In Spain ( Almeria ) in the summer, I have to be out before 6.30, it's just too hot, and now in the winter I'm still out at 8.30 to 9 at the latest. I still prefer early starts ( ex military )
I know the charm of riding very early in the morning. This was a very nice episode, chapeau, to Conor ! But he has forgotten the very relaxing 1 hour ftp ride😪
@gcn definitely, after a 4/5 hour ride, get back have a cervasa or 2 some tapas, ride home and cool off in the pool, living the dream.
7 часов назад+48
Early morning person. My weekends I am usually at 5am on the bike. Goal is to reach a specific hill at sunrise. I love to see the sun coming up, only see 5 cars in 2 hours and also it feels quiet good to get some light aftering suffering a hour in the dark.
In my 20's my wife used to have to wake me at 7:00 so I could get to work on time. in my 30's I started getting up at 5:00 to ride with a bunch and loved it. I'm now in my mid 70's and no longer need an alarm as it's just my habit. I still ride with a bunch and can't imagine not doing so. I love it!
I feel Conor, I hate getting up early but I discovered these peaceful early morning rides with less traffic and often awesome sceneries while sunrise. After an hour I feel super happy and ready for another 12hour shift on the ambulance.
What I love about morning rides, is that sense of accomplishment and getting to enjoy something right at the start of the day. Then, if work throws me a curveball, or I’m bogged down with life events, I already now I did something for myself. Preventative self-care.
As a bike commuter, I have no choice but to wake up at 6:30 and start pedaling at 7. So when I have a day off, nothing brings me more joy than NOT setting an alarm, and casually starting whenever I'm ready.
I love cycling in the early morning. I am a very early riser. Get out way before sun is out. I enjoy the sun rise and being out by myself with my thoughts. I treasure my alone time. Because I’m always around people at work. Great start to my day.
I've started calling it "Dad Time". Wake up at 5, on the bike by 6. Home and ready for 8am work day on the weekdays, or even on a weekend long ride, I'm home before the rest of the family is out of PJs, and I'm ready for quality time with the kids.
When I was a avid rider I used to ride to work 2 or 3 times a week. I started work at 5am and had to ride 18 1/2 miles so I had to be on the bike and rolling away by 3:50am. Dark, hardly any cars on the road, no wind and so quiet. Loved it!
Early rides in the summer are a real tonic, so healing for the mind too. I do struggle in the winter though, I hate the cold now I'm in my mid fifties!!
Conor, THANK YOU for making my morning awesome by letting me see your beautiful chickens! My wife and I love to ride bikes, and have a hobby farm with 25 free range chickens and 5 geese, 40 raised garden beds, fruit trees, and there is a honey farm across the street from us.
I'm up at 04-25, out the door at 04-45, I love it, ok, I only do 13 miles, don't go when it's icy, I only get about 6 weeks without lights, Tuesday morning was cold stingy in the face rain, head winds, tail winds waves on the sea front, character building. I'm up a little cup of coffee, out on bike, home out with dog, home breakfast, shower off to work. If I don't exercise in the morning I just don't function.
I do this for running, it is just the only time to push in a long run. It is hard in winter, when you are not blessed with a nice and warm sunrise. But when the sun rises it is really good
I love morning rides, they're quiet and peaceful, there are less cars out, and I love a good sunrise. I just have a problem getting up and getting out in the cold. But once I do, I rarely regret it.
i´m not setting my alarm to get up early for training or driving my bike for a smooth ride, but every week i work in morningshift , i get up on 4:15 to ride to work my 29km at 4:30 for an hour and its the best feeling alive. i´m at work and i watch in tired faces , full on energy because it freshs up perfectly.
I commute every morning from 5.15 to 6.00 to work. It is not every day a pleasure, especially in winter when it's cold, dark and wet. But overall I love it. To see the day and nature awaken and to be alone with time for me. I love it,especially when the sun rises it is always a magic moment
When I worked at a less stressful part time job, I would ride for an hour or so. It was great! Now I value sleep since I work full time and stressed some days. I just workout at the house and ride the indoor trainer. I do run at night in the warmer months after work.
I'm on the bike for 4.30am for a 60k ride before work. Some of the best rides I've had. Seeing the stars and the moon on a clear morning and a beautiful sunrise. Definitely a good way to start the day. North Island New Zealand.
Only chance for me to fit long rides is to go early on a Sunday. Everything else is taken by work or family. The plus is quietness of roads and that warmth of the raising sun hitting your cold face, priceless
I love early morning rides. In the winter, when I can only ride the trainer due to snowy roads, I usually get up at 5am to ride. I’ve always been a morning person, and being a former competitive swimmer where the first training session was at 6 am every day, I’ve been getting up early to exercise for a good part of my life, so it makes sense that I still enjoy it now.
