OK, so here’s the scenario.

I got a cyclocross bike for commuting purposes in December through the cycle to work scheme. It’s a road ride with a round trip of around 32 miles and since December I’ve gradually reduced the number of times I drive to work so I’m now averaging this round trip about 3 times a week. It’s generally flat (the A4 between Reading and Newbury – so a bit of encouragement from anyone passing would be appreciated or at least just a little extra passing space would be nice :-)) with a decent sized hill at each end which I do in around 45-50 minutes each way. I’m no road racer but I do try to push hard.

I generally feel better, perhaps I’ve lost a bit of weight (although I find myself justifying a bacon sandwich on a regular basis due to the fact that I’ve ridden in) and when mountain biking at the weekend I feel that my legs are stronger – especially on the climbs.

The big problem is my stamina. When mountain biking I now feel faster for the first hour after which I completely run out of umph where as 2-3 hours would be the norm. Have I just got used to my commute time and my body is craving that latté and bacon sandwich?

Anyone else experienced this or found away around it?

Thoughts? … or like the bacon sandwich am I secretly trying to justify a lighter full suss?

Oddly similar story here, I started commuting every day from near Reading (Aldermaston-ish) to Newbury, about 34 miles round trip. This is since January.
I ride a tricross SS and whilst it was damm hard at first I now ride every day and really miss it on the days when I have to drive in for work visits etc.
I dont brave the A4 with all the M&S lorries trying to run me over, I ride along the canal the whole way.

But the amount of weekend riding has pretty much almost disappeared. Come Friday night I am completely worn out and cant face getting on a bike some weekends. I found my general fitness etc really improved in the first few months then levelled out.
When MTB’ing I did not notice anything like you describe, but I think riding the SS all week means the MTB seems so easy with all those gears to play with…

I found my stamina improved markedly, but then when I was commuting over 40 miles a day, 5 days a week, I was pushing a lot less hard than you, taking at least an hour.

Slow down, it ain’t a race.

For a while I was putting in serious distance on the road, about 500 miles a week, just commuting. It didn’t leave a lot of energy for MTB. In winter I was pretty shot just getting to and from work.

So maybe it’s down to the local AWE effect! 😯

Jonny,
It’s like the wings of an aircraft, in as much as when one is up the other is down….. Speed vs Endurance…. when one is up the other is down.

Plus, you’ve conditioned yourself to ride hard for just under an hour….

Actually, I think you have it just right. Do some CX races this winter and kick some ass! 🙂

Hmm, I too commute into Newbury around 32 miles, and feel pretty shagged out by the weekend, but I put that down to having to go over Walbury hill 🙂

I am generally fitter the more I ride in, but maybe you’re pushing it too hard.. even get a heart rate monitor, an easy pace is far easier than most on here would want to cycle at so you might need something to show you where to draw the line. Even lots of shorter rides are better for your stamina than no riding surely?

Changing your route can help as the distance can vary, not always possible but might be worth considering on a Friday night for example, take a longer ride home.

Feel free to join me on the tow path, its a nice ride when the sun is out, although I have occasionally “had” to stop at one of the pubs its passes to “fix” my bike ;o)

Lots of food for thought.

Certainly the canal is an option I can try as it folows the A4 for a large part of the distance I travel. I’d originally rulled this out as I was looking for the fastest/shortest commuter route but as I’ve nebver tried it before that’ll be my route home tonight.

Cheers folks

Commuting has improved my weekend mtbing, I do about 5 x 28 miles during the week but I’ve got some hills, some off-road and usually a strong headwind in one direction and I’m shagged by Saturday so rest that day and usually do a long steady mtb ride on a Sunday, I find it impossible to ride at a steady pace though and it’s always a hard pace as I’m trying to get to work on time and like to keep to about the same times. But I’m leaving people behind on the hills and my breathing is more relaxed, so it’s doing me some good 🙂

I might see you then, although working late this eve 🙁 so wont be riding home till gone 8. (I ride a black tricross or a red rocklobster)

I do Newbury to Aldermaston in about 40 mins with no real hassle, then its a couple of miles up the hill to my village.

The paths are pretty good, some rooty sections in Thachtam which a road bike might not like but easy apart from that.

What I do is commute at the speed of a sight seeing snail tourist.

Treat your commutes as a Recovery ride.

You don’t want to overtrain or burn up glycogen stores. You need 36 hrs from a heavy workout to recover.

Up your protein and look at your nutrition in detail and make any changes to help you keep your body in order.

I use mental anchors for my riding. I wear different things and listen to relaxing music and eat differently/slowly before my commutes.

