Things I've learnt from commuting

[Bateleur1]

Pedestrians are more dangerous than cars, I have lost some chunks of flesh thanks to them on a few occasions!

 

A bell is a must, but also not a guarantee that they will take notice.

 

I have found that if you can make barking sounds like a dog that it works more effective.

[Bateleur1]

Pedestrians are more dangerous than cars, I have lost some chunks of flesh thanks to them on a few occasions!

 

A bell is a must, but also not a guarantee that they will take notice.

 

I have found that if you can make barking sounds like a dog that it works more effective.

[pietas]

'n fluitjie werk ook lekker

[Grondpad]

OK, this morning was my first commute ever and what have I learned:

 

PTA is truly an awesome city. Cycling from PTA East to Rosslyn in the North, I found that most of the route actually had a path on the pavement to ride on. Seeing PTA wake up is really cool. Brilliant!

Getting on the road at 4:30 is feaken ridiculous. I am so tired and I still have to get back home later this afternoon. Note to self, no more puza Thursday

My route is 43km one way. I think that is a bit too long to do every day but once a week is totally doable

I will save quite a bit of money. 86km @ 12km/l X R12 (give or take a couple of km and cents) = well 86 time 4 = R344 + the one way tollgate on the N4 @ R10 (X4) = R384. Sounds good to me!

 

Like I said, I really enjoy it, and if you want to you can get a nice safe’ish route. But the distance I need to cover is just a bit too much for more than once a week.

[Bateleur1]

OK, this morning was my first commute ever and what have I learned:

 

PTA is truly an awesome city. Cycling from PTA East to Rosslyn in the North, I found that most of the route actually had a path on the pavement to ride on. Seeing PTA wake up is really cool. Brilliant!

Getting on the road at 4:30 is feaken ridiculous. I am so tired and I still have to get back home later this afternoon. Note to self, no more puza Thursday

My route is 43km one way. I think that is a bit too long to do every day but once a week is totally doable

I will save quite a bit of money. 86km @ 12km/l X R12 (give or take a couple of km and cents) = well 86 time 4 = R344 + the one way tollgate on the N4 @ R10 (X4) = R384. Sounds good to me!

 

Like I said, I really enjoy it, and if you want to you can get a nice safe’ish route. But the distance I need to cover is just a bit too much for more than once a week.

 

Congrats.

 

You will propably find the more you can ride the fitter you will get and your travelling time should not be as much. You travel a long distance by car so if your fittness increases you will find that it won't be that much slower by bike. In winter it could become troublesome as poor light and traffic is normally not a winning recipe for cycling.

[Disylizzy]

So this morning I learned the following:

 

- Using a backpack, no matter how light you try to pack it, is still a drag! I couldn't go down Tiekie Draai as fast as what I normally do!

- Also, if said backpack has a strap that dangles in the wind, it will hit you on the thigh/ass and it stings! (it has a plastic thingy on the end)

- And no matter how hard I tell myself to take it easy, when a roadie came by me and didn't greet, I was obliged to chase him down! Stayed with him for a ways, but still no aknowledgement that I was there.

[Pants Boy]

- And no matter how hard I tell myself to take it easy, when a roadie came by me and didn't greet, I was obliged to chase him down! Stayed with him for a ways, but still no aknowledgement that I was there.

That's 'cause you need to whip him good and proper. Then not greeting wouldn't matter in anycase

[Disylizzy]

That's 'cause you need to whip him good and proper. Then not greeting wouldn't matter in anycase

 

I'll give it a couple of more weeks, and then if I see him again, I'll smoke his a$$

 

I have to say, my fitness is definitely improving with leaps and bounds since I've started commuting!

[Let's Ride]

Also noticed this.

 

Really helps even though my commute is only 22 km's every day and then often a short cycle to friends houses/shopping centre in the evenings.

 

But haven't been laying down the training rides as regularly as I used to so a tad unfit, DC should be interesting.

[TYGA]

OK, this morning was my first commute ever and what have I learned:

 

PTA is truly an awesome city. Cycling from PTA East to Rosslyn in the North, I found that most of the route actually had a path on the pavement to ride on. Seeing PTA wake up is really cool. Brilliant!

Getting on the road at 4:30 is feaken ridiculous. I am so tired and I still have to get back home later this afternoon. Note to self, no more puza Thursday

My route is 43km one way. I think that is a bit too long to do every day but once a week is totally doable

I will save quite a bit of money. 86km @ 12km/l X R12 (give or take a couple of km and cents) = well 86 time 4 = R344 + the one way tollgate on the N4 @ R10 (X4) = R384. Sounds good to me!

