1st time cycle to work today. :)

Nomad81

Just wanted to share with the boardsies that I cycled to work today for the first time on my 4-day old Raleigh Metro LX.

Came from the Sandyford Industrial Estate, went up Stillorgan Heath, left at upper kilmacud road, went from Drummartin road all the way to Ranelagh road, onto the SCR, Leeson, Stephen's Green, Past Trinity on westland row, across the liffey on the sean o'casey bridge, towards connolly, then onto Foley Street. Took all of 45 minutes door-to-door. Made a couple of mistakes here and there in terms of lane changes, but I'm confident I'll get the hang of it in due time.

A bit knackered afterwards, but not bad enough to stop me from working today.

I'm dreading the hike back though. Anyone got any recommendations as to the least hilly route back?

TinyExplosions

Congrats mate, it gets easier from here on in!

Gavin

Good job, there's a lot to navigate along that route, particularly Pearse St.

AstraMonti

More cyclists to the streets, more safer the streets will be

I am doing almost the same route, but i stop at St. Stephens. Give me a shout if you see me, red/white beone bike.

Less hilly would probably be going from n11 and up to Stillorgan Village.. but n11 is awful to cycle. The worst spot if you return the same way is between goatstown and dundrum.. Its 2km that are a bit hilly.. but nothing much, in a few weeks you will not even feel it.

Nomad81

Gavin wrote: »

Good job, there's a lot to navigate along that route, particularly Pearse St.

Yeah, Sandyford to the South Circular isn't bad at all, it's when you get to the city centre that things get a bit tricky, but to be honest, it's not exactly the hell-hole that I was expecting based on what I've read on the internet. Probably 1st-time lucky.

Vélo

Nice one. Keep it up!

Nomad81

AstraMonti wrote: »

More cyclists to the streets, more safer the streets will be

I am doing almost the same route, but i stop at St. Stephens. Give me a shout if you see me, red/white beone bike.

Less hilly would probably be going from n11 and up to Stillorgan Village.. but n11 is awful to cycle. The worst spot if you return the same way is between goatstown and dundrum.. Its 2km that are a bit hilly.. but nothing much, in a few weeks you will not even feel it.

Will do, AstraMonti. How long does it take you to get to St. Stephen's? Took me about 35 minutes each way when I did a recon trip yesterday.

Have to agree with you there. The cycle route on the N11 looks bad even from inside a car!

AstraMonti

When i was in form i needed 19 to 21minutes depending how lucky i was with the lights. Today i needed 26 minutes, but my knee is in bad shape (i know excuses!)

72hundred

+1!

irishmotorist

Nomad81 wrote: »

I'm dreading the hike back though. Anyone got any recommendations as to the least hilly route back?

You'll be heading from sea-level to higher-than-sea-level so there'll be no avoiding a bit of an uphill slope. One thing to look forward to is the wind that was slowing you down this morning should be helping you home tonight.

thebouldwhacker

one more of us...
one less of them...
:cool:

Nomad81

thanks for all the kudos folks! Legs are gone at the moment. Could hardly get myself up the stairs after lunch.


Btw, I also need some advice for carrying stuff on the bike. I'll have to carry a lot of stuff to and from work for the moment:

1 Notebook computer
+ A change of clothes for work
+ A change of clothes for gymming after work
+ A sweat towel
+ a few toiletries

Are there any panniers out there that'll be big enough to hold all of these and turn into a backpack once taken off the bike?

oflahero

Good man Nomad,

Nomad81 wrote: »

thanks for all the kudos folks! Legs are gone at the moment. Could hardly get myself up the stairs after lunch.

Jayze, that bad? If so, then be warned that by the time you lug yourself back this evening you may experience a very strong desire to hurl the bike in the bin saying "not for me". THIS IS PERFECTLY NATURAL. We've all felt it. Do not act on it. Have a bath instead.

As has been noted above, it gets easier and soon you won't feel it. Or, if you prefer Greg LeMond's point of view, "It never gets easier. You just go faster."

AstraMonti

oflahero wrote: »

Have a bath instead.

This and STRETCH! Its really important to stretch, it will make you feel much better tomorrow morning.

stopped_clock

Nomad81 wrote: »

Btw, I also need some advice for carrying stuff on the bike. I'll have to carry a lot of stuff to and from work for the moment:

1 Notebook computer
+ A change of clothes for work
+ A change of clothes for gymming after work
+ A sweat towel
+ a few toiletries

Are there any panniers out there that'll be big enough to hold all of these and turn into a backpack once taken off the bike?

Not really answering the question you've asked but:

Try and reduce the amount you need to bring on the bike. Some people drive one day a week and leave a week's worth of shirts in work. I leave my work shoes in my desk.

Do you need your laptop or could you get away with just moving the data on a usb key, or a light netbook?