Since the kids arrived the only real way I can escape the guilt of getting out for 4/5 hours on my own is to be out the door for 5:30/6am. Its not always easy to get up, but the end result is 100% worth it.
Like many other comments below iIlove the early morning rides. I'm on my bike at 04:30 five times a week, 3 for work and 2 at weekend. Coming home from work in the evening is a dull nightmare but early morning iI see a few commuters, a couple of bike riders and pretty clear roads and some peace and quiet. I love getting home at the weekends after a 50-60k ride, shower and breakfast before the house has started to stir and still have the whole day in front of me. I'm zonked out by 10pm so seems a good compromise to me. Great vid, many thanks.
I have been riding or running at 5am for the past 8 years when I became a father...again. I have found that as I get older, I don't have the energy or time to exercise late in the evening after work. I've also discovered that 5am MST in the U.S. is when Zwift is possibly the busiest with 15k to 20k zwifters and tons of fun events at that time. But still, nothing beats an outside ride when you have the roads all to yourself.
I’m a regular Dawn Patrol rider. 6:30 start and back for half 9 and breakfast with my wife and kid. It’s the best. And seeing the sunrise mid ride is soul nourishing. ❤
Morning person here and happy get up a 5am (stupid o’clock). Extra layer of clothing and go n talk to all the wildlife by myself. I particularly love the start in the dark and discover a sunrise!
I'm with you. Unfortunately, as I'm now retired, I no longer get up early to ride. However, when I was working, I was a 5:30 on the road guy, and in all conditions too. I absolutely loved my early morning, gravel ride, commutes. I'd get into work before most people and I'd often be the first in. There was something special about the dark winter mornings in cold, wet conditions too that somehow felt satisfying. I do miss my commutes. The job? Not so much 😊
Im up at 5.30 for my morning commute. Hate getting up but always enjoy the ride in the end. In the summer there is nothing better than a before dawn ride to shingle street or the local river path for an off road ride
I hate this society so much. Its apparently an admirational thing to get up at 4:30 to ride, but youre a maniac for staying up till midnight to ride! UNFAIR! (Im not a morning person).
Several years ago, I started riding with a group of guys in the morning, we start at 5:30am. I'm up at 4:30, no coffee or breakfast usually. We vary the route day to day, I've seen some amazing sunrises, wildlife, and even rocket launches (in Central Florida). I usually end up with 100km by 9am. In the Florida summer, it's nice to get back before the heat kicks in. In the weekend I can knock out a 100 mile ride by 11am if I push it. Problem is, I now find it difficult to sleep in!!!
At the crack of dawn hitting the road.Enjoying nature waking up around you and the music of your tires on the road. Once back I have still a whole day to start at full power. Only problem is hitting the sack early…
As an extreme early morning person, I love that I can pedal sometimes for four hours before sunrise on eastern Idaho roads almost devoid of drivers, and the few drivers who are out are well rested, calm, caffeinated and professional, and can see my lights easily.
Best time of the day for a ride. The Northumberland B roads & lanes at 6am on a summers morning. All you can hear is the humm of the tyres on the tarmac while the dew is lifting off the fields all around.
Evening person here. And I really like to ride during the early evening hours. 6 till 8 or so. Maybe not all the time during those really hot summer months. Work up a good apetite too.
I agree. Im in bed by 830 and up at 4-430 and finished my ride by 6-630 I struggled on and off with sleep but i've been wearing proper, red lens, blue-light blocking glasses 2-3hrs before bed and thats been the biggest contributor to quality sleep and therefore recovery than anything else. Its easy to wake up early, refreshed when your sleep is good.
I always got up early to ride so as to then get home for family breakfast and work. But since being retired I do find it harder to get up early - so now I often go at 9 ish after the commute traffic and still love it
Yes mate. Some of us in Australia wake up at 430, back by 730am for breakfast with the fam. Rest of the day still free. Used to go to sleep after midnight and wake up at 9am but that's completely switched now.
I do 3 rides during the week at 5.30 am just for an hour before going to work and when the conditions are right it is a fantastic ride seeing the sunrise can be a special experience and make the whole getting up early worth it and sets me up for the day
Great video, I always struggle to get up early with these dark mornings, much more enthusiastic in the summer. Maybe I'll give it a try, thanks Conor x
A few years ago I was training and racing half iron distance triathlon, and i would need to get up early either to ride, run or swim. Seeing the sunrise come up while youre in the pool or occasionally just as youre about to get into open water was just as amazing as when you were riding next to the river with a layer of fog lifting and the calm peace that comes with it. Some days I used to get 75km under my belt before work, part of it with a group and a 7:30 breakfast. Other days I'd meet with a mate for mtb before work on a Friday, riding to the top of a local mountain in the dark and bmbing down ghe trails on the other side for a couple hours before heading to the office in the city which was only about 20-30min from the base of the mountain. Changes in my job and 3 kids that also wake early have to an extent stopped that, but its a goal to get back on that horse one day.
