commuting?Is it worth the hassle?

alfablue

chewa wrote:

alfa - no prejudices here, so yes.

Thank you - when do I start? (And what do I do...head poop-a-scoopist?)

chewa

alfablue wrote:

chewa wrote:

alfa - no prejudices here, so yes.

Thank you - when do I start? (And what do I do...head poop-a-scoopist?)

Ah now! you have to work up to that!

carlstone

Best move I ever made was to stop using bicycle routes and ride exclusively on the road. Bike routes tend to attract dogs, n0bheads, kids drinking alcohopops (which they then take great delight in smashing all over the track), vagrants, kids on mopeds/minibikes/scramblers etc etc. How anyone can get up to 18mph+ is beyond me!

Cycle routes are great for families with young kids, but in the most part totally unsuitable for sharing with your average reasonbly fit cyclist.

neslon

carlstone wrote:

Cycle routes are great for families with young kids, but in the most part totally unsuitable for sharing with your average reasonbly fit cyclist.

Spot on. I was on a cycle route down the northumberland coast at the weekend with the wife & kids & would have found it difficult to work up a sweat - commute on one? Not likely!

alfablue

neslon wrote:

carlstone wrote:

Cycle routes are great for families with young kids, but in the most part totally unsuitable for sharing with your average reasonbly fit cyclist.

Spot on. I was on a cycle route down the northumberland coast at the weekend with the wife & kids & would have found it difficult to work up a sweat - commute on one? Not likely!

Cycling Monday to Friday at 7.30 am is quite different to the weekend, and the Bristol to Bath Railway Path is no ordinary shared path, commuting is encouraged and is part of its raison d'etre.

lvquestpaddler

Yeah, think I'm coming around to this idea of using the roads again. That jaunt I was also nearly hit by a teenager on a motorbike coming the other way near the (permanent) travellers site, I also had to negotiate around the fire brigade whos hoses were dropped off the old A9 road bridge onto the path on both sides to fill their tanks out of the river Almond (and strange how this helmet-less youth must have passed over their hoses too as I saw him again beyond where they were- you'd think the FB would radio that in to their rozzer mates?). Cycle paths -marvellous on paper I suppose. When the Tay floods (fairly frequent these days)and backs up the confluence of the Almond the underside of one of the bridges is not passable, and when the water subsides leaves 6" of mud... Actually, this is a crap commute, now I really think about it!!!
I've joined the CTC and will adhere to red lights (unless there is no traffic around- why do they do that? Change just to f**k you up when the road is empty?!!!), If I get banjo'd I'll sue everyone in the vicinity, Americano style....

dirk_van_gently

Please don't blame the dogs, I'm not a dog owner BTW, it's the bloody owners who are just too thick to realise that dogs have a mind of their own, and are inquisitive. I have been very fortunate on my commutes, in 2 half years I have never really had a problem. On the few occassions that I have bumped into folk walking their dogs, the owners have always taken control of them and let me pass, to which I always give a big thank you. Dogs are spooked by pedalling, they see your legs whizzing around, and mistake that for kicking out at them, I usually find the best option is to stop pedalling, and roll past.

carlstone

you'd think the FB would radio that in to their rozzer mates?

(permanent) travellers site

I think you have answered your own question. A large American pit bull type dog alledgedly owned by some salt of the earth Romany types mauled a horse ridden by an elderly lady near us last year while she was on the bridleway/cycle path. Funnily enough when the Police went round the travellers had no knowledge of the dog. It was thought the dog was shipped off somewhere else in the country to wreak havoc there. Our modern PC world has no way of dealing with those who have no morals and that choose to live outside the law.

Wynne G Oldman

I used to use my local cycle route between Radcliffe and Agecroft to commute (cycle route 6, I think). It wasn't too bad in the morning, but on the way home, when all the unemployed hoodies had finally got out of bed, they made the route unusable, letting their pit bull type dogs roam unleashed. I got fed up with having dogs snapping at my ankles whilst their owners looked on laughing. I use the road now, and much prefer it. Just seems a shame that Sustrans has invested so much money in this type of scheme, only for it to be rendered virtually useless to the people who it was meant for, by the less responsible of our society.

paulja

I've also given up with cycle route 4 by the river kennet in the evenings, for the same reasons as those above.

