Daily commute advice

Sean Rooney said:

Hi guys, thanks to advice on this forum I've bought a CB Urban 400 and done
a few daily commutes (15miles round trip). It's working out really well,
very enjoyable. Now I've got a few Qs for the veterans:

Bought a hybrid, managing 17mph in and 10mph on the way out. It's a gradual
climb on way home What speed should I be aiming for?

Thats up to you. If you are doing it to build fitness then probably you
should push it somewhat.. however much is again up to you. I would tend
to give it about 80% effort if you see what I mean 🙂 Faster than you
really want to go. BUt you dont want to aim for someone elses speeed
you want to put in whats a decent effort for you.

Quoted message said:

Takes 25 mins in and 45mins out, how many calories would that burn,
approximately?

No clue. Brecky?

Quoted message said:

I'm alternating days Mon, Wed and Fri cycle, Tue and Thur take a rest. How
can I build up to 5 days?

When you feel you are stron enough 🙂

Quoted message said:

My bike came with trail tyres. If I replaced these with road tyres would it
affect speed noticeably? Would grip be adversely affected. Would they
puncture more easily?

Yes
and I would think so

Quoted message said:

As the journey is all road, would I be better with a road bike?

Yes

Quoted message said:

Know any good clothing sites - not tight cycling gear, but more loose
fitting?

Autumn looms, how long can I still commute, is Autumn and Winter still OK to
commute

Ask someone else about snow and Ice 🙂 But up till then sure. Just wear
more layers.

Quoted message said:

Thanks in advance.

Welcome

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

Quoted message said:

Hi guys, thanks to advice on this forum I've bought a CB Urban 400 and
done a few daily commutes (15miles round trip). It's working out really
well, very enjoyable. Now I've got a few Qs for the veterans:

Bought a hybrid, managing 17mph in and 10mph on the way out. It's a
gradual climb on way home What speed should I be aiming for?

35mph in, 30mph back again. Well, if you want to do well in the TDF :-)
More seriously, the correct answer is 'the speed you want to go'. As you get
used to it, you should get faster. And obviously the more effort you put in,
the faster you'll go...

Quoted message said:

I'm alternating days Mon, Wed and Fri cycle, Tue and Thur take a rest. How
can I build up to 5 days?

If it's a nice day on Tue or Thur, ride in? 15 miles round trip is quite a
nice distance - it's easily doable as a daily ride. Basically the answer is
'just do it'.

Quoted message said:

My bike came with trail tyres. If I replaced these with road tyres would
it affect speed noticeably? Would grip be adversely affected. Would they
puncture more easily?

Yes, they'll probably help you go faster. No, if anything, grip should be
better. Puncture resistance depends on the tyre.

Quoted message said:

As the journey is all road, would I be better with a road bike?

Depends what you're comfortable on. It'll be faster, but missing things like
mudguards and lights won't help later.

Quoted message said:

Autumn looms, how long can I still commute, is Autumn and Winter still OK
to commute

Year round is fine. Mudguards, lights and some decent wet weather gear are
key here. Just keep going!

FWIW my last regular commute was 10.75 miles each way, and I did this all
year round. Previously I'd done about 5 miles each way, and the step up
wasn't that bad.

Oh - you'll need more food..

cheers,
clive

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

Quoted message said:

Hi guys, thanks to advice on this forum I've bought a CB Urban 400 and
done a few daily commutes (15miles round trip). It's working out really
well, very enjoyable. Now I've got a few Qs for the veterans:

Bought a hybrid, managing 17mph in and 10mph on the way out. It's a
gradual climb on way home What speed should I be aiming for?

Whatever speed you are comfortable at for your level of fitness.

Quoted message said:

Takes 25 mins in and 45mins out, how many calories would that burn,
approximately?

Dunno - depends on your weight.

Quoted message said:

I'm alternating days Mon, Wed and Fri cycle, Tue and Thur take a rest. How
can I build up to 5 days?

Gradually. Do it at your speed. Don't rush yourself.

Quoted message said:

My bike came with trail tyres. If I replaced these with road tyres would
it affect speed noticeably? Would grip be adversely affected. Would they
puncture more easily?

Yes
No
No

Quoted message said:

As the journey is all road, would I be better with a road bike?

Oh yes.

