Time to speed up commute

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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mjr
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by mjr »

Postboxer wrote: 17 May 2021, 1:31pm No-one has mentioned tyres,
mjr wrote: 17 May 2021, 12:27pm lighter tyres may be negated by more punctures;
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eileithyia
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by eileithyia »

Like MickF, my 17 mile commute was predominantly down hill with a climb out of the Ribble Valley at the end, and predominantly uphill back, usually pre traffic build up for my start time (07:30) and tackling a mulititude of traffic lights and school / home time traffic between 3-4pm... so commute times varied rapidly. Mostly I never worried about times, anyone coming past etc., too many day to day variables, of weather, wind, how busy or how stressful work was, I just used it as my chill time...
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psvrichard
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by psvrichard »

The journey is c10miles and it's a commute so I'm carrying a bag over the shoulder that's strapped to the body as it's a purpose commuting bag. It will be weighty though. I've already got mudguards as I used to get caked in mud. Terrain is mainly normal roads without traffic lights but there are sections with lights and it's up and down. I like the challenge of Strava but usually find when trying to break a record there'll be a bus pulling out or temporary lights!
hamster
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by hamster »

With any exercise regime you will plateau eventually. If you want to go faster you will have to improve the engine, i.e. train harder, ride more etc. For me, riding predominantly on a singlespeed increases the trining intensity of a given route, so that I end up faster when switching to a geared bike.
Note that you cannot stay at peak performance for many weeks, otherwise overtraining effects (exhaustion etc) take over.

You can to a limited extent buy speed with better tyres, but fast racing tyres like Conti GP5000 are also more fragile. Over a month, you might find that they are on average slower due to the time you have to spend fixing punctures.
You could also commute on a top-end carbon racing bike - and instead spend more time maintaining it...or indeed working to pay for it.
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Mick F
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by Mick F »

eileithyia wrote: 17 May 2021, 2:19pm ................ I just used it as my chill time...
Spot on! :D

There was a time, that Mrs Mick F used to say, "For goodness sake, just get out on your bike!"
Also, she could tell the difference in me if I'd driven to work and back, rather than cycled.

The number of times I'd finished work and spent the hour or so cycling home, and I could feel the stress and strains of the day leaving me. Getting home stress-free and nicely tired was SO MUCH better than being stressed driving in commuting traffic queues.
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prestavalve
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by prestavalve »

squeaker wrote: 17 May 2021, 11:15am At 17mph aerodynamics are pretty important ;) Have a play here to get some ideas?
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psvrichard
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by psvrichard »

Happy Days. Varied my route but just some simple bike maintenance left the pedals feeling like they were turning much more smoothly. I was slowed by many dog walkers but the ride was lovely and achieved a number of PBs on the route. Overall I agree that a commute is as much about winding down and chilling than anything but as I rarely have time due to family commitments to venture on a non commuting ride I try and make the most of things as they are.
cycle tramp
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by cycle tramp »

psvrichard wrote: 16 May 2021, 5:26pm Hi. On Friday I was cycling at what I thought was a decent 17mph when a road cyclist breezed past me like I wasn't there. I ride a 5 yr old Fuji hybrid. This has happened a fair bit recently. How much extra might a road bike give me?
17 mph is a decent speed, and you'll breeze past me, as I tend not to go above 12 mph.... I have known racing cyclists to breeze past me... but only for me to catch them up again some 2 or 3 miles down the road, when they've lessened their pace. Once when walking up a hill, I even managed to over taken a racing cyclist who had cycled up... but then stopped at the hill's crest to refuel.
As has already been mentioned, aerodynamics are everything, at speeds of plus 12 mph. Which is why I've promised myself a recumbent bike should I ever get back into speed sensitive cycling.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by [XAP]Bob »

psvrichard wrote: 17 May 2021, 2:38pm The journey is c10miles and it's a commute so I'm carrying a bag over the shoulder that's strapped to the body as it's a purpose commuting bag. It will be weighty though. I've already got mudguards as I used to get caked in mud. Terrain is mainly normal roads without traffic lights but there are sections with lights and it's up and down. I like the challenge of Strava but usually find when trying to break a record there'll be a bus pulling out or temporary lights!
Personally I'd always put the bag on the bike...

