How long does it take you to warm up?

[fossyant]

Within a few minutes, as I've either got an uphill from home, or a long descent for the commute. That said, if it was a race, I'd be warming up for about 30 minutes.

 

[DaveyB1981]

Generally about 5 miles for me. Annoyingly, I had call to ride 5 miles yesterday with no time to extend it. Just getting into it as I got home.

Dave

 

[totallyfixed]

11 miles, when it's very cold maybe 15.

 

[Glover Fan]

For me it is more than warming up, it is critical.

I absolutely love cycling, but the first 5 miles for me are complete torture. If I had something as simple as a rattle on the bike in the first 5 miles I would turn back home straight away. My legs feel dead and I feel like i've drank 15 pints of beer the night before and I don't drink!!!

 

[valetillidye]

there is a small but quite steep hill about 2 miles in for me. It really gets the lactic acid burning. It levels off after about 50meters but that 60 seconds is a killer.

I always feel better once its over. I climb far bigger far longer hills after this 1st one but they always feel so much easier!

 

[chigman]

Ten miles for me to hit top riding form and thats after a few earlier in the ride hills as well.

Steve

 

[the_mikey]

I replied that it takes 20km or so to warm up, but from leaving the house, to reach the point where I'm ready to try to push past 30km/h it takes about 5 minutes, but I need to get the heart rate up, and into a state where I'm anerobic and then need to slow down to recover, after doing this a couple of times I'm fairly warmed up. But not at my most powerful!

 

[blubb]

Usually take it slowly the first 2-5kms, but then i am warmed up and ready to go. Still young so not really a problem so far.

 

[Fiona N]

Muscles are pretty quick to get going - maybe as well as there's a steep uphill starting about 50m out of my drive - but I know that my HR will gradually drop over the first 30 minutes or so as my breathing settles down so I take this as proper warm-up duration.

 

[HelenD123]

On tour I have a rule that I can't stop for the first 5 miles. By then I'm usually warmed up and mentally ready to keep going.

 

[Ravenbait]

Anywhere between 10 and 30 miles. Depends on the day and the ride. I do know that my current commute isn't long enough for me to warm up properly!

Sam

 

[GrasB]

It really depends what you mean by warming up... do you mean when I'm unlikely to pull something if you push hard on the pedals, getting to the point where I'm nice n' limber so I can spin up or to the point were I can develop maximum power?

 

[Hont]

About 45-50 minutes when cycling in the morning. That's when my legs start hurting less.