a.m. or p.m. rides?

[Susan126]

I prefer morning rides. In fact during the summer months when I am off (yes I work in a middle school) I do morning rides during the weekdays. I usually get up around 6 AM and have my first cup of coffee with my hubby before he leaves for work; I will sit out back and enjoy a second cup while listening to the birds. I enjoying the morning quietness, before the world wakes, with my flowers as company. Finally around 8 or 9 AM I will start a ride. But right now school is still in sesssion so I do ride in the afternoons too. Usually around 3 PM.

But I prefer my morning summer rides. They are so wonderful! I have begun my count down to my last day of school/work! Only 18 more school days left. My last day is June 18th! Woo Hoo!

[solobiker]

I am very much a morning person, however I don't have time during the weekdays to ride in the am as I get to work by 530am. Unfortunately because of the location where I am not able to commute by bike, so I ride after work which helps me de-stress. On weekends I prefer to ride early in the am.

[OakLeaf]

9-10 a.m. is the best time for me to start. Once in a while I'll even find someone else who likes to start then! Most of the group rides start at 8 a.m. so I have to drag myself out before my muscles are capable of being really warmed up.

When I do the evening ride I have to make sure I have a big bowl of brown rice about 2:30-3 p.m., otherwise I totally cry on the hills.

[shootingstar]

I cycle best by starting off early in the morning. It's a carry-over from where I used to live where it got hot and humid.

Where we live now, is perfect weather since to me, it never gets too hot/too humid. It is a great feeling to roll off round 7:30 am at the latest or early on weekends. And finish cycling by 10:00 am or so. Leaves rest of weekend day free.

On weekdays I have to leave the house with my commute at 5:30 am. But I'm pleased since roads are quiet and can hear birds chirping.

For evening rides, I prefer something easier..downhill or less hillier. And no, I don't want to cycle much after supper. When we did self-loaded cycle touring, I found at max., I had only enough enthusaisam to cycle no more than 8-10 kms. to and from restaurant. But yea, I'll do the 35 kms. cycle from the restaurant..in the evening...when earlier during the day, we already cycle-toured with our loads for 50-60 kms.

[Bad JuJu]

+1 for both!

Club rides on Saturdays and sometimes Sundays are in the morning, starting at 8:30 during what passes for winter down here. During the school year, my riding buddy gets home around 3:30 so we try to fit in a midweek ride or two in the afternoons.

But in the summer, club rides start at 7:30 (or 6:30 if I can get a few people to meet me at that time). And it just gets too hot for afternoon rides--the humid heat just takes it right out of me. Fortunately, being teachers, my buddy and I can do our midweek rides in the morning during the summer. I prefer that anyway--as a few of you have noted, there's often too much going on in the afternoon to fit in a ride.

[teawoman]

Both. Our club rides during the week are in the evening and in the morning on the weekends.

But I'm not really a morning person. I teach early classes, so I would have to get up at some horrific hour like 5:00 to bike to work. Someday I'll try it when I get a bit fitter, but showering, changing, putting bike away, carrying heavy books and a computer etc. is too much right now.

[bluebug32]

Riding in a straight line before my morning coffee or tea is pretty difficult. I really like to ride in the evenings--the light is perfect and I can burn off the stress of the day.

[sundial]

Went out for my first big morning ride and it was a no go. So for now, afternoon rides agree with me until further notice.