And I cant f@cking wait!
It's about 80% rural with loads of different options.
Can anyone give me any tips? I have mudguards, big SOLAS reflective tape strips and sharp elbows already.
take as much into work before you ride in.
It helps a lot
Get some good lights, I prefer USB chargable because work pays for the electric then 🙂
My commute is a 30 mile round trip with around 1500ft climbing each way, I tend to get a bit sweaty, so I take another set of kit for the return journey.
I tend to ride on the road for the trip to work, but on the return trip I've got the whole of the Quantocks to choose my route from 😆
Have a wee search on the forum; there was a similar question asked recently.
30 miles is good strong mileage.
Take and leave gear at work. As much of it as you can. Especially shoes, jackets and spare dry socks.
If you manage it every day you will loose weight even if you eat cake till the sugar rots your teeth. Fuel up and early to bed.
The hardest part of the ride will be getting on the bike ... After that it's easier! Do t think about it, just get up and get going.
Enjoy. I did similar mileage for two years. I got fit. Road fit. But don't expect to have energy for much else and forget weekend rides 'for fun', ha!
Nice one. I do half that and wish it was more.
Like the others said take spare gear in. I usually load a pannier for Monday morning with shirts, socks andpants for the week plus apair of jeans.
Shoes stay at work and I keep a towel, Much Off dry shower, deopornat and a hair brush there.
Pannier back on the bike at the end of the week and lug it home on a Friday for a wash.
I'm lucky that I don't have to dress up for clients.
If you are leaving a bunch of worn clothing in the office a can of Febreeze makes sure you keep the respect of your colleagues.
Just make sure you're ready for something going wrong. It will, on the darkest, wettest night.
richmars has made a good point - make sure that your "rescuer" knows the route to come and get you if ever required.
Double up on lights (two front and rear), I use and helmet mount and bar mount for the front. Range on gloves (cool summer ones through to really warm mitten style winter ones).
You'll love it - I've been doing 26 miles a day for over three years now, really miss it on the occasional days I have to drive to other offices. Couldn't imagine driving to work every day.
Spare clothes for both directions, putting on wet cycling clothes at the end of the day isn'tnice.
Keep danger pants and socks at work for when you forget them.
Good, rechargeable lights.
Carry more than one tube and a puncture repair kit.
You'll soon find that the most important attribute a tyre possesses is puncture resistance.
Choose good tyres.
Just make sure you're ready for something going wrong. It will, on the darkest, wettest night
excellent point, I always use a head torch, in my case a Exposure Sirius, is great if you need to do repairs or a puncture.
Plus you can 'spot' drivers at junctions
My cargo's, tshirts and work boots will stay at work and get washed weekly so minimal carrying there. I usually buy fruit/veg/sandwich for lunch from the local indoor market near work so I'll not be carrying too much there either.
I like the spare socks tip though.
I might treat myself to a new waterproof too.
Yes, pick tires based on puncture resistance, not speed. Also make sure you can take them off with cold fingers. Carry at least two spare inner tubes.
pick tires based on puncture resistance
This. A while ago I had a hilly 15' commute. Got really fit really quick but it used a dodgy section of a cycle path. Punctures were a nightmare.
Fitted Schwalbe Marathon Plus and was never bothered again.
However, if you do puncture they are a nightmare to get off.....
I do 15miles each way with 230m climbing each way.
I use a heavy overbuilt low maintainance bike. Hub gears heavy tires , guard ,rack ,caradice. 3 front lights -3 rear . Reflectors all over
When loaded up with lunch and such it weighs 45lbs
Never let me down yet.
Bonus being that i dont need to do any other training to get top placings in club 10s when i shift to my tt bike.
Continental Sport Contacts are great tyres. I've crunched over broken glass loads since it's been dusk/dark and not had any punctures and they are not tight on the rims.
They even came, (from Wiggle) with a 1 year guarantee against punctures. I'd not bother sending them back if it did happen, but it demonstrates some confidence.
So, I'm doing 23 flat miles round trip, get to work at 7 AM, stand at a bench until its time to whizz off and get the girls from school, 5 days a week.
I'm fitter than ever, but too knackered to enjoy it. Utter rubble come Friday.... How do you super-humans manage it? Or mtfu etc?
I did about that in London for three years. Things I learned
1) Suits at work. Found a place to keep 2 or 3 plus shoes so just brought a shirt/smalls in
2) Found a cupboard to keep shower gel/deodorant/etc so I wan't carrying that
3) Also kept spare socks/pants/shirt in there because one day YOU WILL FORGET!
4) Merino is your friend in the winter. Just less bike kit to wash.
5) Two sets of lights always. I once had my front fail and I couldn't get picked up. That was the scariest 15 miles I've ever done
6) Reflective everything even if you're on quiet roads. Found some great stuff for the bike that lit up like Crystal Palace when lit from car headlights (can't find a link now tho)
7) The first 5 mins is the worst in winter. Leaving a warm home of office seeing people in cars and thinking 'I've got one of those' was a challenge.
8) The money you save buy decent kit - waterproof/merino/warm and waterproof boots etc. They make such a difference
9) Get a beater bike. I ran an old 16inch Jump frame, single speed, with 2.4 tyres and a 5 inch fork. It was A LOT of fun on steps etc. And I just got used to how long it took. Would have been quicker on the road bike but the bike got so mucky and horrid so quickly it was better to have something you didn't care about
10) Have fun. Every day I rode I told myself I was lucky and it was a privilege.
As said above, I didn't have a lot of energy for midweek rides but I got very fit sprinting between the lights in London.
