Biking Every Day?

[Swan]

A couple times a month I'll make the full commute into town (40mi round trip), but I've taken to biking every day.
Last month I biked 2mi each day...
This month I bike 3mi each day
I like to wait until biking each mile is a total breeze before adding one more, but I think it's good conditioning for someone as out of shape as I am. Those 40mi bursts once or twice per month aren't too bad of a problem since they're infrequent, but I don't want to weaken in between! And going for a nice bike ride (up hill, down hill, up hill, down hill...) with lots of scenery is the highlight of my day -- so pleasant!

Does anyone else bike every day, whether for commute or exercise or simple enjoyment?

[emily_in_nc]

Almost every day. We are car-free and living on an island in Belize. To get to town I take my beach cruiser bike -- for groceries and everything else we need to do in town (library, banking, etc). Yesterday I had to go twice because when I got to the library I realized I'd forgotten my bike lock. Urgh! I had several stops and didn't dare risk leaving my bike unlocked. It's only a few miles each way, but with the state of the roads (about half the journey is unpaved) takes longer than it would on roads in the US. I don't go to town or ride my bike every single day, but generally 5-6 days out of each week.

[ny biker]

I only ride a couple of days a week, but sometimes on weekends I ride with a guy who cycles 6-7 days a week. He just turned 70. He used to commute by bike before he retired, and now he does rides with a local club several days each week -- year round -- and rides on his own other days. He does a fair amount of touring, too.

[Melalvai]

Every day. I commute. I love my commute though so it could be argued it's for fun. But honestly I wouldn't do it "just" for fun. That's just a bonus.

[radacrider]

Daily commuter here, 6 miles each way. I have 3-4 different routes depending on my mood. I just enjoying riding my bikes, and commuting makes that feasible schedule wise.

[jyyanks]

I wish it was possible to commute to work as I would totally do it. I only bike on weekends but would love to do more. In the summer months when it stays lighter longer, I squeeze in another day or 2.

[shootingstar]

The best approach to commuting and cycling as part of your daily lifestyle is to not overthink this and just get on the bike. At least have some gear in case it rains, gets too cold and a bike pannier to throw in stuff that you might buy along the way.

And not overthink how much you're going to cycle before you spin the wheels. But just do it and enjoy it. Then you get better and better without analyzing it much. Pretty soon, you realize: wow, I biked this much today..but I had fun/enjoyed myself.

[Swan]

I think that's good advice, shootingstar!
I'm glad to say I don't overthink it and cycle just for fun + for a workout... and I think it's paying off! I haven't had this much fun doing anything in such a long time, and I'm quickly improving as well. I went from an average of 5mph at the start of this week to 20mph just today! I even went to switch into a harder gear and realized I'd already been on the highest one. It feels so good to be able to see my improvement and to get a good workout as well
The only thing "wrong" here is that today my hands and arms were very tingly as soon as I got off the bike, and my elbow hurt a little... I think that may be due to the ill fit, though... Still, biking every day is doing wonders for me!

[Melalvai]

I hope you get your bike fit issues squared away soon. I used to have tingly hands & arms after bike rides, and it progressed to numbness, and the arm would stay numb for hours after the ride. That worried me and I got a different handlebar which solved the problem. Now I think it was stupid to put up with it as long as I did. I could have permanently damaged myself!

[Bike Writer]

A couple times a month I'll make the full commute into town (40mi round trip), but I've taken to biking every day.
Last month I biked 2mi each day...
This month I bike 3mi each day
I like to wait until biking each mile is a total breeze before adding one more, but I think it's good conditioning for someone as out of shape as I am. Those 40mi bursts once or twice per month aren't too bad of a problem since they're infrequent, but I don't want to weaken in between! And going for a nice bike ride (up hill, down hill, up hill, down hill...) with lots of scenery is the highlight of my day -- so pleasant!

Does anyone else bike every day, whether for commute or exercise or simple enjoyment?

Isn't it fun to watch and feel yourself progress? I'm not riding right now because I am recovering from surgery but when I am in the swing of the season I generally ride 5-6 days per week for pleasure and exercise more than any other reason.

[Swan]

Melalvai - I hope so as well! I'll have a fitting done as soon as I can, but until then I'll continue to fiddle with my current bike. I never experienced the tingling hands until I changed the position of my seat, so I'm hoping I can fix it for now just as simply.

Bike Writer - It really is quite fun and satisfying! I hope yours is a full and speedy recovery. It seems you and I are kindred spirits when it comes to biking

[Swan]

Well I haven't been on my bike since my last post... the better part of a week ago!
I came home and took on my newly-fitted-as-best-as-possible bike... And I really should have listened to the LBS when they said I was on the very wrong bike!

When I got on, I noticed it felt a little more comfortable... but as I started biking the usual route, I noticed a cramp in my neck/shoulders... my hands were aching sharply, my elbows were zinging, and my posterior was bruising as usual. I came off and ached so badly that I thought, "I can't do this, I won't risk nerve damage." I soaked in the tub and spent until today recovering. The pain lasted that long!

And I thought "well, maybe I'm just holding myself wrong. Maybe horseback posture isn't correct bike posture." ... It hurt anyway! So I'm off my bike and the image of my LBS guy shaking his head and tsking at the bike comes to mind every few seconds... I can't get back to them for another month or so (they're rather far away), and if there's not a lot they can do then there's not a lot they can do. I just have to wait until I can afford that new bike!

[tulip]

Sounds like you are locking your elbows, hunching your shoulders and gripping with a death grip. Support yourself with hour core; strengthen your core to make that easier. Bend your elbows, smile and breathe. If your bike is truly a bad fit, sell it and get an appropriate one. It should be fun, not painful.

[Melalvai]

You're going to love that new bike! All this pain now will make you love it all the more when you get it. You'll be so glad you suffered so much because there's no other way to truly appreciate it. (I try to tell my husband that...he doesn't buy it either.)

[Swan]

Well I haven't got that new bike yet, but I've hopped back on the sorry one I've got now and decided "what the heck, I'll be a kid again!" Still no falls (*knocks on wood and crosses fingers*) and I've managed to remember how to ride without hands, pop wheelies, ride up and down staircases, and swing my legs side-saddle just for fun while cruising downhill. It's been a very fun day : )