This is a mix of a confession and a semi-plea for advice..

I've biked to work a couple of times, 30-32 miles roundtrip. In the morning when I get to work, I feel this euphoria which I imagine is what coffee drinkers must experience every morning after they take their initial swigs. On the way home, the ride is tougher, I curse (under my breath) at passing by cars and wonder if they realize how nice they have it sitting in their cars driving along in traffic. When I get home, I'm definitely tired and drop to bed by 10pm. Normally I sleep at midnight...I know, bad me.

Now then...I've done this about 3 times total in the last 1 year. I wanted to do it 2 times a week but I'm just too lazy!

I'll plan for the ride at night, packing my stuff and prepping my bike. I wake up in the morning and just don't want to get up yet so I tell myself "10 minutes". I create a bunch of excuses on why I shouldn't bike to work today and how I'll bike the next day. Eventually I convince myself that I'll simply sleep for a while longer and drive in to work instead. I feel extremely guilty because my ride to work has all the amenities that bikers dream of. 99% of the trip has bike paths, my workplace has showers and I can lock my bike in the bike stalls at work or even keep it in my office. Worse, I really *need* the ride as I need to drop a good 25-30lbs of weight.

So, what should I do? Sleep much earlier so I won't be sleepy in the morning? Flatten the tires on my car? Grow a backbone? Are there any general tips that'll make me execute on the commute plan?

At least you've done it. I haven't even gotten a bike yet and I'm already planning to do 30kms roundtrip from home to work for about 2x~3x a week. Like you I need to lose about 10 kgs.

Are you doing any other riding? weekend rides, etc? I don't recommend trying to get all your riding and exercise by starting out commuting. Instead, use your flexible schedule to get in regular rides after work (even short 10-12 milers) for about a month, then shift to the commute as your regular ride. You won't have to 'get up' for the ride first thing in the morning, you won't have to carry a lot of extra stuff, and you can even ride your nice bike on those paths instead of your commute bike. After a month your confidence, fitness, and general energy level will all be elevated so psyching yourself for the morning ride won't be such an ordeal.

This is a mix of a confession and a semi-plea for advice..

I've biked to work a couple of times, 30-32 miles roundtrip. In the morning when I get to work, I feel this euphoria which I imagine is what coffee drinkers must experience every morning after they take their initial swigs. On the way home, the ride is tougher, I curse (under my breath) at passing by cars and wonder if they realize how nice they have it sitting in their cars driving along in traffic. When I get home, I'm definitely tired and drop to bed by 10pm. Normally I sleep at midnight...I know, bad me.

Now then...I've done this about 3 times total in the last 1 year. I wanted to do it 2 times a week but I'm just too lazy!

I'll plan for the ride at night, packing my stuff and prepping my bike. I wake up in the morning and just don't want to get up yet so I tell myself "10 minutes". I create a bunch of excuses on why I shouldn't bike to work today and how I'll bike the next day. Eventually I convince myself that I'll simply sleep for a while longer and drive in to work instead. I feel extremely guilty because my ride to work has all the amenities that bikers dream of. 99% of the trip has bike paths, my workplace has showers and I can lock my bike in the bike stalls at work or even keep it in my office. Worse, I really *need* the ride as I need to drop a good 25-30lbs of weight.

So, what should I do? Sleep much earlier so I won't be sleepy in the morning? Flatten the tires on my car? Grow a backbone? Are there any general tips that'll make me execute on the commute plan?

Are you doing any other riding? weekend rides, etc? I don't recommend trying to get all your riding and exercise by starting out commuting. Instead, use your flexible schedule to get in regular rides after work (even short 10-12 milers) for about a month, then shift to the commute as your regular ride. You won't have to 'get up' for the ride first thing in the morning, you won't have to carry a lot of extra stuff, and you can even ride your nice bike on those paths instead of your commute bike. After a month your confidence, fitness, and general energy level will all be elevated so psyching yourself for the morning ride won't be such an ordeal.

Hmmmm! That's not a bad idea at all. I could easily keep my roadbike at work and simply go out for a 10-12 mile ride at about 5-6pm.

I used to do some weekend riding but have stopped riding all together lately. Hopefully this will get me back on..

Hmmmm! That's not a bad idea at all. I could easily keep my roadbike at work and simply go out for a 10-12 mile ride at about 5-6pm.

Last summer I went out during lunch for a 45-60 minute ride, ~2-3x per week. I hit the trails or the road depending on my fancy and hopefully I can get into the habit of doing the same again this year. Right now my "habit" is to sit motionless eating sandwiches for an hour before going back to the lab or computer for some more motionless sitting.

- You complain about the weight but you don't want to exercise.

- You complain about not being able to get up but you go to bed at midnight.

- You complain about cars but state that 99% of your commute is on bike paths.


Biking to work won't happen until you get an attitude change. It's easy to sit and wonder "what if" but it takes a little more work to actually choose to ride to work. Look at your reasoning above and ask yourself what's truly important. Is it staying up watching Leno/Letterman or getting some decent sleep? I doubt that you're going to get much from an online forum that's somehow going to magically spur you on to ride to work. I don't know... Maybe Dr. Phil can help?!

