Getting darker earlier

[beccaB]

I'm very not happy that daylight savings time is over.Now it will be harder to find enough daylight to go for a decent ride when I get home from work at 4:30.
What are some of the coping mechanisms you guys use for this?

[Aggie_Ama]

There are night rides which can be fun although I am not a fan, the farm animals scare me when I can't see them! You could get a trainer and become buddies with Coach Troy.

Personally when it gets dark early I run a lot. Our local trail is well lit and right next door to the fire station so the firemen (and women) plus the local Constable are usually out. It feels safe enough to be out at dark and come Christmas time they decorate the light poles with Christmas lights. :D Of course I do live in Texas and can be outside year round quite comfortably.

[Grog]

Now that I commute 30K a day to work (on my bike) I am riding in the dark most of the time. (And in the rain, too...)

But I also run a lot more in the winter months. When I'm on my bike in the rain, I wish I was running. When I'm running in the sunshine and high temperatures, I wish I was cycling. :)

[tulip]

Becca, can you ride your bike to work? When I commuted on my bike, I rode to work in the morning (in the light) and took the Metro home in the evening when it was dark. It worked pretty well.

[beccaB]

Becca, can you ride your bike to work? When I commuted on my bike, I rode to work in the morning (in the light) and took the Metro home in the evening when it was dark. It worked pretty well.


Call me a chicken, but I have not had the courage to ride my bike to work yet.
I don't know how to change a bike tire yet, and I'm worried about being late. I work in 2 hour segments with breaks in between(school bus driver) and I value my time alone at home while my teenagers are in school. It probably only takes me 25 minutes to get to work on a bike. The weather here changes on a dime, and it's hard to figure out how to dress for it. On some days, if it ended up being bad at the end of my work day, I could probably have the husband pick me up. And yet, I've made every excuse in my mind to not do it. I'm pretty creative that way!

[arielmoon]

I am considering commuting but I would have to ride both ways and I worry about getting caught in a thunderstorm. I am actually considering trying it on Wednesday. 17 miles one way and I am going to allow an hour. I will have to shower and change at work. :P

I have a borrowed trainer and frankly I HATE IT. There I said it. It does not feel like the road at all. :(

[OakLeaf]

I have a borrowed trainer and frankly I HATE IT. There I said it. It does not feel like the road at all. :(

Try rollers, maybe. From your other posts I'm guessing you'd enjoy rollers.

Watch out for that lightning though. We've been caught in some doozies riding the motos in/near the Ocala NF. Definitely find shelter if you do get caught.

[indysteel]

I just change up my routine. I go from riding after work to spinning, running and yoga. I ride when I can on the weekends. Come January and February, I'll be lucky to even do that. I miss riding, but the change in routine also does me good.

I see winter as a time to focus on other athletic goals. As much as I love cycling, it makes me neglect other fitness areas--like upper body strength and weightbearing exercise--that are important.

[arielmoon]

Try rollers, maybe. From your other posts I'm guessing you'd enjoy rollers.

Watch out for that lightning though. We've been caught in some doozies riding the motos in/near the Ocala NF. Definitely find shelter if you do get caught.

I will look into rollers- I dont know what the difference is!

Yeah, the weather can be rather unpredictable :rolleyes: The route I plan to take home in the afternoon should have a few places to duck into if I need to.

Oh I also need to get some leg warmers and a headband or something for the chilly mornings. :p

[tulip]

...I work in 2 hour segments with breaks in between(school bus driver) and I value my time alone at home while my teenagers are in school...

Wow, that sounds like the PERFECT schedule for riding during the day. You don't have to ride after dark--you can ride in the middle of the day! And I can tell you, that is a nice thing to be able to do--low traffic, lots of light, and the warmest part of the day.

[beccaB]

Wow, that sounds like the PERFECT schedule for riding during the day. You don't have to ride after dark--you can ride in the middle of the day! And I can tell you, that is a nice thing to be able to do--low traffic, lots of light, and the warmest part of the day.


