Commuting in Scotland

suzyb

I was just wondering how many people here were Scottish commuters.

I'm sitting here looking out at yet another wet and windy day and wondered just how popular commuting actually is up here. Do many people regularly brave the wonderful Scottish weather to bike to work and do you still do so in winter.

UndercoverElephant

There are quite a few of us up here. I've not personally done too much during the winter, being relatively new to this lark, and I'm not sure that I will. But I do know a good number who cycle in all weathers.

Wallace1492

Hi, Glasgow commuter here. On saying that, on the train today, as the delights of getting soaked this morning as well as on way home last night were too much for me. Also shoes not dried out, and just hate putting on wet cycling shoes in the morning.

I started last August and have tried to keep going in winter as much as possible, made it to December, and even did the odd January one. Will just be weather dependent.

Its great fun and you do get the "holier than thou" glow when you fight through the rain, hail and freezing fog and snow, and that is just in July!!

dUNC

If it makes you feel any better mate, it's just as grim here in Manchester. Fairly apocalpytic looking out the window right now!

always_tyred

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I've not personally done too much during the winter

Burn him!

Satans Budgie

Monday - Thusday, use the car on Fridays if not I would be riding 7 days a week. 10 miles each way in and out of St Andrews. Choice of 4 routes all lumpy. Best part of the day is the ride in and the ride home against the ubiquitous wind.

daviesee

I make my decision in the morning based on 2 items of weather

Frost, snow, ice - no

Heavy rain - no

I don't mind the cold but don't fancy sliding under a lorry.
I will happily cycle home in the rain but I detest putting on wet gear from earlier.

All other days, yes! Doesn't leave much though

Wallace1492

daviesee wrote:

I make my decision in the morning based on 2 items of weather

Frost, snow, ice - no

Heavy rain - no

I don't mind the cold but don't fancy sliding under a lorry.
I will happily cycle home in the rain but I detest putting on wet gear from earlier.

All other days, yes! Doesn't leave much though

Aye, I cycle those 5 days a year too!!

UndercoverElephant

Always Tyred wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I've not personally done too much during the winter

Burn him!

As long as you don't freeze me

To be fair to myself, I only started cycling again in May - winter enough some days though.

toybhoy

Cycle through city centre to the east end of glasgow. Only started commuting and will aim to do it through the winter.

Station

I'm in Falkirk - I normally only get to ride the whole journey (6 - 8 miles depending) on Thursdays & Fridays & I only get to do that until the clocks change (the fast, narrow, unlit country road has been deemed 'out of bounds' for dark commutes by the financial controller :oops: )

However, I do usually park up & Brompton the last couple of miles after I've dropped the kids off & I manage that all through the winter (yay streetlights :P ). Surprised how good the Brompton handles on snow - even managed to stay up while being heavily snowballed by youfs. :shock: :evil: (but also :roll: )

Mattinthezie

Hi, another Glasgow commuter here. Usually about 10 miles in to town and back, although I sometimes get the train back if I'm too knackered.

I commute all year round, just use different bikes depending on the weather, road bike most of the time, but when it is really icy or it snows I use a mountain bike and go on the canal path.

Got some Ay Ups lights for last winter and that mad a huge difference to the commute - much easier to see where I was going, and be seen by other road users!

hillrep

Hi, yet another all year round commuter in Glasgow here.
I have a shower at work so even getting soaked on the way in is not a problem.

Snow is generally cleared from main roads quickly enough not to be a problem, so it is only black ice that scares me

Wallace1492

hillrep wrote:

it is only black ice that scares me

.... Obviously you don't commute down Maryhill Road!!

soy_sauce

Aberdeen, 5 days a week.

as long as its not snowing and icy, i will be commuting.

"there is no such thing as Bad Weather, just Bad Clothing"

wgwarburton

Hi,

I've biked through the last couple of winters but havn't been commuting since May (no job!).

Cheers,
W.

cee

yip...

Although I don't really feel like I get soaked that much to be honest......

last winter seemed especially dry.

suzyb

Didn't think there would be so many tbh. I know it can be popular in the summer in the cities (where the cycle paths extend longer than half a mile) but didn't think so many people braved the winter.

I personally wont be commuting as such, I work from home so don't need to however I was intending on going by bike instead of car when I can. Of course come the winter I will need to get a good set of lights since I'll also by cycling along a fast unlit (and very very busy) country road.

Now I just need to find somewhere that sells waterproofs in my size

mitchell_inman

Black ice and very high winds are the 2 things that will put me off commuting on the bike.

Getting soaked doesn't really bother me, but I'm lucky enough to have showers at work, and the round trip's only 10 miles.

pedalo delgado

Glasgow too - but only four miles into the business district, where the office has showers, dryers and storage - mmmm.
(insert smug comment here) :roll:

Doing it for just over a year, thinking four days a week would drain off the fat but hey ho still thirteen stone - at least some of it converted to muscle and the wee hump of a hill at Larkfield bus depot stopped feeling like a b*****d category tour climb after the first month

Find I actually enjoy the heavy rain days as it feeds my sense of masochism - though never on snow, ice or 25+mph wind days.
(motorbike today cos the wind was howling first thing)

Generally its great fun, as long as I'm aggressive enough to hold the lane in the face of mental cage drivers - most are really nice but of late I get wary whenever I see an X5 or Cayenne approaching - best to just get the hell out of dodge when they are around
(yeah I know sweeping generalisation but hey ho the boards are full of them)

Oh and the run along the waterfront on summer mornings is great for viewing human life in its magnificent variety

G

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-spider-

Regular commuter here. However, living in a rural area snow does put the kybosh on it sometimes (even for the car!).

