Loving the Commute Series

by Aaron Madrid

I have a secret to tell… I want to be a racer.  In fact, this fall I plan on competing in my first race at the Mass Ave Crit in Indianapolis.  I have some friends that are coaches, and hope to take advantage of their services some day, but until then I am resolved to search the internet for tips and tricks.  The biggest challenge for my training has been finding the time to get in the rides I believe are needed to improve my riding.  That’s when it occurred to me that I can just train on my commutes!

Unlike many commuters I speak to, I don’t have the benefit of a long trail that takes me to work.  Most of my route, especially if I wish to make it work on time, requires me to share the road with the 4 wheelers of my fair city.  However, that has leant itself well to my training plan.  One thing I have noticed is a common suggestion for most training plans, regardless of your end goal, is the ever painful interval. In truth, intervals are actually much easier on my commute than on most of my other rides.  Thanks to stop signs and lights, I frequently have the opportunity to sprint my legs off for a good distance before sitting again.

There is nothing I love more than pulling up to a stop light next to a moped, and then pouring my soul into the pedals as I sprint passed the driver when the light changes.  Of course, I don’t always win, but it’s a blast to try.  When I cross through town I try my hardest to stay out of the saddle from light to light so I am working on my endurance and power at the same time.  Obviously intervals require short breaks in-between bursts of work, but I find the lights usually comply well with my need to sit. The important thing to always remember is to stay aware. I have discussed at length the dangers of commuting.  Adding these intervals and a bit of focused training can actually create more danger for you if you aren’t careful and still obey the laws of the road. I’m not sure if it’s the look of anguish on my face or the sweat pouring from my brow, but I find when I am killing myself down a bike lane, drivers tend to feel my pain and give me a bit of a break.

Another thing I like to try to do is climb every hill I can find on the way to work.  I used to avoid the big nasties, but now I seek them out. Sometimes I will even take a longer route to work, just so I can test my legs on a big hill.  If you can tell your legs to shut up first thing in the morning as you climb, you can beat them every time.  Climbing is a great way to improve power and endurance as well, and has worked wonders for my riding.  It’s a short ride in for me, but adding hills ensures I need the morning shower.

Handling skills have to be top notch if you plan to commute by bike.  You never know when you will have to slam the brakes or dodge a sudden pothole that seems to have opened up from nowhere in front of you.  Your reaction time can only improve as you focus on your surroundings and your intervals.  I have even learned the art of the bunny hop, though I have yet to use it for more than the occasional curb hop.

The final hidden benefit of training to race during a commute is all about the mental anguish.  As I mentioned, I have yet to compete, myself, but one thing I always hear the pros say is just how mentally exhausting racing is.  Commuting can be pretty darn mentally exhausting as well.  In fact, I like to think that the constant battle I wage with traffic on a commute is great preparation for the peloton ahead of me.  If you can ride a few feet from a speeding car or truck, you can ride closer to another cyclist, no problem.  Some people might say that pretending the car in front of me is my lead out at the Tour de France, might be an indication that my mental prowess is actually doing the opposite of improving, but I tend to disagree.  Be safe, keep a good head, and ride hard.

Sixteen miles of natural sandy beach, a virgin mangrove-fringed lagoon, a wonderland of coral-studded cayes, nearby jungle rivers and pristine rainforest Garifuna, Creole and Mayan cultures and ancient Mayan ruins make Placencia the ideal location for the adventure traveler!

Sounds pretty nice huh?  Well, they forgot to mention something that makes this place even sweeter.  Placencia just happens to be a cycling oasis.  Not only are the roads that lead out from the peninsula some of the best road cycling pathways in Belize, Placencia is set up in a way that makes traveling by bike the only way to go.

I haven’t been on too many peninsulas, but I’m telling you that this one has got to be one of the narrowest out there.  I swear that in certain sections of Placencia you can reach out and touch the ocean with one hand and the lagoon with the other.  The road that leads down the peninsula is in great condition, flat, smooth, and you’ll find a speed hump at around almost every mile (or less).  Add this together, and you’re looking at a place where getting around by bike is the only way…and that’s what they do.

Sure there are still vehicles around, but I would say that bikes outnumber them about 3 to 1.  Not urban or mountain bikes like you’d see people getting around on in North America….nice beach cruisers that give it just a little more flare.  There’s something so incredibly awesome about watching a grown man cycle by on a beach cruiser and a big old basket strapped to the handlebars.  So cool.

Placencia is a real melting pot of cultures and people.  There is a total mix of locals, ex-pats, and tourists….and they all blend together as they ride along on almost matching bikes.  What I loved most was seeing the tourists who have decided to join in the fun and have rented themselves a beach cruiser.  I saw countless people who had obviously not been on a bike for a very long time….smiling big and riding along with thoughts of their childhood streaming behind them.  It’s amazing what a bike can do to a person, huh?

A perfect example of the parking lot at most places in Placencia

Anyway, as I sum up in the video below….Placencia is a pretty dang cool spot.  I love it’s beautiful sandy beaches, laid back vibe, and definitely all the cruising.  I sure would love to see a bunch more “Placencia’s” set up in the world.  In North America we seem to have built up cities trying hard to become more bike friendly.  What I’d like to know is why they weren’t set up that way in the first place.  It sure would be cool to see towns and cities being built around bikes….making them the ideal (and preferred) mode of transportation.

What do you think about setting up places like this around the world?