Are you a morning or an afternoon person

[Boyfrom64]

It was the same when I use to run and it is the same now that I ride, if I go out in the morning I find it hard and my performance is never as good as when I go out in an an afternoon. I put my morning performances down to a the fact that I will not have had much to drink, yet when I go out in an afternoon I will have drank quite a considerable amount.

Now before someone tells me that if I know that I am going out in the morning that I should take in plenty of fluid the night before, I realise that, that is a good idea however, it would result in me paying numerous visit's to the bathroom during the night, which is not good for getting a good nights sleep.

Am i unusual, or does anyone else get similar results for the time of day you go for a ride?

 

[Garz]

I don't think you are unusual, I would pay close attention to your lifestyle and see if you can pinpoint the reason. When you mention drink are you referring to hydration or something else?

 

[ColinJ]

I don't find it easy to make an early start, but I have forced myself to set off before 06:00 on a few summer rides and before 08:00 on some winter ones. The main thing for me is to be awake a couple of hours before that and have a decent breakfast and something to drink, and to give it time to start getting digested. I hate wolfing food down first thing and then jumping straight on my bike.

Do you do a warm up for your early starts? If you exercise later in the day, then you must have been doing something else for several hours which will have got you warmed up to a certain extent.

 

[coffeejo]

My body's quite happy with early starts - growing up on a farm and then running my own smallholding for several years was excellent training on that front! The trouble's not my body - it's my brain that doesn't like it.

 

[HLaB]

I find with an early start there's a psychological barrier an if I overcome it I can perform better. I'm not really an afternoon person and like something in the middle.
Oh and the night before you don't need IMO to go overboard with fluid (if your system is efficient it'll all be out of your body come morning) just carbo load (aka stuff your face ) before a big ride.

 

[bicyclos]

Am i unusual, or does anyone else get similar results for the time of day you go for a ride?

I do, My natural clock is up with the early birds and where I am more alive. I have had afternoon rides out and not felt good/strong. I am a siesta person and have always had a short nap and wind down mode. So you are not unusual

 

[montage]

Afternoon. I find that setting an alarm early leads to a sleepless night, and therefore a poor performance. Too tired and I don't digest breakfast, leaving it to just sit there all ride - awful for a number of reasons. It's at the point where I have decided not to take on any events this year that require an early start - it's just not worth it.



And I'm a student

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

I used to be a late morning - early afternoon rider. Even night times were preferable. Since having my son though, who is 1 year old in a week,i have very much been a morning person. I can let them have a long lie and get out there for good hours. I was up this morning at 6:30am just so i could fit in a 100k. Get a decent breakfast and out the door for 8am. Back for 11am and it's hard for the good lady to complain with that efficiency!!

 

[ColinJ]

I used to be a late morning - early afternoon rider. Even night times were preferable. Since having my son though, who is 1 year old in a week,i have very much been a morning person. I can let them have a long lie and get out there for good hours. I was up this morning at 6:30am just so i could fit in a 100k. Get a decent breakfast and out the door for 8am. Back for 11am and it's hard for the good lady to complain with that efficiency!!

100k in 3 hours ~= 33 kph or 20.5mph average speed - not bad!

 

[Kies]

20.5mph average over 100k???
That has to be flat roads your riding ..... I struggle to acheive more than a 16mph average over 30 miles (with a hill or three)

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

100k in 3 hours ~= 33 kph or 20.5mph average speed - not bad!

20.5mph average over 100k???
That has to be flat roads your riding ..... I struggle to acheive more than a 16mph average over 30 miles (with a hill or three)

It was 3 hours 7 minutes to be exact but yeh reasonably fast for riding solo.
Worked out at just below 20mph average. The ride consisted of two cat4 and one cat 3 climb. Just short of 3000ft ascent. I would describe it as "rolling". I actually targeted those climbs (Strava) and took the KOM's on the the way.
Actually slowed me down a bit so i could be fresh-ish for the climbs.

I am riding the Etape caledonia in May and the goal is to complete in under 4 hours. 81 miles and 6393ft of ascent. Group riding increases your average by a fair bit so think it will be quite do able. I actually think it's do able solo but you might end up with a monster head wind or something where group riding becomes paramount.

I have a training ride with lots of hills (6 in just over 2 hours) and it lowers the average to around 16mph. The total ascent is around 4000ft but it's brutal as you go down one hill to then go straight up the next. I am blessed/cursed to live right next to some big climbs and descents.

 

[Mo1959]

I used to be a late morning - early afternoon rider. Even night times were preferable. Since having my son though, who is 1 year old in a week,i have very much been a morning person. I can let them have a long lie and get out there for good hours. I was up this morning at 6:30am just so i could fit in a 100k. Get a decent breakfast and out the door for 8am. Back for 11am and it's hard for the good lady to complain with that efficiency!!

I was up at 6.30 too but afraid all I fitted in was 27 miles. Love the quiet roads in the early mornings. Wish I had your energy. Mind you, you're probably half my age

 

[djb1971]

Mornings for me, or late night/very early morning!

I love being out early, no traffic and as the light mornings appear the wildlife is everywhere before the masses appear. Watching a sunrise whilst riding is great, the feeling of the sun burning through the mist and warming you makes it good to be alive!

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

I was up at 6.30 too but afraid all I fitted in was 27 miles. Love the quiet roads in the early mornings. Wish I had your energy. Mind you, you're probably half my age

It's my recent lack of social life that gives me energy!! My wee boy tries to wear me out but i just about manage.

 

[Boyfrom64]

I think some of it isinglass my head too, because like Irish with his afternoon run only being slightly slower than his morning run, I suspect I am the same it is just that the morning ride would be seem so much harder.

Colin, to be fair, I do not do any warming up before going out on a morning ride, which is something I can try.

My point about taking in fluids is that generally I am someone who drinks quite a lot on any given day, even now when I have to leave early for work, I will always have two cups of tea before I leave the house.

What is interesting, is that we are all different and whilst mornings are good for some people afternoons are better for others, I suppose we just need to recognise what suits you best.