Finally did it, but my body didn't appreciate it

For months I've had all the good intentions in the world to bike to work. For various reasons, mainly concern over a certain stretch of road, I never did it. At the very least I started taking the train to work, so I was polluting a lot less. This week my friend came to my desk and said "There's a bike in the stock room, looks like a women's one." Couldn't think of anyone that would be biking in, but the next day he came back and told me who it was: the tiny 60 year-old woman upstairs:eek: Worse yet, I knew she had to bike the very area I had been avoiding:rolleyes: Well that did it, there were no more excuses!

Packed up the bag last night, filled the tires, made sure I had everything I needed. This morning I woke up, ate a little granola and got on my way. It normally takes me a little time to warm up, but today it didn't happen. I noticed this the one other time I got up super early to ride. I was much slower than normal, but I plugged along. I also noticed my heart rate was about 20BPM higher than normal. Does this happen to anyone else? Any idea what it can be from or what I can do to help? Again, I noticed that on the other early morning ride.

It really was a perfect morning, and overall I feel pretty good. A few things I have to work on: 1) the backpack I have just isn't going to work, or I need to plan better. It started to feel heavy, and I certainly noticed the extra weight going up the hills. I had clothes, my pump, and a pair of shoes, but my shoulders were tired. 2) I think I need a new frame pump, as I seem to be missing a piece of mine, the little thumb lock on the head of the Road Morph.

Even if I ride in a few days and take the train the rest of the time, it'll be nice. Looking back, I don't know why I waited so long, it was a great ride. We'll see how I feel riding home in Friday afternoon shoreline traffic:(

Super! How long is your commute?
The backpack can be solved in a couple ways. 1) your shoulders and back will grow accustomed to the weight as you build muscle. or 2) get a rack.

It was just over 9 miles, which I can do easily. I just never felt "on" during the ride this morning, like my body didn't have the energy it needed. I have a Dolce Elite, and there are no braze ons for a rack, and it has a carbon seat post, so I can't do one of those racks. This is foremost my road bike, so I don't necessarilly want to start adding stuff to it that I won't need during my regular rides. I just can't fathom lugging my mountain bike and it's 30+ lbs, or I'd attach some racks to that. Until I find a nice beater bike, this is my best option.

I've started lifting again, so hopefully my shoulders will get stronger. I can probably adjust the straps so that it's higher on my back, too. Aside from that, my legs were pretty tired and as I said, my heart rate was a bit high. What do you guys eat before you ride? I have to have something in me, or I crash completely.

Yay- you did it! Glad the little lady was your motivation to get you out the door (for me- that's all it takes is a little: ooh, she did it, I can do it, too). :D
I hope your ride home goes well. Let us know.

What about leaving a couple pairs of shoes at work, and bring a few days worth of clothes with you when you ride the train- you wouldn't need to put much in there. Just a thought (although you may not have storage space at work for your clothes and shoes).

That's exactly what I was thinking. A little preparation (which I'm terrible at) will probably help a lot. I have to drive in next Tuesday, so I'll have to bring some clothes with me then.

SCORE! Today is bring your kid to work day and there's a whole bunch of muffins and fruit in the conference room! Nothing like gaining back those calories:D

A backpack will really fatigue me, so I always use panniers on a rack. Why carry the extra weight when your bike can carry it for you? Plus, when the load is on the bike and not on your back, the center of gravity is lower and the bike is easier to control.

Good for you for biking in. I hope you continue. It gets downright fun and addictive.

I love it that a 60 year old was your motivation for riding to work! I was driving my route home last week and passed one of the professors on his bike presumably on his way home too. He's got to be at least 60--full white beard and everything.

I hate riding with a backpack, no matter how small and ergonomically designed, so I'm a fan of my rack and panniers. I'm the same way with being sluggish in the mornings and really shaky after a workout in the morning that wouldn't bother me any other time of the day. Eating a mix of protein and carbs and washing it down with a lot of water in advance helps a bit, as does stopping and stretching really well after about five minutes. But mostly I think it's just the way my body works so I don't worry about it too much. You could ask the 60 y.o. how she does it!

