How far is it feasible to commute by bike?

figs86

Hi guys,

starting new job in February in Dun Laoighre,
i live in Clontarf and I train for rowing 2/3 nights midweek in islandbridge.

Round trip thats just over 25 miles Clontarf - Dun Laoighre - Islandbridge - Clontarf and I will be training those nights as well!

Impossible task or excellent training??

Anybody do something similar - pros/cons?

Thanks

Lumen

My commute is 20 miles round trip. Not a big distance and I'm slower on a bike than a crippled frenchwoman.

If you're a rower that's probably just a warm up/warm down for you.

figs86

thanks, i didnt think it would be too bad, its only about 2x40 mins and 20 minutes then

indeed, can use it as my warm-up for training

2 mates who are good cyclists had suggested it was too far to go 5 days a week so bit of reassurance much welcomed!

Lumen

figs86 wrote: »

2 mates who are good cyclists had suggested it was too far to go 5 days a week so bit of reassurance much welcomed!

I thought you said 2/3 days a week?

In any case, it totally depends on how hard you go. I'm completely unable to cycle slowly (in effort terms, in absolute terms I'm not quick at all) but if I had the prospect of sitting in a small boat being shouted at to look forward to I'm sure I could slow it down.

Skippy65

Its probably possible but man you are goin to have some bang of sweat coming off you!

Civilian_Target

figs86 wrote: »

Hi guys,

starting new job in February in Dun Laoighre,
i live in Clontarf and I train for rowing 2/3 nights midweek in islandbridge.

Round trip thats just over 25 miles Clontarf - Dun Laoighre - Islandbridge - Clontarf and I will be training those nights as well!

Impossible task or excellent training??

Anybody do something similar - pros/cons?

Thanks

2/3 days a week is very possible, this is very similar to the commute I do now, which is 26km each way and I do 2/3 times a week. It does, however, add up to about 2 hours cycling a day! Depending on the pace you take it, it can be an excellent warm up or some moderate training.

One summer, I commuted across Dublin and back every day (Ranelagh -> Mulhuddart return) and it nearly killed me. If you do that 5 days a week, your life just becomes dominated by work and cycling and it's crap. You find yourself too tired to go out with friends when you come back

(I'm no rower btw, but I was a swimmer...)

Gavin

I do 18.5 mile roundtrip 5 days a week. It's fine, bit tiring come friday, but well that's normal no matter what !

It will take you a while to get into it though, if you aren't a cyclist already

short circuit

I do a 30mile round trip, 5 days a week .. clonee to sandyford. Takes me about an hour each way.

The first day I did it in April this year, I had to sit doing nothing for an hour to recover. After a month, it was no problem. And now I can do the entire week and can even manage it in 50mins if I have good luck with the lights.

And as far as taking time away from everything else, I am not too sure as even commuting by car would take me atleast an hour each way and on top, I would have to time my trip to leave before 7AM from home or after 6:30 from work to miss the traffic. On a cycle, I can go whenever I can ... so I get more time in bed in the morning. Any day, I plan on heading out in the evening, I just don't kill myself on the trip home ... say 65 mins on the way back and that means I am not tired and can head out ... only thing is you have to be careful with your pints .. I tend to get drunk quicker when I am fitter ...

JoeSchmoe

durung the summer, I commuted from Clare hall to Booterstown and then back into the city centre at lunch and then back to clarehall, was no problem, physically but sweat wise it wasn't so easy

MrJones

I commute on the bike as well..about 3 days a week. Its 10 miles each way and is city centre to dun loaghoire direction like you OP..
def find that by friday you are tired after it..you need to ease yourself into it. i did 4 days my first week and a long cycle that w'end and the next week i didnt cycle at all!
It might be like a double or triple training session as you are using the same muscles for rowing and cycling.
Cycling to/from work is great way to pass the winter though, i think. better than sitting on dart/ in car and you are getting some fitness work in as well.

Niallface

I do a total of 22.8 km everyday generally on a fixie not a bother, i do the whole thing in about 66min. would be faster if people didn't use my cycleway as a loading bay (rhyming) but it is generally ok,,,

SomeFool

Also a rower!
Just be sure when you finish your rowing training that you don't let yourself get cold before you start the return journey. Either warm down/shower /change at the club or hit the road straight away. You could probably use your commute as an LSD session if you add a few miles on to it!!

Húrin

figs86 wrote: »

Hi guys,

starting new job in February in Dun Laoighre,
i live in Clontarf and I train for rowing 2/3 nights midweek in islandbridge.

Round trip thats just over 25 miles Clontarf - Dun Laoighre - Islandbridge - Clontarf and I will be training those nights as well!

Impossible task or excellent training??

Anybody do something similar - pros/cons?

Thanks

I would say that it's good training, and quite feasible. However, if you get tired on the days without the trip to Islandbridge, there is this thing called the DART; it's a train that goes from Clontarf to Dun Laoghire.