Bike/Bus/Car race for local rag.

Sirius631

Yesterday, I was lounging around just playing on the computer when I receiver a phone call from the the local rag who wanted to know if I'd be interested in helping them out with an article on methods of commuting. They needed someone to cycle from the local supermarket to the town centre, a distance of only 2.6 miles.

So, at 8 this morning, I met up with two reporters and a photographer from the paper and set out to time our respective trips. I was also asked to comment on the road conditions and how I was treated by other road users. I had to report that I had to watch out for potholes, but the traffic was lighter than I expected and there were no issues of poor behavior from other road users.

Anyway, I did the trip in 9min50s, the guy on the bus took 20mins, and the lady in the car took over 30min. The bus guy had to walk a bit at both ends, and the car lady had trouble finding the correct money for the parking.

Just need to wait until Saturday for the article to be published.

CiB

Did you have to do a second run loaded with a week's shopping? That might skew the results.

roger_merriman

CiB wrote:

Did you have to do a second run loaded with a week's shopping? That might skew the results.

depends if up or downhill.....

Sirius631

Unfortunately, my usual commuter/shopping/training bike is in bits as I'm fitting an Ergomo power sensor bottom bracket, so I had to dig out my Pinarello FP5 and set it up with lights.

That journey is downhill.

UndercoverElephant

Sirius631 wrote:

Unfortunately, my usual commuter/shopping/training bike is in bits as I'm fitting an Ergomo power sensor bottom bracket, so I had to dig out my Pinarello FP5 and set it up with lights.

Now THAT would have skewed the results!

Sirius631

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Sirius631 wrote:

Unfortunately, my usual commuter/shopping/training bike is in bits as I'm fitting an Ergomo power sensor bottom bracket, so I had to dig out my Pinarello FP5 and set it up with lights.

Now THAT would have skewed the results!

Nah, the car was worth about the same, and the bus I bet was much more.

I found the close, high gearing of the FP5 to be a bit hard to use right now, although I didn't give it full gas. I think I could have pushed my Condor Agio to the same pace by spinning the 50 ring.

prawny

Which local paper is this? I might pick up a copy. Why would anyone want to use any method of transport to get into walsall though urgh!

Sirius631

prawny wrote:

Which local paper is this? I might pick up a copy. Why would anyone want to use any method of transport to get into walsall though urgh!

It should be in Saturday's Express and Star.

As to why anyone would want to go into Walsall - the aim might be to get out again. There is some limited bike storage at the rail station, and some bike space on some trains, so a bike is a good start to an integrated journey. It's a pity that the Walsall to Telford service was terminated, as I used it a couple of times when I wanted to get to work easily but still be able to get a long ride in on the way home.

fnegroni

CiB wrote:

Did you have to do a second run loaded with a week's shopping? That might skew the results.

IME, not by much.

Besides, the only reason to do a "big" shop is all to do with the cost/time.

Since I have been shopping by bike, and got a pair of decent size panniers, I just go a little more frequently and buy fresher food.

owenlars

prawny wrote:

Which local paper is this? I might pick up a copy. Why would anyone want to use any method of transport to get into walsall though urgh!

There is a very fine art gallery in Walsall which contains the collection of Jacob Epstein, excellent and worth a visit!

Sirius631

fnegroni wrote:

CiB wrote:

Did you have to do a second run loaded with a week's shopping? That might skew the results.

IME, not by much.

Besides, the only reason to do a "big" shop is all to do with the cost/time.

Since I have been shopping by bike, and got a pair of decent size panniers, I just go a little more frequently and buy fresher food.

+1. Plus I shop closer to home, rather than in the town centre.

prawny

owenlars wrote:

prawny wrote:

Which local paper is this? I might pick up a copy. Why would anyone want to use any method of transport to get into walsall though urgh!

There is a very fine art gallery in Walsall which contains the collection of Jacob Epstein, excellent and worth a visit!

Probably true, I'm crap when it comes to art though. In my opinion the only reason to go to walsall died when Sundown records shut down.

Was this race from Sainsbury's near the M6 by any chance? I rode that route once, to the train station much better by bike than car, the junctiomn by the police station can be a PITA.

Sirius631

prawny wrote:

Was this race from Sainsbury's near the M6 by any chance? I rode that route once, to the train station much better by bike than car, the junctiomn by the police station can be a PITA.

No, the trip was from Bloxwich Asda. If it was from Sainsbury's, I would have given more consideration to dusting off the mountain bike and going via the canal towpaths. And yes, I do have a British Waterways towpath license.

The lights by the police station - tell me about it! There is a double set of lights there where the second set do nothing useful, changing from red to green and back again whilst the preceeding set are still sat on red!

prawny

Sirius631 wrote:

prawny wrote:

Was this race from Sainsbury's near the M6 by any chance? I rode that route once, to the train station much better by bike than car, the junctiomn by the police station can be a PITA.

No, the trip was from Bloxwich Asda. If it was from Sainsbury's, I would have given more consideration to dusting off the mountain bike and going via the canal towpaths. And yes, I do have a British Waterways towpath license.

The lights by the police station - tell me about it! There is a double set of lights there where the second set do nothing useful, changing from red to green and back again whilst the preceeding set are still sat on red!

Ahh I thought it would have been further than that from there. So you got to use the excellent cyclepath by the footbal ground that's full of glass and right where drivers doors open.

Sirius631

prawny wrote:

Ahh I thought it would have been further than that from there. So you got to use the excellent cyclepath by the footbal ground that's full of glass and right where drivers doors open.

No, although I had initially though of cutting through the bypassed bit of Green Lane from Bloxwich Road to the A34 I thought better of it, heading straight down Bloxwich Road, turning left into Proffitt Street, right into North Street, and into the town centre via Hatherton Street/Hatherton Road. I took the Proffitt Street cut-through to avoid any potential jam from Day Street onto the ring road.

I know the cyclepath you talk of and, if I ever do ride down that stretch, I ride further into the road than the path marking.

Chicane-UK

Hehe... curiosity demands to know whether you took a leisurely pootle or whether you were going like fury? Either way it's great to see the bike score so well against the other types of transport... I can barely believe there will be a bit of 'positive' cycle news in a local rag!

Sirius631

Chicane-UK wrote:

Hehe... curiosity demands to know whether you took a leisurely pootle or whether you were going like fury? Either way it's great to see the bike score so well against the other types of transport... I can barely believe there will be a bit of 'positive' cycle news in a local rag!

I can't say it was really leisurely but I can't do full flight pace without a warm-up. The ride to the start is literally 2 minutes for me. Where I thought I could do 27mph I was doing just over 21. Averaged 17mph where I thought your average commuter would do 14mph.