Not sure if I have improved

[Holdsworth]

I thought my body would be finding commuting a lot easier now that I have been doing it for nearly 12 months and have lost 4 stone in weight. But alas no, I complete my moderately-paced 9 mile ride to work each day and I still feel hot, extremely sweaty and unpleasant and my face is bright red with a prominent (even more red) long-lasting mark where the helmet strap sits (looks very odd).

My average is somewhere in the region of 15mph over the 9 miles, the terrain is gently rolling countryside and the only steep bit is a 200 yard 7% incline which I can do just about with having my asthma cause me too much trouble.

I have stopped trying to race myself to work and and blasting along on the straights but it hasn't helped much. I look a right state when I come in, it looks like I have done 10 mile TT or something stupid!!!

It isn't just the commute either, I get red-faced, hot and sweaty going the 1.5 miles to town. Again at the sort of same average speed of 15mph. I have to wear cycle-specific clothing all the time on the bike otherwise the cotton t-shirts let the sweat sit n my back and the odour is terrible. Even my jersey doesn't do that good a job on wicking as I still have a really damp back when I get to work.

Is this in any way normal or am I just more unfit than I thought I was?

 

[exbfb]

You're just trying hard, not unfit.
If you really were unfit, you wouldn't be able to do what you're doing.

Accept yourself as being a hard worker and embrace it.

Nothing wrong with 15mph average over 9 miles IMHO.
Around here, I would put 15mph at the very sharp end of moderate.

 

[tyred]

Definitely not much wrong with a 15mph average. If you are cycling through genuinely open countryside like I tend to do, remember you are probably more exposed to headwinds.

I used to have similar thoughts, before I realised I was doing my routes a hell of a lot faster than I had been originally.

 

[al-fresco]

Congrats on losing 4 stone! I think 15 mph is a good average - it should be getting easier though. I remember when it would take me 45 minutes to recover from a 5 mile trip. Well done for sticking with it.

 

[Nebulous]

Cycling is a sweaty business. Cotton doesn't work well either. I only have a two mile commute and often wear a cotton t-shirt. I get in sweaty - wait until I stop sweating, wash and change into my shirt. The t-shirt sits in my backpack all day and it is getting difficult to get the odour out of it, even though it has only been worn about 15 minutes.

Technical clothing is the way to go. I've heard good things about garments made from coffee, but haven't tried them yet.

Tenn t-shirt

It's sometimes hard to see that you are progressing, but you haven't lost 4 stone without making a huge difference. Keep hydrated, watch your diet and mix up your cycling to avoid boredom and complacency.

 

[BrumJim]

Cycling is a sweaty business. Cotton doesn't work well either. I only have a two mile commute and often wear a cotton t-shirt. I get in sweaty - wait until I stop sweating, wash and change into my shirt. The t-shirt sits in my backpack all day and it is getting difficult to get the odour out of it, even though it has only been worn about 15 minutes.

Technical clothing is the way to go. I've heard good things about garments made from coffee, but haven't tried them yet.

Tenn t-shirt

It's sometimes hard to see that you are progressing, but you haven't lost 4 stone without making a huge difference. Keep hydrated, watch your diet and mix up your cycling to avoid boredom and complacency.

Oooohhh, the coffee top is marvellous. Wicking is OK and still doesn't smell after two weeks of use (is getting washed in the next load). And I've been sweating plenty with it on.

 

[Jonathing]

Rule ten.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Every person is different. Some finish a ride looking as though they have just stepped out of a catalogue whilst others (I include me in this) look like they have been dragged through a hedge backwards. Some of us sweat more than other and start to do so earlier. Maintaining a 15mph average is good going and you are clearly working hard. If you are concerned about the red face, et al see you GP for a body MOT (slightly high blood pressure springs to mind - again I am mildly hypertensive so I know the feeling. Best of luck and congratulations on loosing 4 stone in a year. Great going

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Those rules are brilliant

Rule ten.

 

[corshamjim]

I would be feeling hot & sweaty if I did my commute at 15mph! I normally travel at more like 11 mph.

Danger and risk-taking can generate the kind of hormones which make one more smelly. If your route involves mixing it with traffic, it might be better to choose a quieter route which you can more comfortably take at a slower pace too.

