Thinking about commuting

chewa · May 2007

I second (or third!) BentMikey.

I've been commuting 13 miles each way for years and, while it can be hard to get motivated on a horrible cold winter's morning, once I get going I love it.

I get guilty if I have to take the bus or train.

10 miles ideal distance. (You'll also become a hero to the folk you work with as they won't believe it's humanly possible to go so far on a bike!)

plus je vois les hommes, plus j'admire les chiens

graeme_s-2 · May 2007

Worst part of the day into the best part is right.

I wake up in the morning and leap out of bed keen to get onto my bike (even in the rain or the dead of winter), then I spend all day at work looking forward to my ride home. [:D]

nibblescp · May 2007

Wow, lotsa replies. Sounds like commuting is the way to go judging by the feedback. As with all things I guess the initial obstacle is doing it for the first time, thereafter I'm sure I'll be thinking I should have done this ages ago. The more I think about it, 10 miles ain't that big a deal, it's just that my drive is motorway all the way and I guess it takes the least direct route so maybe seems further than it is. I've done a routeplan on the AA site and it certainly cuts more across country which is more or less the route I'd take (maybe I'd avoid some of Liverpool's more dodgy areas!)

Okay next few questions. Do you guys have dedicated riding gear (clothes) or do you go in work clothes and go for the old "Right Guard" deluge on arrival or do you change. Luckily we're very casual, jeans/polo shirt etc.. (joys of working in I.T.) so I guess changing is no hassle if needed.

Also, my other concern is the office joker swiping bike seats/wheels courtesy of quick release fasteners. Can these be locked ?

And finally, does anyone carry a laptop (widescreen) on panniers and is it easily done ?

Cheers all.

Unknown · May 2007

Hi Nibbles,

I Only go 3 miles each way, but wear cycle gear because it is much more comfortable. There are no seams that chafe. I give myself a quick wipe down with baby wipes and spray a bit of 'right guard'. With regards to 'luggage' I bought a 'heavy duty' rack from Halfords and their own large panniers that were on offer at the time. I carry clothes / lunch / lock in one and my laptop / organiser / USB drive in the other. I put the heaviest (laptop one) on the left side so i fall away from the traffic if I have a mishap, but all in all it's just a matter of practice getting them on /off the bike and sorting out a routine to minimise the faffing at each end.

cheers,

Rich (A commuter at last)

simon_e · May 2007

Ade,

Take the plunge, it's great!

I began commuting the 6-mile route to work 12 months ago, aged 39, and instantly wished I had started it sooner. I kept wimping out with pathetic excuses, overestimating how long & hard it would be.

If your hybrid is comfy then yes, use that. You could swap the tyres on that or your MTB - I have some 1.5" Schwalbe City Jet tyres with puncture protection I bought very cheaply via ebay.

I carry a puncture kit, some allen keys and tyre levers in my bag. Best bit of kit is some proper glasses, they keep insects/dust/rain out of my eyes. Mine were effectively free when a friend used a Wiggle referral (see http://www.wiggle.co.uk/referal.aspx)

--
Simon.

cjcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by nibbles

Wow, lotsa replies. Sounds like commuting is the way to go judging by the feedback. As with all things I guess the initial obstacle is doing it for the first time, thereafter I'm sure I'll be thinking I should have done this ages ago. The more I think about it, 10 miles ain't that big a deal, it's just that my drive is motorway all the way and I guess it takes the least direct route so maybe seems further than it is. I've done a routeplan on the AA site and it certainly cuts more across country which is more or less the route I'd take (maybe I'd avoid some of Liverpool's more dodgy areas!)

Okay next few questions. Do you guys have dedicated riding gear (clothes) or do you go in work clothes and go for the old "Right Guard" deluge on arrival or do you change. Luckily we're very casual, jeans/polo shirt etc.. (joys of working in I.T.) so I guess changing is no hassle if needed.

Also, my other concern is the office joker swiping bike seats/wheels courtesy of quick release fasteners. Can these be locked ?

And finally, does anyone carry a laptop (widescreen) on panniers and is it easily done ?

Cheers all.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Nibbles - I leave my suit and shoes in work along with shaving gear and deodorant. I just take a clean shirt, kecks and socks with me and shower at the gym a couple of mins from work. I opted for the off-peak/post 9am membership because that's a lot cheaper per month.

I know of people who do carry laptops in their panniers.

Re your seat - can you take this into the office with you? If you have QR wheels, take the front wheel off and line it up against your back wheel if you can put the lock through both of them.

Chris

DavidTQ · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by nibbles

Wow, lotsa replies. Sounds like commuting is the way to go judging by the feedback. As with all things I guess the initial obstacle is doing it for the first time, thereafter I'm sure I'll be thinking I should have done this ages ago. The more I think about it, 10 miles ain't that big a deal, it's just that my drive is motorway all the way and I guess it takes the least direct route so maybe seems further than it is. I've done a routeplan on the AA site and it certainly cuts more across country which is more or less the route I'd take (maybe I'd avoid some of Liverpool's more dodgy areas!)

Okay next few questions. Do you guys have dedicated riding gear (clothes) or do you go in work clothes and go for the old "Right Guard" deluge on arrival or do you change. Luckily we're very casual, jeans/polo shirt etc.. (joys of working in I.T.) so I guess changing is no hassle if needed.

Also, my other concern is the office joker swiping bike seats/wheels courtesy of quick release fasteners. Can these be locked ?

