Bike is estimated 20 minutes one way to work, public transport takes 30-40 minutes estimated, but in reality can be over an hour. I really want a bike, I’m waiting for landlord to finish renovations so I have space to store it without a risk of it getting damaged or being in the way of the workers.
Is it safe to go immediately to driving 20 minutes one way x2 a day Monday-Friday? I walk quite a lot, but I know cycling engages some other muscle groups. I need to cancel my public transport ticket to afford this endeavour, but I’m hyped to better my body, health AND save time.
Also, I hope you don’t mind me posting here more than Chapo’s chat. I want some more activity for my lovely 'gradians. <3
I guess I’m too Dutch for this question lol. I was like: ‘20 minutes? Of course it’s not too heavy!’, but then I remembered babies are delivered by bikes here, so…
Anyway, I think you should be fine. It will be a decent workout as well.
I walk for hours on end. Obviously, 20 minutes isn’t much, it’s particularly in regards to me not having had biked in many many many many years. I hope I get that sexy bicyclist body. UwU
How hilly is the journey? And how fast can you walk up hills without losing your breath?
You don’t have to cycle hard and cycling can be easier than walking in the right conditions. You can make it a 30 minute ride to start with and build up to going faster over a month or so. For the first month, try to do it in 20 minutes on your last work day of the week so you have two days(?) to rest after pushing it. If it is a struggle, remember to start nice and easy to warm up your muscles.
First five minutes should be gentle, anyway, to get the blood flowing, especially in the morning. Don’t forget to stretch first. If you walk a lot, I think you’ll be fine if you’re otherwise healthy. Stay hydrated!
shouldn’t be an issue. If you feel it’s too exhausting just ride slower.
Thank you!
It depends a lot on how steep the hills are and how good the bike infrastructure is
Depending on the bike, it might be easier or harder but either way I wouldn’t worry about the 20 min journey. Give yourself extra 10 mins if you need to go slow. When I used to bike, citymapper had the option for ‘fast’ and “slow” bike so you could work out the min-max time to allocate for the journey.
When I meant dependant on bike, city bike Vs racer bikes extra changes the dynamic of the ride. I always went for city bike as i need a bike rack and a basket.
Honestly I’m not sure yet what bike I’ll get. I’ll just go from store to store trying to find someone who speaks English so I can make an informed purchase with the help of an experienced seller.
Yes and no. Humans are endurance creatures, we hunted things back in ye olden day by just chasing them until they got worn out. You’ll be able to bike to and from your house, that’s not really a problem. But I don’t think you’re make it in 20 minutes until you’ve been biking for a bit.
What I’m hearing is I need to find a target to chase down to turn on my human superpowers of endurance hunting. Got it.
I mean this honestly isn’t a bad idea. If you had a particular need to rush home, I think you could probably reduce the time. Maybe a crockpot meal at home?
Need to invite a communist into my home before I arrive so I will be pedalling to hear them speak of theory.
That sounds a lot safer than leaving the oven on!
just be prepared to get off and walk if there are any steep slopes
Or get an ebike to help with that
that also works
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The biggest issue at the start will be saddle sores — I’ve been riding for decades and even I still get these for a few days at the start of the season. They will go away with time, just don’t be surprised if you’re walking funny at first.
Finally I will be made to walk funny! When men fail, an unexpected solution arises!
😳
You can try an ebike they’re super fun. Like…you’ll want to just ride it anyway.
But generally if your ride is flat, 20 mins is pretty chill. After a week you’ll be used to it. Any kind of verticality, and that’s a different story.
I’m fairly unfit, but I can bike for an hour or so if I go at a jogging pace.
So I say that 20 min ain’t unreasonable.
I think the most important aspect that changed my opinion of bike commuting from “a chore” to “time I look forward to each day” was choosing a bike that I enjoy riding.
Personally, the only time I enjoyed the aggressive stance needed to ride a hybrid or mountain bike was when I used to build jumps with my friends when I was a kid. As an adult, I’ve found that getting an English 3-speed from the 1970s-1980s with an upright stance (like a beach cruiser) was part of the key to me enjoying my commute. If I had to suggest anything to someone getting into cycle commuting for the first time, it would be to take some inspiration when choosing a bike from the Dutch or mid-1900s England cycle commuting culture, get a leather saddle, get a bike with an internal gear hub, and learn some basic bicycle maintenance.
None of this has to be expensive and there are many used, vintage bikes that are still quite serviceable and they easily beat the riding experience of contemporary commuting bikes.
