Getting Ready For The Commute!

[Progressive]

Our company has two offices in my area. Office A is 12 miles from home (dual carriageway mostly). Office B is 7 miles (via my favourite bridleway / wooded area).

Due to always being based at office A with no scope to move, I wrote off any possiblilty of cycling to work. I always said that if I was to move office, I would cycle in at least 1 day a week while the weather was reasonable.

Anyway, I'm getting a transfer to the other office due to a project move. I go on Monday. When I got home tonight I tried the route. 45 mins at a gentle pace each way. Slightly more on the way back due to hills.

I'm going to start doing it on a Friday for now and go from there. I have a short day and it is casual clothes day.

Any advice in getting into the swing of it, having breakfast, essential kit I might be forgetting etc.

I'm actually excited!

[Jimbo.]

Do it more than once a week! Getting into the routine of it is the biggest hurdle. After a week, reaching for your lid, packing your bag will be "the norm", thus it'll be 100x easier, and you'll be less likely to think "Ahhh, I'll ride in tomorrow..." before taking the car.

[WeirdNeville]

45 mins is the ideal commute time IMO.
Make sure you leave yourself an hour so you're nor stressed and rushing, and pack tyre levers a small pump and a spare inner tube.
If you have showers, take shower gel and a towel in the day before.
Don't eat too much before the ride, either get up early enough to eat at least half an hour before you leave or have a small snack - banana or something - and enjoy a full brekkie at work if you can.
Check the bike over - chain oiled, tyres inflated, brakes not rubbing and working well. It'll make the ride twice as nice on a free rolling bike.
Enjoy!

[wagon and horses]

I'm not the kind of guy you think would ride to work if you saw me in the office but...

its fun, quicker than the car - the race to work one morning was fun!, cheaper than the bus when calculated over a year. For some reason everyone at work thinks im the office 'green guy'!!! wolf in sheeps clothing i think!

and you end up being much fitter, without realising really.

DO IT! NOW!

[Parrot of Doom]

Once a week isn't enough. Do it minimum 3 days a week. After a month or so you'll be doing it every day.

[Progressive]

Is riding 7 miles on a morning and then sitting all day in a shirt all day considered OK?

[dubbs]

AS long as you're not sitting ANYWHERE near me.....stinky...

[Parrot of Doom]

Progressive said:

Is riding 7 miles on a morning and then sitting all day in a shirt all day considered OK?

You won't smell, and nobody will notice. The sweat will be gone within 10 minutes.

[Landlord]

Progressive said:

Is riding 7 miles on a morning and then sitting all day in a shirt all day considered OK?

Can you take 5 shirts and leave them at work? (buy 10 and rotate)

[BliarOut]

Carry spare tubes, a link splitter, a spare link, a pump and a puncture outfit.

[Progressive]

3 miles of tarmac and 4 miles of fairly smooth (gravel) bridleway.

What tires should I go for!?

Currently using Specialized Fast Trak's. Nice and smooth and the trails but on the road they drag a little.

[JRM]

Parrot of Doom said:

Progressive said:

Is riding 7 miles on a morning and then sitting all day in a shirt all day considered OK?

You won't smell, and nobody will notice. The sweat will be gone within 10 minutes.

You'd have to go at a snails pace to not be sweating and stink in the office, sorry but you've got to shower after a 7 mile ride.

[Progressive]

I think I'd be OK to be honest. It really isn't that tough a ride. Very few hills, mostly flat.

[deckster]

JRM said:

Parrot of Doom said:

Progressive said:

Is riding 7 miles on a morning and then sitting all day in a shirt all day considered OK?

You won't smell, and nobody will notice. The sweat will be gone within 10 minutes.

You'd have to go at a snails pace to not be sweating and stink in the office, sorry but you've got to shower after a 7 mile ride.

Shower's not strictly necessary, but definitely take a change of clothes with you and change when you get there. Plenty of antiperspirant and you'll be fine

[Progressive]

There is a shower on my floor. Looks pretty decent actually.

Get in, straight to the shower, 5 minutes in and out, shirt and tie on, to my desk for breakfast.

All in including the ride and the getting ready it will probably take just over an hour. Seems OK.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Depends not everyone sweats, I do a 13 mile commute and don't use the works shower if I'm running late, I dont't really sweat apart from hills, no matter how hard I push (matron..)

In regards to breakfast, I have to eat an hour before I leave on the bike, unless I've had a huuge meal the night before, otherwise I just feel like shiite on the ride in.

Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Wednesday 21st April 13:24

[pdV6]

Progressive said:

3 miles of tarmac and 4 miles of fairly smooth (gravel) bridleway.

What tires should I go for!?

Currently using Specialized Fast Trak's. Nice and smooth and the trails but on the road they drag a little.

You'll be okay with a wide-ish slick if there's no mud to contend with - grip won't be an issue on smooth gravel and they'll not drag on the road. A wide (i.e. high air volume) version will help protect against pinch flats in the gravelly bits and provide some cushioning, assuming you're on a rigid frame.

[snotrag]

My thoughts -

My commute is 50 minutes, about 12 miles, pretty quick, mixed on and off road. I also use Fast Tracks - mainly because I commute on my proper XC bike that also gets used on trails at the weekend - its just easier for me and there not TOO bad on the road.

- I have a towel, soap, etc at work, and while we dont have a shower, I do a bit of a 'stand up wash' in the bathroom.

Tip - when you arrive at work red hot, dont get changed straight away. I lock the bike up, go upstairs, turn the pc on etc, and cool down for a few minutes first before getting changed - this stops you being all hot and bothered in your fresh clothes too.

- Make sure your bikes all working and serviced, and ready to go the night before.

getting ready to cycle in DOES take more effort than jumping in the car, so its much easier if your organised with your bags packed, clothes ready etc the night before. I'm rubbish at this so always fannying about rushing on a morning.

Cup of coffee before you set off will maximise your fat burning on the way in - make it count!

I've been lazy this week, I'll try ride in tomorrow.

THE number one, biggest thing to get over, is simply the motivation to start. I think all the other commuters on here will agree.

With the best will in the world, its soooo easy to hit snooze, roll over for 20 min and drive in.

Once you try it, and get into a routine, its brilliant. Riding to work can actually become enjoyable, especially now we have these gorgeoues fresh mornings. It really is good for you, you will be a bit out of breath sure, but chipper, bright, and happy. Its sets you up for the day brilliantly.

I'll be gutted if I ever end up working somewhere that makes cycle commuting impossible again.

[okgo]

To be fair I think its fairly quick to get ready..

I have a Eagle Creek shirt folder, which keeps the days shirt and trousers looking good. I leave my work shoes under my desk, along with a towel and what not (even though I don't often shower here) chuck it all in my rucksack, bung my shorts a t-shirt and come trainers on and I'm good to go.

15 mins max just to iron a shirt really

[Parrot of Doom]

JRM said:

Parrot of Doom said:

Progressive said:

Is riding 7 miles on a morning and then sitting all day in a shirt all day considered OK?

You won't smell, and nobody will notice. The sweat will be gone within 10 minutes.

You'd have to go at a snails pace to not be sweating and stink in the office, sorry but you've got to shower after a 7 mile ride.

Maybe you're one of those that hums then, personally I've never had an issue with sweating.