It takes a lot of work to break bad habits and reinforce new ones. You have a lot of life-intertia to overcome. At the same time, if you jump in too heavily, you tend to get burnt out and don't do it.

If you don't have the fitness yet to do that kind of riding, then by all means, start with the 10-12 milers after work. Nothing at all wrong with that. But then move on from there. Another possibility is to drive the bike to work, ride home in the evening, then bakc the next day.

If you can physically do the rides, and know they'll benefit you, then discipline yourself to do them. It's always easier to find excuses why not to, especially after a layoff. I've been off the bike for a week because I was sick. Yesterday, I was going to go again. Inertia pulled at me - too cloudy, then too sunny, then too tired, then too windy. But I did 30 miles of hills in a 25 mph wind and feel really glad I did.

Try making a commitment to yourself that you're going to average twice a week (or once a week - figure realistically) for a month. Tell some friends who'll encourage you, and ask for accountability. Then do another month the same way. If you still hate it, maybe it's not for you. But you'll at least have tried it. I usually hate new things that require discipline, but end up being glad I did it.

Bike commuting is not for everyone. It works for me because I like riding my bike, I’m willing to ignore a lot of inconveniences it causes (like the uncomprending stares when I'm in lycra) and I’m willing to make a long-term commitment to it. I can make that commitment because I like doing it, the benefits of the associated exercise are tangible, and very importantly, the time spent in the activity is almost free. How is the time free? Simple, while having fun, I am accomplishing my commute. The bike portion of my commute takes ~20 - 25 minutes by car and 32 – 34 minutes by bike. Every day I bike, I get 75 minutes of biking and it only costs about 30 - 40 minutes out of my day. For me this ratio of 2 hours of biking for every one hour lost makes it possible to invest that hour and take it away from the other activities and family members where I also want to invest my time. The benefits of exercise come from doing it regularly. I can’t do it regularly if I don’t enjoy it. Maybe these circumstances can work for you.

Another reason I enjoy my bike commute is that enough of it is along scenic roads and other parts of it have their own elements of interest. It’s fun for me to watch the change of season and see how it affects everything along my route. Some of the things I watch are too unimportant to tell anyone about but they add interest to my route. For example, I ride past a golf course. About ¾ mile past it, the route crosses an interstate highway (on a bridge). At that bridge, along the curb, I watched a golf ball. It was there day after day. It was notable in the sense of an object in a strange place (too far to be a bad slice). Finally it disappeared. Later on the route, I pass people waiting at bus stops. Some pedestrians actually greet me. I think riders get pleasure from the intimacy of their relationships with the outdoors, whether flora, fauna, people or other elements. When you read the ride reports posted here, I think you’ll agree with me that the people who post them (and it does take some effort to do a good one) take real pleasure in their experience. You like to ride so you must feel this pleasure too.

I am not jealous of anyone in a car when I’m on a bike. No matter how hot, cold or wet I am, I’m having fun and doing something for myself and they’re not. Yeah, their environment may be heated or cooled to perfection, but I get the whole outdoor intimacy thing and they don’t. I also get to pass a lot of them on the more urban part of my ride (part of the reason the car trip is long near my work location.)

I think 16 mi. one way as a bike commute for you (as you describe yourself) is too long at first. But, I think you can work up to that distance if you want to. I put my bike on my car, drive to an intermediate place I can park and bike the remainder of the way. I recommend this approach to anyone who will listen (bike commute missionary!) If possible, find a couple places to park, the closest at about 5 miles. I started at 6 miles and quickly moved to 8, then 10. My standard commute is now 10 miles one way. My next option is at 15 miles and the last 5 miles have a few good hills. Hills are good, but they add time. Consequently, I only do the 15 mile option when I’m running early and feeling especially ready. The suggestion of spreading the round trip over two days is a great one for your circumstances. My one way distance is over 50 miles. Hmm....

Lastly, if you can control your appetite, the weight will come off and your muscle tone will improve dramatically if you get on a regular program. When circumstances are most favorable, I get over 10 hours of biking quality exercise a week. My fitness advisor tells me she regards 10 hours as excellent (most of her clientele are lucky to get 3 hours.) The general consensus at this site is that an hour of biking burns about 300 calories. A gram of fat contains 9 calories and a pound of fat has about 4,000 calories. Do the math. Twelve hours of biking consumes 1 pound of fat as long as you don’t make up the deficit with extra food!

A lot of good suggestions above! Good luck.

I am not jealous of anyone in a car when I’m on a bike. No matter how hot, cold or wet I am, I’m having fun and doing something for myself and they’re not. Yeah, their environment may be heated or cooled to perfection, but I get the whole outdoor intimacy thing and they don’t.

