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

[NoNo]

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

[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.

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

[sfa]

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

[mimitabby]

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!

[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

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!) 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").

[BBsw]

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

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!) 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").

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.

[Tri Girl]

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").

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.

[GLC1968]

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.

[lovelylibrarian]

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.

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.

[sbctwin]

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...

[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...

[Sprocket's Mom]

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.

[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

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

[NoNo]

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...

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

[TahoeDirtGirl]

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!!!