Riding to work will it kill me?
Discussion
Hi Guys,
Hopefully (and very shortly) I’ll be winging my way to Rosyth (scotland for those non the wiser) to start work on a new project.
Im thinking of moving to either the outskirts of Edinburgh or staying in Dunfermline...
Both are nearer the 20 mile each way distance to work, but my question is, is this a ridable distance. (I don’t know the terrain nor the average conditions)
Currently I do 20 / 30 miles every other weekend on my orange but that’s it.
My main motivator is to get rid of the gym pass (saving £50) and get fitter as its a non option to carry on even when aching when cycling to work.
So is doing 40 miles a day in scotland whilst on an intensive project (at times) a killer?
Hopefully (and very shortly) I’ll be winging my way to Rosyth (scotland for those non the wiser) to start work on a new project.
Im thinking of moving to either the outskirts of Edinburgh or staying in Dunfermline...
Both are nearer the 20 mile each way distance to work, but my question is, is this a ridable distance. (I don’t know the terrain nor the average conditions)
Currently I do 20 / 30 miles every other weekend on my orange but that’s it.
My main motivator is to get rid of the gym pass (saving £50) and get fitter as its a non option to carry on even when aching when cycling to work.
So is doing 40 miles a day in scotland whilst on an intensive project (at times) a killer?
CooperS said:
Hi Guys,
Hopefully (and very shortly) I’ll be winging my way to Rosyth (scotland for those non the wiser) to start work on a new project.
Im thinking of moving to either the outskirts of Edinburgh or staying in Dunfermline...
Both are nearer the 20 mile each way distance to work, but my question is, is this a ridable distance. (I don’t know the terrain nor the average conditions)
Currently I do 20 / 30 miles every other weekend on my orange but that’s it.
My main motivator is to get rid of the gym pass (saving £50) and get fitter as its a non option to carry on even when aching when cycling to work.
So is doing 40 miles a day in scotland whilst on an intensive project (at times) a killer?
Once you've got an idea of the terrain and conditions then you'll know. Obvious I know, but you're asking 'how long is piece of string?'. Hopefully (and very shortly) I’ll be winging my way to Rosyth (scotland for those non the wiser) to start work on a new project.
Im thinking of moving to either the outskirts of Edinburgh or staying in Dunfermline...
Both are nearer the 20 mile each way distance to work, but my question is, is this a ridable distance. (I don’t know the terrain nor the average conditions)
Currently I do 20 / 30 miles every other weekend on my orange but that’s it.
My main motivator is to get rid of the gym pass (saving £50) and get fitter as its a non option to carry on even when aching when cycling to work.
So is doing 40 miles a day in scotland whilst on an intensive project (at times) a killer?
However, get a roadbike for that distance. As a recent convert from lightweight hardtail with thin slicks who thought I went fast, moving to a road bike is faster and easier.
You might want to think about building up the distance. Drive part way then cycle? Or cycle/drive on alternate days. Or train in, cycle home.
It's a doo-able distance, and you'll build up to it quickly if you've got some fitness there already. To be honest, once you've got bitten by the commute-by-bike bug, you'll be cycling in all sorts of weather and have a smug feel about it too!!!!
Getting the correct gear (as in clothes etc) helps a lot.
Best of luck.
hondafanatic said:
CooperS said:
Hi Guys,
Hopefully (and very shortly) I’ll be winging my way to Rosyth (scotland for those non the wiser) to start work on a new project.
Im thinking of moving to either the outskirts of Edinburgh or staying in Dunfermline...
Both are nearer the 20 mile each way distance to work, but my question is, is this a ridable distance. (I don’t know the terrain nor the average conditions)
Currently I do 20 / 30 miles every other weekend on my orange but that’s it.
My main motivator is to get rid of the gym pass (saving £50) and get fitter as its a non option to carry on even when aching when cycling to work.
So is doing 40 miles a day in scotland whilst on an intensive project (at times) a killer?
