Anybody else commute to work via pedal bike.

[jjking54]

Forgot you're north of the border! Down here we have this National Bike Challenge, put on by the League of American Bicyclists. You can track your commutes, and your leisure rides, and you get points for it. I think it's 10 points on any day you ride at least one mile, and then one point a mile after that. Cumulative points translate to "levels" and prizes are given out monthly based on your levels. There are 42,000 cyclists signed up and I'm number 5,259 currently.

The prizes aren't important to me, but it's nice to have that motivation to get going and watch my points add up, as well as the miles.

 

[jmann8686]

Two days of work and two commutes this week. Temps are finally warm, albeit humid, but it's nice. Going to ideally commute tomorrow but won't be able to on Thursday. I've gotta take headshots of our new CFO so I need to lug my photo gear to work that day. Then back at it on Friday ... would be my first four-day commute week this year. 767 miles commuting this year so far ... should break 800 by the end of the week.



@jmann8686 ... with the longer commute, is there any chance to do a "two mode" commute? Maybe drive part of the way, park somewhere and then ride the remainder?

Any of you guys signed up in the National Bike Challenge? It's a fun way to motivate to ride more.

800 miles thats awesome. And There is a park and ride place but it is at the start of my commute to work. other then that it is all freeway to my work. There is not anywhere safe I would trust having my car sit all day by itself. So I'm thinking about having the bike with me and maybe pedaling around after work up there. It will give me some new places to ride. Or just ride more when i get home. I will be home sooner with the longer commute because of my hours at the new job.

 

[Doc4]

Forgot you're north of the border!

 

[captaincaveman]

What, no igloos?

 

[Doc4]

What, no igloos?

The Inuit are far too sensible to try riding a bicycle in igloo conditions ... besides, they have sled dogs or snowmobiles.

 

[captaincaveman]

The Inuit are far too sensible to try riding a bicycle in igloo conditions ... besides, they have sled dogs or snowmobiles.

Shenanigans! Everybody knows that all Canadians live in igloos!

 

[brucered]

Still commuting, weather has been great, seems to be less and less people commuting maybe due to summer and vactaions when I right through the park.

As fors the rides, based on my GPS bike computer which has a "virtual partner", I am at least 10-15% time wise faster then the start of the year, 3+km/hr faster have dropped approximately 12-14lbs of minor winter chub (almost at my fighting weight, if I was a fighter), legs are more defined, work belt is 1-2 loops smaller and I'm feeling amazing.

Hopefully we have a nice long summer and I get a couple more months of commuting in like last year. I believe I was able to commuting comfortably until the end of September in 2013, before the weather went below long pants/shirt weather.

Aside from a crappy $120 Advance Tune-Up at MEC which saw them replace my Bottom Bracket (which I asked), but seems like they did nothing else, ears still mis-shift, chain was cleaned but probably not checked for stretch (it's 4y old), hyrdraulic brakes still squeal (I was expecting to at least be told they needed replacing), my 2014 commutes have been enjoyable. I would hope to have seen a breakdown or checklist like a car tune up showing what was checked, what conditions a few items were in and what may need replacing in the future.

Although I love their products and service, that was my last MEC tune up as their bike shop leaves something to be desired and my bike will now see the local bike shop I used to frequent when mountain biking.

 

[jjking54]

Funny that you posted today Bruce ... I was planning to also.

Milestone today for me ... crossed over into the 1,000 bike commuting miles club for the year. Kind of crazy to think about really. Last year I started commuting, right around this time, maybe a little earlier, and I only managed to hit a little over 400 miles, so this is a really nice little accomplishment for me. It's gotten to the point where actually walking out to the car in the morning and getting in and driving to work feels odd to me. Still haven't managed a full, five-day commute week yet, but I did four last week, and there's a chance I'll do four this week if I ride tomorrow.

Like you, I feel amazing. Started the year around 290, honestly was probably even heavier than that at the end of last year but didn't get on the scale (didn't want to know the truth honestly) until after I'd started up lifting and riding indoors earlier this year. Right now I'm 268. I'm also riding faster, and with less effort. Today for example, I averaged 16 mph on my ride to work. That's without the aid of a tailwind (as an aside, a week ago I averaged 17 mph on a commute, but that was with a significant tailwind). And I don't feel like I shelled myself in doing so.

Goal for August is to get down to 260 and I think that's reasonable. I also think it'll be difficult. I start the month with a week off from work to spend with my kids, so I'm going to have to be up early in the mornings to do rides if I want and with the kids around I always seem to cook more, and thus, eat more. So it'll be a battle of will. Seeing that 268 this morning helps though. Cyclocross season starts in September and I want to give it a shot. So in addition to commuting I'll be sprinkling intervals in there too.

Sorry to hear about your crappy tune up. A good bike shop is sometimes hard to find ... and when you find one, you can't let go of it! This winter I'll have to do some maintenance on the roadie. I've had it five years now, so I'm guessing a full tune up will be in order. I just had the bottom bracket adjusted, because it was knocking but the shop said it didn't need to be replaced. I'll have to replace the chain and I've got two seasons on the tires, so they'll be due. I also need new cleats for my road shoes. And speaking of service ... I've got to take my regular commuter/CX bike in. I've got an odd creak in the crank or that area. I thought it was my eggbeater pedals, so I took them apart, rebuilt them, but the noise remains. It should be covered under the free two years of service I got when I bought the bike last year.

