h_curtis

Heat does matter. I rode yesterday and the heat and humidity was really a factor. I was soaked and ended up taking all my clothes off except my bike shorts and shoes. I drank a couple of 10% beers on the way home and felt great, but the next day I was spent! I didn't ride today and feel bad about it.

Tomorrow is rain, but I might go for it in rain gear and bring separate clothing for my job. I will be soaked with sweat, but maybe that is good.

Gotta keep that old body guessing what I am going to throw at it.

Hope everyone is well!

noglider 

Last time I commuted in summer, I would change clothes at the office and rub my sweaty bits with witch hazel. It stopped my sweating quickly. Try it. It's cheap and nearly scent-free.

For rain, I prefer wearing a wet sponge over a plastic bag, so to speak. I'll wear enough layers of wool or synthetic so that the water doesn't make me cold. Rain gear sweat is really uncomfortable.

Darth Lefty 

I think when we were all saying "yes you can do it!" we weren't factoring in the extra-syrupy beers

h_curtis

well I am a bit of a beer hound. Love this commute more and more.

rekmeyata

At 55 you're not that old! So I think a 19 mile ride is totally within your capabilities the problem is the time element, obviously it will take longer to get to work and home but you'll be getting a great workout. Not sure what your average riding speed is but if traffic lights are not a huge issue then you could be looking at a hour and half ride in and an hour and half back. Are you up to working all day then having to get on you bike for an hour and half ride home? Only you can answer that since no one here on this forum has any idea of your overall fitness level. You could always take the car every other day so you don't get burnt out. The one thing I would probably check to find out is if there is a bus route that goes near your work and near to your new house, just in case it starts to rain during the day as your commute home starts, then you could just throw the bike onto the bus bike rack and stay dry most of the way home. If rain doesn't bother you then go for it.

Paniolo

Once your body adapts you will find you feel sluggish and low energy on the days you DON'T ride!

For rain in warm temps I just accepted I will be soaked. Would much rather be soaking in fresh rain water than my own sweat though. I really wouldn't mess with rain gear in warm weather. If I was getting chilled would wear a base layer or put on arm warmers. 70 and up rain is no problem, rain and 50 or lower is a whole different thing though. The rain issue in warm weather is the road debris kicked up from the tires getting in your shoes, lower legs and bikes mechanicals, chain, derailleurs etc. Fenders are fantastic for that I came to really enjoy rain in the summer when it was 90 and hotter ... I loved riding in (non torrential) rain. Now stopping distances and crossing slick parts like metal manholes, construction plates, railroads or painted crossing markings needed extreme care to go over with equal weighting. But having disk breaks would resolve the stopping distance issue.

btw I carried my work clothes in a oiled Carradice saddle bag so I had dry clothes to change into at work

Schooling youngsters never gets old. At 64 I had people in their late 20s asking me to dial the pace back on group ride last weekend. And my 25yo son regretted asking me to set up some sprint zones for the 14 mile commute I did with him to his college I also ride with some 70 year olds that make me feel that way!

metro2005

I think time will be the biggest factor in deciding whether or not you should ride your bike. My commute is 17 miles (one way, 34 miles a day) and personally that is my limit. Takes me an hour and 20 minutes each way and if i get into a strong headwind i'm pretty exhausted. I'm lucky i don't have to ride in every day otherwise i would look into an ebike for those windy days.

h_curtis

As most people pointed out it is time that makes the ride hard or not possible somedays if you have a lot of things you need to do. I enjoyed the commute very much, but that job is over now. I am back to a 5.5 mile commute, BUT I am extending that ride often to be around 20 miles into work by adding a loop of joy. I just love to ride a bike, so I might as well explore and enjoy more and more. My body seems happy about it.

Enjoy all.

h_curtis

So I am in Pittsburgh now. I am riding a 18 mile loop into work often. It has a different feel as I am adding it and not made to do it. Mentally that is different.

I might continue to increase my rides and get up to 50 miles in my commutes a couple times a week. I am wondering what a 55 year old can do and how it effects me on many levels. Yeah, getting deep, but learning about myself. How far can I really ride? I have another job that is 80 miles away on weekends. Can I train to ride that and return to work at a 3pm shift? What can we really do at this age?

It is a study. I would love a Penny Farthing bicycle, but sadly, you can't buy one right now. That would be fun to commute on, on my shorter days. Ah life is good on a bicycle!

rekmeyata

The 80 mile away thing is a huge stretch, not that you can't ride 80 miles, it's the time it takes to ride that far that is the issue, plus you have to be at work by 3 pm which means by the time you get to work you're going to be exhausted and now have to put in 8 1/2 or 9 hours of work. Riding that far could take you 6 to 7 hours depending if you stop to eat, plus you have to allow time in case of a flat. I just don't see it as being very practical to ride that far to go to work.

Penny Farthing's can be dangerous to ride in today's modern traffic, back when they were first invented traffic was extremely light, but even then they had a lot of accidents on them. If your front wheel hits a rut in the road or a pothole, or a rock you stand a very high chance of being pitched off the bike head first into whatever, back in the day those accidents were usually fatal, today with helmets probably some will be fatal and some not.

h_curtis

Sorry let me post something that makes more sense and I appreciate your response. Let's forget the Penny Farthing for a moment.

Here is what it would be like.

Friday I am off and get up at whatever time and need to be at my job at 5:30pm. That job is only 1 1/2 hours of work and not too physical so done at 7PM. I think I would need to be there by 3:30PM to be ready for 5:30PM, because I need the downtime as it is a musical job. Then Saturday I am off all day to rest and will have to work at 5:30pm to 7PM and then am off till 3pm the following day. I could ride part way at night and then ride in for my job that starts at 3pm and ends at 11PM. Two different jobs. So if you just look at it like this:

Friday morning 85 miles from work that I need to ride.
Friday work 5:30PM-7PM the sleep nearby with little if any commute.
Saturday no commute needed.
Saturday work 5:30PM-7PM
85 miles needed to be completed to get back to my job
Sunday work 3PM-11PM. This job requires physical labor.

If you can do this at 55 I think you would feel pretty amazing. Yes? Can I train for this? Too much? If I fail, I can get help I think. Yes, there are hills in my area as I live in Western Pennsylvania.

I am hoping to do this. I need to train for it, but think it can be done.

Now if too much, I could take Sunday off work and then I have all day to get home. That might make it easier or less stressed.

As I look at this, I think I would take Sunday off to get home. Then I am back to work on Monday and will have a full day to ride the 85 hilly miles. Friday will be tough for sure, but I don't think the rest is that crazy. Come on older people, we can kick it still!

rekmeyata

I guess all you can do is try! If it doesn't work out due probably mostly from the time element, then you'll know. Again 80 even 100 miles is more than doable for older people, I ride 100 miles on a Saturday or Sunday when my training kicks up a notch this summer, and I'm 68 years old, and I bet there are people in their 70's doing 100 miles maybe even more in one day. So it's not the mileage that's an issue for you, it comes down to time.

So will you be sleeping in a motel on Friday nights?
But again you still have to leave early Sunday morning, put in 80 miles, then get to work by 3pm and due a physical job for 8 hours after getting up at around 6 or 7 am and riding for roughly 7 hours. Only you know if you can do this, if you don't know you will find out once you try it. Also remember too that this ride and work on Sunday adventure could burn you out at your main job for the rest of the week, note I said could not would.

h_curtis

Thanks for the inspiration. Wish I knew more people in my area like yourself. I will probably do it this year. I'll take Sunday off to be able to take me time. I can tell you one thing about this ride though. The hill at the end is VERY steep and VERY long. It will be intimidating to most everyone believe me.

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