Thinking of taking up cycling to work for new job

milfredo
milfredo Posts: 322
edited July 2008 in Commuting chat
Hi all,

History wise I am a mountain biker through and through with about 15 years under the belt with a large amount of experience in the toughest off-road conditions.

I currently commute from Hertfordshire in London to work in the city. Simple 45 mins door to door on trains and tube. The new job will be in Canary wharf and the idea of getting hot tubes that much further each day seems like a nightmare so I'm thinking of riding it (and the exercise will benefit my MTBing)

Does anyone currently travel from Euston to Canary Wharf and what are good routes?
Bikes- I'd need one I can punish (hop curbs, bump down steps etc) but it would need to fold. Do they exist?
Bag - I would need to change into a suit so what bag could carry a days clobber + supplies with comfort?
Dryness - Clothes to be worn year round for commuting?

Any general advice would be welcome, as it all seems rather daunting at the moment.

Cheers,

Will

Comments

  • RufusA
    RufusA Posts: 500
    milfredo wrote:
    Bikes- I'd need one I can punish (hop curbs, bump down steps etc)

    WHY?

    IMHO anyone wishing to hop curbs and bump down steps in the London commuting rush is a menace and should be FIRMLY discouraged from cycling.

    Rufus.
  • ChrisLS
    ChrisLS Posts: 2,749
    ...if you want to ride Will you will find a way... :D how about having one day off the bike when you take a weeks supply of shirts etc into work.?

    Riding to work is just the best way to travel and has so many benifits, increased fitness, mental wellbeing, and most of all you get to race other commuters and have fun :D ...yep riding the commute is the best fun ever!
    ...all the way...'til the wheels fall off and burn...
  • milfredo
    milfredo Posts: 322
    RufusA wrote:
    milfredo wrote:
    Bikes- I'd need one I can punish (hop curbs, bump down steps etc)

    WHY?

    IMHO anyone wishing to hop curbs and bump down steps in the London commuting rush is a menace and should be FIRMLY discouraged from cycling.

    Sorry, I probably made it sound like I would be up and down pavements and using flights of steps as short cuts but it wasn't my intension. I was meant to be implying that coming from an MTB background that a fold-up bike seems like it would fall appart. More to do with the fact that I would hop a drain rather than bump over it etc. All rules of the road have alway applied to date (15 years of riding) and I think I am responsible road user. For instance, I hate cyclists that don't give way on crossings and I come into contact with at least 3 a day. It drives me metal.
  • milfredo
    milfredo Posts: 322
    ChrisLS wrote:
    ...if you want to ride Will you will find a way... :D how about having one day off the bike when you take a weeks supply of shirts etc into work.?

    Riding to work is just the best way to travel and has so many benifits, increased fitness, mental wellbeing, and most of all you get to race other commuters and have fun :D ...yep riding the commute is the best fun ever!

    This is what I am thinking. Wind up on way in, wind down on route home. Get fit and have fun. Thinking about it, the money I save on travel will probably mean that I can have the shirts cleaned near work and still be quids in.
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    folding bikes will get you on trains during peak hours... you're probably looking at something like a Dahon which is a full size mtb/hybrid frame folding in the middle, no idea about performance though...

    Euston to CW... head over to old street or through clerkenwell (not ridden them enough at rush hour to really make an informed decision) then A13 I suspect would be quickest
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • woodford2barbican
    woodford2barbican Posts: 1,505
    Where are you based in Herts? Is it possible to cycle the whole way?
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    woodford2barbican wrote:
    Where are you based in Herts? Is it possible to cycle the whole way?

    it'd probably be canal path nearly the whole way I suspect
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • milfredo
    milfredo Posts: 322
    woodford2barbican wrote:
    Where are you based in Herts? Is it possible to cycle the whole way?

    Bushey. I would need to build up to it as my current fitness would probably get me there but not back.

    I was looking at the Dahon, they seem to apeal to me the most.
  • meanwhile
    meanwhile Posts: 392
    milfredo wrote:

    Sorry, I probably made it sound like I would be up and down pavements and using flights of steps as short cuts but it wasn't my intension. I was meant to be implying that coming from an MTB background that a fold-up bike seems like it would fall appart. More to do with the fact that I would hop a drain rather than bump over it etc. All rules of the road have alway applied to date (15 years of riding) and I think I am responsible road user. For instance, I hate cyclists that don't give way on crossings and I come into contact with at least 3 a day. It drives me metal.

