12 and a half miles?

davyjose

I work 12 and a half miles from work. I tend to get stuck in traffic quite a bit, but have always felt it's a little too far to cycle. I have been considering getting a "racer" and having a crack at it, but I'm still not sure. As a beginner (well, I cycled quite a bit in my youth, but it's been a while), would this be too much do you think, or is it a reasonable distance? And how long should I expect to take?

Danbo!

this generally depends on road conditions and where youre travelling to and from. Wind in ireland is generally from the southwest so when I cycle northeast into work it takes 20-25 mins (10k) and the way back is uphill and against the wind so it takes about 35-40 mins.

To get started into this, your best bet would be to do a few runs at the weekend (or whatever days off you have) and get used to it. The problem with this tho is when you get there you just turn around and go back so its not really a great practice run as youll be wrecked cycling 25 miles all at once. Maybe cycle in and take an hour or 2 break before heading home.

other factors are important too like do you have a shower and changing facilities in work?

once you try it a few times over a few weekends, maybe then try it once or twice a week before building up to cycling everyday.

flickerx

davyjose wrote: »

I work 12 and a half miles from work. I tend to get stuck in traffic quite a bit, but have always felt it's a little too far to cycle. I have been considering getting a "racer" and having a crack at it, but I'm still not sure. As a beginner (well, I cycled quite a bit in my youth, but it's been a while), would this be too much do you think, or is it a reasonable distance? And how long should I expect to take?

Depends - whats the terrain like? If its reasonably flat, I think 12 miles is just about manageable. I did ten miles from Blanch to Clonskeagh for a year, and I was able to handle it OK, as long as I didnt have a bag on my back (this tended to make me sweat underneath where the bag was). On a decent racer with clear enough roads you'd be able to do 12 miles in an hour, no problem. I'd definitely recommend that you do it, even if you feel a bit apprehensive - you'll feel much better and fitter for it (have a read of the thread that people contributed to for the IMPACT lifestyle magazine), you'll be a hundred times less stressed than from sitting in the traffic, you'll get used to the journey on the bike quickly enough, and you can get a starter racer for around €400.

Do it!

Bicyclegadabout

It is an above average commute, but it’s quite doable.
Though it will be tough at first.
Personally I think 1 hour 15 minutes would be reasonable for that trip without going crazy fast. But that depends on traffic etc…..it could be half that.

It’s well worth it.


Also, I don’t know what your route is or anything, but check the google pedometer and see if you can find a shorter alternate route.

seamus

It's certainly reasonable, but given the distance you want to be well prepared - carry a spare everything and make sure you have a fallback plan if you end up stranded halfway home, such as a bus or a mate's house nearby.

You would want to take it easy for the first while and slowly build it up. Maybe two days a week at first, say Monday and Thursday. Avoid cycling in if your legs are in serious pain - this will probably be the norm for a week or two, but it goes away. As you get fitter, build it up to Monday, Wednesday, Friday (the day's break will do wonders for you), and then to four days a week and so on. Cherish your resting days - resting is as important for fitness building as the exercise.
Don't be surprised if you can still only manage four days a week in eight months' time (in fact, this would be pretty good). Your fitness can take a while longer to return to you, particularly if you're past your late twenties.

Assuming that you haven't cycled in over ten years, anything under or around an hour would be a respectable time to manage for your first few weeks.

davyjose

Thanks a million guys, the problem is I haven't got a bike, so it'd be a pretty big investment to make only to realise it was beyond me.
I do have showers in work and changing facilities so that won't be a major issue, and the roads are reaonably well kept - not too many hills, but I work long hours with early starts.
However, I'm frantic to have a more active life. So I think this is something I'll definitely do at the beginning of Spring.

Cheers for all your help guys

flickerx

davyjose wrote: »

Thanks a million guys, the problem is I haven't got a bike, so it'd be a pretty big investment to make only to realise it was beyond me.

None of my business how much money you earn, but do you think its that big of an investment? If you get a new cheap racer for €400 or so (even on the minimum wage people still come out with about €300 a week, I assume [yes i know - ass, u, me] that if you have a car and you're driving 12 miles there and back, then you are not doing it to flip burgers) and you feel you're not into it, you can always sell it on, racers have a decent resale value. How much money do you spend a week on petrol, insurance, repairs etc for the car? Its always good to have a bike, even if you dont use it for the commute, you can go out on the weekends or nicer evenings when the weather gets better and it stays brighter for longer... for the amount of pleasure I get from bikes, I think they're well worth the investment.

Maybe that's why I have three of them. And still building my 4th :rolleyes:

Hungrycol

Don't forget to budget in for appropriate clothing and accessories. If you start cycling in to work now, say once a week to begin with, on a day you know you might not be working as long hours as other days then you'll enjoy the cycle into work in the Spring and Summer time so much more. You'll be fitter, slimmer and less stressed.

