# Got a bike.. Now for a 5.5 mile commute



## Hornet75 (14 Apr 2010)

Hello all. I am new to the forum. I bought a cheap bike off amazon as I am trying to cut travel costs down for my commute to work. I currently have a 95 mile round trip by car from Leighton buzzard to daventry. I am going to take the train up to rugby and it's then a 5.5 mile ride into my office. Is it reasonable for me to expect to be able to do this at both ends of the day and roughly how long will it take me? I have read other threads and I am reckoning on about 40 minutes. Most of it is town and suburban roads but there is about one mile of busy a428 which is single carriage way and quite fast traffic. I am a bit nervous and more so after this weeks news of a cyclist killed in my home town! Any advise or views would be welcome!


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## brokenbetty (14 Apr 2010)

40 minutes should easily be enough - my commute is 6 miles in starty-stoppy London traffic and that takes me about 40 minutes. And doing it at both ends of the day is going to be fine - I started from couch-potato level and didn't find it a problem at all.

Although if it's not a route you've walked/driven before it's worth giving yourself a bit of extra time for the first day or so in case you make any wrong turns.


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## Hornet75 (14 Apr 2010)

I did a "reccy" in the car yesterday and roughly know the route although also printed off map from google just in case. There a couple of steepish hills that worry me a bit but I won't let it put me off- I can always get off and push! I will be commuting by train with the bike - to rugby- so hopefully no restrictions on the train! - then I have 50 mins til I am due into the office. Think I will hive it a go in the morning and see how I get on.


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## mcshroom (14 Apr 2010)

You should b


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## hackbike 666 (14 Apr 2010)

mcshroom said:


> You should b



exactly.


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## jig-sore (14 Apr 2010)

best route from rugby station to dav...







i do it most days, around 6.20 to 7.00am and then back again at 4.30pm . any other route is a waste of time and effort, Ive tried them all.

the last bit of main road is not to bad, the other roads are real nice and quiet.

it's this the route you had planed ??

PS: can you not get off at long buckby ???


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## jonny jeez (14 Apr 2010)

Hi Hornet and 

I think you will find 40 minutes to be ample time to arrive pretty fresh faced. Some might suggest it would be acheivable in half that time but remeber, you are only just starting out so take it easy or you will soon loose interest.

I would say also that you should find it possible (easy) to maintain this trip every day of the week...a 10 mile daily ride is very good excercise and very manageable (in my opinion).

Good luck, perhaps try looking at sites like bikehike to help plan a "flatter route" if the hills worry you, I did and extended my route by a fraction to gain a flatter more manageable route.

www.bikehike.co.uk

track a route then click on elevation on the right to get a view of the climb's and drops of the route....helpfull stuff.

Also, as many people are turning to riding as a way to dramatically reduce cost and get fit (especially during these warmer months) it may be a good idea to pick up some "city riding" skills, there are some really basic rules that can literally save lives...you will find many books on the subject, but dont be afraid to ask on here, some of us can offer really helpful riding advice, that maybe you can pass onto the next new rider yourself someday.


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## mcshroom (14 Apr 2010)

hackbike 666 said:


> exactly.





There was more than that when I wrote it 

Supposed to say that 40mins should be ok, and that the hills get easier, don't know where it went though:?:


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## slowmotion (14 Apr 2010)

Welcome Hornet75. You really won't have any trouble at all. Probably best to allow loads of time on the first day, and see how it goes. After that "calibration", you will get a feel for what is realistic and enjoyable.

Best wishes, and have fun.


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## chap (15 Apr 2010)

Good luck in your commute. It sounds do-able, then again we do not know the topology of your route, so best trial it. 

However, I would recommend that you find an alternative to the A-road, unless it has safe provisions for cycling; I personally am not a fan of them since the attitude of many drivers on A-roads is usually even more that of selfish entitlement than on a motor-way.

Safety first, have fun.


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## Hornet75 (15 Apr 2010)

*It's DIRFt!!*

Thanks for the advice... It's actually. DIrFT I am cycling to so rugby is easiest and closest station. Via hillmorton and then a428



jig-sore said:


> best route from rugby station to dav...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## jig-sore (15 Apr 2010)

yeah, i was thinking about that and kinda figured that 5.5miles would get you to Dirft not daventry.

you can either go along hillmorton road or lower hillmorton road, lower hillmorton road has a load of speed bumps but less trafic. i would sugest this route on the return trip

i would be very carefull at the main roundabouts in rugby on the return trip.

i would be happy to show you loads of alternative routes but it helps to know the area.

unfortunatly you have to go up to come back down again, but murry road is the best route up.

i cant see how you can avoid the a428 at the end

your main chalenge will be the wind at this time of year.

let me know how you get on, plot your route at bikehike and post the image and we may be able to tweak things for you.

what times of day will you be on the road, as this makes a big difference to the amount of traffic.