I like an early bike ride or ryn and I'm passed the young family stage now. Much better in the summer as it can feel like riding in the middle of the night at this time of year. There's so much daylight we miss out on in the summer. Another advantage is the quiet roads. It's great to have so few cars about, although I've noticed that those that are about, might not be expecting to see bikes about so still need to be cautious.
Been riding early for 3 decades, wow it's been awhile. It just sets me up for the day, allows me to think through work, family things whatever. and lets face it, its really the only way to ride consistently when you work :). It is nice however to ride later in the day to see difference in performance when you have been awake awhile, mixing it up is the best approach.
I'm a morning person... but I have always moved ride time to follow the seasons.... early in the summer to beat the heat and mid-day in the winter to avoid the cold morning. So, balancing work-life-bike is one thing but I ride when it's most comfortable since it is recreation after all.
I have always been an early morning person so this sounds like something I can get into. I need to get more confident out on my bike and routes around first before I start these times as there are no lights about in my town at that time.
I despise early mornings but I do love (when the days are long) an05:30 start on a Sunday with empty Surrey/ Sussex roads all to myself and back by 09:00 having covered c 90km; just after the family is up! There is a real joy in having the roads to yourself and not contending with close passes etc. But I do hit the sack at 22:00, so I don’t feel exhausted when I wake
Always ride early. Even though I'm retired. Started doing it in Dubai to beat the heat and just kept doing it. It helps that I live in Thailand and 'cold' is defined as 12C.
I work the overnight shift, my wife works the day shift, and my kids are in school. Getting home in the morning and knowing nobody is even going to notice if I go for a three hour bike ride is nice.
The only time I would get up that early to ride is to snatch urban KOMs which would be unsafe at later hours. I have to say that riding at max speed on unusually empty streets in the early hours of a sunny summer morning is something special. You enjoy it and push that much more because you know that moment is fleeting and trafic could pick up any minute.
Here in the southwest United States in the summer it can be 40 degrees C by 12:00 pm, so I love getting up at first light and going for a ride. In the winter it is harder to motivate myself when it is -15 C.
I’ve been fortunate to be born with a Circadian rhythm that wakes me up at 5:00 a.m. without any special effort on my part. Watching the sunrise from the saddle has been a lifelong delight. I return home just as my Better Half is beginning to wake up, right on time for breakfast. ☺️
I really enjoy the early morning commute. The problem is that I have to ride back when there are lots of cars, dog walkers (with their ear buds in) and other dangers to avoid!
As someone who didn't get really into cycling until I had a family and 3 kids, 5am rides for 2 hours are what I do for most normal rides. Occasionally the missus would allow me to sneak out for the day and do a bigg'n but yah, 5am rides IS where it's at. I love them. The secret to getting up at 5am is go to bed early, for me, by 10 usually is fine. Do NOT sacrifice sleep, that's the wrong move. Secret bonus to morning riding: little to no cars!
I commuted to work for 18 years, 5 days/week. I left my house around 5:30 AM. After getting used to the routine, I never needed an alarm clock. I did enjoy the early mornings with minimal traffic and seeing the moon during the commute. Sufficient sleep is crucial.
We think it is going to bed at the right time that really makes it possible. And before anyone thinks going to bed early but sitting on your phone is bed it isn’t! (Unless you are watching GCN of course)
I go to the gym at 5.30AM. I only ride gravel and it's a bit to sketchy doing that in the dark where I live. Arguably a mtb would be the better choice on some of our roads. In summer I might give it a go to ride before the heat though
Same situation here: after having kids I realised the only time I could get out for a bike ride during the week, was in the early morning. I got on the bike at 6 AM for about 2 years, I think. (And you’re right: there’s nothing better than seeing the sun come up when you’re on the bike.) But I always felt tired during the day. I also got sick more often, even though I went to bed earlier on the night before. Now the kids are older, my schedule is a bit more flexible. I still do those early morning rides when I have to, but if I can, I’ll ride in the late afternoon. And I have to say I have been feeling a lot better because of it. Maybe I’m just not a morning person. 😄
5 am maybe pushing it but especially in the spring and summer a 6am wake up an hour for 2coffees and light breakfast then a good 2or3 hour ride and home before lunchtime is perfect, especially on a quiet Sunday morning
I am a morning person. I absolutely love riding in the morning around 7 am and I go for 65k to 80k. Depending the route I am choosing sometimes I leave the house at 6am . I totally enjoy it. I m very fortunate I get 7 hours of deep sleep each time . I always having that way .