    There are such things as folding MTBs that are reputed to be able to take a real hammering. The Hummer bike was designed for US military use - http://www.hummerbikes.com/ , http://www.montaguebikes.co.uk/

    It's cheaper if you buy the version without the Hummer branding, I believe. Obviously, be wary and check lots of reviews on any folding bike that you plan to ride aggressively.
  • DancesWithSheep
    DancesWithSheep Posts: 51
    I ride Marylebone to Canary Wharf every day and buzz past Euston

    Here's the route to work for me - http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1809042
    As an internet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or cycling helmets approaches one
  • milfredo
    milfredo Posts: 322
    DancesWithSheep wrote:
    I ride Marylebone to Canary Wharf every day and buzz past Euston

    Here's the route to work for me - http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1809042

    That's the route I was looking at. How do you find it and how long does it take?
  • DancesWithSheep
    DancesWithSheep Posts: 51
    milfredo wrote:
    That's the route I was looking at. How do you find it and how long does it take?
    It's fine tbh.
    In the morning once you're past Aldgate East it's pretty quiet, although I do get into work about 8ish. Hometime it's much of a muchness traffic wise although the Euston Road can get a bit hairy in the evening as the traffic is heavy and there's a fair proportion of *%%"£! dumbsh1t buses, blind taxi-drivers and RLJers. But you get them anywhere.

    Timewise - you'll comfortably beat the Jubilee Line
    As an internet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or cycling helmets approaches one
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    RufusA wrote:
    milfredo wrote:
    Bikes- I'd need one I can punish (hop curbs, bump down steps etc)

    WHY?

    IMHO anyone wishing to hop curbs and bump down steps in the London commuting rush is a menace and should be FIRMLY discouraged from cycling.

    Rufus.

    Yeah, agreed, save it for the woods, there are rules on the road you know.
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • milfredo
    milfredo Posts: 322
    SecretSam wrote:

    Yeah, agreed, save it for the woods, there are rules on the road you know.

    I covered this thanks.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    milfredo wrote:
    SecretSam wrote:

    Yeah, agreed, save it for the woods, there are rules on the road you know.

    I covered this thanks.

    Apols, didn't see it, am on a hair trigger (hare trigger?) today :oops:
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • andrewc3142
    andrewc3142 Posts: 906
    "I would need to build up to it as my current fitness would probably get me there but not back."

    Actually, one way commuting is not a bad option. They're less fussy about bikes on trains in the evening, or you have the choice of a pleasant ride back when you can, when the weather's nice, etc.

    I have a folder for much the same reason you're looking for one (a Brompton) and it's generally fine. But very rarely used since I prefer to just cycle the whole way.

    You don't say how far it is but I'd guess you'd be looking more at a road bike for that.
  • milfredo
    milfredo Posts: 322
    edited July 2008
    andrewc3142 wrote:
    "I would need to build up to it as my current fitness would probably get me there but not back."

    Actually, one way commuting is not a bad option. They're less fussy about bikes on trains in the evening, or you have the choice of a pleasant ride back when you can, when the weather's nice, etc.

    I have a folder for much the same reason you're looking for one (a Brompton) and it's generally fine. But very rarely used since I prefer to just cycle the whole way.

    You don't say how far it is but I'd guess you'd be looking more at a road bike for that.

    When I said 'probably', I actually meant 'no chance'. If I have a 7am start I'll have to leave home at 4.30am just to try and make it in I'm not going to be fresh for the new job.
    If I can hit Euston easily by train, I only have to make a 6 mile journey to work, refreshed for my (hopefully) new job. Also it's only £9 a day using Oyster to Euston, combine this with the cycle to work initiatives, fitness and move out of the city and I'm actually getting excited about the prospects of going the extra miles.
  • Surf-Matt
    Surf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    Be a bit careful with Dahon folders - a friend has one and has had all sorts of problems with it. Might be worth looking at something a bit better made?

    Good you are taking positive steps - I think you're "robust" bike point is totally valid - potholes and the like take no prisoners!
  • meanwhile
    meanwhile Posts: 392
    Surf-Matt wrote:
    Be a bit careful with Dahon folders - a friend has one and has had all sorts of problems with it. Might be worth looking at something a bit better made?

    Dahon have a huge range of bikes - I suspect too big to work all the bugs out of sometimes. Some models seem much better than others. The Hummer/Swissbike seems to be in a different league for robustness to any of Dahon's models.
  • milfredo
    milfredo Posts: 322
    I am liking the Hummer/Swiss bikes, they look sturdy enough and I also like the returns policy.

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