Potential novice cyclist.

Chuchote

It's possible to cycle without mudguards? Alors!

jive

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

I don't find a backpack inconvenient in any way, although the ones I use are quite small. All I need to carry is a towel, shirt, smalls, phone & wallet.
Each to their own, but I prefer simplicity.

I thought the same until I replaced it. There's only so much sweaty back a man can take.

2RockMountain

I find it strange how few people buy commuting bikes for commuting. So many BTW purchases are fairly unsuitable for commuting. Those few extra grams for mudguards and other bits really aren't going to impact commuting times or efforts to any significant degree.

Get mudguards. Get a carrier. Get a dynamo hub.

beauf

I think many don't think of it as commuting.

Weepsie

My commute is only 8 km. I'd like it to be twice that at the very least. I'd enjoy it more but as I'm basically from Santry to IFSC its all urban and constant lights etc. Just not enjoyable, commute home I often go out of my way to do extra

P_1

250km a week is probably a bit much at first. Speed wise, if he's only starting he'd be doing well to average 22kph.

A cycle a day for a few weeks, ramping it up to 2,3 and so on may get him up and running.

crosstownk

I commute on a road bike 2 or 3 times per week from Terenure to Swords through Dublin City - 19km. It takes about 55 mins and longer if there's a headwind. With all the stop/start at traffic lights I rarely exceed 25km/h. Somedays my maximum speed won't exceed 40km/h.

Dermot Illogical

I find it strange that people who have a bike that's quite comfy for 4+ hour rides think they need a different one to be comfy on a 1 hour ride.

2RockMountain wrote: »

I find it strange how few people buy commuting bikes for commuting.

ED E

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

I find it strange that people who have a bike that's quite comfy for 4+ hour rides think they need a different one to be comfy on a 1 hour ride.

You dont need two bikes, just two wheelsets. You wont find that many that take Armadillos for 200k on a Saturday but in Dublin at least (especially Friday morning) you really want tank tracks not tyres :pac:

2RockMountain

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

I find it strange that people who have a bike that's quite comfy for 4+ hour rides think they need a different one to be comfy on a 1 hour ride.

Touché, as they say.

I wasn't really talking about people who are already experienced cyclists, with a good bike that they use beyond commuting. I was talking about the many, many people who buy a on the BTW with mainly commuting in mind, but don't get a commuting bike. Look in any bike shop and you'll see a few bikes with mudguards and very few with a carrier on the back.

onmebike

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

Mudguards are cack. Any time I've used them in the past they've ended up getting damaged or failing. They're just one more thing to go wrong with your bike. If you're out in the pissings of rain you're getting wet no matter what, so they're pointless imho.

I have a rear mudguard that attaches to my seatpost. I don't mind generally getting wet or soaked to the skin, but having my chamois filled with rain water is something that turns a wet cycle into an uncomfortable cycle. IMO, of course.

Undercover Elephant

I used to do a 32k commute with no shower facility at the end. It wasn't great, felt like being in a Victorian novel. But it beat the cr@p out of sitting on the M50 when yet another idiot has driven into the wall.

magicbastarder

this is one of the things which makes me feel guilty about not cycling to work. but being able to work from home whenever you want can make you lazy. not only is there secure, swipe accessed bike parking, plus showers, they also boxed off one of the outlets from the A/C units so if you do get soaked on the way in in the morning, you can hang your gear up in that room and it's bone dry when you leave in the evening.

benneca1

Most of the time most of the wetting comes from wheel spray so full mudguards are great. Like everything else not essential but add to comfort also will keep a lot of crap off your drivetrain especially in winter. Ditto for rack and bag but depends how much you carry good if you need to bring shoes trousers and a pressed shirt if all you pack are jocks socks and a bottle of shower gel then you can stick em in your pocked horses for courses.

40 Kph average is not achievable we average 32 on club rides where most are not bad cyclists.

Barry Badrinath

My commute is roughly 58km each way.

If I'm cycling in and out that's just under 120km of a commute a day.

Needless to say, I don't always cycle in and out. Some days I will drive in with the bike on the back and cycle home.

On a really bad day it could take me 3hrs 20minutes. On a good day, 2hrs 15minutes (if I hadn't ran at lunchtime). I would normally average 2hrs 30minutes each way.

I'm not a big time cyclist, commuting and the odd multisport race would be the height of it. He will be able but id advise him to start small and invest in good accessories......like padded shorts!

Oh yeah, 40kmh is not easily achieveable nor sustainable

jive

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Here he is arriving to work after his first day of commuting.

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

Oh yeah, 40kmh is not easily achieveable nor sustainable

I will advise him on the above for future reference.

mrcheez

JumpShivers wrote: »

#We all know the Irish weather is crap and completely unpredictable, how do you get around intermittent showers which may begin in the middle of a cycle? Do you wear a poncho?

