What is the best way to use my commute?
Discussion
Afternoon all,
I have two focus points for my cycling this year - one is to drop body fat (from a currently gargantuan 38%), and the other is to be able to ride faster for longer, especially up hills.
As I have a wife and three small children, the vast majority of the time I have to do this in is on my commute, which is where I'm running into a challenge... I can find plenty of training plans which say things like "ride for X minutes at Y cadence with Z heart rate", but these all seem to assume endlessly flowing open roads with little to get in the way of just riding.
My commute isn't like that! It's 15 miles each way through South West London, which I think people should be able to see on Strava.
The first half of the ride in is quiet suburban streets but with lots of junctions. The second half is up CS7 from Colliers Wood to Waterloo, and has over 70 sets of traffic lights in 7.5 miles.
I can track cadence, speed & heart rate, and can program routines around that into my Garmin, but it doesn't really help to have the sodding thing bleeping at me to increase my cadence when I'm sat at a red light outside Oval tube station!
I'll happily try out anything that might help me towards my goals, but there are a couple of limitations...
1. At the moment, I'm averaging this commute around 2-3 days per week (client meetings and the like on other days), so I've got 60-90 miles per week to play with typically.
2. More often than not, I have to take my laptop in and out with me, so have around 15kgs in total hanging off a seatpost-cantilevered pannier rack. This obviously makes getting out of the saddle for sprinting or climbing something of a challenge!
I have two focus points for my cycling this year - one is to drop body fat (from a currently gargantuan 38%), and the other is to be able to ride faster for longer, especially up hills.
As I have a wife and three small children, the vast majority of the time I have to do this in is on my commute, which is where I'm running into a challenge... I can find plenty of training plans which say things like "ride for X minutes at Y cadence with Z heart rate", but these all seem to assume endlessly flowing open roads with little to get in the way of just riding.
My commute isn't like that! It's 15 miles each way through South West London, which I think people should be able to see on Strava.
The first half of the ride in is quiet suburban streets but with lots of junctions. The second half is up CS7 from Colliers Wood to Waterloo, and has over 70 sets of traffic lights in 7.5 miles.
I can track cadence, speed & heart rate, and can program routines around that into my Garmin, but it doesn't really help to have the sodding thing bleeping at me to increase my cadence when I'm sat at a red light outside Oval tube station!
I'll happily try out anything that might help me towards my goals, but there are a couple of limitations...
1. At the moment, I'm averaging this commute around 2-3 days per week (client meetings and the like on other days), so I've got 60-90 miles per week to play with typically.
2. More often than not, I have to take my laptop in and out with me, so have around 15kgs in total hanging off a seatpost-cantilevered pannier rack. This obviously makes getting out of the saddle for sprinting or climbing something of a challenge!
Doofus said:
You have a laptop that weighs fifteen kilos?! 
No, that's the combined weight of laptop, charger, bag and all the other gubbins that I have to cart in and out, including bike tools, tube and so on.
I've got showers at both ends, so if I could only find a backpack which doesn't make me feel like my kidneys have been liquidised after about 7 miles, that would be an option.
I've already got Gatorskins. Only one puncture in the last couple of thousand miles, but I'm not convinced a taxi would take the bike, would it? If not, then I'd have to carry a lock, which defeats the purpose of reducing weight!
Either way, the extra weight won't be doing my fitness any damage, so I'm not going to worry about it for now. When I get my new road bike, I'll figure out ways to make that completely minimalist for non-rainy days where I know I'll be able to leave my laptop in the office!
Either way, the extra weight won't be doing my fitness any damage, so I'm not going to worry about it for now. When I get my new road bike, I'll figure out ways to make that completely minimalist for non-rainy days where I know I'll be able to leave my laptop in the office!
I cycle to work 4 days a week on Mondays I drive to keep my place in the car share
On Mondays I take into work frozen pasta and bags a sauce apples etc as well as clean clothes for the week and change the used clothes. Top up with shower gel etc.
This allows me to ride in with nothing more than 2 tubes and a pump.
Could this help with the gear issue.
On Mondays I take into work frozen pasta and bags a sauce apples etc as well as clean clothes for the week and change the used clothes. Top up with shower gel etc.
This allows me to ride in with nothing more than 2 tubes and a pump.
Could this help with the gear issue.
IGNORE THE GEAR EVERYONE! That's merely a limitation to what I can do on the bike, not something stopping me riding.
Yes, I know that just riding that sort of distance is a good thing, but then you read various articles about making sure you're in the right heart zone and stuff, and it makes me wonder if I could be doing a lot better, hence the thread.
Yes, I know that just riding that sort of distance is a good thing, but then you read various articles about making sure you're in the right heart zone and stuff, and it makes me wonder if I could be doing a lot better, hence the thread.
Kermit power said:
IGNORE THE GEAR EVERYONE! That's merely a limitation to what I can do on the bike, not something stopping me riding.
Yes, I know that just riding that sort of distance is a good thing, but then you read various articles about making sure you're in the right heart zone and stuff, and it makes me wonder if I could be doing a lot better, hence the thread.
May I suggest bYes, I know that just riding that sort of distance is a good thing, but then you read various articles about making sure you're in the right heart zone and stuff, and it makes me wonder if I could be doing a lot better, hence the thread.
ks to all the heart rate stuff, especially on a relatively short distance.You will get fit and lose weight simply by riding the bike, the more you ride the more you will gain, if you are not dropping the weight then you have to be honest about your calorific intake.
If I was in your situation I'd be happy to take it relatively easy during the week, think of it as a warm up for the hopefully longer rides you can get in at the weekend where you can really take advantage of your new found fitness.