Hey! Reminds me of the looks I get from drivers/passegers when it's cold / hot / raining / snowing outside (not all at once). Y' know, "Check out the kook on the bike..."
The best times to whizz by is when they are seriously stuck in traffic & going absolutely no where. Mind you, those are the times when I am at Red Alert scanning for a dumb move by a driver trying to get out of the mess.

Hey! Reminds me of the looks I get from drivers/passegers when it's cold / hot / raining / snowing outside (not all at once). Y' know, "Check out the kook on the bike..."
The best times to whizz by is when they are seriously stuck in traffic & going absolutely no where. Mind you, those are the times when I am at Red Alert scanning for a dumb move by a driver trying to get out of the mess.

I know the look. Fortunately, my situations are relatively low risk, as far as passing stalled traffic goes. I go slowly, keep my eyes wide open and suffer a little longer as I pass all the smokers.

I love commuting to work, I've been doing it for about a year in Los Angeles. 34 miles roundtrip. I feel so great to leave work and hop on my bike to go home. It's fun seeing people stuck in traffic. What's amazing is that commuting by bike is faster or the same as commuting by car. I commute to work 4 out of 5 days. The only downside is that commuting to work is hurting my training for racing. All this talk of high gas prices doesn't affect me, I think regular unleaded gas costs $2.33. I'd rather be on my bike than stuck in a car in stop and go traffic.

Dan

So, what should I do? Sleep much earlier so I won't be sleepy in the morning? Flatten the tires on my car? Grow a backbone? Are there any general tips that'll make me execute on the commute plan?[/QUOTE]

Find a form of exercise that you like. With the exception of one brother-in-law, everybody I know that exercises regularly likes doing it. We all seek pleasure and avoid pain so if fun is running, run. If fun is roller-blading, rollerblade. If fun is tennis, learn to play well enough to get a decent work out. Any form of exercise is better than no exercise. If you want to exercise by cyclomuting, find a way to make it fun so you can wake up looking forward to riding.

Lots of good advice. Leaving the bike at work and riding at lunchtime sounds like a great idea, too.

For me, I had to start riding and get used to riding in the morning when I was tired. I resolved to do a week straight. It became a routine, and soon I missed doing it on days that I didn't. Maybe it was that "runner's high" addiction. It sounds simple, but the best way to commute is to start and get in the habit. Ride 4 days a week for 2 weeks, if possible. Nice weather helps.
Good luck!

Just to update the situation..

I woke up at 6:50am or so this morning, left the house at 7:22am. The ride was 16 miles, it took me 1hr and 7min riding time, and about 1hr 20min real time (with stoplights, etc.)

Funny thing is, I'm at work now and I don't feel tired at all. Maybe I'll feel it in a couple of hours....I know for sure that the ride back home is tougher though.

Very cool, lazyrack!

I bet you a Mountain Dew that you'll be tired this evening.

Keep it up for a couple weeks, at a reasonable frequency so that you don't exhaust yourself. If you enjoy it, it'll become part of you and you'll feel funny those days that you drive.

suonata

No doubt about it. I don't feel *pain* right now, but I definitely feel tired/sleepy right now. I'm almost tempted to get a ride home instead of biking. I feel like I can bike back, but I just dont want to get into a situtation where I'm halfway home and then need to just sit down for 30 minutes to rest....although I guess that's not all that bad either.

The only downside is that commuting to work is hurting my training for racing. All this talk of high gas prices doesn't affect me, I think regular unleaded gas costs $2.33. I'd rather be on my bike than stuck in a car in stop and go traffic.
Dan

Curious how other racers deal with that. As far as race training a 2 hour ride after a half-hour drive home would be a lot more beneficial than two one-hour commute rides per day, and there's no good spots on my commute to do interval training of any sort (too many lights, side streets, etc.), so I feel like in terms of racing my commute is actually *hurting* me. OTOH, I'm not willing to give it up, and I don't know that I'd be motivated to go on *training* rides after work if I had to drive anyway, so in that respect it's better than nothing...

I do have the option of doing adding a long loop to my commute route, but then I'm stuck lugging a messenger bag w/ a 6lb. laptop for 30 or so miles, which doesn't make my back too happy...

How do other racer/commuters get "quality" miles in?

-Trevor

What's cool for me is, aside from the riding part, seeing how other people at work react when I walk into the office with a bike....very cool!

i would say getting up an hour earler and then riding to work, then back home, is a lot to take on. what i did was drive to work with an extra suit, shoes, and toiletries. i rode home that night. the next day i rode in. had to be on the road by 5:00 in order to make the 25 mile trip on time. i was fine during the day, but wouldnt have the wits to ride home that night. especially with "the hill" i have near the end of the ride home. maybe someday i will be able to ride there and home, but not anytime soon. and it helps to know that. there are people out there who could, but knowing your limits helps.

i would agree that one of the coolest things is to see the looks on coworkers faces when you stroll in decked out in gear. it is not cool to try and get ready where there are no showers. i was nervous i smelled all day. i made sure i had no meetings that day.

another thing that isnt cool is the weather. it has not cooperated this week, and i would love to ride again. but i dont want to make it a miserable experience.