Quoted message said:

Know any good clothing sites - not tight cycling gear, but more loose
fitting?

Loads on the web. www.wiggle.co.uk for a start

Quoted message said:

Autumn looms, how long can I still commute, is Autumn and Winter still OK
to commute

You can commute year round in theory if you are suitable prepared in terms
of self & bike. My teenage son commutes to college & back (13-miles each
way) throughout the year. In the winter, when it's slippy on the roads, he
uses my recumbent trike as it's more stable than an upright.

When I'm cycling, I find I don't mind rain or cold, but I really, really
don't like strong, blustery winds.

Cheers, helen s

Quoted message said:

Thanks in advance.

Cheers, helen s

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Takes 25 mins in and 45mins out, how many calories would that burn,
approximately?

Dunno - depends on your weight.

Calories per Hour will work it out for you
http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.html

"Sean Rooney" wrote

Quoted message said:

Autumn looms, how long can I still commute, is Autumn and Winter still OK
to commute

Thanks in advance.

Some of us think cycling is a year round activity:
http://www.icebike.com/
--
mark

Sean Rooney said:

I'm alternating days Mon, Wed and Fri cycle, Tue and Thur take a rest. How
can I build up to 5 days?

Just do it?

Quoted message said:

My bike came with trail tyres. If I replaced these with road tyres would it
affect speed noticeably? Would grip be adversely affected. Would they
puncture more easily?

1. Yes, very much so.
2. No.
3. Maybe. Get Kevlar-reinforced tyres, keep them properly pumped,
and avoid brakes rubbing on them.

Quoted message said:

As the journey is all road, would I be better with a road bike?

Faster, yes. But I wouldn't consider that worth the sacrifice of
mudguards and panniers. A tourer is nearly-best of both worlds,
or since you're on-road you could go for an audax-type thingey
somewhere between tourer and pure roadie. Do test-ride it first:
roadie or audaxie geometry pushes you towards pedalling faster,
and could make it psychologically very hard to slow down when
you need to - e.g. when wearing waterproofs so you'd sweat
hugely and end up sopping wet if you push hard.

Quoted message said:

Autumn looms, how long can I still commute, is Autumn and Winter still OK to
commute

This is .uk, right? You'll need lights: these days LEDs are ideal.
Otherwise, no problem, though you might very occasionally want to
bail out in snow or heavy fog. And if they go around throwing nasty
chemicals (aka salt) on the roads, bear in mind it corrodes everything,
as well as doing extensive damage to the environment.

--
Nick Kew

Sean Rooney said:

Bought a hybrid, managing 17mph in and 10mph on the way out. It's a gradual
climb on way home What speed should I be aiming for?

Takes 25 mins in and 45mins out, how many calories would that burn,
approximately?

If you're aiming to improve your fitness as well as your times/average
speed, I would invest in a heart rate monitor and then aim to ride at a
constant (or capped) heart rate. For 45 minutes you should be able to
sit at just beneath your anaerobic threshold (approx. 70% of you max
heart rate) which will do your cardio-vascular system the power of good.

Calorie burn is a tough question as your metabolism is different to
everyone else and your weight/mass will cope with speed differently too.
But, broadly, if you're working very hard you can probably get to 20
calories a minute, but sustained honest effort should see you at around 15.

Quoted message said:

I'm alternating days Mon, Wed and Fri cycle, Tue and Thur take a rest. How
can I build up to 5 days?

Just carry on doing what you're doing, you'll get there.

Quoted message said:

My bike came with trail tyres. If I replaced these with road tyres would it
affect speed noticeably? Would grip be adversely affected. Would they
puncture more easily?

As the journey is all road, would I be better with a road bike?

Both questions: that depends. Your journeys will be faster and easier
with slick tyres and a road bike - but as your equipment is more
efficient, paradoxically you'll be faster yet working less hard, so it
might not be doing you more good!

Quoted message said:

Know any good clothing sites - not tight cycling gear, but more loose
fitting?

Autumn looms, how long can I still commute, is Autumn and Winter still OK to
commute

Be prepared. Lights, reflective and bright wind/water proof jackets, you
might want to look into overshoes, too.

in message <[email hidden]>, Sean Rooney

(') said:

Hi guys, thanks to advice on this forum I've bought a CB Urban 400 and
done a few daily commutes (15miles round trip). It's working out really
well, very enjoyable. Now I've got a few Qs for the veterans:

Bought a hybrid, managing 17mph in and 10mph on the way out. It's a
gradual climb on way home What speed should I be aiming for?

