Year round all weather commuters

Hairy Jock

How many year round all weather commuters are there here? Since most of the C+ crowd decamped to Cycle Chat (not allowed to put in a link so google it), it feels like there are few of us left.

Ngalbrai

Yep! Well, when I lived in London I was, as there were no other viable alternatives (to my mind). Not quite so regular now I live in Sydney funnily enough as the other options are so much better, either a lift door to door or a much less crowded train. Commute is a fair bit further now so I try to use that as a justification... Also Pacific highway is a death trap in the rain as Aussies dont know how to drive in wet conditions, so leave the bike at home then - hangs head in shame!

John Stevenson

Crikey, another Sydneysider.

I'd be an all-weather commuter (er, if I were actually doing as much commuting as I aspire to, but that's another story) but it really does feel like it'd be suicide to ride in the rain here.

That's not least because when it does rain, it often utterly hammers down. You're soaked to the skin in seconds, no matter what you're wearing.

Hackbike 6

I have commuted consistently by bike for the last four years and only tend to "tube" it on rare occasions due to illness or bike breakdowns. :twisted:

Ngalbrai

Ah, I feel a bit better now about having reverted to a shameful fair weather commuter after Johns comment, but then I guess if the weather is fair nearly all of the time then its ok?

Just to clarify in my original post, when I said the options were "better" I meant better than in London (long walk, packed train, long walk, or, buses..) not better than cycling - obviously!

John, where is your commute? Mine is St Ives to North Sydney, Pacific Highway all the way, looked at other options but frankly too hilly for 22 miles return a day.

John Stevenson

My commute:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Lo ... i-Junction

Chriscommuter

Yep, all through the winter...even have heated gloves!

http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/heated ... p-686.html

Keeps my delicate little pinkies from freezing.

peejay78

i commute in all weathers.

it's exciting.

my commute is only 7 miles though, so the chance of catching pneumonia is slim.

ChrisLS

...commute all year, all weathers, for about the last 20 odd years...love it

Aidocp

Hairy Jock,

I'm an all year round commuter but I've only been doing it for 4 years solid (2 in Dublin, 2 in Fife/Edinburgh), before that it was random, so I guess I'm still at bit of an amateur.

cupofteacp

All year, even in "London" snow

Eat My Dust

All year for me as well. The weather only beat me once last year. After I slipped and slided down my street in the snow on my 23mm's, and couldn't clip back in from the ice on my cleats, I decided it probably wasn't a good idea to go any further!!!

Hairy Jock

Good to see I am not the only one, some familiar names as well.

Eat My Dust wrote:

All year for me as well. The weather only beat me once last year. After I slipped and slided down my street in the snow on my 23mm's, and couldn't clip back in from the ice on my cleats, I decided it probably wasn't a good idea to go any further!!!

Now that truly deserves respect

PrettyBoyTim

Well, I've only been commuting for two weeks now, so I guess my ride home tonight will be a bit of a test for me to see how much I mind riding in the wet...

dondare

I don't cycle every day, but the weather or time of year are not deciding factors. In bad weather I'd trust my bike over publiic transport any day.
But sometimes by bike needs a rest.

ChrisLS

...I should add, I don't do ice...good to see some old names(but not in a cliquey way )

Massimo

Over 15 years five days a week all year round(occasionally 4 days a week if I'm going out for a small sherry after work). I have three bkes in varying degrees of quality/expense: one for when the weather's gorgeous (this hasn't been out much this year), one for when the weather is truly appalling (that one's been out a lot recently) and one for all other conditions.

Teuchter

Well I intend to keep up cycle commuting all winter! I've ridden motorbikes all year round for the last 15 years, including 100+ mile a day commutes through Scottish winters so I'm hoping should be able to keep up the cycling. The furthest into winter I've cycled in the past is November - stopped more due to the dark country roads than the weather.

Does anyone know where can I get a full face lid and heated handlebar grips for the pushbike? :oops:

Tynancp

did ice and snow a few times back in the day, remeber one trip where I had to stop every five minutes to clear the slush which had frozen in various parts of the bike

Jacomus-rides-Gen

All year round for me - I commuted at christmas when it snowed, 23mm GP-4000's and Time RXS cleats, quite a combo! I got some heavy spraying of WD-40 over the pedals and cleats before I set out, it worked pretty well. I remember having a brown moment within 2mins of setting off when I tried to brake for a corner at the bottom of my hill.

There was a grinding noise and no real slowing down! My brakes were huge lumps of ice that the tyre had picked up. I managed to slow a bit, got my foot out and tried to take the corner DH style.

I slithered (very gracefully I must say) to the ground at about 28-30km/h and slid right off the road into somones driveway. Luckily I went down so slowly, and didn't hit anything, I was fine - didn't even damage the lycra!

My normally 30min commute took 50mins and I was so frozen by the time I got to work that I had to shower in cold water for 5mins or so until I could slowly crank up the temp! Hands and feet were blue, as were my lips.

domtyler

All year round for me, but then my 'alternative' is a 15 minute walk followed by a horrible 25-50 sweaty minutes squeezed into a packed tube train, followed by another 5 minutes walk. On a good day my cycle journey is 20 minutes, on a bad day 25 minutes.
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Female Advice Forum

Hairy Jock

ChrisLS wrote:

...good to see some old names(but not in a cliquey way )

Aye and good to see some new ones as well

Porgy

Every day and all year round - between Kent and London.

Ice is usually a problem only for a few days a year, and not on the main roads.

Cheshire_Cat

Hi,

Year round commuter as well. Only day I dodged was the high winds back in January. Looking forward to the winter as it can't be any worse than the summer

lateralus

Hi, another year round commuter here. Not very hardcore compared to some of you - 5.5 miles each way across the wilds of southwest London. The winters aren't so bad - they generally grit everything in sight at the first hint of frost around here, so I've not had any real icy moments. Did get caught out by a diesel spill on a roundabout back in January, though - that was a bit painful.

I don't mind the winters so much, and it's not like there's really a choice in any kind of extreme weather - you can guarantee that the District Line will be suspended at the first sign of a snowflake or a hailstone :roll:

baudman

All year, barring sickness. Probably don't ride one day every 3-4 weeks. AND I live directly across from a train station.

I'm coming up on my 3 yr anniversary of commuting, so still a n00b compared to some of you!

master_grunthos

Been doing everyday for about a year now including through the current Gloucestershire flooding, the bike was the best way to get about on Friday. Only weather I've avoided so far is snow and ice as if you fall badly you end up riding far less than you would if you just miss a ride because of the ice. The feeling of relief when getting back onto a gritted road makes me wonder why I was ever on an ungritted one on slick race tyres.

MG

WyS

i started commuting to work when it was snowing. i quite like the rain as well. summer just makes me want to not be at work, and off riding in forrests.

graeme_s-2

I'm an all year rounder. I have been known to work from home when it's snowed and iced up though.

neillcp

All year round, even in the snow -
Winter can be the best time to cycle in, as I don't get to work all hot and bothered, and don't have to queue for a shower!

deadpet

Yesterday was my birthday...one full year of commuting by bicycle...so i too can boast of being an all-year, all-weather commuter.
Despite only doing nine miles a day I have managed to lose just over two stone which is a result.
My ride thanked me for my dedication last night with a puncture...only the second in a whole year so I shouldn't complain