Sarah

ha, maybe i'm your motivator? I'm 56 and i'm doing it too.

Did you eat enough breakfast? maybe you need to get up a little earlier to eat something more than "a little" granola?
I wouldn't suggest this except for the way you described your condition.
I carry a backpack too, but i can put stuff on my rack to keep the backpack from getting too heavy.

I am very glad to hear that you finally tried it!

You know...when I used to commute 14 miles each way, I noticed the same thing. My morning rides never quite got into that 'zone' at all. My HR was higher, my legs were just not as strong. By the afternoon commute home, all was good though.

I think my body just never really got into the grove for the morning ride. I think that's just the way some people are? Or maybe doing it more consistently can get you accustomed to it? (I never did my commute as consistently as I would have liked, back then). Now I ride daily, but it's so short that I don't even think of it as a 'ride'. It also happens to be all down hill on the way to work, so that probably compensates for any physical sluggishness and I've never noticed it.

I'm glad you reminded me of this, actually. In a little over a week, my commute is going to go to 19 miles each way. Remembering this will help me get past that sluggishness in the morning (at least mentally)! I think the best thing to do is NOT look at your speed or HR in the morning and just use the time to enjoy the ride for the scenery, the weather or the fresh air. ;)

Ideally I could get up earlier, but as it is I got up at 5:45, I can't imagine getting up any earlier. I start work at 7:30, which is a bit of a pain. By a "little" granola, I meant the 1/2 cup serving, but perhaps some protein is a good idea. Maybe if I hard boil some eggs in advance I can have a few before riding. And maybe I'm not just a morning person:p

Again, my bike doesn't have any holes to attach a rack to, so that's not an option. I talked to the woman and I don't think she carries anything with her. She wears her clothes on the bike (but not a helmet!:mad:) and keeps some shoes here. I'll be keeping my eyes open on Craigslist for a used commuter, but there don't tend to be many posted, and almost never in my size (I'm 5'1").

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Originally Posted by NoNo

Ideally I could get up earlier, but as it is I got up at 5:45, I can't imagine getting up any earlier. I start work at 7:30, which is a bit of a pain. By a "little" granola, I meant the 1/2 cup serving, but perhaps some protein is a good idea. Maybe if I hard boil some eggs in advance I can have a few before riding. And maybe I'm not just a morning person:p

Again, my bike doesn't have any holes to attach a rack to, so that's not an option. I talked to the woman and I don't think she carries anything with her. She wears her clothes on the bike (but not a helmet!:mad:) and keeps some shoes here. I'll be keeping my eyes open on Craigslist for a used commuter, but there don't tend to be many posted, and almost never in my size (I'm 5'1").

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Good for you! I did my first commute on Wednesday. It will take us a few tries to get the bugs worked out of our routines. I need to lighten my load and after looking at all the gorgeous bikes others are commuting on....

As far as protein in the morning, use yogurt in your granola instead of milk. If you really wanna get healthy, use non-fat PLAIN yogurt and add fruit to your granola.

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Originally Posted by NoNo

I'll be keeping my eyes open on Craigslist for a used commuter, but there don't tend to be many posted, and almost never in my size (I'm 5'1").

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Don't rule out garage sales, either. I happened to drive down a street I never venture on in my neighborhood one day because they had a garage sale sign up and I found my great commuter/touring bike. It was only $40 and in great shape. I'm 5'3" and although it's probably a wee bit big, it works great. You never know what you might find sitting in someone's yard for sale. Just a month before another house in my neighborhood had 2 identical Raleigh hybrids for sale. I saw them early, then went by later to test ride and they were gone.

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Originally Posted by tulip

A backpack will really fatigue me, so I always use panniers on a rack. Why carry the extra weight when your bike can carry it for you? Plus, when the load is on the bike and not on your back, the center of gravity is lower and the bike is easier to control.

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I was so happy when I put a rack on my bike and got rid of the backpack. I would make my back all hot and sweaty.

Great job on commuting.