When I train I focus for a while with my breathing, eat my training food and fast and listen to my training music before I go out-helps my brain say ok here we go!

Works for me but find what works for you. I never go super hard in winter, just basic endurance mileage regardless of speed so I don’t burn myself out in summer. Spring is when I up my speed if I can!

I do try to push hard

Mix it up a bit. Easy in, but then do some hard efforts on the way home.

160 miles a week is a good place to get a decent base fitnerss, and your stamina ought to improve. However, if you push hard all the time, you’rte not allowing your body to recover, and so it will catch up with you.

When mountain biking I now feel faster for the first hour after which I completely run out of umph where as 2-3 hours would be the norm.

Two things:

(1) I bet you’re now riding harder for that first hour; and

(2) Are you eating enough on these rides, especially if you’re riding harder? The rule of thumb is that you have about 90 minutes of glycogen in your blood, and after that you can’t get it out of fat reserves fast enough (if you’re riding hard).

Most of all, though, it sounds like you’re just tired. Chill out on those commutes..!

I ride a Tricross SS and do the following:

Mon & Friday min 18 miles each way

Tues, wed, thurs 13 miles in, 18 miles back

Either Wed or Frid 20 miles MTB cross country ride (not SS!, Winchester end of South Downs) chasing my much fitter riding buddy!

Sat or Sun 25 – 30 mile MTB cross country ride (not SS!, Winchester end of South Downs) in 2.5 – 3 hours

If I’m tired I slow down or cut the route short. I also do 2 x hard weeks followed by 1 easy week to ensure I’m not totally knackered all the time.

I’m actually getting faster on all my rides, very slow change though as I’m 44! I’m aslo finding I’m eating less which is odd!

Wow – this is all quite humbling in terms of STW accumulated knowledge base and riding frequency!

ricochet_rob – I’ll look out for you from now on, a retro looking green Jake the Snake or white Meta 5 on the weekends (Burghfiled Common by the way) so if you’re ever up for Swinley or trail centre trips let me know (or Boobs).

ourmaninthenorth – (1) yep riding harder for the first hour but (2) rarely eat anything on a ride but have a terrible issue with chocolate and crisps 😕

leftyboy – repect

Will do, I live right next to Burghfield, Padworth Common.

I ride some local trails, some in the Benyon Estate land (shhh dont tell em 😉 ) I do often see a group of 4/5 MTB’ers around the Padworth/Burghfield area some evenings.

Always up for a swinley run, and weekend mornings anywhere good are always an option. Mail address in my profile if you are ever up for something.

rarely eat anything on a ride but have a terrible issue with chocolate and crisps

Crisps I can take or leave. Chocolate…. Oh, where was I? That’s it: you’re not eating enough on those rides. You don’t need expensive energy bars or gels (though they’re useful) – some nice homemade flapjack would do the trick. That ought to keep your reserves topped up.

Cheers JonnyHuge

In a blatant self-back-slapping fashion I forgot to mention the 6 weeks I had off the bike in March after an operation on my leg.

😀

… of course there is a point at which you start to go off people rapidly ! 😆

Think of your commute like this…

You’ve essentially been training to ride really fast for 50mins.

I reckon you’ve got so fit over an hours riding that when you tail off it’s more pronounced…

I’ve got into this commute malarky recently after building up a bike i found in a skip. Must say i feel better doing it.

I live 2 miles from work and used to use the car 😆 I used to use the car to head up to the gym too which is 6 miles away.

I’ve only been doing it a few weeks and i hammer it wherever i go on it 😆 my bodies craving food now as if i’m not eating enough already 😯 I’m averaging about 40-50 miles a week bombing here and there plus whatever i do at the weekend on a ride.

After and hour or so weekend riding i can feel it, Its almost like you are out of breath 😳

I know what you mean, I ride singlespeed during the week then a geared FS at the weekend. I think my commute has trained me for short hard climbs and spinning out, so I can’t seem to slow the pace down when I’m having my fun rides as I’m that used to hard riding on the commute.

I do try to ensure that I lengthen my commute on the way home where possible, taking an offroad route with some singletrack certainly slows me right down while upping my mileage.

I was about to post up who commutes along the Kennet & Avon Canal, seen a few mtb’ers commuting and thought some were probably from here.

I do Tadley – Woolhampton – Newbury on a Red Merlin Malt with P2’s, do the full commute a couple of times a week and drive/dump ride the last couple of miles the other days (no parking space, although there are spaces available :evil:).

Say high if you see me, saw a 456 in that green and a summer season yesterday but both heading towards Newbury in the evening rather than out.

I go over to Swinley a bit also and always up for a early morning weekend ride…