Does anybody commute from South Croydon, Purley to the City

Andrew Johnson wrote:
To all you urban warriors aka Commuters
Does anybody commute from South Croydon, Purley to the City?

I've just started commuting and have yet to embark the trip for five days.
The most I've done is three. Any tips?

It's a fair old distance - about a 15 mile trip to KX fer instance.
I don't commute that, though I have cycled from KX to just beyond
Purley. I regularly visit Purley from Cambridge and do so using a
folding cycle and train.

My cycle from KX to Purley, I didn't find Brixton Hill a problem,
it was fine with a loaded up touring bike. However by the time
I was cycling past Greens I was knackered and going quite slowly,
and when I had to go up the side of the valley out the other side
of Purley, well. Now I know better and wouldn't use that road,
there's another road - I forget the name - which is further east
I think and avoids that hill. My suggestion for Brixton Hill
is not to worry about doing it slowly and just plug away at it,
it can be tempting to push up a hill and knacker yourself.

I'd say that with time you'll get fitter and what seemed really
hard will become much easier. For instance, I have been cycling
to work daily for the past 6 months (after having been going through
a period of increased laziness) and the difference in fitness
between now and then is very noticeable. Yesterday I did a total
of 34 miles, in about 57 minutes of cycling (on my racer) and
that's faster than I've cycled for ages. You will get faster!

BTW, I have SPDs on all my bikes and I consider them essential,
it's much easier with them.

Simon

"Simon Proven" wrote in message
...
Yesterday I did a total
of 34 miles, in about 57 minutes of cycling (on my racer) and
that's faster than I've cycled for ages.

Just three minutes more and you'd have beaten the hour record!!! :-).

"Neil" wrote in message ...
"Simon Proven" wrote in message
...
Yesterday I did a total
of 34 miles, in about 57 minutes of cycling (on my racer) and
that's faster than I've cycled for ages.

Just three minutes more and you'd have beaten the hour record!!! :-).

D'oh! 1h57, of course.

Simon

"Andrew Johnson" wrote in message
...
To all you urban warriors aka Commuters
Does anybody commute from South Croydon, Purley to the City?

I've just started commuting and have yet to embark the trip for five days.
The most I've done is three. Any tips?

So far I.ve upgraded to using toe-clips which has made my cycling
technicque
(or lack-of) that more efficient and I'm currently bidding on
www.e-bay.co.uk for a pair Shimano SPD shoes and pedals (mainly in thanks
for from fellow news-group readers providing advice), to hopefully
maximise
my pedalling throughput especially when climbing Brixton Hill which always
leaves close to death.


You gotta love those hills. I find I judge my journey home in terms of hills
not miles.

Dunno about Croydon but it seems to be all uphill from the City to Bromley
(