Congrats on your first commute and I hope you have many more. Is there a place you can keep your shoes. I have several pair in my desk. Along with other 'essentials'. Maybe on a day you take the train, you can take your clothes for the day you ride and leave them at work. Anything to lighten the load in your daypack will be better....Good luck on your ride home...

They make these little "P" clips that you can attach a rack to if your bike doesn't have braze-ons or the little screw holes... You didn't mention if your bike was meatl-framed or carbon fiber... Personally I wouldn't use the clips on carbon fiber stays, so I did the backpack thing until eventually splurging for a regular commuter bike with racks and the other trimmings. If an aluminum or steel-framed bike, a rear rack and the little clips are definitely the way to go. It's a lot more comfortable to carry the load on your bike than on your back!

Another thought might be a messenger bag... a little more expensive, but maybe more comfortable than a backpack...

Personally, I hate carrying a backpack too. But there are occasions when the mule (myself) must shut up and put up. So I bought myself what I consider the BEST biking backpack ever. I got it from an online store called Altrec. I bought a Deuter backpack. It has this nifty little thing that's kind of like a trampoline that is mesh and keeps the pack suspended up off of your back. No more super sweaty back and no more of those shoes or whatever else digging into your back while you're pedaling.
I have seen them for sale from Title 9 too but I found it cheaper at Altrec. Look into them, I wouldn't give my pack up for the world.

If you need a part for your road morph, e-mail Topeak. We were missing a tiny rubber part so I e-mailed tech support to see how to get it and they put two in the mail immediately :D

You bike commuters impress the heck out of me. It just seems like there is so much going on such as helmet hair, sweatiness, and packing. I'm really not THAT vain but it seems like there is so much to remember. Knowing me, I'd forget clothes so I'd be at work in lycra.

Anyway, kudos to all of you :D

oh yeah! they did that for me too. Topeak is the greatest!

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Originally Posted by teigyr

You bike commuters impress the heck out of me. It just seems like there is so much going on such as helmet hair, sweatiness, and packing. I'm really not THAT vain but it seems like there is so much to remember. Knowing me, I'd forget clothes so I'd be at work in lycra.

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There's a lot to remember driving a car, but you get used to it and it becomes second nature after a while. Same thing with biking. Eventually you start forgetting less stuff and less frequently. If only the seasons would stoip changing, I'd probably have it down.

Congratulations on starting up your bike commute! I dislike the weight of a backpack on my shoulders, so my solution has been to use a messenger-style bag with a waist strap. Currently I use a North Face Base Camp, and it's pretty enormous, but the advantage is that I can fit everything in it. The waist strap helps me balance while riding and really keeps the weight almost completely off my shoulders, making heavy loads far more bearable. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by PscyclePath

They make these little "P" clips that you can attach a rack to if your bike doesn't have braze-ons or the little screw holes... You didn't mention if your bike was meatl-framed or carbon fiber... Personally I wouldn't use the clips on carbon fiber stays, so I did the backpack thing until eventually splurging for a regular commuter bike with racks and the other trimmings. If an aluminum or steel-framed bike, a rear rack and the little clips are definitely the way to go. It's a lot more comfortable to carry the load on your bike than on your back!

Another thought might be a messenger bag... a little more expensive, but maybe more comfortable than a backpack...

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Sorry for the delay, I don't have internet at home, so this is the first I'm getting to the replies.

I'll have to look into those clips. The frame is aluminum, so that's definitely an option. But how easy is it to take the rack on and off? I obviously won't want it on the bike when I'm doing a normal ride.

I have a messenger bag, but it's too small to carry all that much. Then again, if I plan ahead and carry things in on a train day, it'll be perfectly fine.

Made it home fine Friday night, it was warm and my shoulders were tired and sore, but I made it. And the car from the local bike shop gave me a friendly honk as he drove by:)

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Originally Posted by teigyr

If you need a part for your road morph, e-mail Topeak. We were missing a tiny rubber part so I e-mailed tech support to see how to get it and they put two in the mail immediately :D

You bike commuters impress the heck out of me. It just seems like there is so much going on such as helmet hair, sweatiness, and packing. I'm really not THAT vain but it seems like there is so much to remember. Knowing me, I'd forget clothes so I'd be at work in lycra.

