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[davetapson]

Hi Guys

If anyone was wondering how commuting affects your fitness, here is a screenshot from fittrack showing what effect commuting has had on my fitness over the last three weeks. The red line is the 94.7 training plan I SHOULD have been following, and the blue line under it is the effect commuting has had on my fitness level, as tracked by fittrack. The vertical blue line is todays date.

I commute home Monday PM, back to work on Tues AM, and then home again Thurs PM and back to work on Friday AM. Will probably add Tues PM / Weds AM twice a month, but when I commute by bike, I don't get to see much of my kids in the evening.

Commute is 35km with 515m ascent. Currently it takes me about 1hr 35min each way, but I'm not hugely fit. Time has come down from 1h50 tho.

Dave

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Edited by davetapson, 23 September 2011 - 10:11 .

[I FLY]

I can vouch for it as well. My bike commuting made up most of my J2C training.

I calculated that I have driven my car 12 000kms less and ridden my bike 6 000kms more so far this year because I started commuting by bike.

[JacquesZA]

How do you measure your fitness?

[Cheese]

davetapson, on 23 September 2011 - 10:08 , said:

Hi Guys

If anyone was wondering how commuting affects your fitness, here is a screenshot from fittrack showing what effect commuting has had on my fitness over the last three weeks. The red line is the 94.7 training plan I SHOULD have been following, and the blue line under it is the effect commuting has had on my fitness level, as tracked by fittrack. The vertical blue line is todays date.

I commute home Monday PM, back to work on Tues AM, and then home again Thurs PM and back to work on Friday AM. Will probably add Tues PM / Weds AM twice a month, but when I commute by bike, I don't get to see much of my kids in the evening.

Commute is 35km with 515m ascent. Currently it takes me about 1hr 35min each way, but I'm not hugely fit. Time has come down from 1h50 tho.

Dave

Yes , That is three hours a day on the bike, it must improve your fintness.

[davetapson]

Hour and a half daily, 4 times a week. When I add the extra commute, then I will have one day with 3hrs in total. Will be interesting to see what the legs have to say.

[davetapson]

JacquesZA, on 23 September 2011 - 11:16 , said:

How do you measure your fitness?

Fittrack - seems they use time combined with average heart rate combined with distance. Dunno quite how they do it, or how meaningful it is, but it's the best that I have to go on.

The real results will be seen in next yrs Sani2C. This year I did the second day with tongue dragging on front wheel.

[I FLY]

davetapson, on 23 September 2011 - 11:27 , said:

Hour and a half daily, 4 times a week. When I add the extra commute, then I will have one day with 3hrs in total. Will be interesting to see what the legs have to say.

For me all commute days are 3hrs.

Day 1 - legs are happy

Day 2 - legs are raising their eyebrows in question at my sanity

Day 3 - Legs are happy (especially on the homeward leg)

[DamMTBer]

I FLY, on 23 September 2011 - 11:41 , said:

For me all commute days are 3hrs.

Day 1 - legs are happy

Day 2 - legs are raising their eyebrows in question at my sanity

Day 3 - Legs are happy (especially on the homeward leg)

What commute - Do you guys think - is to far?

[I FLY]

DamMTBer, on 23 September 2011 - 11:56 , said:

What commute - Do you guys think - is to far?

Depends on your circumstances.

I leave home at 6am and get to work at 8am and can normally leave at 16h30 to get home at 18h30. My girls are both away at university so I have no homework or after school commitments. My wife leaves home and gets home at the same time as I do so no conflict there.

I would hate the thought of a two and half to three hour ride home after work.

I know some people that commute 40kms each way. But they are still very competitive and need the mileage.

[BULLISH]

I FLY, on 23 September 2011 - 10:15 , said:

I can vouch for it as well. My bike commuting made up most of my J2C training.

I calculated that I have driven my car 12 000kms less and ridden my bike 6 000kms more so far this year because I started commuting by bike.

Savings of R 33 000.00 ona 2000cc vechile using AA Rates

[davetapson]

Also depends on your commitments time wise. You can do long distances if you keep the intensity down - but that takes time. If you have commitments, you need to hammer it all the time (on homebound rides anyway) and that takes it's toll on the legs.

[DamMTBer]

I FLY, on 23 September 2011 - 12:21 , said:

Depends on your circumstances.

I leave home at 6am and get to work at 8am and can normally leave at 16h30 to get home at 18h30. My girls are both away at university so I have no homework or after school commitments. My wife leaves home and gets home at the same time as I do so no conflict there.

I would hate the thought of a two and half to three hour ride home after work.

I know some people that commute 40kms each way. But they are still very competitive and need the mileage.

The spoils...

That's the thing if I do decide to commute it will require me to 65km' one-way daily. aka 130km daily.

[davetapson]

If you're feeling brave you could do what I do - drive in, ride back, ride in, drive back. Even once a week that's a bundle of training.

[I FLY]

etiennes, on 23 September 2011 - 12:33 , said:

Savings of R 33 000.00 ona 2000cc vechile using AA Rates

My car's engine is bigger than that so savings are higher:clap:

I do have to offset Gautrain fares, buying a commuter bike, lights and commuter gear against those savings.

[DamMTBer]

davetapson, on 23 September 2011 - 12:51 , said:

If you're feeling brave you could do what I do - drive in, ride back, ride in, drive back. Even once a week that's a bundle of training.

That was the next thought maybe try to do it Tues and Fri.

At the way back is sort of down hill.

[Dick]

If there is safe parking at the office take the bike to work ride home then ride back the next morning.