-road section is tarmac. If not, you'll
find it distinctly sketchy on loose surfaces. But we've had bad reports
recently of the wheels fitted to Trek bikes, and it might be better to
look at equivalent models from other manufacturers - there are lots of
good bikes of this class around this price point.

If you have any untarmacked sections, cross bikes you might look at
include

Trek X0-1 (a bit more expensive)
Specialized Tricross

Quoted message said:

As for transporting clothing and getting changed - I have a locker and
shower available to me at the office. So I guess I'll cycle in 4 days a
week (eventually after I have built up some stamina!) and take clean
clothes in on the one day that I get the train in.

Good plan.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; IE 3 is dead, but Netscape 4 still shambles about the earth,
;; wreaking a horrific vengeance upon the living
;; anonymous

Tom Anderson said:

I don't think i'd bother trying to take clothes on
the bike routinely - unless you have an iron at work, there's no good way
to take a jacket or shirt.

Shirts are easy. Lay the shirt flat on the bed, with buttons running
alongside buttonholes down the middle. Fold the left hand side over to
the right, making the fold about 2-3" from the edge of the shirt. Then
fold the sleeve down. Repeat with the RHS. Bring the bottom of the
shirt up to meet the top. Repeat. Now turn through 90° and roll it up.

If the description doesn't help, I need to do one later. I'm sure I can
generate jpegs.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Subscribe to PlusNet <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/referral/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

HermanToothrot said:

I am thinking of commuting to work by bike. As I am getting ensconced in
my 30s, the fat is consolidating! And this must stop.

My commute would entail an approximate 26 mile round trip from Caerphilly
to Cardiff (according to data from Google Earth). My question is:

Do I need a new bike?

Currently, I have an old Trek 820 Mountain bike. I've had it around 10
years. It has been a great purchase.

I used to have a Trek 820, great bike. Some swine stole it.
I toured in Scotland on it. The best thing I ever did with it was put
slick tyres on it. Just go to any decent bike shop and ask for a set of
slicks, and buy a track pump also. Pump the tyres up very hard, and you
will be amazed at the difference it makes, the bike is so much easier to
pedal. Bikes do not need tread on the tyres for road use, or even on most
surfaces like towpaths etc.

ps.
The following will also help the existing bike be comfortable. And you are
more likely to use a comfortable bike. If you are in pain or discomfort
you will ditch the commute.

Change of saddle - I prefer Specialized Body Geometry.
Do not skimp, and spend a decent amount on a saddle.

Bar ends allow you to change hand position and stop strain.

Padded cycling mitts. £2 from Aldi next week. Stop pressure on the nerves
of the hand.

Once you are happy with that, think about some cycling shoes. Shimano make
good ones which look like trainers. BUT they have a stiff sole, which
helps pedalling efficiency, and you don't get sore feet from the pedals
digging in.
The step after that is toeclips, or even better some SPD pedals.

For info, the Trek 820 is a steel framed MTB, no suspension. I thought the
frame was really good, and it does soak up the bumps. Fittings for a rear
rack are there.

HermanToothrot said:

I am thinking of commuting to work by bike. As I am getting ensconced in
my 30s, the fat is consolidating! And this must stop.

My commute would entail an approximate 26 mile round trip from
Caerphilly to Cardiff (according to data from Google Earth).

[...]

Quoted message said:

The terrain would be a mixture of road and trail (the Taff Trail to be
precise). I think that a great deal of it is now tarmacked so that
should make things easier.

That'll be a cracking commute - on the way in, anyway. The drag up to
Caerphilly from Taff's Well will get the fat off if you do it every day
.. . . 🙂 (And as someone else said, there's always the train back if you
don't feel up to it every day)

My recommendation would be to stick slick tyres and a rack on your
current bike, at least until you've decided to stick with the cycle
commute. I like my Schwalbe City Jets. They cope perfectly well with the
surfaces of the Taff Trail, only one bit of which is even moderately
rough these days - and that's only compacted earth with stones poking
out. The journey along the TT along the Taff is just lovely, and that
20 MPH stretch down the hill will be a great way to start the day.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free
people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough."
-- FDR

in message <[email hidden]>, heed

(') said:

If you're already comfy on
the bike, to start off with try it with narrowish road tyres (probably
700 x 28's for a mixture of road and track)

700xanything tyres will not fit on normal mountain bike wheels. The
advice to get narrowish, and slickish, tyres is good, but if it's a
mountain bike (unless a '29er' or an Airnimal Rhino) you need 26" tyres.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
,/| _.--''^``-...___.._.,;
/, \'. _-' ,--,,,--'''
{ \ `_-'' ' /
`;;' ; ; ;
._..--'' ._,,, _..' .;.'
(,_....----''' (,..--''

Quoted message said:

Shirts are easy. Lay the shirt flat on the kitchen table

I've fixed your post.