If I find I've been going too fast, I sometime slow right off for the last mile just to give myself a chance to cool off.

I also find I'm much more inclined to push it too hard if I'm on the road bike rather than on the sit-up-and-admire-the-view Pashley.

 

[4F]

Hot and sweaty here also, may I refer the OP to the above mentioned rules and in particular rule 5

 

[Holdsworth]

Thanks for all the advice given, it makes me feel a little better about how I'm doing so far. I think maybe I am pushing too hard, I try not to but I do like to make the journey in under 40 minutes, 35 is good going. I would ideally leave earlier but I get up at 6:30, out of the house at ~7:25 to be there for 8:05, that leaves me 10 minutes or so to walk across site to my office, get freshened up with skillful use of baby wipes and get into my work clothes for a start at 8:30. I can't see myself getting up any earlier or being quicker out the door as I wouldn't be able to fit my routine of wash, teeth, dressing, breakfast/watch morning news and weather and pack panniers. That takes the whole 50 minutes.

This is my route:

route

I wouldn't try another way as the only route that takes the same time and doesn't make me awaken earlier is the A530/A51 road route. They are fast and used by a load of HGVs, the Reaseheath to Burland section is a nightmare as it is double whites for a good few hundred yards, no place to pull in, narrow lanes and the usual queue of oncoming traffic. I don't much like having a couple dozen cars stuck behind me on a 60mph road at rush hour!

Even though my route is generally quieter, the section from Middlewich Road to Church Minshull is a bad rat run. I have had many close and dangerous passes. Had a near miss today when pillock in a BMW (of all cars) in the other lane tried overtake a car and the 31a bus to Winsford at the same time, all the while I was approaching at a steady speed no more than 200 yards between me and the bus (which was in front of both cars BTW). He dives in between the car and bus as I approach, probably getting very close to the bumper as there wasn't much more than a few metres gap. Needless to say I expressed my displeasure with a generic hand signal, no finger, just raised the back of my hand in "WTF" manner.
I've a few other close calls along there but CBA to repeating them here.


I will definitely have a look at the coffee fibre t-shirt, it might be better than my lidl jersey that I use currently.

And AFSolo, I might pop in to see my GP at some point or use the BP monitor in the health centre lobby while I wait. I have been meaning to go as I want to follow up last year's appointment about excessive sweating while at rest. Nothing abnormal found in a blood test but they hinted that my weight at the time (16 stone) could be contributing. Now that I have lost a lot of weight (belly still prominent though) I thought I might pop in and have a chat.

Again thanks all for the words of encouragement

 

[Atyl1972]

Listen, I'm a newbie and i believe that what you've achieved is brilliant mate to be honest, what clothing do you commute in, sounds like you need a wicking top to get the sweat away this I'm sure will help if you don't already have one, maybe also the helmet is too tight around the ear area, sounds like from what you're saying, but 15mph is a very decent speed on a cycle, well done you're an inspiration to any newbies out there, including myself

I thought my body would be finding commuting a lot easier now that I have been doing it for nearly 12 months and have lost 4 stone in weight. But alas no, I complete my moderately-paced 9 mile ride to work each day and I still feel hot, extremely sweaty and unpleasant and my face is bright red with a prominent (even more red) long-lasting mark where the helmet strap sits (looks very odd).

My average is somewhere in the region of 15mph over the 9 miles, the terrain is gently rolling countryside and the only steep bit is a 200 yard 7% incline which I can do just about with having my asthma cause me too much trouble.

I have stopped trying to race myself to work and and blasting along on the straights but it hasn't helped much. I look a right state when I come in, it looks like I have done 10 mile TT or something stupid!!!

It isn't just the commute either, I get red-faced, hot and sweaty going the 1.5 miles to town. Again at the sort of same average speed of 15mph. I have to wear cycle-specific clothing all the time on the bike otherwise the cotton t-shirts let the sweat sit n my back and the odour is terrible. Even my jersey doesn't do that good a job on wicking as I still have a really damp back when I get to work.

Is this in any way normal or am I just more unfit than I thought I was?

 

[lulubel]

I'd get up 15 minutes earlier some days, and have an easier ride. It sounds counter intuitive, but taking it slower sometimes actually helps to improve your fitness, and that will make you faster on the days when you're riding harder.