Getting up before sunrise is a spiritual practice, from about 3am it is known as Brahma Muhurta, a very auspicious time, especially for mental and spiritual exercises. You are able to accomplish more and go deeper into a subject and that also makes morning workouts more meditative when the earth is calm and waking. It is a very different energy from an evening ride when the world is winding down, or worst of all midday when the world is most active. I ride mornings exclusively, when I have to commute any other time, it feels like a compromise.
Good video. I also struggle to find time to get out on my bike and am also not much of a morning person! Maybe I need to give this a go and see how I get on...
I used to be a dyed in the wool night owl and active morning training hater! But when I started Ironman racing (GTN devotee here 😊) to fit training around patenting and work had to let go of my prejudice. My solutions have been consistent early nights, multiple morning alarms and A LOT of pre-workout caffeine! Can’t beat an Aussie outback sunrise either!
Night owl, and I feel betrayed. While an early riser can ride into the sunrise in Summer, I cannot ride in the evening without running out of daylight (that won't come back through the night). 😆
I love to ride in the morning, streets are empty and when I'm back home I still have the whole day ahead of me. Starting around 5 and be home for breakfast is the best start in a weekend day. Also a good habit vor longer commutes to work.
Monday to Friday up at 6 to make school lunches....if i can get out, a short lunchtime ride, or in the summer, late evening... Weekends out the door by 6:30 if i can...2 hours, and back to the free taxi service.
A) I'm not naturally a morning person B) Morning rides can be beautiful and set me up for a great start to the day C) Morning rides are COLD this time of year. Even though I'm in a temperate area, it means gearing up for frost (I know, cry me a river ;-) ) D) Light is a problem. I don't hate riding in the dark. But I do hate not being seen by half-asleep drivers in a hurry.
I am not a morning person at all, but I would like to try an early morning ride and see how it goes. Hopefully the country roads will be quieter too. I just don't think this time of the year is the right time to start so will have to set a reminder for a few months time :)
On a Saturday, I start a 8 a.m. in the spring and summer time and always plan in riding at least no less than 100km. Between 12 noon to 1 p.m. (or beyond if riding 100++km.), I am already at home.....On Sundays, I ride in the afternoon at least a 50+km ride is more than enough.
I have done pre-breakfast rides a few times, and they are enjoyable. However I haven't risked it recently whilst I have been having sleep problems. I may find myself doing a few this year as my spare time this year will be taken up by house renovation projects, providing my sleep pattern behaves.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? 🦉 When do you love to get your cycling in? 🚴♂✨
In Spain ( Almeria ) in the summer, I have to be out before 6.30, it's just too hot, and now in the winter I'm still out at 8.30 to 9 at the latest. I still prefer early starts ( ex military )
@@ToOldToTurnProcycling Nice! Do you feel early rides set the tone for your day?
My usual riding time is afternoon or early evenings.
I know the charm of riding very early in the morning. This was a very nice episode, chapeau, to Conor ! But he has forgotten the very relaxing 1 hour ftp ride😪
@gcn definitely, after a 4/5 hour ride, get back have a cervasa or 2 some tapas, ride home and cool off in the pool, living the dream.
Early morning person. My weekends I am usually at 5am on the bike. Goal is to reach a specific hill at sunrise. I love to see the sun coming up, only see 5 cars in 2 hours and also it feels quiet good to get some light aftering suffering a hour in the dark.
That sounds amazing! So peaceful 🧘
What is the temperature at 5AM for you? That sounds great unless the temperature is below a certain threshold. I'd rather bike indoors when it's cold.
I am generally fine down to -5°C. Shoes are my bottleneck atm, when it's colder.
And helmet light is a must have for me at dark rides.
I love nothing more than getting back home before noon and completing an 85k ride.
then you have the rest of the day to do everything else!
@@gcnExactly, and it feels like a bigger accomplishment!
I am the same.
@@gcnyou mean the rest of the day to lay in bed and die 😂
In my 20's my wife used to have to wake me at 7:00 so I could get to work on time. in my 30's I started getting up at 5:00 to ride with a bunch and loved it. I'm now in my mid 70's and no longer need an alarm as it's just my habit. I still ride with a bunch and can't imagine not doing so. I love it!
I feel Conor, I hate getting up early but I discovered these peaceful early morning rides with less traffic and often awesome sceneries while sunrise. After an hour I feel super happy and ready for another 12hour shift on the ambulance.
What I love about morning rides, is that sense of accomplishment and getting to enjoy something right at the start of the day. Then, if work throws me a curveball, or I’m bogged down with life events, I already now I did something for myself. Preventative self-care.
That's so great to hear! It's the perfect example of "Win the morning, win the day"
As a bike commuter, I have no choice but to wake up at 6:30 and start pedaling at 7. So when I have a day off, nothing brings me more joy than NOT setting an alarm, and casually starting whenever I'm ready.