Once you've got an idea of the terrain and conditions then you'll know. Obvious I know, but you're asking 'how long is piece of string?'. Hopefully (and very shortly) I’ll be winging my way to Rosyth (scotland for those non the wiser) to start work on a new project.
Im thinking of moving to either the outskirts of Edinburgh or staying in Dunfermline...
Both are nearer the 20 mile each way distance to work, but my question is, is this a ridable distance. (I don’t know the terrain nor the average conditions)
Currently I do 20 / 30 miles every other weekend on my orange but that’s it.
My main motivator is to get rid of the gym pass (saving £50) and get fitter as its a non option to carry on even when aching when cycling to work.
So is doing 40 miles a day in scotland whilst on an intensive project (at times) a killer?
However, get a roadbike for that distance. As a recent convert from lightweight hardtail with thin slicks who thought I went fast, moving to a road bike is faster and easier.
You might want to think about building up the distance. Drive part way then cycle? Or cycle/drive on alternate days. Or train in, cycle home.
It's a doo-able distance, and you'll build up to it quickly if you've got some fitness there already. To be honest, once you've got bitten by the commute-by-bike bug, you'll be cycling in all sorts of weather and have a smug feel about it too!!!!
Getting the correct gear (as in clothes etc) helps a lot.
Best of luck.
TBH I’ve got alot of the weather gear already. I use to night cycle (back in winter 2007 - summer 2008) a few times a week. So have indulged myself with lupine lights, proper bibs and shorts / leggings already.
The bike is a bone of contention atm.
Girlfriend thinks a hybrid boadman bike is a good idea. Only £650, can put bags on it fairly easily and in black you can leave it most places without it being nicked from under you as you pull up to the lights.
I on the other hand was thinking road bike (with a more relaxed frame i.e. spec allez) with tri bars on it so I can lay down and just ride through the road.
As you pointed out I don’t know the terrain so need to assess it for myself.
I suppose best way of describing my fitness is that if you said hey lets go on a 40 mile round trip on the roads I wouldn’t think about it and just do it.. but do it everyday without fail and without choice of stopping cause I don’t feel up for doing any more is daunting.
What do you feel would be the best bike for me, if I wanted a bike i could ride to work/ pick up the shopping but something I could go out on possibly on the weekend is there anything which crosses over? (Btw if you say get a two grands worth of wilier or something just a silly don’t worry all ideas welcome
)Get onto www.mapmyride.com and plot your expected route to work, then look at the route profile. That should give you a decent idea of how tough the ride will be. I'd also check the prevailing winds - it can be a right bugger if you're cycling into a headwind every morning!
As for building into it, are there any intermediate train stations or anything like that, so you could bail out if need be? I used to run part of my commute to work in London a few years ago - I'd get the train halfway and then run the rest, showering at work.
Bike choices - either a hybrid with some skinny tyres on it or preferably a tourer road bike. I always prefer to wear a rucksack than panniers (I suspect that's due to my mtb background) so rack fitting is not important to me.
As for building into it, are there any intermediate train stations or anything like that, so you could bail out if need be? I used to run part of my commute to work in London a few years ago - I'd get the train halfway and then run the rest, showering at work.
Bike choices - either a hybrid with some skinny tyres on it or preferably a tourer road bike. I always prefer to wear a rucksack than panniers (I suspect that's due to my mtb background) so rack fitting is not important to me.
CooperS said:
hondafanatic said:
CooperS said:
Hi Guys,
Hopefully (and very shortly) I’ll be winging my way to Rosyth (scotland for those non the wiser) to start work on a new project.
Im thinking of moving to either the outskirts of Edinburgh or staying in Dunfermline...
Both are nearer the 20 mile each way distance to work, but my question is, is this a ridable distance. (I don’t know the terrain nor the average conditions)
Currently I do 20 / 30 miles every other weekend on my orange but that’s it.
My main motivator is to get rid of the gym pass (saving £50) and get fitter as its a non option to carry on even when aching when cycling to work.