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## jig-sore (15 Apr 2010)

just ploted the "back way" and it came out at 5 miles


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## karan733 (15 Apr 2010)

Welcome and good luck dude. Ive just started communting about 4.5 miles each way for the past week or two. Keep at it - it only gets easier!


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## Alan Whicker (15 Apr 2010)

Hi Hornet.

If your bike came with knobbly tyres you might want to consider changing them for smoother 'road' tyres. It makes an _unbelievable_ difference.

Good luck - I bet you'll love it!


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## Hornet75 (15 Apr 2010)

Thank you all for the advise. 
I managed to the route in 40 minutes this morning, which included a couple of stops to check the route and a walk up a steepish hill! I do have "nobbly tyres" on the bike so will look to replace them with some smoother ones! I was suprised that I didnt feel as tired as I expected, but then I do have the journey home later to contend with!

The route I took is at the attached link - not sure how to show it as a picture within this text (sorry!) 

I will be traveling at around 8am in the morning and 4.30pm in the evening

JIGSORE - would be interested to see you 5 mile route home!

Cheers 



https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B3ZNUTsLsGrPYjMyOWJkYWQtMzBhNy00YTEwLWFhZWUtMGM1N2ZlMWM0NGQ5&hl=en


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## SavageHoutkop (15 Apr 2010)

Hornet75 said:


> I am going to take the train up to rugby and it's then a 5.5 mile ride into my office. Is it reasonable for me to expect to be able to do this at both ends of the day and roughly how long will it take me?



I'm not a 'fast' commuter (I prefer to pedal slowly ogling spring bulbs, birds, new shops, potholes, houses up for sale...) but my commute is now 30 mins on a good day, and probably never (gale force headwinds on a heavily laden bike notwithdstanding) more than 45 mins now. 

My commute is 5.3 miles door to door (says Google) and pretty flat. I've done it every day since last June, excluding the really icy days when I tended to cycle in in the morning but train home when it was dark. 

If you're not used to cycling (generally) - especially if there are hills like you mention - expect your legs to feel a bit wobbly for at least the first two weeks...

Good luck


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## jig-sore (15 Apr 2010)

Hornet75 said:


> .
> 
> 
> JIGSORE - would be interested to see you 5 mile route home!
> ...



no need mate, it's the same as you posted only i stopped on the other side of Dirft.

i assumed you were going along hillmorton road and down crick road and was going to suggest the back lane route, over the canal and along the bottom of hillmorton as a quieter option.

at the times of day your riding i would say you have the best route, if you were going earlier in the morning i would recommend hillmorton road/crick road as it is free of heavy trafic and gives you a downhill run before the point where your current route comes out and gives you a boost up that little hill. coming out of that lane and up the hill can be a pain as you have no momentum. may be worth a try anyway. this is the route coming in at 5.24 miles. the section between the black lines is dead flat and then you have a nice down hill before you join your current route.







as for going home, i would say you have the right route but you may like to detour away from the main town center roundabout that turns you down to the station, this can be a bit mad, something like this would be safer...






PS: well done and good luck


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## Hornet75 (15 Apr 2010)

Thanks again for the advise. I got back ok. Gave myself an hour so I was sure to catch my train and actually got back in 35 minutes!! The route over canal is lovely and peaceful and I actually enjoyed my first day on the bike. Gotta drive tomorrow due to having to get home early so plNning on doing it again next week. Only down aide really was the wind and the hills- the latter I will get used to no doubt and the wknd I can't do anything about!!! 
Thanks everyone for the encouragement!!


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## emulsifier12 (16 Apr 2010)

That's great. I have been toying with the idea of riding to work myself, but have 14miles to ride. Does anyone here ride into coventry? Well done to you Hornet75, you are an inspiration to me.


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## jonny jeez (16 Apr 2010)

Hornet75 said:


> Thanks again for the advise. I got back ok. Gave myself an hour so I was sure to catch my train and actually got back in 35 minutes!! The route over canal is lovely and peaceful and I actually enjoyed my first day on the bike. Gotta drive tomorrow due to having to get home early so plNning on doing it again next week. Only down aide really was the wind and the hills- the latter I will get used to no doubt and the wknd I can't do anything about!!!
> Thanks everyone for the encouragement!!



spot on...hills get easier, the wind never seems to.