The problem here: "I like the challenge of Strava but usually find when trying to break a record there'll be a bus pulling out or temporary lights!" is that it sounds like you are prioritising speed over safety. Depending on how long you have been commuting ten miles you will go from a period of rapid improvement to a steady state, and there is a limit to how fast you can go, and a limit to how fast you can go safely.

I used to compare times when a ride felt hard. Often it felt hard because I was just pushing harder that day - other times it was because I needed a bit more air in my tyres, or when the times dropped for a period of time it was because I had a(nother) period of anaemia.

Interestingly I used to notice a difference on new tyres as well - when my trykers were at the end of the their life they used to scrub a bit, so braking and cornering were a little spongy, putting fresh boots on made it pinpoint accurate, and that confidence fed itself into better power delivery.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
nigel8322
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by nigel8322 »

I use a Dawes Galaxy in the Winter and a Cannondale Synapse in the Summer. Winter riding was always slow and hard compared with Summer. I used the Galaxy to go shopping on Sunday and found it was fast and easy. Fist time I had realised it was my state of fitness and not the bike which made the difference! Light bikes and low riding position do help of course but it's mainly the 'motor' which matters....
Stradageek
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by Stradageek »

I'm probably not the first person who has ditched all recording devices (no cycle computer, Garmin or mobile phone ever travels with me) to obviate this problem.

My only indication of speed is how many cyclists catch me and as I'm on a recumbent the answer is 'very few'.

However, these days I am also finding myself more regularly overhauled. I initially blamed age (now 65) but have come to believe that the recent resurgence in cycling popularity just means there are more, fitter cyclists out there.

All good news really :D
ChrisP100
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by ChrisP100 »

Tyre pressure can make a difference for sure. Under inflated tyres can certainly rob you of some power.

As others have said, reading the road/conditions can really help.

The problem I have (apart from being injured at the moment) is I have a level crossing on my commute and 4 sets of traffic lights, so I'm never going to get a consistent time. I just enjoy the fast bits and make progress where I can. I also try and make myself more compact/aero if I'm pushing hard, especially into the wind. It seems to help a lot.
Vorpal
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by Vorpal »

Well, how long is a piece of string? :wink:

There are many things that can get you incremental improvements. Weight, bike, tyres, gearing, maintenance... The discussion on this thread is generally good.

I would say that I find maximum about 5% difference between my hybrid and my road bike. That is mostly down to position on the bike (aerodynamics), followed by gearing (easier gears on the hybrid get used uphill), and tyres.

The biggest difference in my commuting time came from me doing the miles. My best ever time commuting was a few years ago. I was commuting by bike every day & adding considerably to my commute on Friday afternoons. My commute was similar distance-wise to yours, but included an approx 300 metre difference in elevation (up in the morning & down in the evening). Including leisure rides, I was riding 150 - 200 miles per week, and really pushing myself on my commute for a couple of mornings each week. Other times that I've been fast enough not to be overtaken much, I was teaching Bikeability, and doing club runs at the weekend, and over 200 miles per week.

If you want to get faster, maybe join a club and train in chain gangs? 17 mph is pretty fast, and suitable for that sort of training.

TBH, in traffic, I probably wouldn't try for much faster.

On the other hand, if you want to justify a new bike, go for it. :mrgreen:
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psvrichard
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by psvrichard »

Thanks again to everyone for posting on the thread, it's given me food for thought. Today's ride in was interesting, going pretty well , a couple of new variations en route and then pop! Rear tyre flattened by glass in road that I didn't see. To top it all it's half day closing in the town where I work so the bike shops I'd normally go to are closed! Fortunately I carry about some tyre levers and I bought an inner tube from Wilkos and I was able to set about replacing the tube. Looking forward to the return journey after a very slow leg this morning and I have fully inflated tyres so no excuse! :D
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Time to speed up commute

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Always carry a full fairy repellent kit :p

Miles are, as Vorpal notes, the best thing you can add.
I spent several years doing 30 miles a day, five days a week, 45ish weeks a year... IMNSHO there is no substitute for commuting fitness.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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