So is doing 40 miles a day in scotland whilst on an intensive project (at times) a killer?
Once you've got an idea of the terrain and conditions then you'll know. Obvious I know, but you're asking 'how long is piece of string?'. Hopefully (and very shortly) I’ll be winging my way to Rosyth (scotland for those non the wiser) to start work on a new project.
Im thinking of moving to either the outskirts of Edinburgh or staying in Dunfermline...
Both are nearer the 20 mile each way distance to work, but my question is, is this a ridable distance. (I don’t know the terrain nor the average conditions)
Currently I do 20 / 30 miles every other weekend on my orange but that’s it.
My main motivator is to get rid of the gym pass (saving £50) and get fitter as its a non option to carry on even when aching when cycling to work.
So is doing 40 miles a day in scotland whilst on an intensive project (at times) a killer?
However, get a roadbike for that distance. As a recent convert from lightweight hardtail with thin slicks who thought I went fast, moving to a road bike is faster and easier.
You might want to think about building up the distance. Drive part way then cycle? Or cycle/drive on alternate days. Or train in, cycle home.
It's a doo-able distance, and you'll build up to it quickly if you've got some fitness there already. To be honest, once you've got bitten by the commute-by-bike bug, you'll be cycling in all sorts of weather and have a smug feel about it too!!!!
Getting the correct gear (as in clothes etc) helps a lot.
Best of luck.
TBH I’ve got alot of the weather gear already. I use to night cycle (back in winter 2007 - summer 2008) a few times a week. So have indulged myself with lupine lights, proper bibs and shorts / leggings already.
The bike is a bone of contention atm.
Girlfriend thinks a hybrid boadman bike is a good idea. Only £650, can put bags on it fairly easily and in black you can leave it most places without it being nicked from under you as you pull up to the lights.
I on the other hand was thinking road bike (with a more relaxed frame i.e. spec allez) with tri bars on it so I can lay down and just ride through the road.
As you pointed out I don’t know the terrain so need to assess it for myself.
I suppose best way of describing my fitness is that if you said hey lets go on a 40 mile round trip on the roads I wouldn’t think about it and just do it.. but do it everyday without fail and without choice of stopping cause I don’t feel up for doing any more is daunting.
What do you feel would be the best bike for me, if I wanted a bike i could ride to work/ pick up the shopping but something I could go out on possibly on the weekend is there anything which crosses over? (Btw if you say get a two grands worth of wilier or something just a silly don’t worry all ideas welcome
)I would suggest that for that journey, you want something robust. I made the swap from highend MTB to simple single speed because I spent more than £500 in seven months keeping the thing running. I say more than £500 because I stopped adding up the receipts as the tears were plotting the ink. Highend stuff is light and works well in extremes, but not as durable as the more heavy duty stuff.
I suspect someone will be able to offer a better suggestion than mine.
So come on you shaved legged freaks, recommend the chap a bike without mentioning gear inches!!!!!!! (See, I'm an MTB'er at heart)
Edit to add, I'm not sure about all road bikes, but my Tricross has a full compliment of rack mounts and mudguard mounts, so think about getting panniers for carrying, it's less sweaty than a rucksac and by all account, easier in the long run.
Edited by hondafanatic on Tuesday 24th February 11:06
Should work - you may tire of washing-out a Camelbak every day, though, at least bottles can go through the dishwasher.
My ride to work is a smidge under 30 miles each way, and I only do it from April to September, working up to a maximum of three round trips a week: any more than that and I just get progressively more knackered.
I have a reasonable rail alternative which means I can ride one way only as I choose.
My ride to work is a smidge under 30 miles each way, and I only do it from April to September, working up to a maximum of three round trips a week: any more than that and I just get progressively more knackered.
I have a reasonable rail alternative which means I can ride one way only as I choose.
Hi first post in a while!
