In the news
towpath hacker
Posts: 51
A random positive cycle commuting story in todays Yorkshire Evening Post:
'It's quicker to go to work by bike than by car'
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View GallerySitting in gridlock on the way to work, it's all too easy to think: "I could cycle there faster than this" – but how many of us actually would?
Leeds businessman Lee Owen-Stanford did – and despite almost doubling his mileage by taking the safest route from Harrogate to the heart of the city, he's still halved his journey time.
The 33-year-old rides 26 miles to work and 26 miles home again up to four times a week.
He said: "If I set off in the car at about 7.30am, I usually wouldn't be in work until about 9.30am. It was hopeless.
"It was a Monday morning and it took me two and a half hours to get to work. I thought, I can do it in an hour and 10 minutes on my bike and I'd rather be on my bike than sitting in a queue of cars that don't seem to be moving."
Lee, managing director of audiovisual firm Bang & Olufsen's Leeds store, added: "I actually enjoy the journey now rather than sitting at the steering wheel feeling frustrated."
Understanding
Turning his weekend hobby into part of his daily routine means the company saves around £100 a month on fuel and he gets an enormous amount of exercise – and has more time to spend with his wife Stephanie and their two young daughters Frances and Tegwen.
He said: "Not everyone will be willing to cycle to work instead of driving, especiallyin the winter months, but it's worth thinking about.
"It's a good alternative, it just needs a little bit of thought from the council on cycle lanes to keep cyclists safe and a little bit of understanding from drivers."
Lee is a founding member of SingletrAction, a voluntary group which helps design and build off-road tracks.
He raced road bikes as a child and last year started racing again for the first time in 17 years.
But he had never considered cycling to work until he faced the daily commute to Leeds, opening Bang & Olufsen's new outlet on Vicar Lane in August.
He installed a shower as an incentive to cycle, and the apartment above the shop, means he can store clean shirts.
His workmate Jules Biggs, 29, has just moved up from London to work at the Leeds store and after starting on Monday has already got in the saddle, riding in from his home in Ripley, Harrogate, with Lee.
The full article contains 419 words and appears in n/a newspaper.Last Updated: 14 January 2008 11:02 AM
'It's quicker to go to work by bike than by car'
« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »
View GallerySitting in gridlock on the way to work, it's all too easy to think: "I could cycle there faster than this" – but how many of us actually would?
Leeds businessman Lee Owen-Stanford did – and despite almost doubling his mileage by taking the safest route from Harrogate to the heart of the city, he's still halved his journey time.
The 33-year-old rides 26 miles to work and 26 miles home again up to four times a week.
He said: "If I set off in the car at about 7.30am, I usually wouldn't be in work until about 9.30am. It was hopeless.
"It was a Monday morning and it took me two and a half hours to get to work. I thought, I can do it in an hour and 10 minutes on my bike and I'd rather be on my bike than sitting in a queue of cars that don't seem to be moving."
Lee, managing director of audiovisual firm Bang & Olufsen's Leeds store, added: "I actually enjoy the journey now rather than sitting at the steering wheel feeling frustrated."
Understanding
Turning his weekend hobby into part of his daily routine means the company saves around £100 a month on fuel and he gets an enormous amount of exercise – and has more time to spend with his wife Stephanie and their two young daughters Frances and Tegwen.
He said: "Not everyone will be willing to cycle to work instead of driving, especiallyin the winter months, but it's worth thinking about.
"It's a good alternative, it just needs a little bit of thought from the council on cycle lanes to keep cyclists safe and a little bit of understanding from drivers."
Lee is a founding member of SingletrAction, a voluntary group which helps design and build off-road tracks.
He raced road bikes as a child and last year started racing again for the first time in 17 years.
But he had never considered cycling to work until he faced the daily commute to Leeds, opening Bang & Olufsen's new outlet on Vicar Lane in August.
He installed a shower as an incentive to cycle, and the apartment above the shop, means he can store clean shirts.
His workmate Jules Biggs, 29, has just moved up from London to work at the Leeds store and after starting on Monday has already got in the saddle, riding in from his home in Ripley, Harrogate, with Lee.
The full article contains 419 words and appears in n/a newspaper.Last Updated: 14 January 2008 11:02 AM
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Comments
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crikey they must be short of news in Yorkshire today!<a>road</a>0
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Yep I was thinking it was a strangely parochial sounding tale - the writer must know the bloke and have a bit of copy to fill - or maybe he has just woken up to the fact there are these strange people who ride to work. 0 -
Ah some of the stuff Ive seen out of local news over the years, including stuff involving friends thats 90% fiction with some minor amount of truth for good measure
I also remember friends of mine grabbed of the street and asked to stand in as competition winners when there had been no entries 0 -
not the most astounding of news stories
but good to see a positive one though!
Jasit looks a bit steep to me.....0 -
Nice one! 26 miles one way, that's a cracking long ride to do 4 days a week.0
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...go Lee and Jules... 8) ...all the way...'til the wheels fall off and burn...0
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We, as cyclists and commuters, couldn't buy good press like this.
I know my commute is quicker in the car, but that's because most of it is on country roads with very little traffic. It's different as soon as get in to town.
Last week one of the guys from work passed me in his car about 4 miles from work. Only about 100 yards from his house. We both had to get across the city. I got to work, locked up my bike, was changed and enjoying a coffee, when this guy walks in. He says "How'd you get here so bloody quick?"
"Well" I say, "I haven't been sat on my arse, have I?"
Then my manager pipes up, and this is the best bit, "When you get here you're more awake than he is and you're not fat!"
I rest my case.It's not the winning or even taking part. It's the arsing about that counts.0 -
Is it possible to do a 26 miles commute in 1 hour and 10 min? Or has Lee been misquoted??0
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...it is possible...but pretty fast......all the way...'til the wheels fall off and burn...0
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In the article it says that he used to race bikes, and recently started up again so I guess depending on the terrain and his general level of fitness it might be possible, still bloody quick tho - I'm happy if I average 18mph on my commute!
Also his 1hr 10 minute quoted time might be just the actual time he's moving, not taking into account stops at traffic lights etc?
Still as mikey said above it's still impressive to do 26 miles each way 4 times a week :-)0 -
Harrogate to Leeds is about that - 1.15 is pretty darn fast
I also doubt he doubled his mile going a safter route - that'd put it closer to 50 miles each way :shock:0 -
Leeds city centre to Harrogate city centre is around 15 miles - so its possible he is increasing it to 26 miles by safer detours.0
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oh yeah...so it is :?
how the hell did i read that wrong :roll:0