 

Like I said, I really enjoy it, and if you want to you can get a nice safe’ish route. But the distance I need to cover is just a bit too much for more than once a week.

 

What about driving to work, cycling home in the afternoon, cycle back in the morning, drive home in the afternoon etc....once a day is a lot easier to stomach than twice if you want it to be sustainable.

[Iron]

So this morning I learned the following:

 

- Using a backpack, no matter how light you try to pack it, is still a drag! I couldn't go down Tiekie Draai as fast as what I normally do!

- Also, if said backpack has a strap that dangles in the wind, it will hit you on the thigh/ass and it stings! (it has a plastic thingy on the end)

- And no matter how hard I tell myself to take it easy, when a roadie came by me and didn't greet, I was obliged to chase him down! Stayed with him for a ways, but still no aknowledgement that I was there.

 

Disy , backpacks help your power training , they a good thing . when the weekend comes and you go ride without it you climb like a beast .

 

Also tie those flappy things up with a cable tie like the pic .roll them back on itself and tie it up .

 

Happy riding , go smoke some roadies

[davetapson]

What about driving to work, cycling home in the afternoon, cycle back in the morning, drive home in the afternoon etc....once a day is a lot easier to stomach than twice if you want it to be sustainable.

 

Yep, 'swhat I do. Works like a charm, and I have a car at work for when I need to go to off-site meetings. The only downer is that I am limited to four rides a week: Mon pm, Tues am, Weds pm, Thurs am. But commuting twice a day was wearing me down. May do it again prior to stage races, but for every day, nope.

 

Have considered driving in to work on Sun pm and riding home, which would mean I get to commute all five days of the week ending with driving home on Friday, but going to work on a Sunday is just wrong.

 

What I've learned from commuting is that I miss it when I'm not doing it... like now - post 94.7 rest week...

[Slave]

And of course, all these are personal, and your experience may differ!

Preparation is key.

I can never just recovery ride...so:

My legs are always sore.

Wind can change direction in an instant, even reverse around corners, laughing in your face.

Sunrises are beautiful.

I've become addicted to it.

I can't eat an apple and swallow while riding!

Bike setup is key!

Most commuters are friendly.

I arrive home 200% mofe relaxed.

My rear tyre (mtb) gets killed on the tar.

Consult windguru, but don't worry about windguru!

There's always a race waiting to happen!

People do the oddest things in cars sitting in traffic.

 

Yours?

 

Only prep I ever do is make sure I have the full change of clothes at the office and that I have something to eat when I get there.

Some days recovery mode is non negotiable.

Taxi drivers are the best road users of the lot (generally) when I commute. Dark ladies in SUV's are blind and stoopid.

Sunsets are also gorgeous (mostly)

Racing the rain home is a great way to "time trial".

I get to work in about the same time or slightly longer on the bike, and home much faster.

That Accuweather is not always foolproof and I do get wet.

Chasing other commuters is also a great way of getting up hills without noticing the pain.

My bike tyres don't fit the car so I cannot kill them with it.

That I still haven't worked out what I'll do with the trucks one day when I catch them after a chase.

The wind is like a woman. It's unpredictable and has it's own mind. Subject to change without notice.

People also do the scariest things in cars while driving. Like texting.

Mostly, it's fun to see them stressing in the traffic while I ride passed.

That bikes can trigger safety speed cameras.

 

Some things I haven't found out yet::

 

What goes through those tiny motorist minds when we do overtake them?

What do metro do with all those pickshas of my bike?

Would they allow me to get a few copies and frame them?

[zeabre]

I suppose with the weight of my bike and backpack I would set off a camera too, IF I could spin the singlepeed that fast!

Have noticed how my legs have changed...veins all over now. Forgot my waterbottle yesterday - was properly stuffed when I got home. Realised again how important the right tyres are...they cut the grass from Big bay to Melkbos so the road was littered with thorns.

[Disylizzy]

Ok, so the best part of commuting so far was this evening! I left a bit earlier than normal, i.e. in rush hour traffic, and I'm slogging up Tiekie Draai with cars screaming past me. Get to the top, and start going down and I see the traffic backed up from just past Ntida all the way to Race course! I was passing cars that came past me at Contermanskloof already! It was awesome!

[D-Mike]

It is always deeply satifying when passing motorists stuck in the traffic

 

motorists need enlightenment...motorists need to start cycling.