Patriot

For the past couple of years now, I've been commuting on a regular basis. At one point, I've gotten pretty quick getting to work. I broke record after record on my time, and kept pushing harder and harder to break that all time avg speed and total time. Well, I have found I tend to average 16-16.5mph when I really push. My record to date is 17.0mph avg. Now granted this is a 23mi commute, on a 30# bike, with 1200ft of climbing. So, all in all, not bad.

However, there is a major drawback to this. When I get to work, I'm very sore, and VERY tired. So, I find myself fighting for 8hrs trying to stay awake on my night shifts, and not being able to get much done. Then, I have to ride home. (ugh!) My job is an office job, but on many a day I need to do physical labor as well. This is very difficult. It has gotten to a point over the last year or so, that I almost don't feel like commuting anymore, because I'm always burnt out at work, starving for more food, and so sore that I don't feel like getting anything done.


Then, a couple weeks ago, it dawned on me....

"Why not slow down?"

It was as if this little 10w halogen headlight came on in my head.

Ok, so, at 16.5mph, it's taking me a total of 1hr & 20mins to get to work. At only 15-15.5mph avg, it takes me about 1hr & 30mins. About 10mins longer. If I'm riding for almost 1.5hrs anyway, what's the big diff? So, I have decided to slow down for the last couple of weeks, and just ride fairly steady, but with little push, and more intent on maintaining a good pace without breaking up a huge sweat. In other words, just try to enjoy the ride.

Anyway, I find myself much more conscious at work, and able to get up and actually go to the bathroom more often without debating on whether or not my bladder is big enough to wait another ten minutes. I no longer need to ask myself "Do I really need to get out of my chair?" The resulting lethargic brain function alone, was enough to make myself wonder if I was still alive and conscious, or had I slipped into a coma? Oh, and I haven't had to blow $5 for extra food at the cafe everyday to satisfy my starvation. My lunch bag actually holds enough food now.


Aside of the fact that my socks still get pretty sweaty... all in all, slowing down 1mph is actually proving to be a good thing.

georgiaboy

I have been doing the same thing. My commute is not a long as yours. However, I have put in more miles in these first 5 months than ever before. I have really found my rhythm on the bicycle. Now, I ride more fluid and smarter than before. The result is, like you, I may end up arriving a few minutes later. The upside is I am in better condition to ride more or further because of the pacing. I have also become better a the gear selection and keeping my legs loose.

crtreedude 

I think you are definitely on to something. An increase of 1 mile an hour is not a straight percentage in effort. I can cruise indefinitely at 16 or so MPH - (like 80 kilometers) but push it out to 18 and I rather doubt the same is true (I ride a MTB - but lighter than yours).

Just making your commute is enough of an accomplishment. You might in a future find your speed creeping back up as your body recovers too. I know that if I am dragging physically, it is nearly painful to keep up a high rate of speed. If I am rested and feeling great, 10% more is common. I just let my body dictate. I am not in a race with anyone that I know of.

thdave

I ride in to work going pretty slow (about 1 mph than on my trip home) but I enjoy it just as much or more. The interesting thing is that I think I burn close to the same calories even though I'm not getting my heart rate up quite as much. I can't prove that, but that's what my body says to me. This is only a 2 minute difference for me anyhow.

The bottom line for me is how I do on the hills I face. There's one in the last 10 minutes of each of my commutes and it is where I really break a sweat. They only take 4-5 min to climb but they are steep. On days I push it, this is where it happens.