There a quite a number that commute all year round (maybe not every day) and sometimes I take the car part-way, especially in winter (condition of roads (single track, no light on them, as well as the more usual potholes, etc). We have our fair share of crazy drivers (and cyclists, sad to say) but it doesn't seem to be as bad as our colleagues in London.

suzyb

I would think it would be too dangerous to cycle in high winds where I am anyway. The road leading out of town is a 60mph limit and is surrounded by fields. And you have to be alert enough in a car to avoid being blown into the other lane in high winds.

White Line

Got to love the Scottish weather, eh? Been rain for how long now? Five weeks?

To be honest, the only weather that stops me from commuting would be icy roads, extreme winds, and rain where it bounces more than a foot off the ground. Oh, and maybe heavy hail too - don't want little balls of ice hitting you in the face at 25 mph.

pedalo delgado wrote:

... the wee hump of a hill at Larkfield bus depot stopped feeling like a b*****d category tour climb after the first month

I know the one. I hate the bit before that; it looks flat, but it's not! :evil:

The worst thing about the snow is I have to shoulder the bike for ten minutes to get to the main road.

I can't wait to get a proper job! I'll be able to commute in proper clothes and have a shower when I arrive. Ach well, only three more years of uni left. I've been considering joining the gym at my uni so I can have a quick shower, but I can't be bothered taking a change of clothes to uni every day. :? Looks like I'll have to give up SCR for now ...

The snow always brings the neds throwing snowballs. Usually they just jump out in front of me when the ground is snow free. Anybody ever cycled through Castlemilk? It's a joy!

pedalo delgado

White Line wrote:

I know the one. I hate the bit before that; it looks flat, but it's not! :evil:

You are sooo right - in the beginning that bit used to rip out any energy I had.
Not so bad since -
1. Getting lighter bike (trek soho)
2. Going clipless (well, those half flattie half spd thingies in case an emergency munchies trip is needed)
3. Getting fitter (debate still ongoing lol)
4. Installing super soft gel saddle doodah (possibly for burds but my fat ass cares not)

G

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Wallace1492

White Line wrote:

Anybody ever cycled through Castlemilk? It's a joy!

So is Maryhill Road at certain times, the locals have usually risen by 5.30 and swilling on Buckie!!

suzyb

lol that's one advantage the country has I guess. You may have to dice with death as cars pass at 60mph but cows can't throw snowballs :P

nwallace

I seem to cycle the 7 miles into Ninewells more in the winter.

I never really enter darkness though and i've only been out once in proper darkness (decided to take a trip over to Alyth, descending through Templeton woods at god knows what speed with lights that show up nothing isn't fun)

Kieran_Burns

-null- wrote:

lol that's one advantage the country has I guess. You may have to dice with death as cars pass at 60mph but cows can't throw snowballs :P

Cows aren't entirely safe you know?

You try wheeling your bike through a herd of the mooing monsters when one spooks and EVERY damn' one panics. I try to explain I'm a vegetarian but it doesn't seem to matter!

Then when one cow gets on the bridleway and... gets scared. Then the 'scared' gets spread all over all the damn' path and somehow at least 6' up the hedges on each side. :shock:

Wallace1492

Kieran_Burns wrote:

-null- wrote:

lol that's one advantage the country has I guess. You may have to dice with death as cars pass at 60mph but cows can't throw snowballs :P

Cows aren't entirely safe you know?

You try wheeling your bike through a herd of the mooing monsters when one spooks and EVERY damn' one panics. I try to explain I'm a vegetarian but it doesn't seem to matter!

Then when one cow gets on the bridleway and... gets scared. Then the 'scared' gets spread all over all the damn' path and somehow at least 6' up the hedges on each side. :shock:

You need a set of "scared" catcher mudguards, then again maybe you don't want to catch it....

suzyb

Kieran_Burns wrote:

[Cows aren't entirely safe you know?

You try wheeling your bike through a herd of the mooing monsters when one spooks and EVERY damn' one panics. I try to explain I'm a vegetarian but it doesn't seem to matter!

Then when one cow gets on the bridleway and... gets scared. Then the 'scared' gets spread all over all the damn' path and somehow at least 6' up the hedges on each side. :shock:

Yeah I know what they can do when they get spooked. Kid was killed not far from here when his fathers car hit one when the herd jumped the fence after being spooked.

Wallace1492 wrote:

You need a set of "scared" catcher mudguards, then again maybe you don't want to catch it....

I don't need to catch it. It gets spread over the fields to help with the crops and when the wind blows in a certain direction

moray_gub

-null- wrote:

I was just wondering how many people here were Scottish commuters.

I'm sitting here looking out at yet another wet and windy day and wondered just how popular commuting actually is up here. Do many people regularly brave the wonderful Scottish weather to bike to work and do you still do so in winter.

Fife to Grangemouth every day round trip of around 18 miles of which about 12 miles is country roads so a decent set of lights is a must only thing that makes me reconsider is snow and even then ill just do it by mountain bike. Though the snow never seems that bad in the Forth Valley plus i like getting to work by bike when its snowing, work colleagues seem to overreact as if you cycled through an arctic tundra As for your 2nd point seems more and more folks at my work are cycling regularly especially since the bike to wok scheme was introduced.