But, I spotted a GEM of advice from Alan Wicker. regards knobblies. You wont believe the difference when you switch to a narrow higher pressure tyre. As soon as I put my bike back down on the deck after fitting them, it rolled around all over the place like it had a mind of its own. That "rolling" transferred directly into my road riding and showed a massive difference.

Have fun and good luck


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## jig-sore (16 Apr 2010)

hang on a minute... Narrow has nothing to do with it, in fact a wider tyre will have a larger side wall and therefore a larger circumference and will travel further per revolution. thats why penny farthings had such large wheels.

don't believe a word of all that rolling resistance nonsense 

on a small wheeled MTB you will benefit more from fitting medium to wide slick tyres.


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## BrumJim (16 Apr 2010)

Hornet75 said:


> Thanks again for the advise. I got back ok. Gave myself an hour so I was sure to catch my train and actually got back in 35 minutes!! The route over canal is lovely and peaceful and I actually enjoyed my first day on the bike. Gotta drive tomorrow due to having to get home early so plNning on doing it again next week. Only down aide really was the wind and the hills- the latter I will get used to no doubt and the wknd I can't do anything about!!!
> Thanks everyone for the encouragement!!


Congratulations. Perfect weather at the moment for starting a cycling commute.

I've been doing several days a week, 6 miles for some time now, but went up to a full 5 days at the end of last year. Loving the endorphine rush in the morning, and days like these I can't understand why I would want to drive.


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## buggi (16 Apr 2010)

ooo i'm soooo excited for you. 

remember, the first time is always the worst and it will always get easier (I didn't make it up "my hill" the first time either) 

yes, do change your tyres, it will make a massive difference. get some proper cycle clothes too because that really helps. Personally for me, i hate waterproofs (boil in the bag) but this site has some nice kit which i wear. www.corinnedennis.co.uk a lot of their stuff is designed to stay warm when it gets wet, and their waterproof jackets are stylish. as you will be getting on the train you might prefer to get a waterproof jacket (not nice sitting for a long while in wet clothes)

hills and wind... erm.. yea! ... wind you will always hate unless you are a glutten for punishment and you just have to accept it. and hills, well they require the same effort all the time but you get up them quicker. you always feel knacked at the top tho ha ha. but strangely enough... you will one day start to enjoy the challenge. and the views from the top are worth the effort.


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## buggi (16 Apr 2010)

jig-sore said:


> hang on a minute... Narrow has nothing to do with it, in fact a wider tyre will have a larger side wall and therefore a larger circumference and will travel further per revolution. thats why penny farthings had such large wheels.
> 
> don't believe a word of all that rolling resistance nonsense
> 
> on a small wheeled MTB you will benefit more from fitting medium to wide slick tyres.



Nonsense??? you obviously haven't ridden a road bike then 

on a small wheeled MTB you will benefit more from fitting a medium to wide slick tyre when riding on tarmac because that's ALL you can do, to reduce the rolling resistance and enhance grip (treaded tyres are less grippy on tarmac than slick tyres). you cannot fit a large circumference rim because it won't fit into the forks. 

There is a reason road bikes have large wheels with narrow rims. so you can fit narrow slick tyres and then there is less tyre touching the road (about 2mm down the centre is all that is required) which equals less rolling resistance and therefore means more speed (which is exactly what they are engineered to do)

if you don't believe a word of all that rolling resistance nonsence, i suggest you try riding a road bike. then you will believe it.


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## jig-sore (16 Apr 2010)

i actually have a road bike and a hybrid bike with exactly the same gears on them (done deliberately). the road bike has 700x25 tyres and the hybrid has 700x40 tyres.

gear for gear the hybrid is faster at the same RPM because the wheels (tyres) have a larger circumference due to their taller side wall, the very reason you have to adjust your computer even when only fitting "wider" tyres. on the road bike im spinning out at 31mph, on the hybrid it's 34mph !!!

yes there is such a thing as rolling resistance but it's minimal effects are not noticeable between a 700x23 tyre and a 700x28 tyre of the same design. but the larger circumference would be.

a larger circumference tyre also has a "shorter" contact patch. 

there is a reason that road bikes have 700 wheels, larger wheel equals more distance traveled per revolution and therefore more speed. stick 700x40 tyres on it and it would be faster still, only they wont fit in the frame.