I use one of those lightweight travel towels when commuting. They're not great to use but they do the job and tend not to get smelly. I also try to get sample-size toiletries.

And remember a plastic bag - to keep things dry if it rains and to separate clean stuff from sweaty...

kenmc

yeah there's no reason to bring the toiletries in and out with all the time, leave them in work. Also get some baby wipes they're handy for wiping sweat off if you don't have access to a shower and are resigned to a sink-shower. Also the towel could be left in on one day and swapped out every couple of days, likewise on a different day you could bring in a supply of boxers and socks for the week etc, then you're down to just a shirt/tshirt whatever every day, leave a couple of pairs of trousers in on rotation too.

unionman

I used to carry everything in two big panniers when I used to cimmute on a hybrid. Very time consuming process of packing/unpacking at either end of the commute, plus the extra weight was excessive.

What I do now is leave a jacket, trousers and shoes in the office, carry five pressed shirts in a backpack on mondays and the only extra I carry daily is socks and underwear. That leaves enough space in the bag for work notebook, blackberry, bike spares/rain gear etc. Most days now the bag is light and I can concentrate on enjoying the cycling.

As everyone else says, keep at it, it gets so much easier the more you do it.

Raam

You'll eventually get it down to a fine art. Some days I just shove a pair of socks, jocks and a t-shirt inside me jersey and bike in with that. Everything else is already in work.

snollup

good day to start with bus strike. like the lads are saying above, try cut out some of the stuff you have to carry by leaving certain things in work.

Raam

snollup wrote: »

good day to start with bus strike. like the lads are saying above, try cut out some of the stuff you have to carry by leaving certain things in work.

The amount of people trying to hail taxis this morning along the sea-front was phenomenal. Didn't know what they were at untill I hit the Clontarf depo and saw the action. Shoulda given someone a backer, I guess.

Hungrycol

Well done. The weather's been bad this last week and cycling in the rain is far from fun but you'll enjoy the good weather all the more having experienced it. It's also natural to think the wind is constantly against you. Treat all road users as idiots and always presume they can't see you. Try not to make drivers mad at you and thank them if they're courteous or give way to you.

You will find a routine fairly quickly that works regarding the clothes and toiletries. If you can drive/train/bus it onto work one day a week with a change of clothes for the week. Take home your worn clothes then too.

flickerx

I did a Blanch to Clonskeagh cycle for a year, and started off carrying a large enough bag with me, but this would leave a layer of nasty sweat on my back when I arrived. Carrying the bag also slowed me down.

I left as much stuff as I could, and migrated a load of data onto my work computer, also used online storage for files that I was working on at home too, a decent sized USB stick also went a long way. I found very quickly that I stopped sweating completely once I'd built up a bit of stamina, and that any fatigue I had after the ride went away very quickly. Give it time - in a few weeks you will notice a difference in feeling healthy.

Its also worth looking into breathable clothing, such as a top that reacts well with a breathable waterproof jacket.

But congrats on the commute - maybe you should write an article to the Irish Times about it.

rottenhat

Hungrycol wrote: »

It's also natural to think the wind is constantly against you.

The wind is always against you.

Civilian_Target

Nomad81 wrote: »

1 Notebook computer
+ A change of clothes for work
+ A change of clothes for gymming after work
+ A sweat towel
+ a few toiletries

Crazy man.
Wear your gym clothes. It's a bicycle FFS!
I rarely take the notebook: computers belong at work.
I leave a pair of shoes in work if I need real formals, otherwise I have cycling shoes that look like work shoes (I think someone posted a pic of the newer model last week.)
Sweat towel I accept. And the only toiletry a real man needs is a nice smelling soap

BostonB

rottenhat wrote: »

The wind is always against you.

It's always against me anyway.LOL

Wasn't windy today thankfully

Traumadoc

Could you cycle to the Gym before work and have a shower there if it is close to work?

Nomad81

Thanks for all the useful insights into cycling to work!

The notebook will be brought to work on Monday morning and brought home on Friday evening. Can't leave it at the customer's site through the weekend, although weekdays are fine. I certainly wouldn't lug it back and forth everyday! Still need to carry it on the bike on the days I'm taking it though.

No use wearing the gym clothes on the bike as they'd be sweaty once I'm done riding. Doesn't matter for now as I'm gonna try taking the luas on gym days (Tues, Thurs) to make it easier. Tried going to the gym yesterday and realized quickly that I couldn't get a proper workout going because I was completely drained at the end of the day.

I'll probably try the suggestions about leaving as much office clothes at work as I can.

Took public transport today and already hate the buses more than I did last week!

BostonB

Nomad81 wrote: »

...
I'll probably try the suggestions about leaving as much office clothes at work as I can. ...