And finally, does anyone carry a laptop (widescreen) on panniers and is it easily done ?

Cheers all.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I currently cycle in my work gear, also jeans and t-shirt as I work in IT

. Ive got a waterproof windproof jacket, got trousers as well but dont use them anymore, but they did make me feel all weather was doable to begin with. I wear a hi viz construction workers type top, some gel padded gloves make things comfortable as well.

I do tend to work up a small sweat in the morning so carry a spare top which is about all I need, when I get home I need a complete change of clothes

. After a couple of months of cycling I can now see where people are coming from with light weight breathable waterproof cycling jackets and wearing padded cycling shorts in the rain and getting changed at work. When I first started there was no way at all I was going to wear anything containing lycra, now I am considering a plain black pair of shorts.

I HOPE I never end up drawn to replica team gear.

Ive started leaving a complete change of clothes at work as well, just in case I have a bad day and to lighten the daily spares load.

TomF · May 2007

"(You'll also become a hero to the folk you work with as they won't believe it's humanly possible to go so far on a bike!)"

People said to me during the winter, "Are you still cycling in?" To which I would rather smugly reply, "Yes"!

The amount of organisation depends on (a) what you have to wear doing your job, (b) whether there are bike storage facilities and (c) whether there are changing/washing facilities.

My commute involves:

1. 5 miles each way - I long to go further, but I spend upwards of 12 hours a day at work as it is, so don't always want to delay my arrival/finish.
2. Bike - road bike (Giant SCR). This also doubles as my winter road bike as it's equipped with mudguards.
3. Lights - Light & MOtion Vega up front, Cateye LD 1100 at the back.
4. Winter riding clothes - bib tights, jerseys (sometimes 2 if it's cold), rain jacket, gloves, helmet, neoprene shoe covers (never had wet feet using these to ride to work; also keep feet warm in cold weather), cycling shoes (MTB clipless).
5. Summer riding clothes - slightly less of the above, although I'm still in bib tights as it's unseasonably cold. Gilet instead of jacket.
6. Lock - left at work (I get to park my bike in the underground carpark at the office, which is otherwise only reserved for the bosses).
7. Clothes for work - suits left in work and dry cleaned locally. Clean boxers, socks and shirt brought in and taken home every day - shirt is ready ironed and just folded and placed in a plastic bag.
8. Washbag and towel - left at work all week (washbag in desk drawer, towel draped over archive box under my desk). I'm lucky, we have showers at work.
9. Bag - I use a backpack, but may invest in panniers this winter. This brings in:
9.1 On Monday: washbag, towel, Monday's boxers, socks and shirt;
9.2 Tuesday to Friday: boxers, socks and each day's shirt.
9.3 Every day - Lights (unless being used on the bike, of course), light charger, small tool kit, reflective/hi-viz tabard (unless being used, of curse).

It seems like a lot to organise, but actually it's dead easy. Just remeber to leave at work a spare pair of boxers and socks for that inevitable time you forget them - on one occasion, I had to walk to the other side of town to buy some more. Pin striped suit and no socks is not a good look IMO - and never mind that it was commando too!!

Tom

The Bosscp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by rothbook

Get Asda to deliver banjo you unmitigated @rsewit.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yeah but they charge a fiver for that you duplicitous tart.

dondare · May 2007

Paying a fiver for a delivery now and then is cheaper than owning a car.

Baby elephants? Pah!!

The Bosscp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dondare

Paying a fiver for a delivery now and then is cheaper than owning a car.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
now and then? I go shopping several times a week. If you live on your own it goes off if you get too much in one go.
And anyway I want to pick the best fruit and veg that I like, rather than have them pick the worst that they need to get shut of.
Other main reasons I have a car: MTBing - decent trails aren't necessarily on your doorstep. Visiting friends/family two counties away - trains are too unreliable if you want the option of coming back say on sunday evening, not all towns have train stations - trains don't always allow bikes on, train journeys cost more than the fuel a car would use.
And besides, what's actually wrong with being a fair-weather cyclist? I don't make any apologies for the fact that I don't particularly enjoy cycling when it's lashing it down and I'm getting soaking wet and freezing cold.
It doesn't rain that often so it's not like you miss out much, it's just nice to have the vehicle there for when you can't be bothered getting wet, or when you want to carry a bit more luggage than you can take on a bike, or when you don't want to have to rely on the (possibly hollow) promises of some company to deliver something.

dondare · May 2007

It makes you wonder how anyone manages without one.

Baby elephants? Pah!!

Roastie · May 2007

I started commuting by bicycle when I was about 10, but my love of cars and the desire to pull chicks meant that I ditched the bike for a car as a means of transport while at Uni. For years in between I battled to find time to train and my cycling petered out over the next 5 years.

When we moved here from SA in March, I was stuck in a period where I still had not found a car to drive but time had come to give back the rental - so I decided to bike it 6km each way for the week or so that it would take to get the car. Despite the sleet and biting rain (or maybe because of it) I rediscovered the joy of whizzing along under my own power and made the decision not to buy the car after all.

My new bike now has over 600 miles on it (my much adored Orange Clockwork was nicked in the first month!), and this tally is set to keep on ticking over - especially now that I'm occasionally adding 40km onto my commute by hopping off the train a station early ... [:D]

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DavidTQ

Bearing in mind, I was a Rally driver, Cars were my recreation and passtime as well as form of transport, ...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hey Dave, a kindred spirit! I spent the last three years circuit racing with production cars.

Thinking about commuting

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