the obsession with thin tyre equals more speed is pure nonsense sprouted by people who have not fully thought out all aspects of the equation. on a bike where all other factors are equal a wider tyre will give more speed for the same Rpm

read... http://www.everydaycycling.com/edc/news/WiseWords/wise_words_tyres.aspx


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## TheBoyBilly (20 Apr 2010)

Good luck Hornet75. I started a 4.5 mile London commute on a Brompton 3 months ago and, after experiencing tiredness initially, I now very often wish I could ride a lot further. The only thing stopping me is that I have a train to catch for the next 50-odd miles! It really does get easier - the more experienced commuters told me but I didn't believe how right they were.

Bill


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## Hornet75 (29 Apr 2010)

Hi All - Bit of an update. I changed the tyres at the weekend got some of these 
http://www.buybikesnow.com/182/Kenda-Kwest-Shield-Puncture-Protection-26x1-5--Tyre.html. ( not from this site but only ones I could find on internet!) They have definetely improved the rolling resistance on the wheels. This coupled with my improving fitness means I have the commute time down to 27 minutes going to work and 30 minutes going back to Rugby station - a bit longer going home as its slightly more uphill and slightly more traffic. My ambition is to get both journeys closer to 20 minutes - which I hope to do over the next month. Luckily the weather so far has been outstanding for being out on the bike so am really enjoying it. 
Thanks again to everyone for the encouragment when I first started out a couple of weeks ago and good luck to those who are starting out on the commuting trail!!
Now - one more question. I do have to commute with my laptop and at present put it in a ruck sack along with my lunch, fresh shirt ( just in case!) plus any other bits and bobs. I have decided to get a rack to put on the back of the bike so I can get a pannier to carry the bits and pieces - does anyone have any recommendations on panniers ( not mega expensive as its only a 5.5 mile commute!) but ones that are big/strong enough to carry a laptop and a few other bits!?

Cheers


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## TheBoyBilly (29 Apr 2010)

I can recommend Altura Arran panniers. I used mine on my old Trek for ages. They are tough, pretty much waterproof when used with the included storm cover, and mine came with the excellent Rixen & Kaul Klikfix fixing for wonderful convenience. Highly recommended.


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## NigC (29 Apr 2010)

Good to see you've successfully negotiated the first couple of weeks (those were that toughest for me). I don't know about your route, but mine has a few hills/inclines and quite a few turns, but despite my old age and slight weight problem, I can make it in 20 minutes (mine's also 5.5 miles) if I'm in the mood, so you should be able to reduce your time quite easily 

As for panniers, I have no idea. I think I'd prefer to keep a laptop on my back though


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## Davidc (29 Apr 2010)

My post just vanished - I'll try again!

I use these panniers but had to replace the elasticated hook things. They're available from several online shops and often on ebay.

I used the tyres you bought and found them excellent. 850 miles no punct***s, but then the vandals slashed them while the bike was parked. B******s.


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## NigC (29 Apr 2010)

Davidc said:


> My post just vanished - I'll try again!
> 
> I use these panniers but had to replace the elasticated hook things. They're available from several online shops and often on ebay.
> 
> I used the tyres you bought and found them excellent. 850 miles no punct***s, but then the vandals slashed them while the bike was parked. B******s.



Weird - I read your post before it vaished, so I can vouch for the fact it was there! 

Anyway, please excuse my ignorace, I've been thinking about replacing my backpack with panniers and these look pretty good value. But I assume these need to attach to an additional frame - is it a simple case of buying any frame and any bags and it's all hunky dory and everything fits together, or are there any pannier/frame compatibility issues?


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## Shut Up Legs (29 Apr 2010)

Congrats, Hornet75, you'll enjoy it! 

It has major health benefits, too. When I resumed cycling about 1.5 years ago after several years off, my commute was roughly the same distance, and my weight dropped from a pudgy 105kg to 80kg in just over 6 months, and it's stayed on 80kg since. So it doesn't take large distances to have a benefit.

Two things you could do are (a) make yourself as visible as possible (lights, bright clothes) and ( practise vehicular cycling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicular_cycling). The latter may take some getting used to, but it's a way of making yourself more visible to motorists and sharing the road with them.

Please note: I'm not suggesting you practice vehicular cycling on that busy single-carriageway you mentioned; I'll leave suggestions on how to handle that to the locals who know this stretch of road.

Regards,

--- Victor.


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