Thats the way to go. I've a few changes left at work. Sweaty clothes dry in a couple of hours.

I suggest cycling a few days a week, not every day. Especially starting out.

petethedrummer

Nomad81 wrote: »

Tried going to the gym yesterday and realized quickly that I couldn't get a proper workout going because I was completely drained at the end of the day.

Just make your cycle longer and cancel the gym membership.

sunnyjim

petethedrummer wrote: »

Just make your cycle longer and cancel the gym membership.

Don't worry mate, soon the cycle will be so easy that it will practically be your warm-up for the gym!

Make sure you stretch though.

Maybe someone could suggest some stretches?

Nomad81

sunnyjim wrote: »

Don't worry mate, soon the cycle will be so easy that it will practically be your warm-up for the gym!

I'm definitely looking forward to that! That climb up the hill at Goatstown is a killer. The fact that it's so close to home makes it even worse.

AstraMonti

Nomad81 wrote: »

I'm definitely looking forward to that! That climb up the hill at Goatstown is a killer. The fact that it's so close to home makes it even worse.

The key (as its been said in here multiple times) is not to think it as a big uphill. Try to focus on things that you can see near you.. ie the next 4 trees, or the car thats parked, try to reach it and then spot something else. It doesn't make it easier, it just distructs your mind from the hill.

BostonB

Nomad81 wrote: »

I'm definitely looking forward to that! That climb up the hill at Goatstown is a killer. The fact that it's so close to home makes it even worse.

Good workout if its at the end of your run. Take a slug of water and a breather at the bottom. Thats what I do with my "hill" in my route. As you get used to it you stop needing the breather. Besides its not a race.

blorg

petethedrummer wrote: »

Just make your cycle longer and cancel the gym membership.

+1 on this, unless there is something specific you are trying to train in the gym, rather than just general fitness (the bike will do that for you.)

NeilMcEoigheann

leave the big lock in work and perhaps carry just a small combo lock one if you need to drop into the shops, also are your tyres pumped up just i had a friend who cycled to college everyday on near flat tyres and didn't understand why it was so tough... also ride in a t-shirt from now on you will be slightly chilled when you start but will not break a sweat also 5 mins before you arrive at work slow down don't leave the saddle and cruise. this will help you not to be a sweaty employee when you go to work.

Civilian_Target

Nomad81 wrote: »

No use wearing the gym clothes on the bike as they'd be sweaty once I'm done riding. Doesn't matter for now as I'm gonna try taking the luas on gym days (Tues, Thurs) to make it easier. Tried going to the gym yesterday and realized quickly that I couldn't get a proper workout going because I was completely drained at the end of the day.

If you're not sweating at the gym, you should probably cancel your membership. And if you are, why are you worried about starting out sweaty?

I play rugby and cycle at least once a week. Certainly no-one notices that I turn up a rugby a bit sweaty already. It's possible that I get odd looks after a heavy game when I go home covered in mud... but I don't notice

SEORG

I've recently started cycling to work myself.

The only problem I have is the mark that my helmet leave on my forehead. Does anyone have any suggestions for something to wear under the helmet? Hat or bandanna maybe.

Thanks

BostonB

SEORG wrote: »

I've recently started cycling to work myself.

The only problem I have is the mark that my helmet leave on my forehead. Does anyone have any suggestions for something to wear under the helmet? Hat or bandanna maybe.

Thanks

It must be too tight. Is there no adjustment on the headband?

SEORG

There is at the back. It doesn't feel tight though. It's like sweat is building up on the padding inside the helmet. I'll try adjusting it.

Nomad81

About the sweaty clothes, I gym after work. I couldn't/wouldn't put on damp and smelly clothes on me in the afternoon when heading to the gym. Doesn't matter now though, I'm going to confine the gym sessions to non-cycle days.

I'm trying to gain muscle, that's what the gym is for. Although cycling probably won't help in this area... I don't know really. I'm taking a wait and see attitude.

Funny enough, the tips about focussing on a near object when going up a hill is what I used to do when running/jogging up a hill back in the day. It proved useful then, and will do so now as well. Thanks for reminding me.

Huge improvement in speed today for some reason. Got to work in under 40 minutes. Must've been the rain (I LOOOOVE moving fast in the rain! On a cycle, in a car or on my feet, it doesn't matter). Rain also meant the change rooms at work were next to empty this morning.

Nomad81

SEORG wrote: »

There is at the back. It doesn't feel tight though. It's like sweat is building up on the padding inside the helmet. I'll try adjusting it.

Wore a thinsulate bonnet under the helmet today. That works perfect, but probably not when it's sunny. :P

Gavin

Nomad81 wrote: »

Wore bonnet under the helmet today.