CaptainTandem

I've always laughed at the posters who brag about how fast they accomplished their commute on their bike, becuz, WTF for? If you wanna do some kind of training ride, do it on seperate occassion so you don't affect the quality of your work on the job. Besides, the bike commute is meant to slow you down, not keep you speeding along like you were in your motor cage; all uptight. Who the H cares how fast you are going besides yourself? Not me, not him and not her. You're a legend in your own mind, sorry. I learned long time ago that the pleasure of a bike commute is looking at the scenery; listening to sounds; stuff you missed while you were in your motor cage. If I wanna go fast, I'll hop back in my motor cage. Geesus, slow down, what's the rush to get to work of all things. I'm surprised it took you this long to realize there is an alternative way to bike to work besides "setting speed records". BTW, me thinks that's the way many cyclists end up in crashes; speeding along and not having time to react to a traffic situation; or slipping on gravel in some speeding turn.

newbojeff

Captain, I agree with you in part, but I've been doing essentially the same commute for 5 years. I added a cyclocomputer last year and going fast, trying to beat times, or maintain a certain speed added a new aspect of fun to my commute. Do I do this every commute? Heck no. Some days just poddling (?word) along is great too.

I haven't found the effort I expend on my commute affecting my job at all.

In response to your "what's the rush to get to work," I usually take it easier going into work so I don't show up a sweaty mess. The ride home is, more often than not, a time trial.

Patriot

^^^ Well, I think I should also mention, that in the past, I used my commute as part of my training mileage and preparation for organized rides with friends who move pretty quick, so it is a benefit in that respect. However, as of late, I have had more time to do the training type workouts on my own time, and so my commute time is now becoming more of a relaxing base mileage that I can enjoy alot more.

aMull

I like going fast on my commutes (mostly on return trips) so i don't agree with captain. Being fast is fun too. When i get tired i just slow down and take it easy, and then race again if i feel like it.

hairytoes

A cyclecomputer is a great tool for holding speeds down. If your manageable speed is 15mph, then you can check you are holding yourself down to this on the flat. I keep my gears low, then spin out to my average speed. Then I resolutely *don't* change up, even though I feel I could go faster.

The fine weather is a killer - it's so enjoyable, I'm tempted to push myself, but then I end up sore. That gets worse throughout the week, until by Friday night I'd scream if someone bumped my thigh.

MyPC8MyBrain

I have this compulsion to ride fast. If I'm on the bike want to go go go. The daily commute is likely the only exercise I'm going to get for the day, so I like press it pretty hard.

When headed out for a distance ride, sometimes it's difficult to slow down so can get to the end of a long haul. I does make a difference though. On days I'm feeling lazy, it seems to take about the same time, but I'm not thrashed when I get there.

knobster

Had the same issue as you.... I found that if I spun up the hills (I have about 800ft of climbing in 15 miles) instead of mashing, I felt much, much better that day. Now, going home is a different story. My goal here is to cruse at a moderate pace on the decents and flats, but really see how fast I can go up the hills. I have one hill that my goal is to simply make it to the top above 14 mph. Haven't made it yet.

Scorer75

We all go through this, at some point or another, and in one way or another.

I would not say to slow down as a rule, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with a leisurely ride.

Last night I did my commute (about 17 miles) at 19.2 mph. I avergae around 16-17 on normal days, and there are days I do 14-16. It all depends on how my legs feel, how tired I am, how late I am, what I ate for breakfast, the weather, traffic lights, etc...

What I'm saying is, there is nothing wrong with a nice cruise, but also nothing wrong with going as fast as you can at times. I find mixing the two of them up to me a more effective method anyways.

One other thing you might try is just riding different gears on different days. Some days I push hard gears, others, I spin smaller gears. Both make you a better rider but use different muscles and other associated body parts so it's nice to switch off.

Lastly, I'm not sure how long you have been riding, but the body adjusts. If you consistently commute, you should lose that 3pm zombie stare at your desk after a few weeks. Your appetite should also stabilize.

HardyWeinberg

I had slowed down a bunch the last couple months, unconsciously, then I consciously slowed down more when I started periodically commuting w/ my wife (who has the same route as me but one mile shorter) (although I then do major sprint for that last mile from her gig to mine), and now slowing down even more, with or without her, because some attempts at running seem to have majorly freaked out my achilles tendons...

Artkansas 

I don't push hard going to work. Not that I really want to arrive so fast. I'm more focused on trying to have my attitude up and game face on when I arrive.