Good luck 🙂
Oh and the bit about punctures. You've never really understood the true value of puncture proof tyres until you've tried to change a knackered tube in the cold, dark and wet of a winters night while the traffic rushes past and splashes you. Can't remember what I ended up running but I'm pretty sure I nominated the manufacturer for a nobel peace prize!
I'm trying to do once a week to work over the winter. Its 16 miles each way. Takes planning to make sure I only have to have my essentials in a bumbag and all my stuff at work
I want to go to the gym as well so going in more often wouldn't work so well, plus meeting etc get in the way
I'd be knackered doing it everyday. Was doing it about twice a week in the warmer weather
I'm a big fan of my Maxxis Raze's for my commute (a mere 60 miles a week) but definitely second keeping as much as possible at work and having good puncture stuff etc. Before the Raze's I've had my share and even a scary broken chain in path of oncoming DH double decker while crossing a junction. Extra lights are a good plan. I've been caught out by cell packs not giving me as much burn time as expected on cold nights before now. I keep a charger by my back door and a charger at work. If you don't normally wear eye protection, start. I spent a week laid up basically blind a couple of years ago after a bizarre incident where a hailstone hit me square on the eyeball and shattered, scratching f out of my cornea. Not nice. This time of year you'll get a lot of icky and often sharp crap thrown up from went and gritted roads especially anywhere industrial. I'm quite religious about cleaning my bike at least weekly and keeping up with chain clean/lube. Cassettes and chains will get pricey if you let them get gritty and stay that way.
I'm lucky to have a shower and locker at work - and a cycling line manager ... makes a big difference.
You'll probably find that over time you'll become less thirsty and sweaty.
While my commute is pretty short at 6 miles each way it does have some reasonable climbs in one direction (the right one) and I tend to attack it as a series of an linked sprints rather than a gentle spin.
Oh, and the obvious point if we're talking about weight carrying. That monster U lock and cable ... they get really old to carry really soon and are perfectly happy outside. Leave it on 'your' lockup at work and consider keeping the spare key in your desk... 😉 I generally carry a small light lock as a bonus if I'm going to be stopping to get groceries on the way back. One of those cheap Aldi trackpumps under desk is something you may be glad of sooner or later.
I'm about to investigate an Alpkit bag after a tip here a couple of weeks ago. They look like AWESOME quality and for what you can pay for a bag are a complete steal.
I rock a bunch of cheap crappy 'muddy fox' cycling wear from sportsdirect for commute. It's not bad (for purpose) and I won't cry if it gets wrecked at a fiver a top or less. Obviously not as good as my 'nice' stuff but not in the same price league either. My Nightvision jacket keeps me toasty even on snowy mornings but is a bit of a sweat monster apart from in the depths of winter so tends to live at teh bottom of my bag unless I really need it...
Have fun!
Used to do 46 miles 1 way 2 - 3 times per week with a train ride home, periodically doubling up, was properly fit!
Then the office moved to Birmingham, 56 miles on unpleasant roads with no shower option and no viable train ride home means I'm now scrabbling for mid week miles at antisocial hours.
You need tyres that Don't puncture, robust wheels, travel light and get lots of sleep / food.
I do 20 miles each way, Monday Wednesday Friday at the moment as I go to the gym Tuesday Thursdays. Having done 5 days a week or random days this is working out much better. Having non cycling days helps recovery and means I can take shirts etc into work and take stuff home rather than carrying them home. It also means I'm still keen to get out for a decent ride at the weekend.
Despite what people tend to say don't use this as an excuse to pig out all day. I eat normal amounts but try to eat something every couple of hours on riding days - usually things like rice cakes, homemade oat bars, etc.
Tips:
Be organised - get your kit prepared the night before
At least 2 lights front and back and have lights at different levels.
Mudguards
The best tyres you can afford - I use conti gp 4 season
Helmet light is good in case of mechanicals
Carry an 'emergency' chocolate bar, getting the bonk 8 miles from home in the pitch black, pissing rain and blowing a gale isn't fun
Carry some tyre sealant like vittoria pit stop - for quick puncture fixes
Enjoy it, it's a fantastic way to get to and from work
It was myself who asked this very question last week. And this week I have completed 170 miles of commuting by bicycle!
I'm doing it on a Croix de Fer and honestly believe this is the perfect bike for doing it. It's comfy, speedy, and can if I want go off road. Currently however just been using the road. Schwalbe Marathons with Mudguards. Wouldn't do it without mudguards. The front forks on the bike are filthy and that would have been on me. The Brooks saddle is also a dream to commute on.
Currently using a rucsac, but will be changing this to a pannier and single bag. Take the weight off my shoulders.
Only issue I've had all week is pedestrians in the centre of Manchester last night. Far too many for the footpaths to cope so they're just walking in the road around the Xmas markets. The beautiful smells of food however makes up for it and makes me want to get home!
It was myself who asked this very question last week. And this week I have completed 170 miles of commuting by bicycle!
I'm doing it on a Croix de Fer and honestly believe this is the perfect bike for doing it. It's comfy, speedy, and can if I want go off road. Currently however just been using the road. Schwalbe Marathons with Mudguards. Wouldn't do it without mudguards. The front forks on the bike are filthy and that would have been on me. The Brooks saddle is also a dream to commute on.
Currently using a rucsac, but will be changing this to a pannier and single bag. Take the weight off my shoulders.
Only issue I've had all week is pedestrians in the centre of Manchester last night. Far too many for the footpaths to cope so they're just walking in the road around the Xmas markets. The beautiful smells of food however makes up for it and makes me want to get home! I should add however, I am tired today and can't muster the energy to go out on my new T-129.