One /you/ can sustain. Don't burn your legs at the beginning and have
nothing left at the top. The actual speed you can attain will increase
with your fitness.

Quoted message said:

Takes 25 mins in and 45mins out, how many calories would that burn,
approximately?

Not a clue.

Quoted message said:

I'm alternating days Mon, Wed and Fri cycle, Tue and Thur take a rest.
How can I build up to 5 days?

Just do it. One week with nice weather, take the bike every day.

Quoted message said:

My bike came with trail tyres. If I replaced these with road tyres
would it affect speed noticeably? Would grip be adversely affected.
Would they puncture more easily?

Speed would be improved by a few %, and grip and cornering would be
greatly improved. Knobbly tyres do not grip tarmac at all well - slicks
are much better.

Quoted message said:

As the journey is all road, would I be better with a road bike?

It depends. If you're doing a lot of stop-start in traffic, particularly
with a lot of light controlled junctions, acceleration is more important
than top speed. The acceleration on a hybrid isn't going to be either
better or worse than on a proper road bike with similar gearing. The top
speed on the hybrid will be a bit lower because of the aerodynamics, but
looking around (and particularly behind) is easier because of the more
upright position. A /lighter/ bike is always a good thing, particularly
up hills.

Quoted message said:

Know any good clothing sites - not tight cycling gear, but more loose
fitting?

Try the lycra. I know it looks odd, but it's /way/ more comfortable. Use
the one day a week you don't cycle to take a clean pair of trousers and
four clean shirts in to work, or carry a folded shirt and trousers in a
pannier.

Quoted message said:

Autumn looms, how long can I still commute, is Autumn and Winter still
OK to commute

I commuted every day of the year eight miles each way on the main A6 for
seven years. For winter you need good mudguards, good waterproofs, and
good lighting - ideally a hub dynamo. I enjoyed it, and I'd cheerfully
do it again.

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

Error 1109: There is no message for this error

Sean Rooney <[email hidden]> wrote:

: I'm alternating days Mon, Wed and Fri cycle, Tue and Thur take a rest. How
: can I build up to 5 days?

Vary over the weeks if you want to build up slowly

e.g.

Mon/Wed/Fri
Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri
Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri
Mon/Wed/Fri
Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri
Mon/Wed/Thu/Fri
Mon/Wed/Fri
etc

then full on if you want. There's plenty of other varients but that should give
you an idea.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt
The struggle of people against power is the struggle
of memory against forgetting - Milan Kundera

Just a couple of minor points following from previous posters

Quoted message said:

3. Maybe. Get Kevlar-reinforced tyres, keep them properly pumped,
and avoid brakes rubbing on them.

Good advice.
A pump with a pressure gauge (typically a 'track pump'😉 is a good
investment as low pressure shortens tyre life (and some say makes them
more prone to punctures)

Quoted message said:

Try the lycra. I know it looks odd, but it's /way/ more comfortable.

Use

Quoted message said:

the one day a week you don't cycle to take a clean pair of trousers and
four clean shirts in to work, or carry a folded shirt and trousers in a
pannier.

*roll* up don't fold.

- Don't get hung up on 'the one right way'. You'll soon be really fit
and know your own limitations and reserves. Keep your ears open for
tips of technique which make you a more efficient cyclist.
- Cycling isn't a chore - for many it's a way of life.
- Explore (in daylight) possibly find a cafe for breakfast and longer
trip, or nip out at lunch time to the swimming pool etc On a bike
you're a lot more flexible.

--
PETER FOX Not the same since the bolt company screwed up
[email hidden]
www.eminent.demon.co.uk - Lots for cyclists

Sean Rooney said:

Bought a hybrid, managing 17mph in and 10mph on the way out. It's a gradual
climb on way home What speed should I be aiming for?
Takes 25 mins in and 45mins out, how many calories would that burn,
approximately?

A very interesting thread. I too am doing 15miles each day with an uphill
home route. My time in is generally 31mins and time home now down to 38mins.
The time home started at close to 1hr so fitness does make a big difference.
I have a hub gear which I would not recommend due to unknown/enclosed
state of the gearing.