SDRider

I agree. I usually push pretty hard on my commutes because I only do it 2-3 days a week but lately I've been pushing to do 4 days a week and possibly 5 in the next week or so. This is my third straight day riding in to work this week and yesterday afternoon on my ride home I decided to take it easy and go at a slower pace, not push so hard, and it felt great. I did the same thing on my ride in this morning. It took me about 5 minutes longer but I felt comfortable and relaxed when I got to work instead of out of breath...even with that short steep hill at the end.

My commute is about 20 miles round trip and it takes me anywhere from 35-40 minutes usually.

Oh, and my cyclo computer isn't working at the moment so I have no idea what my average speed is.

SpiderMike

Typically the warmer it gets the slower my "cruising speed" gets for the way to work. I typically save the "best time" stuff for on the way home. Especially on Friday's, or days when the Astros will be on TV.

vinfix

This points out the mental adjustment between riding for training/recreation and commuting. I recently started commuting once a week, fixed gear, 21 fairly hilly miles each way. Instead of trying to keep my pace up, pushing it, and going 16 mph, my goal was getting to work comfortably. So I average, with lights & intersections, 14 mph. Overall, the difference is 10 minutes, but then I work 8 hours and have to turn around and do it again. Different priorities. It's very satisfying to use the bike for something more practical (and gas saving) than a weekend loop.

jamesdenver

Good thread. Some days I love racing home as fast as I can, other days I go at a comfy pace and enjoy my regular sights and sounds. I always glance at the clock upon arriving home and never see more than a minute or 2 difference. I think the timing of my traffic lights has a higher bearing on the 2-4 minute difference in time.

jm01

Same for me, I ride about 50km/day...36 commuting, the rest on my noon time ride. Riding on city streets, I now take care not to outrun my brakes...with cars popping out of side streets, stupid pedestrians crossing without looking, and with the potential of being "doored" by parked cars, I now rarely exceed 25km/hr, less on busy streets.

After flipping a few times, twice being pulled out from under trucks, hitting a pedestrian, and many more close calls, I now ensure that I have a chance of being able to stop or take evasive action should someone do a dumb thing in front of me. Better safe than sorry

huhenio

Wisdom is you.

ItsJustMe

Yup, I just get on the bike and ride, and get there when I get there. In the summer my speed (when I bother to check it) actually gets up to a respectable (for me on my bike) 18.5 MPH. In the winter, more like 14.5. But I only even check it out of random curiosity, I never really look at the bike comp except to see what time it is sometimes.
I enjoy the trip a lot more than when I was trying to be fast all the time.

DunderXIII

Hi, 1st post ;-)

I'm not in very good shape (yet, getting there!). Being competitive type I would always push it too hard trying to beat my speeds; but this made me extremely tired and afraid of commuting to work. I got a polar heart rate monitor to train and used it when I started commuting 3 weeks ago. What a difference! Basically it beeps anytime I go over a certain percentage heart-rate, so it keeps my heart beating in the "exercise" zone. I often push too hard when climbing a hill for instance and the watch beeps like crazy but I revert to a normal work so that my heart rate slows down.

The result is that I come to work refreshed and in shape! Its about an hour of biking. I don't get tired at all and feel great! Now the good stuff: I actually get faster and faster but don't get tired. My heart rate stays relatively the same. So I'm getting in shape daily :-)

Before the weekend, I push it.. oh the fun! The next morning, I stay in bed ;-)

chipcom 

22.5 miles to work, only 500ft of climbing, plus lots of great downhills and flats make it easy for me to take it easy and just enjoy the ride in to work. Going home the route is 24 miles, 1200ft of climbing, into the wind more often than not and lots of roadies training on part of the route...so that's when I push it.

huhenio

**** Chip ... I was about to get out the house on the motorcycle. Damn you. I am going to sweat it on the bike.

legot73

I was focused on my average speed like a Prius driver fusses over their average MPG. I felt the same as you, and found myself stuck in a game of maintaining some number, and fussing over a 0.1 drop. My solution was to put the cyclocomputer away and only take it out on rec rides to track miles. I'm much happier, and my travel time is about the same.

My average now is "fast enough"