 

[brucered]

@jjking54 great job on the milestone and even greater job on the weight loss. My commute is just under 10k each way, so even cycling daily and throw in a camping week here and there, I hope to hit 1200k by the end of the season....that is what I had last year as well. I'm sitting around 750k right now. That is a good balance of pretty much all commuting and not taking awaynfeom family time but adding in evening and weekend rides with them for leisure and fun.

I find it an added bonus to be able to shed a few pounds of fat and get the legs in shape, all while having fun on a bike.

Saving money on gas and car maintenance, fresh air andbloasing weigh. How great is that.

I'm hovering around 180 and would like to bring it down to 175 by end of summer/fall. That is not far off my post high school, cycling like crazy, 165 weigh. But at just over 5'11" and 41 now, I'd be exstatic to hit anything in the 170s considering I don't have a specified diet I follow and don't hit the gym of weights.

 

[Parjay]

I've been getting in 10+ miles at least 4-5 times a week on the work commute. Combined with yoga and a little healthier eating, I'm down about 20 lbs from this time last year. I've been logging most of my miles on a fixed gear, which is really whipping me into shape!

 

[brucered]

I've been getting in 10+ miles at least 4-5 times a week on the work commute. Combined with yoga and a little healthier eating, I'm down about 20 lbs from this time last year. I've been logging most of my miles on a fixed gear, which is really whipping me into shape!

Would be interesting to tally up a B&B weight loss challenge for next year for cyclists or anyone motivated to loose weight (ala Kevdogg).

Mark your starting weight, mark your ending weight...see what percentage of weight each person lost and then a total weight loss for all contributors.

I'd bet we loose a couple full sized adult bodies overall.

Great work everyone!

 

[jjking54]

@brucered ... thanks! Mine's 24 miles round trip, so it adds up quickly, as long as I get at it. If I count the "miles" I put in at the gym before winter left (granted, they're quite different from road miles), I'm over 1,600 miles so far this year. I'm finding the same thing ... commuting helps me get the miles in without taking too much time out of my "home time." I still try to get in at least one long ride over the weekends if possible.

I just turned 41 this year too ... my goal, back in January, was to hit 225 by Thanksgiving. Not sure I can realistically hit that at this point (slightly more than 2.6 pounds per week), and that's ok. I always plateau around 265-269, so I'm hoping to fight through that this year. I'd really love to hit 250 by the end of October. That'd be close to my HS football playing weight. All of that said, that's just a number on the scale. The "non scale victories" are just as great right now.

 

[jjking54]

Would be interesting to tally up a B&B weight loss challenge for next year for cyclists or anyone motivated to loose weight (ala Kevdogg).

Mark your starting weight, mark your ending weight...see what percentage of weight each person lost and then a total weight loss for all contributors.

I'd bet we loose a couple full sized adult bodies overall.

Great work everyone!

Cool idea ...

Excellent @Parjay! I'd been wanting to try yoga this year and just haven't been able to fit it into the schedule yet.

 

[brucered]

@Parjay @jjking54

I'm all for Yoga & Yoga Pants on the right person...but please, there is no need for you dudes to start start posting YPOTD pics (Yoga Pants of the Day)

I tried posting a couple SOTD (Shorts of the Day) pics last year after a few commutes and when wearing my knickers camping...needless to say, they didn't go over well with the B&B audience.

 

[jjking54]

Cracking up!

And yes ... there are some people who are WELL suited for yoga pants. They certainly make the commute on the bike path more enjoyable.

When I commute I usually wear shorts over my bib shorts. I tend to think that the motoring public has less of a bent for people who look more like commuter than those who look like kitted out cyclists. But on the weekends, it's bibs only.

 

[Parjay]

I've trained my sit bones to accept regular mesh shorts for my short rides, but I really do prefer bibs.

A fellow member got me hooked on DDP Yoga, which I've affectionately dubbed broga.

 

[treewhale]

I finally bit the bullet and lashed out for an entry-level "real" hybrid (Trek 7.2) and the usual treewhale worth of accessories and started commuting to work as much as I can (days I am not in court) which is between zero and five times per week, depending. It is 12.5 k each way with a fairly steep hill out of the river valley each way, so it makes me work a bit, but the views are a lot better than the light industrial I have to drive through in my car.

 

[jjking54]

Major character builder commute today.

60 degrees, dry when I left. Less than a mile in I feel chilly, plus what feels like mist so I pull over and put my rain jacket on.

Downtown, about 5 miles in, the mist is heavier. Sat up to clear my glasses and then stopped briefly to put my cover on my backpack.

Two more miles in and now it's a drizzle.

By the time I get to work my glasses are covered in rain, the brim of my helmet is dripping and my rain jacket is soaked.

Oh ... and I had a 17 mph headwind all the way to work.

 

[Parjay]

Major character builder commute today.

60 degrees, dry when I left. Less than a mile in I feel chilly, plus what feels like mist so I pull over and put my rain jacket on.

Downtown, about 5 miles in, the mist is heavier. Sat up to clear my glasses and then stopped briefly to put my cover on my backpack.

Two more miles in and now it's a drizzle.

By the time I get to work my glasses are covered in rain, the brim of my helmet is dripping and my rain jacket is soaked.

Oh ... and I had a 17 mph headwind all the way to work.

I am sure that your father had to deal with these conditions everyday, both ways. Embrace that extra work on the ride home!

 

[treewhale]

I have been in court all week so far, so no biking. Tomorrow, though, and hopefully a day or two next week. With my life catching up with me on a number of fronts, I am having a hard time even getting a ride in for fun.