a.m. or p.m. rides?

[sundial]

It's getting light enough to start a ride by 6:15 a.m. I like getting an early start (particularly in the hottest part of the summer) as little will conflict with my schedule at that time. However, I also am pooped after the ride and then my morning is shot in terms of productivity.

If I wait to do it in the afternoon, I have a better workout since my body is warmed up. However, things may pop up and interrupt the afternoon workout or cut my ride short. Currently I try to schedule my ride according to the weather (temps and wind conditions) and whether I am at a stopping point in my work.

When do you like to ride?

[cyclingmama]

I ride early in the morning, because that's when I can (I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old, and a full time job.) I've been heading out by 5:30 for about 2 weeks now, I'm still turning my blinkies on when I leave but its pretty much full daylight before 6am. I get home between 6:45 and 7, and then get myself and the kids ready to start the day.

I do like it because I get my rides in without much adjusting to my schedule. In terms of your day being shot productivity-wise, I think you get used to it after a while. I've been going to the gym at 5:30 three days a week since January, and at first I was really tired at work and had a hard time getting going, but it has improved a lot. With morning rides, I do have to plan my route to allow for a longer warm-up; i.e., no big hills in the first several miles. And I have to make a concerted effort to go to bed earlier. My ideal is 10pm the night before a morning ride or work-out; realistically its usually closer to 11pm. Also, I have a banana and a small glass of milk before I head out, which seems to help with the energy levels.

I also check weather.com religously, using their hour-by-hour feature. The daily forecast has no bearing on the weather for an early morning ride, esp this time of year. We have had lots of sunny 70-degree days the past few weeks where it was in the high 30s at 6am.

[Melalvai]

Putting aside the obvious commute-issues, my recreational rides are preferentially in the morning because the traffic is lighter. Sunday mornings were made for bike rides.

[Zen]

I am not a morning person. Unless you count 1a.m.
Maybe I need a good light

For road rides I like to ride from about 1-4 and during the week, i.e. when everyone's at work and the roads are empty.

Come to think of it that's when I like to ride the canal too

[Crankin]

Well, when I commute (about 6 weeks out of the year) I leave as soon as the sun is up some, first at 5:45 and now at 5:30. It's about 14 miles, with only one hill, right at the end. But, it's a lot of false flats and rollers and believe me, my speed is about 2 mph slower than the trip home. Now, I have been exercising at the gym at 5-5:30 AM for almost 30 years and I never felt this bad in the morning. Right now, it's still in the 40s at that time, maybe 50s/low 60s by the end of school. I think the temperature plays into it, too.
In the summer, I'll ride (for fitness) at 5:30 AM on days when it is going to be in the 90s and humid. I don't feel as bad then.
I eat a small bowl of cereal with yogurt and fruit before I go. Then I eat a Luna bar or half a soy nut butter sandwich when I get there. I eat a slightly bigger lunch on the days I commute home. I also have more carbs the night before.
My best time to ride is from 10 AM to 3 PM.

[CarbonCandy]

Every morning (except sleeping in on sundays) last summer, I was up by 6:45am, grabbed a sugar filled cereal bar, and was out the door by 7, doing about 12 miles. Took about 45 minutes or less. I find keeping something routine is easy to do when its first thing. Afternoon ride are nice, but I've always got something conflicting going on.

[ny biker]

I am so not a morning person. I go to the gym in the evenings, usually getting there around 8 pm. (Then I have dinner around 10:30 and I sleep like a rock. Go figure.)

On the other hand, hot summer days totally suck the energy out of me. So for temps under 80 or so, like we had had last weekend and are expecting again this weekend, I will ride in the afternoon or evening. Once summer hits I will get up early on weekends and ride in the morning, because if I'm out there in mid-afternoon when the sun is highest I will literally wind up on the side of the road with my head between my knees and ripping my helmet off so I can pour water over my head. But I will still ride in the evenings on weekdays even in the hottest part of the summer.

[lauraelmore1033]

group rides always seem to happen fairly early in the morning 8-10 am, but if I'm going to ride by myself, I tend to want to ride later. There is the consideration of weather around here; lately, it's usually crappy until about 2-3 pm, but that's what I get for living in a convergence zone...

Some times I justiy waiting by saying that traffic won't be as bad after every one goes off to work, but there's hardly ever a time when traffic isn't crazy bad here.

[KathiCville]

In the summer I mix it up a little by doing crack-o'dawn rides a couple of mornings, and evening rides the rest of the week. I *love* my dawn jaunts, particularly if I can get myself up and to my starting point before it begins to get light out. I love having the road to myself and hearing the birds wake up. I have two wonderfully-quiet country roads that are favorites for early morning rides. If it's a workday, I don't push too hard on my ride, because otherwise I'll be ready to nap by 10 a.m.!.....On the flipside, evening rides are great, too, as the sun is disappearing and the air cools down. I recently bought a good Dinotte headlight so I can be out on my bike past sunset with no worries about the route getting too dark, too quickly. I'm planning to do a few 'sunset' rides up on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive this summer. Can't beat the scenery!

[7rider]

When do you like to ride?

Well, I have a Monday-Friday 9-5 kind of job. So...my commutes are morning (I like to be on the road by 6:45 and be at my desk for 8) AND evening (on the road by 5, making dinner by 6:30 or so).

Weekends...I totally prefer the morning - especially when the summers get hot and sticky. In the winter, I'm willing to do an afternoon ride...but if you don't take care of your other domestic "stuff" first...your whole day is shot. The Saturday group ride we do leaves (PROMPTLY!) at 7:30. It's great to be back at the car at 10 a.m., having just done 40 miles. There. It's done for the day and you have the whole day ahead of you! The Sunday ride leaves at 8:30(ish). That's okay, but it starts to get a bit too hot by the end. I'd do early rides all the time if I could drag DH out of bed at a decent hour. He loooves to sleep in on the weekends. As much as he loves that Saturday ride, the start time makes him cranky!

[wackyjacky1]

Mornings, definitely. Too hot and humid down here to ride in the afternoon. Unfortunately I have to be at work at 4:30 a.m., so I'm having a hard time getting any riding done during the week. (Gotta get some lights on the bike so I can start riding to work....)

[Geonz]

Both

I used to be a serious night owl. Sleep 'til noon, one... The Wednesday after my 40th birthday I woke up at dawn having had trouble getting to sleep, knowing the only cure was a bike ride. (I was only a 2000-mile a year girl 'til then.) (This *did* come after an extended period of self-employment when I actually got all the sleep I wanted, whenever I wanted.)

I have pulled about four late nighters since then. I can still do it, but it seems I was a morning person trapeed in a night-owl's schedule...

[jobob]

I love my early morning rides (by that I mean around 7 am, for about an hour, which gives me time to get ready and head in to work).

I go out to the bay and I have the bike path practically all to myself, and it's so peaceful & beautiful out there.

But the hard part is hauling my lazy butt out of bed !!

[sbctwin]

Morning person here...I commute at 4am in the morning on weekdays, so early, early morning is my best time. On the weekends, it is almost light by 6am and once that hits, I will hit the road at that time. I melt in the heat. My commute home in the summer is usually all I can do on a weekday night. Club rides tend to be out for me because I like hitting the road by 6am and done by 10am and club rides don't start until 9am or 10am....

[HoosierGiant]

If I'm going 80 miles or longer I'll hit the roads in the a.m.; otherwise, it's mid-afternoon for me. I wait for the sunniest, hottest, most humid part of the day. Aaaah, that's livin'!! (This coming from the person who's not warm until it's at least 80 degrees out.)