I love cycling in the early morning. I am a very early riser. Get out way before sun is out. I enjoy the sun rise and being out by myself with my thoughts. I treasure my alone time. Because I’m always around people at work. Great start to my day.
you must see some incredible sunrises too!
Ah, I'm hearing you.. That alone time is crucial to the likes of you and me that spend so much time around people!
Here in Florida the sun rises are just beautiful and also the sun sets.
@@BernardoAlburquerqueI’ve seen some nice videos from Lucas Brunelle with bunch rides and sunrises 🥳
I've started calling it "Dad Time". Wake up at 5, on the bike by 6. Home and ready for 8am work day on the weekdays, or even on a weekend long ride, I'm home before the rest of the family is out of PJs, and I'm ready for quality time with the kids.
what a great routine!
When I was a avid rider I used to ride to work 2 or 3 times a week. I started work at 5am and had to ride 18 1/2 miles so I had to be on the bike and rolling away by 3:50am. Dark, hardly any cars on the road, no wind and so quiet. Loved it!
Dedication, 18 miles one way?
Early rides in the summer are a real tonic, so healing for the mind too. I do struggle in the winter though, I hate the cold now I'm in my mid fifties!!
Conor, THANK YOU for making my morning awesome by letting me see your beautiful chickens! My wife and I love to ride bikes, and have a hobby farm with 25 free range chickens and 5 geese, 40 raised garden beds, fruit trees, and there is a honey farm across the street from us.
I'm up at 04-25, out the door at 04-45, I love it, ok, I only do 13 miles, don't go when it's icy, I only get about 6 weeks without lights, Tuesday morning was cold stingy in the face rain, head winds, tail winds waves on the sea front, character building. I'm up a little cup of coffee, out on bike, home out with dog, home breakfast, shower off to work. If I don't exercise in the morning I just don't function.
I do this for running, it is just the only time to push in a long run. It is hard in winter, when you are not blessed with a nice and warm sunrise. But when the sun rises it is really good
Seeing a beautiful sunrise makes it all worthwhile! 🌅
Finding more time to exercise is always tough to sus out. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love morning rides, they're quiet and peaceful, there are less cars out, and I love a good sunrise. I just have a problem getting up and getting out in the cold. But once I do, I rarely regret it.
i´m not setting my alarm to get up early for training or driving my bike for a smooth ride, but every week i work in morningshift , i get up on 4:15 to ride to work my 29km at 4:30 for an hour and its the best feeling alive. i´m at work and i watch in tired faces , full on energy because it freshs up perfectly.
Love being out early. Gets me pumped for the day knowing I've done some quality exercise before a day in the home office
I commute every morning from 5.15 to 6.00 to work. It is not every day a pleasure, especially in winter when it's cold, dark and wet. But overall I love it. To see the day and nature awaken and to be alone with time for me. I love it,especially when the sun rises it is always a magic moment
When I worked at a less stressful part time job, I would ride for an hour or so. It was great! Now I value sleep since I work full time and stressed some days. I just workout at the house and ride the indoor trainer. I do run at night in the warmer months after work.
I'm on the bike for 4.30am for a 60k ride before work. Some of the best rides I've had. Seeing the stars and the moon on a clear morning and a beautiful sunrise. Definitely a good way to start the day. North Island New Zealand.
Only chance for me to fit long rides is to go early on a Sunday. Everything else is taken by work or family. The plus is quietness of roads and that warmth of the raising sun hitting your cold face, priceless
I wake up 4AM every day to cycle or run and I just love to see the sunrise!
I love early morning rides. In the winter, when I can only ride the trainer due to snowy roads, I usually get up at 5am to ride. I’ve always been a morning person, and being a former competitive swimmer where the first training session was at 6 am every day, I’ve been getting up early to exercise for a good part of my life, so it makes sense that I still enjoy it now.
Since the kids arrived the only real way I can escape the guilt of getting out for 4/5 hours on my own is to be out the door for 5:30/6am. Its not always easy to get up, but the end result is 100% worth it.
Same!!!
The problem for me, UK winter is atrocious and unpleasant 🤣
Who said UK winters were any easier during the day? 🤣
Sure they have milder winters in Flanders or Holland :D
Oddly enough, that's how my wife described me during our divorce!
Like many other comments below iIlove the early morning rides. I'm on my bike at 04:30 five times a week, 3 for work and 2 at weekend. Coming home from work in the evening is a dull nightmare but early morning iI see a few commuters, a couple of bike riders and pretty clear roads and some peace and quiet. I love getting home at the weekends after a 50-60k ride, shower and breakfast before the house has started to stir and still have the whole day in front of me. I'm zonked out by 10pm so seems a good compromise to me. Great vid, many thanks.