Quoted message said:

If the description doesn't help, I need to do one later. I'm sure I can
generate jpegs.

Yes please

heed said:

HermanToothrot said:

Currently, I have an old Trek 820 Mountain bike.

Tyre type is as important as frame type. If you're already comfy on the
bike, to start off with try it with narrowish road tyres (probably 700 x
28's for a mixture of road and track)

Oh really?

I'd never have though that 700 x anything tyres were a good choice for a
mountain bike myself, but i live and learn. So, can you Z-fold them like
you can an inner tube?

tom

--
You have to give up

Mark Thompson amended:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Shirts are easy. Lay the shirt flat on the kitchen table

I've fixed your post.

That would be a PITA. I don't have a table in my bedroom, which is
where I keep my clothes.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If the description doesn't help, I need to do one later. I'm sure I can
generate jpegs.

Yes please

Done:
<url:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/cycling/shirt/>

Note how the flash shows up every little crinkle. Perhaps I shouldn't
have used a white shirt.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Subscribe to PlusNet <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/referral/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, HermanToothrot

(') said:

Do I need a new bike?

Soft knobbly tyres are exceedingly draggy on tarmac, and a mountain bike
has a more upright and consequently less aerodynamic riding position
than a road bike. Also, if your bike has suspension, this is almost
certainly parasitic on the road, and is costing you energy. On a
mountain bike unmodified, you are going to have difficulty exceeding
12mph average, unless you are very fit.

I'm not sure about that. Do you mean 12 mph overall average, including
lights and whatnot, or 12 mph average cruising speed? Last time i was on a
ride with a computer along, we were turning in 15 mph without too much
strain, and i was on an unmodified mountain bike - although it did have
semi-slicks and a rigid fork, which you'd perhaps consider a modification
in a moral sense. I certainly wouldn't describe myself as very fit -
probably not even as fit.

Quoted message said:

There are essentially two compromises you could aim for. The cheaper one
is to fit slicks to your mountain bike and pump them up hard, and either
lock your suspension (if you have it) or swap suspension forks for rigid
- ideally carbon fibre - ones. This will greatly improve the bikes
performance on tarmac for a total spend of about £40 - £120.

FWIW, gets my vote. Unfortunately, i think lockouts are only found on more
expensive shocks - the cheap shocks, as found on the mountain bikes which
are most likely to used on-road, don't have it. Happily, our friend here
has rigid forks anyway, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread.

Two questions about forks, though. Firstly, what's so special about carbon
fibre? Is it just that it's light? Secondly, are there geometric
considerations? A bloke in a bike shop recently told me that because
(most) MTBs are designed for suspension forks, which compress under load,
if you fit a rigid fork, which doesn't, the head'll ride higher than it
should. It sounded fishy to me; is it in fact a load of old surstromming?

Quoted message said:

The other is to get something like a cyclo-cross bike, and fit it with
slick tyres. Cyclo-cross bikes are designed for racing off road, but
with drop bars like a road bike. They are tougher and more forgiving
than road bikes while still having good aerodynamics.

So, this toughness thing; when you said ...

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mountain bikes are NOT 'tougher' than other bikes.

Did that 'other bikes' not include road bikes? Or are cyclocrosses even
tougher than MTBs?

tom

--
You have to give up

Danny Colyer said:

Tom Anderson said:

I don't think i'd bother trying to take clothes on the bike routinely -
unless you have an iron at work, there's no good way to take a jacket or
shirt.

Shirts are easy. Lay the shirt flat on the bed, with buttons running
alongside buttonholes down the middle. Fold the left hand side over to
the right, making the fold about 2-3" from the edge of the shirt. Then
fold the sleeve down. Repeat with the RHS. Bring the bottom of the
shirt up to meet the top. Repeat. Now turn through 90° and roll it up.

Does that not make it all creasy? The vertical creases down the sides
aren't too bad, but you've also got four big horizontal folds.

Quoted message said:

If the description doesn't help, I need to do one later. I'm sure I can
generate jpegs.

Wow - that would be impressive folding indeed. 🙂

tom

--
You have to give up

Quoted message said:

That would be a PITA. I don't have a table in my bedroom, which is
where I keep my clothes.

<sigh> but we don't have a 'thing' about bedrooms..

Quoted message said:

Done:
<url:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/cycling/shirt/>

Note how the flash shows up every little crinkle. Perhaps I shouldn't
have used a white shirt.

We'll be charitable and call them mere ripples. Cheers for the photos.