Anyway, kudos to all of you :D

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Oh, awesome! Thanks for the tip, I'll send them an email right away:cool:

I'll take a look at that backpack, Sprocket. The trampoline part sounds intriguing....

Girl! I had the perfect commuter for you being 5 ft 1 but I gave it to my sister! Since you are in CT I could of dumped it off on my way sometime to PA!!

I finally got rid of the backpack (actually my MULE where I kept all my bike stuff and water) and strap it to my rack along with another backpack that holds my laptop and office stuff along with clothes. I don't use clipless so I just use my regular shoes to ride and wear at work.

On the why you feel crappy in the a.m. you will notice your HRM higher when you working out in the a.m. than say, the afternoon. There are all kinds of systems in your body waking up and one is getting blood to all the right places. That's one reason you will find your HRM higher, also, higher HRMs sometimes indicate the need for hydration (lower blood volume) but that may or may not be the case. I find that mine is higher in the a.m. if I am out the door within 1 hour of waking. If it's 3 hours after waking, it's normal.

As far as eating for me, I might eat something really small, like half an apple or some OJ. I save my eating for when I get to work, and it's usually yogurt with granola and alot of fruit and alot of water. I also stop for coffee on the way most of the time, and the caffeine helps me get going (sometimes in a way that I'm not happy about!).

Boy I'm so jealous right now. I had to sit on the bench because of this stomach thing. Today is my first mtb ride since 'the bug' hit me hard last week.

Keep on commutin!!!

DRATS! Well if your sister doesn't end up using it, tell her there's someone willing to take it off her hands:p

That makes sense about my body needing to wake up. I've always been jealous of people that could get up and work out, but it's never been my thing. Today was a train day, I was way too tired to think about riding, and it's rainy and supposed to be stormy. Wednesday is looking nice, so I'll have to report on how that ride goes.

Will do NoNo...btw can you hold them clouds up in CT for a few more hours? I want to mtb this afternoon.

There is a whole debate in exercise science about 'warming up'. See in the morning it makes sense, but at 5 pm you should be warmed up. I just sit on the fence about it.

I always notice that the first 20 minutes of my ride is always the hardest, my HRM will spike easily and just feels 'hard'. There are a bunch of different reasons for it, it's actually kind of interesting, but the point is, your body is getting 'ready'. Mine just takes a while.

I'm not sure if people do it out here before races but I would always see people on trainers at their cars (yes trainers the one you use indoors) out West when they were either getting ready for a road or mtn race. I used to think it was goofy but then I realized they were just cranking through those 20 minutes that I flubber through and then they are ready for action. In fact, I might do it myself if I ever get out of the 'beginner' stage :D

Yes, people here use trainers to warm up before a race. I'm not a racer, but I'm related to some...
I always felt like crap on my morning commute. Once I accepted it and realized my speed would be down, it was fine. I ate a small bowl of cereal and yogurt before leaving, and then would have a Luna bar and coffee upon arriving. I also left at 5:45, and it is hard to get going at this time, even though I have done other exercise at this time for years. I also ate a slightly bigger lunch (a sandwich instead of a salad) and ate another Luna Bar before I left work.
I used my Camelbak with the bladder taken out to bring a few things, but I always brought my clothes to work on Monday and left a few essentials there all of the time, like one pair of shoes, a bra, and spare undies. My husband uses a clip on attachment for his Carradice bag on his carbon bike. There has never been a problem. The only reason I don't use it, is because my bike is small. I also didn't want to ride my hybrid (a Jamis Coda) which has a pannier, because it is really heavy and my speed is much lower. f you plan, you can do it.