There is a particularly unpleasant part, where a grubby pub has unhelpfully narrowed the path by placing tables all over it, I've gotten feed up with their (drunk) customers deliberately blocking the path, or trying to push me off. Much of the surrounding area seems to be a haven for hoodies and worse.

I'd rather take my chances on the main road.

Matteeboy

I'm a daily cycle commuter and dog owner and lover.

Am I unique?!

Never been attacked or even looked at by a strange dog while cycling and would never ever be without a dog of our own (ridiculously obedient 18 month old black lab bitch).

While there are some valid dog comments on here, some of you should get a life methinks.

lvquestpaddler

Some of us are trying to get lifes, and cycling to work safely should be part of them. Not everyone is comfortable around them (dogs, and hoodies/tinks!)and therefore they really should be leashed when in proximity to paths designated for use by cyclists and walkers. If not then one group is technically bullying another. To the best of my knowledge canines did not invent tarmacadam and certainly have not developed the means to lay a path, these are human solutions to human transport needs. But someones defecating daft mutt running riot still trumps the needs of the cyclist.
Matteeboy, you're obviously a proud dog owner(quite right too, obviously a responsible one), but maybe your familiarity with them allows you to exude some sort of pheromone which chills dogs out, not clearly the pheromone that the ones I encounter must be picking up on- that must be soome subconscious fear thing that turns them psycho...

DavidTQ

I got a reaction from a dog I passed today, not sure if it was fear or aggression the noise made me jump a little The dog was on the pavement on a leash with another dof on a leash and its owner and I was in the cycle lane.

Im a former dog owner I dont hate dogs by any means, but I dont like it when owners allow their dogs to bark and jump up at my childrens faces :evil: They may be reacting friendly but its still a good way to get a very evil look from a parent.

lvquestpaddler

I seriously don't hate dogs either, it's just you never truly know how they may react. Sure, the owners [/i]probably do, and many who have barely any verbal control let them off with the hope they'll come back when the dog wants to. It's just inconsiderate, we get loads of stick for hurtling past people, having no lights, running traffic lights, cycling on pedestrian only pavements etc, we all know the script, and many of us are intelligent enough not to do it, yet many dog OWNERS do not really take responsible courses of actions when they come in contact with other groups. I witness what is also clearly owners letting their dogs off so they can conveniently turn a blind eye when it craps 30 yards behind them. If they were on leads by their sides they would be more obliged to pick up the mess if other "path users" were watching their reactions (which a hardcore of them will never ever consider doing!).

Matteeboy

Maybe it's something about being in Cornwall?

I'm hearing all these horror stories (and got my face chewed by a dog when I was 3 - nearly lost an eye, yet no fear of dogs) yet I see very little bad dog/owner behaviour around here.
There are hundreds of them around too - especially in parks and on the beach.

Maybe dogs are just happier and more chilled out down here?!

Oh and our dogs poops in our woods (about three acres of them). So we never have to clear it up

Off to stroke her soft little ears right now...

Joshua82

It is certainly hard work although I much prefer the ride home than the ride in. After sitting at a computer all day it is great to be able to stretch my legs and excercise. Plus drivers seem more 'withit' so I don't feel in quite so much danger!

What do you reckon?

BentMikey

I would also use the road and not a shared path, and I wouldn't be getting so stressed about slowing down for pedestrians and dogs either.

lvquestpaddler

Tried the road several times and it's decidedly far worse than the shared path, so I've decided to use the path and slow right down for
1/old spunkers
2/dogs
3/dogs+prams
4/dogs+prams+wayward toddlers
5/dogs+prams+wayward toddlers+ thick parents
I just treat it as a few wee intervals get up to sprint after I pass. Lets face it the air is cleaner, no diesel on roundabouts, no danger of getting hit by a vehicle.
I've allowed an extra 5 mins journey time so I can go slow when necessary and even say good morning/hello to all I pass now. It's the only way I can get to work not in a rage so I suppose I've adapted to the situation under the circumstances which are unlikely to change. My attitude did stink a little before, I have to admit... :oops: