On the commute today

[Si S]

Why did your doc advise against fasted commuting ?

That's what I did for years.

I've been having some issue's for a little while, not eating until 11 o'clock then about an hour later having a very urgent need to pay a somewhat explosive visit, this has led to other painful problems. I only realised it wasn't happening at the weekends during our discussion, the only difference being weekend rides start with brekkie.

As I say I've done it for decades and it's only been a problem recently. On a sample size of 1 day it looks promising 

[hatler]

Got it. Thanks. I didn't experience any of that. Phew.

[TimO]

Last evening on the way home from work, a first.
My usual commute is closed for a couple of weeks due to roadworks. Negotiating the right turn across a reasonably busy road (for round here) ...

Roadworks causing you to change your route can be good.  I've had to do it a few times, and it does make you wake up and look around a bit more, as well as a change being almost as good as a rest.

[TheLurker]

1) Eating breakfast, first weekday brekkie for decades - doc says I've got to stop the fasted commute thing

It amazes me that people can do this without collapsing in a heap by the side of the road.  I've _never_ been able to ride/exercise whilst fasted.  First memory I have of it going horribly wrong was when I was about 13 or 14.  One mile, more or less uphill all the way, from home to the shop to start my paper round.  Got to the shop, had to sit on the ground head down to stop myself from fainting. Strobing vision, dizziness, nausea the lot.  Horrid.  Even now I can get visual disturbance/strobing on a short (15 mile) fueled run if breakfast was inadequate.

[Ham]

Obviously it's all horses, courses, gouts and all that. I'm one of those who can ride happily fairly empty/without brekkie, but the flip side of that is that I'd never learned the benefit of proper nutrition. Oh, and don't enjoy riding on a full stomach.

My new! Improved! routine is to have something before I set off on any commute, possibly just a bit of banana, and break after an hour for a chewy bar or the like if it's a long one. My recent Spain/Portugal trip is the first time I've taken feeding seriously, and it really helped (doh!  )

[Cudzoziemiec]

Whereas if I had to break after an hour on my commute, I would conclude I was living too far from work. Or maybe more likely working too far from home. But then, if I lived in London, an hour's commute would probably would be inevitable.

[Ham]

Whereas if I had to break after an hour on my commute, I would conclude I was living too far from work. Or maybe more likely working too far from home. But then, if I lived in London, an hour's commute would probably would be inevitable.

It's only very occasionally that I have to go to West London these days on my commute (of course on those days I do, it then involves a full load: towel, laptop, clothes etc), but there are few commutes into central London that would take more than an hour. The M25 is no more than 20 miles as the crow flies from Charing Cross, mostly 16-17 miles or less. A 10 mile radius, which would be about 12-13 miles or approximately an hour on the roads encompasses all of the North & South circular plus some. It must be said that to achieve 12-13 mph average, you do have to ride reasonably fast. Any faster tends to indicate risk taking/law bending or/and better than normal conditions.

[Cudzoziemiec]

So you normally get to work with your chewy bar unchewed. Then it's time for breakfast!

[DuncanM]

When I commute by bike, I get up, throw my bike clothes on and set off. Then I breakfast when I get to work. I started this practise when I was working in London and used to get the 5:45 coach, and I carry on now. Breakfast takes time and means the traffic is worse or I have to get up earlier...

[TimO]

... It must be said that to achieve 12-13 mph average, you do have to ride reasonably fast. Any faster tends to indicate risk taking/law bending or/and better than normal conditions.

On my commute, from Croydon to South Kensington, which is 12 miles on the way home, anything less than 55 minutes is good.  My all time record time is 45 minutes (ie about 16mph average) and that required that I was feeling good, the weather was benign, the traffic was light, more than the normal number of lights were on green, and I probably took greater risks with changing lights than I normally would.

[clarion]

Nice ride today.

First ride with both short sleeves and shorts.

[TJG]

Lovely and warm but the sky fell on my head in the last couple of miles.  Not seen any of this wet stuff for a while.

[TimO]

I wore too much in, this morning, but the forecast for tomorrow is wet enough that I doubt I'll be wearing less tomorrow. 

[rogerzilla]

Back to summer kit.  Saw a few boil-in-the-bag cyclists who hadn't bothered to check the temperature before dressing.  Got wet on the way home.  Half price Boardman rain top from Halfrauds turns out to be very good, even if it is SMIDSY black.

[Si S]

Waiting at the lights last night and a regular who I haven't seen for a while pulled up and we spent a minute or so catching up before the lights changed and I led off cruising at my usual 30 ish kph, the he came past with a grin and said 'lets put some effort into this'. Bleedin heck, 40+ into a cross headwind was really testing me and I was rather grateful to see the traffic jam at Urmston due to the temporary lights.

A combination of that and being overdressed due to laundry based clothing decisions meant this morning was rather steady.

[rogerzilla]

Is 40+ your age or a speed? 

[Si S]

Is 40+ your age or a speed? 

Both 

[TheLurker]

A good day for Wrens this morning.  Seemed to be one singing every few hundred yards and a perfect view of one singing its little heart out just before I got to the main road.  Not so many Yellowhammers this year.  Which is odd.  They're usually close to ubiquitous on my route and I've seen and heard very few so far.

Wasn't anywhere  near as wet as the Meteorological Shroud Wavers were banging on about last night.  Didn't get any more than slightly damp work-bound and only ordinarily wet on the homeward trip. 

All in all a good day to ride a bike.  Such a pity about the bit between the bike rides.

[Nuncio]

Wasn't anywhere  near as wet as the Meteorological Shroud Wavers were banging on about last night.  Didn't get any more than slightly damp work-bound and only ordinarily wet on the homeward trip. 

Same here in S Wales (or is that where you are?).  Heavy rain forecast throughout my commuting time and beyond - as the last 2 mornings have been.  Turned out overcast but dry.

[TheLurker]

Bottom RH corner of Glos.

[clarion]

Didn't commute by bike this morning

Too wiped out by torrential rain yesterday, out of which I bailed (saving c.5km, or a third of the ride).

[DuncanM]

Was supposed to ride Wendesday and Thursday.  Bailed out of both due to irritating thumb knack.
I removed the (zinc oxide) strapping tape last night. I didn't have any under-wrap when I put it on.  Ouch that hurt! I still have the nice red (hairless) mark on my wrist today!

[L CC]

Burnt arms i think.

[Si S]

Left late, arrived early, thank you Travis Perkins

[simonp]

First of 2017. 44.5km of hot. Great view from Clifton Suspension Bridge.