Those that cycle to work...

How far do you ride?,

What sort fo bike do you use, and how do you deal with arriving all sweaty if your work place doesnt have a shower? Im sure I can was once I'm here but its quite a posh place and I dont want to put anyones nose out of joint!

I ask because I am mooving 6 miles away from work and need to loose weight... put the two together and hey presto... If I Cycle I Could loose weight.

Iv noticed a lot of Hybrid bikes are about now... cross between mountain and road are they any good?

I reckon it could take about about 40 minutes to start with and eventually down to about 30, does that soound realistic?

Any advice appreciated, been a long time since I was in the sadle on the road,

Cheers

Alex

[fizzwheel]

Depends on the weather. In winter or if I can be a*sed its 2.1 miles each.

In summer or if I am training for a big sportive then it will be 10 miles or so on the way in and then max of 25 miles on the way home.

I've got two bikes a flat barred hybrid with road wheels on it that I dont care about salt and mud wrecking and in the summer its this



IMHO if you're riding on the road you want a road bike like I have above. Once you get used to them drop bars are comfortable and you'll be faster on the road bike over a given distance IMHO.

But its about what you can afford and what you feel comfortable on if a hybrid floats your boat, get one. I think the your timings are reasonable if you are just starting out.

Go for it

[Skip]

I cycle 7.5 miles to and from work - its a little too far sometimes - I dont bother during the winter as its all single track back roads and is mind numbingly boring in the dark with no street lights. I pulled out my old half decent Scott mountain bike, fitted some Schwalbe slick tyres to the original 26" rims, mud guards (you WILL need them!) and a rack for my lunch and job jobbed. If you take it easy you will still blitz it in 40 minutes, first time I did the 7.5 miles I did it in 45 minutes and my current record is about 27 minutes which I dont think is too shabby. Basically take your time and you wont arrive sweaty - dress appropriately too, shorts and t-shirt if you can will help keep you cool. Its getting towards the time I will start cycling again now but I am waiting for a nice sunny day - wind and rain arent nice!

Have you looked at the goverments Cycle to work scheme - there is one run by Cyclescheme
and one done by Halfords. It just depends on who your company deals with or are willing to deal with. You save on tax and NI as it is a goverment initiative to get people out their cars. I took a £600 voucher and ended up paying £340 in total. I got a Giant Escape M0.
When I got it I was riding to work along canal paths and being a bit gung ho - it is quite sturdy though at 26+ lbs - as i have gotten into cycling more I am looking at a road bike or a superlight hybrid Chris Boardman.

Thanks Ill have a look at that,

sadly however slow I ride I will sweat as I suffer from Hyper Hyrosis.... ( I sweat a lot not even under excerssion! its a bain of my life)

ill wait untill I move before I buy.. but I do regret selling my haro!

Just make sure you've got a change of clothes, towel (those travel ones that fold really small are ace) and (as daft as it sounds) a packet of baby wipes plus a can of deodorant. Sorted.

I use the mountain bike and train every day at the moment. Was a poor start back in January when the job relocated as the trains were very unreliable. i know the system now and its working ok. The bike gets ridden and I dont get any more points for speeding (currently on six).
I also ride on sundays and regularly ride parts of the North downs locally.

[markryker]

Originally Posted by Scooby Drew

Have you looked at the goverments Cycle to work scheme - there is one run by Cyclescheme
and one done by Halfords. It just depends on who your company deals with or are willing to deal with. You save on tax and NI as it is a goverment initiative to get people out their cars. I took a £600 voucher and ended up paying £340 in total. I got a Giant Escape M0.
When I got it I was riding to work along canal paths and being a bit gung ho - it is quite sturdy though at 26+ lbs - as i have gotten into cycling more I am looking at a road bike or a superlight hybrid Chris Boardman.

+1 for this, my employer - Cadbury UK does the same, i think nearly everyone in my department bought one, and uses them regularly for work.

I agree with fizz - stick to a road bike. I ride about 10 miles to work over some hills about once a week at the moment, maybe twice a week in summer. When I was doing my road bike up I took my mountain bike for a couple of weeks and it was donkey work riding in. Felt effortless when I switched back to the road bike.

If you have showers and changing facilities it's great to get to the office feeling fresh and with that bit of a buzz you get after a good workout. You've also done your bit for the planet and saved a quid or two in the process. 6 miles is just about the right distance to start. Should do it in half an hour if out of practice, getting closer to 20 min if you're in good shape (depends on how flat the route is though).

Cheers Keith

[Girth]

I normally commute 26mile round trip on a MTB.

Dont really get that sweaty, and no chance of showering at work either.

Without a doubt it is easier on a road bike as i've done it but i ride off road too.