I have been riding or running at 5am for the past 8 years when I became a father...again. I have found that as I get older, I don't have the energy or time to exercise late in the evening after work. I've also discovered that 5am MST in the U.S. is when Zwift is possibly the busiest with 15k to 20k zwifters and tons of fun events at that time. But still, nothing beats an outside ride when you have the roads all to yourself.
I’m a regular Dawn Patrol rider. 6:30 start and back for half 9 and breakfast with my wife and kid. It’s the best. And seeing the sunrise mid ride is soul nourishing. ❤
Love an early morning bike, always been a morning person so it’s perfect for me.
You never regret a morning ride
I do that too! So awesome morning riders get the attention too :))
Deffo! Whatever time you ride is good for us! Conor wanted to share his own experience to help those who had always dismissed it!
Morning person here and happy get up a 5am (stupid o’clock). Extra layer of clothing and go n talk to all the wildlife by myself. I particularly love the start in the dark and discover a sunrise!
I'm with you. Unfortunately, as I'm now retired, I no longer get up early to ride. However, when I was working, I was a 5:30 on the road guy, and in all conditions too. I absolutely loved my early morning, gravel ride, commutes. I'd get into work before most people and I'd often be the first in. There was something special about the dark winter mornings in cold, wet conditions too that somehow felt satisfying. I do miss my commutes. The job? Not so much 😊
Im up at 5.30 for my morning commute. Hate getting up but always enjoy the ride in the end. In the summer there is nothing better than a before dawn ride to shingle street or the local river path for an off road ride
I ride early in the morning almost exclusively…and love it.
I hate this society so much. Its apparently an admirational thing to get up at 4:30 to ride, but youre a maniac for staying up till midnight to ride! UNFAIR!
(Im not a morning person).
👍🏻
Hahaha love a midnight sesh too. So nice with no traffic
Several years ago, I started riding with a group of guys in the morning, we start at 5:30am. I'm up at 4:30, no coffee or breakfast usually. We vary the route day to day, I've seen some amazing sunrises, wildlife, and even rocket launches (in Central Florida). I usually end up with 100km by 9am. In the Florida summer, it's nice to get back before the heat kicks in. In the weekend I can knock out a 100 mile ride by 11am if I push it. Problem is, I now find it difficult to sleep in!!!
At the crack of dawn hitting the road.Enjoying nature waking up around you and the music of your tires on the road. Once back I have still a whole day to start at full power. Only problem is hitting the sack early…
I love my morning rides! Especially that time of year when the sun rises and the perfect spot mid ride.
That definitely makes getting up early worth it 😍
As an extreme early morning person, I love that I can pedal sometimes for four hours before sunrise on eastern Idaho roads almost devoid of drivers, and the few drivers who are out are well rested, calm, caffeinated and professional, and can see my lights easily.
Best time of the day for a ride. The Northumberland B roads & lanes at 6am on a summers morning. All you can hear is the humm of the tyres on the tarmac while the dew is lifting off the fields all around.
I've been riding my bike first thing in the morning for the past month during my vacations and it's been great. I rode 1211km in total.
More great content from Conor. Great guy.
I live in Nuremberg and early morning rides on Sundays are the absolute best! Hardly any cars or people around and just you plus then open road... :)
Evening person here. And I really like to ride during the early evening hours. 6 till 8 or so. Maybe not all the time during those really hot summer months. Work up a good apetite too.
Definitely! 😋 Bet you sleep really well after that too!
Have to admit if i can get out early its so much better, not as much traffic, nobody about, road to myself 😊
So true!
I agree. Im in bed by 830 and up at 4-430 and finished my ride by 6-630
I struggled on and off with sleep but i've been wearing proper, red lens, blue-light blocking glasses 2-3hrs before bed and thats been the biggest contributor to quality sleep and therefore recovery than anything else. Its easy to wake up early, refreshed when your sleep is good.
Really enjoy my early morning rides around central park in NYC - pretty much just runners and cyclists while the tourists are asleep! Lots of fun
I always got up early to ride so as to then get home for family breakfast and work. But since being retired I do find it harder to get up early - so now I often go at 9 ish after the commute traffic and still love it
Thank you for sharing!
It's quite late from where I'm writing. Maybe it will help me change!
Yes mate. Some of us in Australia wake up at 430, back by 730am for breakfast with the fam. Rest of the day still free. Used to go to sleep after midnight and wake up at 9am but that's completely switched now.
I do 3 rides during the week at 5.30 am just for an hour before going to work and when the conditions are right it is a fantastic ride seeing the sunrise can be a special experience and make the whole getting up early worth it and sets me up for the day
Early morning rides. Absolutely recommended, especially in the hot summer months.
That's it! 💯
I don't enjoy early mornings, when I do get up I like the peace and quiet of it. The extra time I have in the day is appreciated too.
Great video, I always struggle to get up early with these dark mornings, much more enthusiastic in the summer. Maybe I'll give it a try, thanks Conor x
Thanks for watching!