#What about muck or dirty water splashing up from the wheel, thus soiling his clothes?

I cycle every day in all weather.

So he won't be wearing his work clothes on this commute, but better to leave work clothes in a locker in work and carry a change in underwear in his bag everyday (and a new shirt or whatever every few days).

On rainy days, just wear a breathable waterproof jacket, breathable undershirt, padded shorts under a set of breathable trousers. Also get shoe covers to stop water getting into the shoes.

As for cleanup on arrival, if no showers no problem. Dry shampoo takes care of the greasy hair, bring a small towel, and underarm spray. If he has a shower each evening/morning he will be fine.

I've never worked in a place with showers. It would be nice, but it's really not a requirement to cleanliness. Dry shampoo is best thing since CREE lights

Chuchote

mrcheez wrote: »

I've never worked in a place with showers. It would be nice, but it's really not a requirement to cleanliness. Dry shampoo is best thing since CREE lights

I worked in a place with showers. The security staff stacked their home clothes, lunches, etc in them.

Macy0161

Carawaystick wrote: »

You could look at park and ride, driving some of the way in the country and cycling closer to the city to start at 15 kms or so to build it up.

This is what I did - parked up around 10km away, and built up the number of days a week I did it, and then started moving back to a further distance. Maxed out around 20km, but that was more for practical reasons than fitness.

I'm not in a cycling specific club, but even our top group group spins wouldn't average 40km/hr!

When I was cycling most days, I did drive in one of the days a week with a supply of clothes. I always had showers available at work.

Personally, on my specific commuter I prefer mudguards and a rack. Mudguards might not keep you dry if it's raining, but they do keep you (and your bike) cleaner. Rack is better than a back pack imo, not just because of sweaty back, but also lower centre of gravity and in windy conditions it doesn't feel like you get caught as much by cross winds.

For me, it was a great way of getting my exercise in, at a time that didn't compromise family time. In the middle of winter, even when I was obese and slow, I was still quicker than I would've been in the car - so exercise done and home earlier. Contrary to a lot, I've always commuted more by bike in winter than summer as the days the weather is bad are the days you're just overtaking lines and lines of cars!

magicbastarder

Chuchote wrote: »

I worked in a place with showers. The security staff stacked their home clothes, lunches, etc in them.

that would make for a very soggy lunch.

cdaly_

mrcheez wrote: »

Also get shoe covers to stop water getting into the shoes.

Sandals are brill from this pov. Water drains out, feet dry off as soon as the rain stops. Layered socks keep toes warm in the cold and still dry out when the rain stops.

2RockMountain

cdaly_ wrote: »

Sandals are brill from this pov. Water drains out, feet dry off as soon as the rain stops. Layered socks keep toes warm in the cold and still dry out when the rain stops.

Steady on now.



I don't like leaving the toes exposed with sandals - just feels too vulnerable to me. I also hated the feeling of getting one foot wet if it was low when I went through a puddle. I had to search out another puddle to get the other foot equally wet.

Chuchote

magicbastarder wrote: »

that would make for a very soggy lunch.

It would, except that all the other staff were too polite to ask to use the showers, and they went totally unused (except as security staff's storage space). I once asked timidly about using one, and was told to ask the head of security to arrange to take all their stuff out. There was a bit of a *tone* to this suggestion. I slunk off, figuring better niffy than hated.

07Lapierre

Chuchote wrote: »

It would, except that all the other staff were too polite to ask to use the showers, and they went totally unused (except as security staff's storage space). I once asked timidly about using one, and was told to ask the head of security to arrange to take all their stuff out. There was a bit of a *tone* to this suggestion. I slunk off, figuring better niffy than hated.

Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Move the stuff, then have your shower. If anyone says anything, just say "oh sorry about that" after a few showers, they'll get the message.

Chuchote

07Lapierre wrote: »

Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Move the stuff, then have your shower. If anyone says anything, just say "oh sorry about that" after a few showers, they'll get the message.

Hah, that's the kind of thing men get away with but earns "what a naggy bitch" hatred for women!

Undercover Elephant

cdaly_ wrote: »

Sandals are brill from this pov. Water drains out, feet dry off as soon as the rain stops. Layered socks keep toes warm in the cold and still dry out when the rain stops.

Decided to google "SPD sandals" for the craic.

Imagine my surprise on finding that they actually exist.

cdaly_

Totally do. I commute in them and do my Audax* in them. Haven't worn shoes on the bike for over a year now...


*A mid-winter 200k, a rain-sodden 600k and Paris-Brest-Paris last August**.

**Among many others...

uck51js9zml2yt

I cycle to work.

Takes me a whole 5 minutes in the morning and 7 coming home....it's uphill