You early-morning riding freaks - how do you do it?
 

Bleh. A friend got a Litespeed M1 from CC and after helping him assemble it yesterday, we went for a morning ride today. 7am departure.

Ugh. Took me ages to get my HR into 3 digits, felt slow as molasses and there was (of course) a massive headwind to make matters worse. Was struggling along at 15-16mph and got overtaken by a couple of other roadies. Grabbed their wheel (yes, I asked and yes, I did my share up front) and even a short pull at 20mph killed me.

The way back was nice - 23-24mph of cruising at tempo (yay tailwind!). But even then, my legs just werent there.

I blame it on the early AM ride. Man simply wasnt designed to be doing anything before 10am other than lie in bed. All you early-riser types are freaks, I tell you. Freaks.

ha ha, I can't help. I'm in your camp. Freaks, speak out!

I'm 14 and ride at 6am every day :)

I can commute to work or school, but riding hard is a foreign concept to me before about 9am.

I'm an early riser, but due to weather limitations, I usually don't ride until eight or so.

It's not unusual for me to get up at 5 or 6 AM to go riding. This is not entirely by choice though. The biggest reason I get out early is so that I can get home early, and get on to spending time with the family. I am not a morning person at all but it is a heck of a lot easier to get up if I know the first thing I will do is go riding. Quick breakfast, a bit of caffeine, and out the door. Plus, once you are out on the road, I find the conditions so much better than later in the day. Less windy, less traffic, and sometimes a good sunrise.

I'm already at work by 7. If I want to get a quick ride in, I'd have to leave by 5. HTFU. :D

Sometimes I ride at around 4:30AM. I go to sleep at around 9-10PM and then wake up at 4ish. Then I ride as much as I can. Why? Because the Arizona sun after 9:00AM burns.

Can't wait for the 85-90 degree 7:30AM mornings...

You just have to get up, warm up harder than usual and then make your workout hurt more. Easy.

Once it starts getting really hot here I'll have no choice but to get up and start riding at dawn. I can't stand, I repeat, CAN'T STAND riding in hot weather. I'd rather eat my own face.

^^ That's why I am trying to ride in the mornings. It is soon going to go over 110 and stay that way till October. Oh I miss the snow (I even miss the Ma$$hole drivers that came with the snow).

Early mornings before work I can understand, but I've never understood why some people insist or riding at the crack of dawn on weekends even when it is daylight well into the evening. I mean, what's the point of leaving for a 6- or 8-hour ride at 7 or 8am when you could just as easily leave at noon on days when the sun doesn't set until 9 or 10pm? You end up having to wear a lot of extra clothing and/or freeze your junk off in the morning, then you burn up in the afternoon. This always bothered me about some organized group rides that I've done.

I can understand riding in 85-90 deg mornings. Lets the blood get flowing better.

Around here though it's tough early on, esp for someone that seems to be more an evening person like me. I'd rather ride at 10p-1a instead of waking up early. Even when I did ride at 5-ish am for a few months I always felt tired during the day (and famished). I tried riding early on a while ago but I couldn't motivate.

Espresso.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3663/...7c606c50fb.jpg

The real reason for this outburst, of course, is that I had gone riding with a friend who is a former triathlete, and who just got his Litespeed M1 yesterday. Hasnt been on a bike for a year. Was talking about holding my wheel and he proceeds to drop me like a bad habit. My bike felt as if the bearings in the hubs and BB were lubed with treacle.

Because you can ride a lot and still have most of the day to do other stuff, say with your significant others, with your kids, do school work...

For some of us it is the only time we have to ride. Cycling is a priority but comes after work, family, etc. Gotta make time and before sunrise is it for me. Once you get used to it, it's not so bad.

I finished a 25 mile ride at 6:30 this morning. I feel great. Morning rides give me a boost for the rest of the day.

And the summer thing...Early am is the best time to ride!

Nope, we're smart guys. We have a group that meets every day during the week at 0545 for our club ride, all year long, winter, rain, snow etc. Everybody's home by 0700, and our wives love it, as we're not ditching them in the evening. Not only do we hold great fitness all year long, there's not much traffic and we're also prepped for early endurance rides as well.

Some guys join us for half the ride and then commute on to work.

In the heat of summer, we'll start a 200k at 0400 to "beat the heat" and it works out great. We can ride it, be home for lunch, and have the rest of the day free.

So HTFU and get your sorry arse out of bed earlier. A couple weeks is all it takes to get up to speed.

I do my long ride at 4 a.m. - 7 a.m. so I can get to grad school, work, spend time with my children and wife...

I'm an early riser and like to be out before 7 ... I feel refreshed in the morning and ready to go. 5 or 10 minutes to limber up and get the blood flowing and I'm out the door. I drag a$$ in the afternoons because I'm already spent for the day

For me it's strategic. South Florida wind is a constant and the only variable is just how strong it is. Riding at 7am takes away some of the winds' punch.

I hate working out before 10:00, but have no problem riding a bike. If I'm going to get up and do something, I'd rather it be something I enjoy, like riding a bike. It's getting up early and going to work that sux.

I used to be out the door at 5am.

You get your workout out of the way before work, school, life etc.
Less traffic and angst which is a definite plus where I live.
Less cyclists because most are still in bed, another definite plus where I live.
You feel like gold for the rest of the day.

I found when I stopped my early rides I was lazier and rode less. I need to get the habit back.

My commute departure time varies from 4:30-4:50 a.m. each morning. I usually work the 7am-7pm shift, arrive to the hospital between 5:50-6:10, clean up and change, eat a quick breakfast in the cafeteria, and show up to my ward around 6:30-6:40. If I get a flat tire on the way in (which hasn't happened yet), I'll have to miss breakfast.

I hate rising so early, but I enjoy the cycling so much that it's worth it to me to get up that early.

We go camping every Memorial/Labor Day weekend and I always ride a solo century Saturday morning. I leave at 5am, and am back before my hungover friends are even out of bed.

Early morning is the best time to ride for all the reasons above. The key is getting a proper meal the night before and good sleep.