Today I made my first full commute to work by bike for the season. I averaged 17 mph over the 13 mile ride to work. When I got in to work, I felt great! No saddle sores, my knees felt normal, my muscles were taught but not weak... I felt ...*Unreal tournament 2004 announcer voice* UNSTOPPABLE!!Here are some tips I have from what I learned over the last season:
- Take 15 minutes to stretch and warm up first (for long rides > 5 miles, your neck, hips and knees will thank you).
- Keep your legs warm (it really matters to your knees)
- When you hit a hill, go slow enough that you think you can take it easily, then back off another 10% (if you go anaerobic, you won't recover for the rest of the ride)
- Don't downshift on a hill until you're 30% below your target cadence (shifting down too soon will kill your momentum)
- Take it easy. For rides longer than 5 miles, don't push the entire ride. If you're like me, pushing too hard will cause damage to your knees and ankles after only a few weeks.
- If you have pain on top of your knee caps, your seat is too low.
- If you have pain in the back of your legs, under your knees, your seat is too high.
I wore 2 layers of pants and shirts to make sure my core and legs were warm. I overheated by the time I got to work, but I didn't have all the aches and pains I typically associate with a long ride. Staying warm and find the right seat height make a really big difference.
Link to my bike routes map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=114876327314207992279.000001127b564eb78c315&ll=43.188907,-77.510948&spn=0.176223,0.298691&z=12
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