Just reading the thread on rushing out to ride after work etc, & wondering if anyone rides early mornings before work ?

I have a few times in the Summer, but does anyone ride before work in the Winter months ? I suppose its dark anyway so it doesnt make much difference to an evening ride.

get out to ride at hanchurch early mornings or go running when I’m office based, it makes the rest of a poo day bearable 😀

yup i did last year and probably will this year as there more light in the morning for me than the evening. a quick 1hr spin around the local woods nothing crazy but i just love it that nobody else is ever there and those cold crisp morning with glistening cobwebs everywhere looks like another world

Yeah, sort of. I live about a mile and a half from work but I’ll get up half an hour early, do 1-1.5 hours on the way, shower/change/breakfast at work. Our hours are slightly flexible – I normally start at 8 but if I ride the long way in I’ll be ready to start about 830.

It’s an easy way to get the miles in – I’ll generally go the long way home too on ride days so 2-3 hours of riding in the day.

I think LA once said that the hardest part of winter training was getting your bike shoes on. I find getting everything ready the ight before helps – down to filled bottle on the bike, bag all packed.

I guess I don’t distinguish between ‘going for a ride’ and ‘commuting’ – I’m lucky that my commute is either a fantastic 25 mile road ride along the coast, or mountain biking over the Carneddi (usually train in, mountain bike home). Both of those I happily do as a ‘ride’ even if I’m not going to work.

If I’m travelling, I’ll try and fit in a ride before catching the train – usually a very early morning road ride (as no post ride cleaning is required). Has occassionally backfired when punctures have led to missed trains!

If I need to go to work later than usual, I try and get a ride in before work, as I know that I will not have time after work. It is also a much more enjoyable ride as there are fewer folk around.

Yep – love a few lungs full of fresh air early in the morning but only when I manage to pull myself out of bed in time – helps that I work from home though 🙂

I have a few times in the Summer, but does anyone ride before work in the Winter months ? I suppose its dark anyway so it doesnt make much difference to an evening ride.

Yep i train through winter (firkin adventure races always seem to be at the end of our winter !) this way as I can ‘stretch’ my day in the AM better than PM where i get caught at work. So i tend to rise at 05:55 and am on the bike 10-15mins later with a banana going down my gob, roll out and start riding tracks. As you say the hardest part is getting up and into it, 30 mins in I am awake and enjoying it. I leave all my gear in reverse order in the hall, bag sorted, bike ready to roll, lights on and charged etc. Takes 5 mins the night before. Works for me.

Every day with the dog, up to the village then back over what I’m considering building a little bermy jumpy bit, if ever i get some time to shovel..

have been planning to but i need to buy an alarm clock for my lad first so he can get himself up for school!. what i thought i’d do is leave for work an hour earlier each morning and go for a loop finishing at work and maybe the same on the way home but in reverse.

I have just started back at early mornings and once Im out I love it and it makes me feel quite good heading back home as people are just getting up

I ride early mornings a lot here in the southwest US because the temperature is ideal at 55-70F. At the end of the day it’s usually about 87-100F and, although I used to ride in that when much younger, not so much now.
I also like the fact the the trails here are almost devoid of riders, hikers, etc at that time of day. Getting harder now as it’s staying dark longer and longer.

yup, every Thursday morning of the year I’m up on the Chilterns for 90 mins before work. Really good way to get an appreciation of the changing light & weather.

used to ride at chicksands before work, that was amazing, no one around except me and a mate. Was great until he spannered himself on the 4x track. Not been early since sadly

Yep, mainly early in the year when there is more light in the mornings than evenings. Gives you a real buzz before work.

I often do an hour or hour an half before work, you feel ready for the day a head after a shower. You some how feel very smug that you have actual got out and done it especially when you see all the fat dullites at work in the morning talking about last nights Bellenders or other crappy soap or reality tv shows. Also “billy bonus” when you get home you can go for another spin !!

Once woke up at 3.30 am,could not get back to sleep so got up and did a 3.5 hr epic ride before work, was buzzing all day at work till about 3 pm 😯

Well this morning was a perfect example of why early rides can be ace. 19 degrees c at 6am, riding from dark through a beautiful sunrise over the Chilterns & on into bright warm sunshine. Plus I get to feel smug all day. Awesomeness.

I ride Ashton Court/Leigh Woods trails every morning on the way to work, shower in work, nice!

Aye done a few but not that regular, should do more really. Did a couple of crackers last year with Pedalhead (waves) over the snowy Chilterns. Boxing day morning setting off in the dark in the snow at something silly below zero stands out in the memory – a great way to start the day. It’s ace riding as the sun starts to lighten the sky then sticks it’s head above the horizon properly.
You can see why some early religions/faiths, whatever you want to call them, worshipped the sun!

It was unbelievable this morning, wafting really warm pockets of air as the sun rose, surreal this late in a none summer, where was this in July and August when we had some daylight hours after work to enjoy it?

Still mustn’t grumble a lovely ride.

*waves* at Macgyver. Those icy rides were some of the most memorable. -15c was the record low I think on a ride last winter 🙂