I was in exactly the same position as the OP I started a new job, which was 20 miles from my home (Swindon to Hungerford)and the route was all country back roads with some urban riding and one steep hill. I cycled a few times a week there and back (40 miles round trip) my observations:
• I had a 10 yr old Kona fire mountain MTB with slick tyres on, I found it fine on a mtb, although the tyres made an amazing difference. Once you start doing it a few times you realize you want to make yourself as efficient as possible, hence why I would have gone for a road bike (I left the job after 3 months)
• You will need a shower at your place of work!!
• A cycle computer works wonders, you can really see the progress you make as you get fitter, in terms of your average speed going up.
• Treat it as a training exercise (see above point).
• Boredom, I did find it quite boring cycling quite bland flat roads for 2+ hours a day on your own after a while.
• Time. I found it took a lot of my time, its not just the actual cycling, its the prep of getting clothes packed and ready, extra cleaning and maintaince of the bike, extra showering, it all adds up and eats into your day!
• In terms of time I could do it 55 mins on a good day and 1 hour five minutes on an average/slow day (each way), which isnt bad on a MTB.
• Finally: Accidents. Doing so many miles at rush hour times means your likely to have a few more accidents. I found it difficult to concentrate sometimes riding back after a hard day at work and once even smashed into a lampost at 45mph down a hill after being clipped by a tanker and hitting a lampost, its worth taking into account your concentration span.
Overall I would really give it ago if its a straightforward route but I'd think carefully if you think you can do it every weekday!!! Its quite different commuting that distance compared to recreational cycling….
Give me a shout if you would like to know anything else….
I was in exactly the same position as the OP I started a new job, which was 20 miles from my home (Swindon to Hungerford)and the route was all country back roads with some urban riding and one steep hill. I cycled a few times a week there and back (40 miles round trip) my observations:
• I had a 10 yr old Kona fire mountain MTB with slick tyres on, I found it fine on a mtb, although the tyres made an amazing difference. Once you start doing it a few times you realize you want to make yourself as efficient as possible, hence why I would have gone for a road bike (I left the job after 3 months)
• You will need a shower at your place of work!!
• A cycle computer works wonders, you can really see the progress you make as you get fitter, in terms of your average speed going up.
• Treat it as a training exercise (see above point).
• Boredom, I did find it quite boring cycling quite bland flat roads for 2+ hours a day on your own after a while.
• Time. I found it took a lot of my time, its not just the actual cycling, its the prep of getting clothes packed and ready, extra cleaning and maintaince of the bike, extra showering, it all adds up and eats into your day!
• In terms of time I could do it 55 mins on a good day and 1 hour five minutes on an average/slow day (each way), which isnt bad on a MTB.
• Finally: Accidents. Doing so many miles at rush hour times means your likely to have a few more accidents. I found it difficult to concentrate sometimes riding back after a hard day at work and once even smashed into a lampost at 45mph down a hill after being clipped by a tanker and hitting a lampost, its worth taking into account your concentration span.
Overall I would really give it ago if its a straightforward route but I'd think carefully if you think you can do it every weekday!!! Its quite different commuting that distance compared to recreational cycling….
Give me a shout if you would like to know anything else….
Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Tuesday 24th February 14:45
Thanks for all your posts and progressively im understanding what my expectations should be.
SO here's my run through thus far.
SO here's my run through thus far.
- Hybrid bike is the sensible decision and going for a more rugged set up such as using mtb gear apposed to road would be optimal.
- Washing facilities on the base. Both personal showers and laundries will have to be scoped out.
- Terrain. I'll sign up to that the website to scope out a route although without knowing where I’ll be living it might not be completely accurate.
- Terrain again. Think asking locals what they think too can you ride across the bridge for example?
- Don’t over do the runs in a week. Im only there 4 days a week so that might force me to do riding Monday - Wednesday.
The ride wont kill you if you can avoid the mental motorists (everyone's rushing to get OUT of Fife...).