A few years ago I was training and racing half iron distance triathlon, and i would need to get up early either to ride, run or swim. Seeing the sunrise come up while youre in the pool or occasionally just as youre about to get into open water was just as amazing as when you were riding next to the river with a layer of fog lifting and the calm peace that comes with it.
Some days I used to get 75km under my belt before work, part of it with a group and a 7:30 breakfast.
Other days I'd meet with a mate for mtb before work on a Friday, riding to the top of a local mountain in the dark and bmbing down ghe trails on the other side for a couple hours before heading to the office in the city which was only about 20-30min from the base of the mountain.
Changes in my job and 3 kids that also wake early have to an extent stopped that, but its a goal to get back on that horse one day.
Early bird gets the worm, I've been a 4:30 guy for a donkey's years.
For the record I hate that you can do that!!! ❤👍🙏🚴♂️
Wow! That's early, but sounds like it's been really great for you. What time do you usually head to bed then?
@@SeattleMarkoHabits can be easy to break 🙂👍🏻
I hate worms
As a night person this sounds like an absolute nightmare to me :D.
I like an early bike ride or ryn and I'm passed the young family stage now. Much better in the summer as it can feel like riding in the middle of the night at this time of year. There's so much daylight we miss out on in the summer. Another advantage is the quiet roads. It's great to have so few cars about, although I've noticed that those that are about, might not be expecting to see bikes about so still need to be cautious.
Been riding early for 3 decades, wow it's been awhile. It just sets me up for the day, allows me to think through work, family things whatever. and lets face it, its really the only way to ride consistently when you work :). It is nice however to ride later in the day to see difference in performance when you have been awake awhile, mixing it up is the best approach.
thanks for sharing your experiences, it certainly puts you in a better mood for the day!
I'm a morning person... but I have always moved ride time to follow the seasons.... early in the summer to beat the heat and mid-day in the winter to avoid the cold morning. So, balancing work-life-bike is one thing but I ride when it's most comfortable since it is recreation after all.
I have always been an early morning person so this sounds like something I can get into. I need to get more confident out on my bike and routes around first before I start these times as there are no lights about in my town at that time.
I despise early mornings but I do love (when the days are long) an05:30 start on a Sunday with empty Surrey/ Sussex roads all to myself and back by 09:00 having covered c 90km; just after the family is up!
There is a real joy in having the roads to yourself and not contending with close passes etc.
But I do hit the sack at 22:00, so I don’t feel exhausted when I wake
No one can take that time away from you when you are out early😊
Early morning in summer is pretty good to beat the heat
Always ride early. Even though I'm retired. Started doing it in Dubai to beat the heat and just kept doing it. It helps that I live in Thailand and 'cold' is defined as 12C.
I really like this new thumbnail design!
I work the overnight shift, my wife works the day shift, and my kids are in school. Getting home in the morning and knowing nobody is even going to notice if I go for a three hour bike ride is nice.
The only time I would get up that early to ride is to snatch urban KOMs which would be unsafe at later hours.
I have to say that riding at max speed on unusually empty streets in the early hours of a sunny summer morning is something special.
You enjoy it and push that much more because you know that moment is fleeting and trafic could pick up any minute.
Good man Conor....I've no excuse now. Gonna try and early ride
Being already well on the way by dawn feels ... like Frankie said: "the world ... is your oyster"
Here in the southwest United States in the summer it can be 40 degrees C by 12:00 pm, so I love getting up at first light and going for a ride. In the winter it is harder to motivate myself when it is -15 C.
I’ve been fortunate to be born with a Circadian rhythm that wakes me up at 5:00 a.m. without any special effort on my part. Watching the sunrise from the saddle has been a lifelong delight. I return home just as my Better Half is beginning to wake up, right on time for breakfast. ☺️
I don’t like early mornings but will give it a try when it warms up
0:33 haha, just a few days ago, i was out in my backyard getting our hens some feed in lycra. Glad to see I'm not the only one 😅
I really enjoy the early morning commute. The problem is that I have to ride back when there are lots of cars, dog walkers (with their ear buds in) and other dangers to avoid!
As someone who didn't get really into cycling until I had a family and 3 kids, 5am rides for 2 hours are what I do for most normal rides. Occasionally the missus would allow me to sneak out for the day and do a bigg'n but yah, 5am rides IS where it's at. I love them. The secret to getting up at 5am is go to bed early, for me, by 10 usually is fine. Do NOT sacrifice sleep, that's the wrong move.
Secret bonus to morning riding: little to no cars!
A great way to kick off the day too!
1:50 sweet looking espresso setup!
I commuted to work for 18 years, 5 days/week. I left my house around 5:30 AM. After getting used to the routine, I never needed an alarm clock. I did enjoy the early mornings with minimal traffic and seeing the moon during the commute. Sufficient sleep is crucial.