Quoted message said:

My bike came with trail tyres. If I replaced these with road tyres would it
affect speed noticeably? Would grip be adversely affected. Would they
puncture more easily?

I have Schwalbe Marathon tyres and no puncture for 5 years. Im not sure I
can remember how to fix them. :-)

Quoted message said:

Know any good clothing sites - not tight cycling gear, but more loose
fitting?

I use just LED lights. A pair of quick drying walking trousers. Dont use a
waterproof jacket for 7 months of the year as a little bit of rain is not
a great problem.

stupot said:

I have a hub gear which I would not recommend due to unknown/enclosed
state of the gearing.

enclosed = protected. I would guess that the state
of your gearing is excellent.

Hub gears are notoriously reliable. Jus squirt
some oil (e.g. 3-in-1) though the oil hole
once a year.

BugBear

bugbear said:

Hub gears are notoriously reliable. Jus squirt
some oil (e.g. 3-in-1) though the oil hole
once a year.

Not 3 in 1. It leaves a nasty residue that will gradually accumulate.
Use bog standard motor oil, a few ml left over from when you (or your
neighbour) change oil in the car. Use new, not used.

...d

Sean Rooney said:

Hi guys, thanks to advice on this forum I've bought a CB Urban 400 and done
a few daily commutes (15miles round trip). It's working out really well,
very enjoyable. Now I've got a few Qs for the veterans:

Bought a hybrid, managing 17mph in and 10mph on the way out. It's a gradual
climb on way home What speed should I be aiming for?

Don't aim for a speed - aim for effort. Cycle as hard as you want to
- abd start gently to warm up.

Quoted message said:

Takes 25 mins in and 45mins out, how many calories would that burn,
approximately?

Sorry, can't help

Quoted message said:

I'm alternating days Mon, Wed and Fri cycle, Tue and Thur take a rest. How
can I build up to 5 days?

7ish miles each way - just do it. Cycle a bit more gently on Monday
and you'll feel more like doing it on Tuesday. Once you're up to 5
days comfortably, start pedaling a bit harder.

Quoted message said:

My bike came with trail tyres. If I replaced these with road tyres would it
affect speed noticeably? Would grip be adversely affected. Would they
puncture more easily?

Quicker - assuming that you pump slicks up harder. Better grip - more
rubber in contact with the road (aquaplaning doesn't affect bikes). No
tread for flints to lodge in and work their way into your tyre - could
have fewer punctures.

Quoted message said:

As the journey is all road, would I be better with a road bike?

Consider a tourer - Dawes Horizon / Edinburgh equivalent. Racks,
mudguards, decent brakes.

Quoted message said:

Know any good clothing sites - not tight cycling gear, but more loose
fitting?

Wiggle? Consider cycling gear because it works better than
non-cycling gear, even for 7ish miles.

Quoted message said:

Autumn looms, how long can I still commute, is Autumn and Winter still OK to
commute

If it's icy, how close is your nearest bus route? It's likely to be
cleared. I commuted a round trip of 25 miles all year - but I live in
the relatively warmer south.

Quoted message said:

Thanks in advance.

Hope it helps.

Quoted message said:

Superb advice from everyone, many thanks for taking the time.

Cheers, Seán

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

Quoted message said:

Hi guys, thanks to advice on this forum I've bought a CB Urban 400 and
done a few daily commutes (15miles round trip). It's working out really
well, very enjoyable. Now I've got a few Qs for the veterans:

Bought a hybrid, managing 17mph in and 10mph on the way out. It's a
gradual climb on way home What speed should I be aiming for?

Takes 25 mins in and 45mins out, how many calories would that burn,
approximately?

I'm alternating days Mon, Wed and Fri cycle, Tue and Thur take a rest. How
can I build up to 5 days?

My bike came with trail tyres. If I replaced these with road tyres would
it affect speed noticeably? Would grip be adversely affected. Would they
puncture more easily?

As the journey is all road, would I be better with a road bike?

Know any good clothing sites - not tight cycling gear, but more loose
fitting?

Autumn looms, how long can I still commute, is Autumn and Winter still OK
to commute

Thanks in advance.