Buy a bike to the max of your budget. You really get what you pay for on the starter end bikes, less so with high end.

You should also consult your GP before taking on any form of exercise to this extent from being sedentary for so long. 12 miles each way is a lot to begin with in my book.

Mucco

I used to do just over that distance twice daily, it's a great way to get fit. When you're used to the route, you'll easily do it in under 1h, I used to get under 40mins on a good day.
As others have said, get a road bike, carry spares with you, and decent lights at this time of year ( I used these, heavy but cheap).
You won't look back, cycling turns the wasted time sitting in a car to something useful and enjoyable.

M

fish-head

Do we have Cyclescheme here in Ireland? That could take alot of the pain out of getting punched in the wallet. Even if we don't, it's still a great investment. Look at it as investment in your own personal wellbeing.

unionman

With that much good advice already posted, I have little to add except to say that I came back to cycling 6 years ago, after a 7 year gap. I was already in my early 30's and a bit clueless as to what type of bike to buy, what extra gear etc. but got there in the end.

I started off with a bit of a crappy bike, but that saw me through the first year, and I enjoyed it enough to invest a bit more on the next one. Three bikes later, I am now on a bike that suits me perfectly. I took sound advice and bought at the top of my available budget and I have no regrets.

Hope it all goes well for you, as I say, plenty of sound advice up there that will see you through (I wish I'd had the same!!). I'll add this though, after a gap of a few years, the posterior region is where you feel it most on the first few runs;)..but it doesn't last long!

Happy trails.

davyjose

flickerx wrote: »

None of my business how much money you earn, but do you think its that big of an investment? If you get a new cheap racer for €400 or so (even on the minimum wage people still come out with about €300 a week, I assume [yes i know - ass, u, me] that if you have a car and you're driving 12 miles there and back, then you are not doing it to flip burgers) and you feel you're not into it, you can always sell it on, racers have a decent resale value. How much money do you spend a week on petrol, insurance, repairs etc for the car? Its always good to have a bike, even if you dont use it for the commute, you can go out on the weekends or nicer evenings when the weather gets better and it stays brighter for longer... for the amount of pleasure I get from bikes, I think they're well worth the investment.

Maybe that's why I have three of them. And still building my 4th :rolleyes:

Well that's just it, I'm earning a decent average wage I guess, but when I say big investment, I mean that 600 Euro rotting away in the shed would be a bit much for me. Having said that I think I'll go for it - even if I don't use it for work, I can see myself using it on 1 or two of my days off (the dublin mountains are practically in my back garden) so yeah, you've pretty much said what I was thinking in your post.

Cheers for all your help guys

Edit E600 is the cheapest new bike I've sourced so far

daymobrew

davyjose wrote: »

Edit E600 is the cheapest new bike I've sourced so far

Tell us more about the bike so people can tell you how suitable it will be for you needs.

I ride a front suspension 2000 Specialized Rockhopper 9 miles each way. Skinny tyres make it quick enough, but if I were to take my racing bike, it is so much more fun because the narrower tyres, lighter frame and more nimble frame. Unfortunately I rarely do ride it to work as I fear that the roads would kill it. My point is, get the right bike (a hybrid or a racer perhaps) and your commute will be fun.

davyjose

daymobrew wrote: »

Tell us more about the bike so people can tell you how suitable it will be for you needs.

This is the bike I'm looking at - it's E539 in my local store also, but I've factored in at least another E60 for lights gears etc

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=35&idproduct=18165

Raam

davyjose wrote: »

This is the bike I'm looking at - it's E539 in my local store also, but I've factored in at least another E60 for lights gears etc

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=35&idproduct=18165

Should be fine for you. I commute on a road bike and there is no problem. Just avoid the potholes. Make sure to factor in pedal cost, I don't see them mentioned there, although they are in the pic.

seamus

Double your gear costs at least IMO. You can't underestimate the importance of good raingear. My bottoms and jacket pack up into small sizes so I can fit them in the side pockets of my bag. When I'm wearing them they keep me dryish and warm in the most horrible conditions.

infinity&beyond

Just to give you a bit of encouragement, I only picked up cycling when I moved out to the 'burbs and took to commuting into town, 10 miles each way. Best move I ever made. Ok, so your commute is 25% longer than mine, but I don't think it's that big a deal, especially after you've been doing it for a couple of months.

I bought a bottom of the range hybrid to start with (something like E220), but quickly outgrew it and after a year bought a road bike for E950. Ok, so at that stage I knew I was committed to the commute, therefore knew it wasn't going to be a waste. Nevertheless I would strongly advise you to buy a bike capable of doing 100 miles a week 40-50 weeks of the year, otherwise you'll just be wasting your money!

For cycling gear, I think all you really need is padded shorts, a rain jacket, overshoes and mudguards, and for the winter make sure you get lights and a reflective top. I've never bothered with leggings for the rain - no need, especially if you've got a shower in work.

Hope this helps.