e0richt

I have tried to do some commuting this season, I have gone at least 2-3 times a week since the beginning of may... but I find that doing a commute is more difficult than just doing a recreational ride... My commute is around 3.5 miles (or 7 miles depending on which route I take...) but I find its harder to get up to speed and I breathe like a steam engine and I don't put in the miles like I would if I just did the recreational cycling...

so whats the problem? could it really be my backpack? (I am planning to ride my recreational area with it to see...) or can it be the car exhaust makes me work harder? Anyone else have this happen to them?

I may give up commuting for a bit and just do the recreational rides and see...

uke

Are you using slick tires? Is your seat high enough? Weather too hot? Riding too fast?

taliesin

What is your age, weight, and fitness level? What type of bike are you using? How hard are you exerting yourself?

huhenio

more info would be useful

daintonj

I'll take a stab in the dark here.

Recreational Rides - You've relaxed, it's the evening or weekend and you've been up for a while and you're awake and alert. You're thinking about going for a nice enjoyable ride.

Commuting - It's early in the morning, you're up earlier than you wanted to be and you're cycling towards work.


You haven't said how far you ride recreationally but at 3.5 miles are you even really that warmed up, I usually find the first 5 miles of any ride I breathe harder and I'm slower and then I get into the swing of it all.

ratell

Also I ride much harder commuting. You get a little adrenaline going, race across the intersections, go faster when someone's behind you. It all adds up to pushing yourself more.

corripio

After about 3 miles, my muscles are just finally getting warmed up. But even still, I don't really have any problem getting up to normal speed during those first few miles of a ride.

What is your definition of a recreational ride? How far do you ride, how fast, what is your location (road vs. MUP vs. trails)? How much do you ride besides commuting? Do you eat before you make your commute? Maybe you are trying to go harder/faster than your body is conditioned for.

dobovedo

Another stab in the dark: Are you eating breakfast right before heading out to work? Digestion is hard on the body while exercising and raises the heart rate.

I also agree with others suggesting you may be trying to work harder to get to work than when out casually cruising. Give yourself plenty of time and stick with it. It should get easier over time.

Doubt the exhaust theory... studies have shown that people in cars breathe more fumes than people on bikes, due to being closed in. Although I wouldn't go drafting behind any busses or diesel trucks just to prove a point!

Banzai

Stress.

You're worried about making it on time, and your brain is telling you that you should be moving as fast as your car. Leave a bit earlier, and spin easy for the first little while to warm up and enjoy yourself. I imagine that you're probably hammering right out the gate to ensure you make it in time.

My commute takes me an average of 45 min. I give myself an hour anyway, despite how consistent I am at 45 mins.

e0richt

ok a bit more info about me... I am 46, not sure what you mean by fitness level, but I am an uber clyde trying to get down to just clyde... this morning I went for a 20 mile bike ride and had only discomfort in my
hands and saddle (not used to riding that long I guess...)

I have to agree that I seem to have a bit more adrenaline pumping during my commute... but by the same token, I haven't really had any problems with me an other motorists...

normally in my backpack, I have a change of clothes, a thermos of coffee, and lunch... I ride a touring type road bike (Dawes Lightning Sport) I have about 1300 miles on it (I have slacked off on the mileage as I have said...) there are no real hills in south NJ so both the commute and recreational rides are comparable (except for distance...)

e0richt

actually, this morning I went for the 20 miler with out breakfast and did ok (though I really did slow down at the end...)

normally, I have some oatmeal before doing my commute...

e0richt

I do a 15 mph avg for 24 - 30 miles and I really haven't checked for my commute...

e0richt

It seems that I am exerting myself much harder for the commute but don't really seem to be going that fast... there is this overpass that I go over and I swear I have to really gear down just to make it up the "hill" and on my recreational ride this morning it didn't seem bad at all... in fact I was only planning to do 15 miles and decided I felt good to do twenty...

bhop

I ate breakfast before my 13 mile commute once and felt like I was gonna die while riding. It was considerably harder than my usual breakfast after the ride.

e0richt

yes, yes, no, no... (thats kind of the problem... it seems that I work really hard and don't seem to make the same speed as I do on a recreational ride... )

ironhorse3

Which direction are you going in the morning? is the sun up at that time? In your eyes? My good fortune is I ride West in the AM and East in the PM. Don't even really need sunglasses (soon definitely not!).

e0richt

east in the morning and west in the afternoon... (lately the afternoon has been especially bad because of headwinds...)

keiththesnake

Are you riding into the wind for your 3.5 mile trip to work? Maybe if you're on the hoods for the commute, combined with a headwind, that could account for the trouble you're having.

Perhaps it's the fact that work is the destination. Nobody likes work. That's why they have to pay you to do it.

I mean, really, you already know 3.5 miles is nothing compared to the ride you took today -- even with the backpack with thermos. Is a Stanley all-steel?

d2create

I eat something light before my commute like a banana or some granola and then something more substantial when I get there.

ctwxlvr

try doing your commute on a weekend as your rec ride and comapre

DataJunkie

It takes me at least that distance if not more to warm up.

JR97

And you said that's taking it easy just relaxing? That's actually pretty good. I hit those same numbers on my mountain bike commuting and it kicks my @ss. But on the road bike, I hit those semi-relaxing but definitely not taking it easy. So maybe just give yourself more time and relax.

My first few commutes I felt like I had to go as hard as possible for some reason even though I leave early enough to arrive at work 1.5 hrs early. There just seems to be an urgency when you have to get somewhere by a certain time regardless. But over time, that will subside. I wish my commute were that short.

Industrial

Try stretching. My commute is 20 miles round trip and it's always easier on the way back because I'm stretched out from moving around during the day and the first 10 miles I've done. When I go for a longer ride, the first 5ish miles seem way harder than they should be because I'm not warmed up. I found a stretching routine helps alot.

viclavigne

I also find myself huffing a little bit on my commute, which is a measly 2 miles. But like several others here say, during a commute (versus recreational ride) I normall find myself pushing it harder and faster than normal. One morning I intentionally rode at my recreational pace and found the ride a lot more pleasant.

The backpack can also add to it... I switched from a backpack to rack-mounted panniers 2 weeks after I started my bicycle commute and felt a bit of relief.

Just my 2 cents.

Pig_Chaser

Are you talking about the morning commute? I know my morning is never as good as my afternoon commute. I just don't "have it i me" in the mornings like i do for my afternoon commute. Personally i just accept it and besides... it has it's benefits.