I could, I suppose, but that cancels out the husband. Riding my bike might win this time. It's the only completely stress-free moment of my day. I carry a cell phone with me, so I guess if something happened I could call my boss.
My Husband and I joke about if one of us rides without the other we are "cheating" on each other!

[indysteel]

My Husband and I joke about if one of us rides without the other we are "cheating" on each other!

I don't usually advocate infidelity, but in this instance, go for it. Guilt-free. :p

[katluvr]

I am considering commuting but I would have to ride both ways and I worry about getting caught in a thunderstorm. I am actually considering trying it on Wednesday. 17 miles one way and I am going to allow an hour. I will have to shower and change at work. :P

I have a borrowed trainer and frankly I HATE IT. There I said it. It does not feel like the road at all. :(

I do an indoor trainer and have become friends w/ Coach Troy. Sometimes I find it almost easier to just come home, change, pop in the DVD and hope on bike on trainer. Used to hate my trainer until I invested in a good one. (=$$$). Fluid trainers are a bit more like the road. Sure there is a thread on that one. And I find I do "drills" better on trainer so good conditioning and training for spring bike rides.

Like the fact that I can sleep in a bit more in AM and go ride later in teh day on the weekend and don't have to beat the heat!

[chutch]

Like the fact that I can sleep in a bit more in AM and go ride later in teh day on the weekend and don't have to beat the heat!

I completely agree with this- I love getting up and having a leisurely weekend breakfast with my husband then heading out for a ride during the middle of the day!

I start strength training and running, usually on my lunch break. In the evenings I'll squeeze in Pilates, yoga, and/or a little time on the trainer depending on the day and how I feel. I just started commuting to work via bike this year so we'll see how that helps with riding strength

The darker days are good times to revive your mind as well and to enjoy that there's no pressure.

[arielmoon]

I do an indoor trainer and have become friends w/ Coach Troy. Sometimes I find it almost easier to just come home, change, pop in the DVD and hope on bike on trainer. Used to hate my trainer until I invested in a good one. (=$$$). Fluid trainers are a bit more like the road. Sure there is a thread on that one. And I find I do "drills" better on trainer so good conditioning and training for spring bike rides.

Like the fact that I can sleep in a bit more in AM and go ride later in teh day on the weekend and don't have to beat the heat!
I dont know what kind of trainer it is that I have other than being a CycleOps. But it feels nothing like the road. Sounds like I need to do some investigating and research. I found info on rollers and it sounds like something that would appeal to me.

[Jewell]

Call me a chicken, but I have not had the courage to ride my bike to work yet.
I don't know how to change a bike tire yet, and I'm worried about being late. I work in 2 hour segments with breaks in between(school bus driver) and I value my time alone at home while my teenagers are in school. It probably only takes me 25 minutes to get to work on a bike. The weather here changes on a dime, and it's hard to figure out how to dress for it. On some days, if it ended up being bad at the end of my work day, I could probably have the husband pick me up. And yet, I've made every excuse in my mind to not do it. I'm pretty creative that way!

beccaB, I would really encourage you to give biking to work a try. When you have some free time try just riding to work to get to know the route you'd be using. Though I'm sure you comfort level depends on how good the roads are where you live (rural or urban).

I know when I started commuting to college and work it made me feel so alive. Night riding can be nerve racking, but its always a good idea to have a light you can see with.

[wildhawk]

This is one of the advantages of working night shift - I can get my bike rides in before work. However, after dark I use my treadmill more. We have a bike trainer, but it only fits DH’s older thin tire bike. I will have to look into a newer one.

[beccaB]

I did actually do a middle of the day ride with DH, who had the day off- between my Kindergarten run and afternoon take home. I have almost a 2 hour window there. I felt refreshed and more calm, which is a good thing to be when the middle school kids get on the bus. Middle school girls don't talk, they shriek! Imagine the stress!
It was interesting to see a bicyclist stopped and looking at a map at a farm which is one of my bus stops. He looked lost. I was so tempted to recommend to him a nice hilly scenic route nearby, but did not because I still had kids on the bus. They already think I'm weird enough. Although I'd already had my ride, I was jealous!