Nomad81

Gavin wrote: »

That's exactly what I looked like! Except with a sunflower rather than a rose. :P

Lumen

Nomad81 wrote: »

I'm trying to gain muscle, that's what the gym is for. Although cycling probably won't help in this area... I don't know really. I'm taking a wait and see attitude.

I thought about this "building muscle at the gym" idea. Then I realised that I'd probably only build useless fast-twitch muscle that would make me slower on the hills. And I really don't need that. My self-esteem is better served by going faster than looking prettier.

Also, gym membership costs money, there's a recession on and I should be spending money to support starving Africans/Canadian bicycle frame designers.

oflahero

Lumen wrote: »

I thought about this "building muscle at the gym" idea. Then I realised that I'd probably only build useless fast-twitch muscle that would make me slower on the hills. And I really don't need that.

Too right Lumen...



(any excuse)

dingbat

Civilian_Target wrote: »

I play rugby and cycle at least once a week. Certainly no-one notices that I turn up a rugby a bit sweaty already. It's possible that I get odd looks after a heavy game when I go home covered in mud... but I don't notice

Ha! Me too. I always go to training in my gear with just my boots and a couple of other necessities in a small backpack. A couple of times during the winter I was cycling home caked in mud - got some VERY strange looks!

MB Lacey

Nomad81 wrote: »

Huge improvement in speed today for some reason. Got to work in under 40 minutes. Must've been the rain (I LOOOOVE moving fast in the rain! On a cycle, in a car or on my feet, it doesn't matter). Rain also meant the change rooms at work were next to empty this morning.

Be careful!!
the 3 accidents I've had on my bike have ALL been in the rain.

1. I skidded on slippy concrete even though I was going quite slow.
2. bombing it down a cycle lane on sandford road a car made a turn across my path regardless of me cycling towards them - I had to break hard and skidded to avoid a collision and ended up me and my bike skidding along the road - thankfully wearing a helmet.
3. cycling down the cycle lane coming down crumlin rd, a van pulled in to park in the lane infront of me and I skidded again.

I'm now mega slow when it's raining and am happy enough to have people passing me out.

so basically - just be ultra careful when you're cycling in the rain. Less speed, less risk taking.

I love cycling to work - part of my route takes in the canal and I that completely puts me in a good mood.

Nomad81

MB Lacey wrote: »

Be careful!!
the 3 accidents I've had on my bike have ALL been in the rain.

1. I skidded on slippy concrete even though I was going quite slow.
2. bombing it down a cycle lane on sandford road a car made a turn across my path regardless of me cycling towards them - I had to break hard and skidded to avoid a collision and ended up me and my bike skidding along the road - thankfully wearing a helmet.
3. cycling down the cycle lane coming down crumlin rd, a van pulled in to park in the lane infront of me and I skidded again.

I'm now mega slow when it's raining and am happy enough to have people passing me out.

so basically - just be ultra careful when you're cycling in the rain. Less speed, less risk taking.

I love cycling to work - part of my route takes in the canal and I that completely puts me in a good mood.

All good points there. I didn't really notice where I was going faster, and I certainly slowed down whenever there was a build-up of traffic around me. On Monday though, I got stuck behind a dad and his 2 kids on the school run for most of Goatstown road and there were definitely more cyclers on the road.

Nomad81

Lumen wrote: »

I thought about this "building muscle at the gym" idea. Then I realised that I'd probably only build useless fast-twitch muscle that would make me slower on the hills. And I really don't need that. My self-esteem is better served by going faster than looking prettier.

Also, gym membership costs money, there's a recession on and I should be spending money to support starving Africans/Canadian bicycle frame designers.

Each to his own, mate.

I for one certainly wouldn't mind if I ended up looking like this dude due to a combination of gym and cycling.


Oh, and I'm talking about the guy in the black shorts rather than the checked ones. :P

monument

Nomad81 wrote: »

Btw, I also need some advice for carrying stuff on the bike. I'll have to carry a lot of stuff to and from work for the moment:

1 Notebook computer
+ A change of clothes for work
+ A change of clothes for gymming after work
+ A sweat towel
+ a few toiletries

Are there any panniers out there that'll be big enough to hold all of these and turn into a backpack once taken off the bike?

Like others say, I would try to reduce that a bit, anyway...

Here's the one I use. It's big and wide, and the clips are covered off the bike. It's a good bag -- big for when I'm carrying extra stuff, it has a laptop / notebook pouch (which can be taken out) and it looks like a normal bag off the bike. There's a link to the maker's website under the photos in the links.

DirkVoodoo

Can you build "fast twitch" muscle? I had always assumed that the ratio of fast/slow twitch wa purely genetic, which is why you can't really "train" to be a running sprinter (you can improve your speed by as much as 12% apparently).

I'm pretty fast in a straight line, not good over longer distances with jogging and stuff, I always just thought it was genetic.