All IMO of course
My commute is the mainstay of my race training. You can use the time in two ways:
1) A form of poor mans interval training when you basically sprint between the sets of lights and use the red light to recover
2) Put a loop in round Richmond Park on the way home and spend the time riding a bit harder for a sustained period.
As the weight falls off the whole thing gets easier and easier. Or you get faster. One of the two!
1) A form of poor mans interval training when you basically sprint between the sets of lights and use the red light to recover
2) Put a loop in round Richmond Park on the way home and spend the time riding a bit harder for a sustained period.
As the weight falls off the whole thing gets easier and easier. Or you get faster. One of the two!
38% body fat? Can we assume that you are "powerfully built"? If so, ride more. Just do whatever it takes to burn more calories and get ride of the weight - and by that, I don't mean loads of high intensity. I mean on a week to week basis, figure out what the most you can practically do is without making it unsustainable. When you have that figured out, stick to it week in week out so it becomes a habit that you follow automatically. You can have the most complex, theoretically effective training regime known to man, but if you can't stick to it, it's useless.
Once you've got rid of the blub, you'll be amazed at what you can do.
Personally, I feel great at a bmi of 19-20 (single figure body fat according to calcs, but don't believe them until I've been on a DEXA scanner). Hills become magically easier, and I can go faster for longer. I have no race aspirations, I just want to enjoy riding my bike and to be able to do more on it. I'm 2 years in to following this approach (had a BMI of 27 before). Last year I did a couple of 600km audax rides and put in 15000km. The fat bastid I was a couple of years ago wouldn't have imagined it was possible.
Once you've got rid of the blub, you'll be amazed at what you can do.
Personally, I feel great at a bmi of 19-20 (single figure body fat according to calcs, but don't believe them until I've been on a DEXA scanner). Hills become magically easier, and I can go faster for longer. I have no race aspirations, I just want to enjoy riding my bike and to be able to do more on it. I'm 2 years in to following this approach (had a BMI of 27 before). Last year I did a couple of 600km audax rides and put in 15000km. The fat bastid I was a couple of years ago wouldn't have imagined it was possible.
hoyin said:
What do you do?
Race everyone ... if they overtake and you don't catch them you loose.
Its terrible, but I HATE getting dropped on the commute... properly, properly hate it...Race everyone ... if they overtake and you don't catch them you loose.
Will always try to keep up with guys, even if i've been running at luch etc too, which is just silly..
Oddly enough though, went out on the MTB on thursday night, and then did an actual recovery ride home on friday evening (from work) - then went out on the road bike yesterday, and felt sooo much better for not going flat out on Friday. Guess its true that you should take it easy sometimes as it makes the longer rides much nicer!
Rolls said:
Its terrible, but I HATE getting dropped on the commute... properly, properly hate it...
Will always try to keep up with guys, even if i've been running at luch etc too, which is just silly..
Oddly enough though, went out on the MTB on thursday night, and then did an actual recovery ride home on friday evening (from work) - then went out on the road bike yesterday, and felt sooo much better for not going flat out on Friday. Guess its true that you should take it easy sometimes as it makes the longer rides much nicer!
You're not the only one though...even when I was riding the mtb I didn't like being overtaken by roadies Will always try to keep up with guys, even if i've been running at luch etc too, which is just silly..
Oddly enough though, went out on the MTB on thursday night, and then did an actual recovery ride home on friday evening (from work) - then went out on the road bike yesterday, and felt sooo much better for not going flat out on Friday. Guess its true that you should take it easy sometimes as it makes the longer rides much nicer!
I understand your question entirely - I've read all these training regimes and programmes, but all of them say X mins at Y cadence, then rest, then the same etc. I spent a long time trying to work out just where I could do that (locally to me) and found it very difficult.
Instead, I use my heart rate as an indicator. Though I've never done the max heart rate test, I've got bloody close to passing out through trying to hard so figure I'm pretty close - and so I just know whether I'm trying hard enough or not by my HR. For my commute specifically, that seems the best way to gauge it.
Instead, I use my heart rate as an indicator. Though I've never done the max heart rate test, I've got bloody close to passing out through trying to hard so figure I'm pretty close - and so I just know whether I'm trying hard enough or not by my HR. For my commute specifically, that seems the best way to gauge it.
I find that commuting acts as a good interval session, but is probably better for just keeping the legs spinning. Of late I've been going probably 75% on the commute, with the odd blitz through Richmond Park where there is obviously no traffic. However the best thing I've done of late is to make sure I have more rest. I have been doing 3 days a week commuting for last week or two, and I have found that when it comes to the weekend where I can get a proper, long ride in, I'm much better, quicker, able to push harder, and better all round. A normal week for me going forward I hope will be 3 commutes a week at moderate/low intensity depending on what ride I'd done, a hard training ride one night/mid week crit race and then a long race, or hard long training ride on the weekend.
That way I think I'm getting a good mix of miles and time on the bike and also making sure I'm rested enough to make progress when I'm going for it. After all, there's no point me racing if my legs are knackered!
That way I think I'm getting a good mix of miles and time on the bike and also making sure I'm rested enough to make progress when I'm going for it. After all, there's no point me racing if my legs are knackered!
TheFungle said:
May I suggest bks to all the heart rate stuff...
Absolutely. Ride slow, ride fast - it's up to you, so long as you feel ok. Fitness and weight loss will happen due to riding regulalry. Don't be a slave to HR numbers and zones.ks to all the heart rate stuff... but...
hoyin said:
Race everyone ...
oh yeah 
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