Dunfermline to Rosyth ain't 20 miles though, well under 10 miles. So it really depends where you're planning on staying. I regularly cycle from Falkirk to Dunfermline via the Forth Bridge, using a number of quieter backroads on both sides of the river. There's a decent number of cycle routes so it's not too bad. But staying anywhere in Dunfermline and commuting by bike is easily do-able.
Not sure how it'll be if you end up staying in Edinburgh, but you could always do a combined cycle/train commute to take a bit of mileage out of the equation. Bonus would be getting the train over the Forth Bridge every day
.
As for bikes, I changed my Specialized road bike for a Genesis Vapour cyclocross bike. Far comfier, takes full-length mudguards (a godsend), and allows me to divert onto proper off-road if I feel like it! Possibly slightly slower but only marginally, depending on what tyres you fit.
Dunfermline to Rosyth ain't 20 miles though, well under 10 miles. So it really depends where you're planning on staying. I regularly cycle from Falkirk to Dunfermline via the Forth Bridge, using a number of quieter backroads on both sides of the river. There's a decent number of cycle routes so it's not too bad. But staying anywhere in Dunfermline and commuting by bike is easily do-able.
Not sure how it'll be if you end up staying in Edinburgh, but you could always do a combined cycle/train commute to take a bit of mileage out of the equation. Bonus would be getting the train over the Forth Bridge every day
.As for bikes, I changed my Specialized road bike for a Genesis Vapour cyclocross bike. Far comfier, takes full-length mudguards (a godsend), and allows me to divert onto proper off-road if I feel like it! Possibly slightly slower but only marginally, depending on what tyres you fit.
a11y_m said:
The ride wont kill you if you can avoid the mental motorists (everyone's rushing to get OUT of Fife...).
Dunfermline to Rosyth ain't 20 miles though, well under 10 miles. So it really depends where you're planning on staying. I regularly cycle from Falkirk to Dunfermline via the Forth Bridge, using a number of quieter backroads on both sides of the river. There's a decent number of cycle routes so it's not too bad. But staying anywhere in Dunfermline and commuting by bike is easily do-able.
Not sure how it'll be if you end up staying in Edinburgh, but you could always do a combined cycle/train commute to take a bit of mileage out of the equation. Bonus would be getting the train over the Forth Bridge every day.
As for bikes, I changed my Specialized road bike for a Genesis Vapour cyclocross bike. Far comfier, takes full-length mudguards (a godsend), and allows me to divert onto proper off-road if I feel like it! Possibly slightly slower but only marginally, depending on what tyres you fit.
Great post. Dunfermline to Rosyth ain't 20 miles though, well under 10 miles. So it really depends where you're planning on staying. I regularly cycle from Falkirk to Dunfermline via the Forth Bridge, using a number of quieter backroads on both sides of the river. There's a decent number of cycle routes so it's not too bad. But staying anywhere in Dunfermline and commuting by bike is easily do-able.
Not sure how it'll be if you end up staying in Edinburgh, but you could always do a combined cycle/train commute to take a bit of mileage out of the equation. Bonus would be getting the train over the Forth Bridge every day
.As for bikes, I changed my Specialized road bike for a Genesis Vapour cyclocross bike. Far comfier, takes full-length mudguards (a godsend), and allows me to divert onto proper off-road if I feel like it! Possibly slightly slower but only marginally, depending on what tyres you fit.
I'll be back asking nearer the time when i know where i'll be staying.
Thanks for peoples help.
A - W said:
If you want some cheap kit to keep you going.
http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.o.200902...
I stopped in this morning for a peak as the Lidl/Aldi gear is usually OK. Seemed to be a pile of crap this time though, didn't buy a thing. I've got lots of Lidl/Aldi gear and it's usually pretty good http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.o.200902...
CooperS said:
I'll be back asking nearer the time when i know where i'll be staying.
No probs. Not to sway you, but Dunfermline is very handy for Knockhill circuit
. It has a couple of really good and cheap curry houses, if you like that type of thing. And despite my wife being from Dunfermline, it's actually an OK place Ally
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