first bike commute

[hoarsewhisperer]

am very proud of myself - commuted to work for the first time by bike yesterday....it didn't even take as long as i thought it would and i felt great when i got here.

all set to do it again next week....

well done, keep going!

I spent my first three months on the bike reciting to myself "It's supposed to hurt, it's supposed to hurt" and now it does not hurt and I am a complete cycle to work addict

I went out this morning at 6AM (no-one on the road) for a bike ride (have been doing it once a week for about 6 weeks) and now my fanny/ bottom hurts. (Sorry for TMI!) I have one of those luxury saddles as well - so tell me, experienced bike riders, when does that discomfort stop?

Hoarsewhisperer, how many miles is your commute and how long did it take?

I still have a chafing problem Herbeautitude, despite always wearing padded shorts and have tried vaseline and used chamois cream for London2Brighton...nothing has worked.

The muscle soreness will ease with more time in the saddle though, I only get that when I haven't been on my bike for a while now.

Oops sorry Op, meant to say well done on your commute.

Stick with it, you'll feel so much better for it.

we had a cycle challenge at work this last thursday - three cars and three bikes set of from three different areas 5 miles 3 miles and 1.5 miles - all the cyclists beat the cars. The 5 miles was won on the bike and it took 13 minutes on the bike and 18 minutes in the car! The 1 .5 miels was won by 9 minutes to 15 minutes...I think the 3 miles was aorund 13 minutes for the bike and around 15 minutes for the car. You had to park aswell - both bikes and cars.

It was interesting that all three bikes beat the cars from different areas to the same on point.

I don't even live in a city - small market town..and there wasn't much traffic as all the GSCE & A levelchildren have finished school. If it had been a noraml morning from September to April - it could well have widened the time gap from 15 miutes for a car to 20-25 minutes.

hi - sorry for not coming back sooner - havn't been near the computer this weekend.

herbeatitude - it's 20km, but it is almost totaly flat as i live in the Netherlands, only one biggish hill and that's over a big bridge. It takes 45 mins which i think is ok.

I had to buy myself the padded cycle shorts and even then, when i get back on the normal granny bike that we all use for daily life round here, i could feel the pain in my bum!

I'm very lucky, because of it being the netherlands, it is cycle paths all the way and part of the run is through a nature reserve, so its sooo beautiful too.

Ivy - the reason i started doing a bike commute is that it was taking me an hour to drive the distance due to traffic jams and i just though that i could do it quicker on a bike.

will be doing it again tomorro and thursday.