We think it is going to bed at the right time that really makes it possible. And before anyone thinks going to bed early but sitting on your phone is bed it isn’t! (Unless you are watching GCN of course)
I go to the gym at 5.30AM. I only ride gravel and it's a bit to sketchy doing that in the dark where I live. Arguably a mtb would be the better choice on some of our roads. In summer I might give it a go to ride before the heat though
Glad you've been enjoying it! Over time, have you grown more comfortable with riding so early in the dark?
Love the dawn patrol bike. No other way as a family man, but…def need thermals and warm gear you can shed along the way
Same situation here: after having kids I realised the only time I could get out for a bike ride during the week, was in the early morning. I got on the bike at 6 AM for about 2 years, I think. (And you’re right: there’s nothing better than seeing the sun come up when you’re on the bike.) But I always felt tired during the day. I also got sick more often, even though I went to bed earlier on the night before.
Now the kids are older, my schedule is a bit more flexible. I still do those early morning rides when I have to, but if I can, I’ll ride in the late afternoon. And I have to say I have been feeling a lot better because of it. Maybe I’m just not a morning person. 😄
5 am maybe pushing it but especially in the spring and summer a 6am wake up an hour for 2coffees and light breakfast then a good 2or3 hour ride and home before lunchtime is perfect, especially on a quiet Sunday morning
I am a morning person. I absolutely love riding in the morning around 7 am and I go for 65k to 80k. Depending the route I am choosing sometimes I leave the house at 6am . I totally enjoy it. I m very fortunate I get 7 hours of deep sleep each time . I always having that way .
Bloody hell who know that 5 o'clock comes twice a day. 🤣🤣
Getting up before sunrise is a spiritual practice, from about 3am it is known as Brahma Muhurta, a very auspicious time, especially for mental and spiritual exercises. You are able to accomplish more and go deeper into a subject and that also makes morning workouts more meditative when the earth is calm and waking. It is a very different energy from an evening ride when the world is winding down, or worst of all midday when the world is most active. I ride mornings exclusively, when I have to commute any other time, it feels like a compromise.
Hi, thanks for the comment. That is really interesting to know!
Good video. I also struggle to find time to get out on my bike and am also not much of a morning person! Maybe I need to give this a go and see how I get on...
let us know how you get on! The trick is to put the alarm clock on the other side of the room so you have to get up!
I used to be a dyed in the wool night owl and active morning training hater! But when I started Ironman racing (GTN devotee here 😊) to fit training around patenting and work had to let go of my prejudice. My solutions have been consistent early nights, multiple morning alarms and A LOT of pre-workout caffeine! Can’t beat an Aussie outback sunrise either!
Night owl, and I feel betrayed. While an early riser can ride into the sunrise in Summer, I cannot ride in the evening without running out of daylight (that won't come back through the night). 😆
I love to ride in the morning, streets are empty and when I'm back home I still have the whole day ahead of me. Starting around 5 and be home for breakfast is the best start in a weekend day. Also a good habit vor longer commutes to work.
Watching this on my home trainer at 21:30
i love how normal the rain for you guys is xD every video there is rain and no one cares ^^
Monday to Friday up at 6 to make school lunches....if i can get out, a short lunchtime ride, or in the summer, late evening...
Weekends out the door by 6:30 if i can...2 hours, and back to the free taxi service.
A) I'm not naturally a morning person
B) Morning rides can be beautiful and set me up for a great start to the day
C) Morning rides are COLD this time of year. Even though I'm in a temperate area, it means gearing up for frost (I know, cry me a river ;-) )
D) Light is a problem. I don't hate riding in the dark. But I do hate not being seen by half-asleep drivers in a hurry.
I am not a morning person at all, but I would like to try an early morning ride and see how it goes. Hopefully the country roads will be quieter too. I just don't think this time of the year is the right time to start so will have to set a reminder for a few months time :)
On a Saturday, I start a 8 a.m. in the spring and summer time and always plan in riding at least no less than 100km. Between 12 noon to 1 p.m. (or beyond if riding 100++km.), I am already at home.....On Sundays, I ride in the afternoon at least a 50+km ride is more than enough.
I've been doing this every Sunday for quite some time. I can't imagine doing it any other way. Get the ride out of the way and avoid the shit traffic.
yes, i use to start my ride at 5am or 6am. done a 100km and back home before my wife even noticed I was out. 😅😅
Wow! You must be a lot quieter than Conor crashing around the house at 5am 💥
I have done pre-breakfast rides a few times, and they are enjoyable. However I haven't risked it recently whilst I have been having sleep problems. I may find myself doing a few this year as my spare time this year will be taken up by house renovation projects, providing my sleep pattern behaves.