Determined to give it another try, I brought in all my clothing and food the day before. Everything was set and I got up and got on the road. Seemed to be doing better than the first ride. Even saw grandma outside while she waited for my uncle to take her to the casino:D Then it all went sour. Just a mile from work I look a lovely spill on a very busy bridge. Turned left and my tire got stuck in a railroad track going across the street. I've seen it talked about on here plenty of times, but now I know how evil these things are first hand. I left a bit of skin on the road and my wrist was in immediate pain. First instinct was to make sure there wasn't a car about to plow into me and then I dragged myself to the side of the road where I was repeatedly ignored by both motorists and other cyclists. Nice. Finally, a nice gentleman named Lee stopped to see if I was ok and helped me to the other side of the bridge. After waiting for a boat to pass through (it's a lift bridge), I was able to finish riding to work. Found a first responder, cleaned up the wounds, nearly passed out, got sick, and eventually my boss drove me to the ER. Spent the next 4 hours there, but thankfully the x-rays came back negative on my wrist. Just a nasty sprain and lots of scrapes. Bike's in the shop, but I think it's ok. In no way will this deter me from riding; as soon as I can handle putting weight on my wrist I'll be back out there! And now, blurry cell phone pix!

My right shin, where something gouged into me.
http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/...ium/rtshin.JPG

My left shin. Fell on my left side, so this is where the most damage is.
http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/500/medium/shin.JPG

A nice blurry shot of my upper thigh. As my friend said, I have road rash on my ash.
http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/500/medium/ash.JPG

My gloves only cover half my fingers, so the tips got ripped up. These hurt more than any of the other scrapes.
http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/...um/fingers.JPG

I keep banging my elbow on stuff and it's getting tiring.
http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/...dium/elbow.JPG

ROBO ARM! It definitely helps keep me from moving my wrist, but it really hurts nonetheless and my thumb is quite sore as well. Never realized how much I used my left hand, but the repeated shocks of pain are helping to remind me.
http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/...dium/wrist.JPG

For the parents out there, your job is never done, the worrying never ends. Dad picked me up from the hospital and gave me the "you're still giving me gray hairs!" speech, while mom called later on and told me I was going to be the death of her. I'm sure I'm going to have a lot of people telling me to not ride to work, but with as much as I ride, it could have happened anywhere. I'm glad it wasn't worse and that I had plenty of people to help me.

Oh, NoNo!
i'm sorry you fell down. I fell down on one of my first solo commutes too. Scared me quite a bit (but i wasn't hurt as badly as you) There's a learning curve to this; and one of the things you have to learn is how to approach RR tracks.
I hope your wrist heals quickly, sounds like your spirits are fine.

Take care
mimi

In "Art of Cycling" the author says for most of us, being told the tricky bits to watch out for--railroad tracks, gravel, getting doored, etc--is not very effective. He says most of them (the bike messengers) had to experience each type of accident first hand. But after you've experienced it once, you will never have that type of fall again. You will know in your bones to avoid them!

You are a much better cyclist now having had this experience! (I'm trying to find a silver lining for you...)

Ouch- I'm sorry you fell so hard! I hope you heal quickly!!!! :D

Ouch! That looks bad. I hope you recover quickly!

Sarah

Thank you, ladies! I'm getting quite the ribbing at work; they all know I ride so they think it's funny that I was the one to fall. The old lady that "inspired" me to ride over the bridge called last night to gloat. "The person that yelled at me for not being safe fell!":rolleyes: Yeah, well at least I was as safe as possible in doing so. I'm glad it's over with, I knew it'd happen at some point. I will definitely be more careful around train tracks now! And I'm also looking into trading in the mountain bike for a hybrid. Something with wider tires than the Dolce, but less weight than the Hardrock. I can see myself getting more use out of something like that than the pure mountain bike. In the meantime, my baby's in the bike shop getting checked on. Other than the cover popping off my brake lever and my chain coming off, there only seemed to be cosmetic damage. I just wanted to make sure and have the pros check it over. When I told them what happened, one of the techs actually guessed which bridge. I guess a few people have wiped out there recently:eek:

I am sorry to hear about your fall. It will happen to all of us! Hope you wrist heals quickly so you can get back on the road!

Wish I could bike to work..physically I'll be able to do it one day but I work for the City of NY and there is a city wide employee rule of no bikes inside at all. I will not leave my bike outside chained to a fence as some others are doing now..my bike is too new to be left for 'The Criminal'!!

Oh OW!
But it has to get easier and better from here!!