New Commuter and loving it!

rowing_sculling

Having started a new job in the last couple of months I decided that my short break from sport (ended up being about 2 years!) should come to an end. So having worked out how to get a bike on train in rush hour (FGW don't seem to want to make it that easy) I now cycle 10 miles to the station each morning before putting the bike on the train to work and then have a short cycle into the office. Having only ever really cycled in the countryside where most routes are fairly light on traffic cycling through London has been a bit of a shock to the system.

I have only been doing this for 10 days and so far have managed to cycle in lovely sunny, but cold, weather, snow, rain, and hail. I suppose that if I keep going now the summer should be a joy. Thankfully I seem to have the right clothing, although will need to buy some more longs after the seam in a pair has come undone, bit miffed really as they cost a fortune and no one seems to have anymore in stock at the moment as they are starting to stock summer stuff. I always thought rowing kit was expensive, but cycling stuff seems to be in a different league.

The wife banned me from cycling today and I missed the ride in! Does that mean I'm addicted already? :shock:

R_T_A

Yep - join the gang. Wait until you start "working late" so you can do extended journeys home

And join the stats league so you can track your mileage - then it gets competitive as well as addictive :shock:

http://www.startfarm.co.uk/aspStats/

rowing_sculling

I've already tried a couple of longer routes home, so it seems that things are only set to get better, or worse depending on who you are!

I'll give the stats league a go, I like the sound of competitive and addictive, sounds similar to rowing all over again. My wife was overjoyed when I stopped rowing so that she could see me a bit more, she won't be happy if cycling takes me down the same route!

Agent57

rowing_sculling wrote:

I always thought rowing kit was expensive

I thought my Concept 2 model D was expensive (£940 when I bought it 6 years ago), but that's peanuts compared to some of the bikes I've been looking at lately.

OldSkoolKona

Welcome!

When you're cycling home in the rain with a grin on your face, thats when you know you're addicted.

Rooner

And when you turn down the opportunity for a lift home from work, even though there is a 40mph headwind and horizontal rain, then you know you are truly hooked!

Mind you, as many people on here also say, its so much more pleasant to be in grim weather on your bike, than stuck in traffic. I'll take the rain any day rather than bumper to bumper miserable stuck in traffic.

ince

The stats table will take you to a dark place where you can no longer even consider taking another form of transport to work for fear of dropping a place.

My wife has even picked up on this. My father was in town and asked her if I would want a lift home one night. She correctly said no as I wouldn't want to lose the mileage.

Kieran_Burns

rowing_sculling wrote:

I've already tried a couple of longer routes home, so it seems that things are only set to get better, or worse depending on who you are!

I'll give the stats league a go, I like the sound of competitive and addictive, sounds similar to rowing all over again. My wife was overjoyed when I stopped rowing so that she could see me a bit more, she won't be happy if cycling takes me down the same route!

This would be bad. You would get wet and your bike rusty.

rowing_sculling

Agent57 wrote:

rowing_sculling wrote:

I always thought rowing kit was expensive

I thought my Concept 2 model D was expensive (£940 when I bought it 6 years ago), but that's peanuts compared to some of the bikes I've been looking at lately.

Thankfully bikes are relatively cheap compared to boats. My last boat was about £7,500 (excluding the cost of getting it shipped to the UK) on top of that I paid £300 for a new pair of oars, and £450 for a bag to put the boat in. So paying £2,500 for a bike is somewhat easier to justify!

Bassjunkieuk

Welcome rowing_sculling!
Not wanting to nudge you in any way but more a word of warning (or stick and carrot......) but I'd stay well clear of the thread marked "Silly Commuting Racing" if I was you, if you think mileage stats is bad just wait until you read the war stories in that monster thread!

Cafewanda

Ignore him rowing_sculling, that's just BJ's way of forcing you into SCR

Welcome. I look forward to reading your posts in in said thread, by the way 8)

PS: It might not be a wise move to let the Mrs know you frequent this board because we would be forced to deny leading you into temptation.........

itboffin

rowing_sculling wrote:

Having started a new job in the last couple of months I decided that my short break from sport (ended up being about 2 years!) should come to an end. So having worked out how to get a bike on train in rush hour (FGW don't seem to want to make it that easy) I now cycle 10 miles to the station each morning before putting the bike on the train to work and then have a short cycle into the office. Having only ever really cycled in the countryside where most routes are fairly light on traffic cycling through London has been a bit of a shock to the system.

I have only been doing this for 10 days and so far have managed to cycle in lovely sunny, but cold, weather, snow, rain, and hail. I suppose that if I keep going now the summer should be a joy. Thankfully I seem to have the right clothing, although will need to buy some more longs after the seam in a pair has come undone, bit miffed really as they cost a fortune and no one seems to have anymore in stock at the moment as they are starting to stock summer stuff. I always thought rowing kit was expensive, but cycling stuff seems to be in a different league.

The wife banned me from cycling today and I missed the ride in! Does that mean I'm addicted already? :shock:

mmm seems like this "wife" of yours is stunting your true potential, so just how much do you "really" love her :P

rowing_sculling

So the keys seems to be to take a greater interest is the SCR thread, and starting "having to work late" on a more regular basis. Sounds good to me.

MonkeyMonster

What's yer fcn to begin with cox?

R_T_A

Oh, and a separate bank account for "necessities" like......erm....a carbon bottle cage.

And the bike owners formula for how many bikes you need:

N+1

(N = How many bikes you have)

rowing_sculling

I reckon my FCN is 4, gulp sounds a bit tough!

cjcp

ince wrote:

The stats table will take you to a dark place where you can no longer even consider taking another form of transport to work for fear of dropping a place.

My wife has even picked up on this. My father was in town and asked her if I would want a lift home one night. She correctly said no as I wouldn't want to lose the mileage.

EDIT: Oh, and welcome RS. What's your route?

cjcp

rowing_sculling wrote:

So the keys seems to be to take a greater interest is the SCR thread, and starting "having to work late" on a more regular basis. Sounds good to me.

Another option is this:

Get changed, get you and the bike out the door, then text the Mrs saying, "I'm leaving in about 15 mins." "About" gives you a further tolerance of around 5 mins.

I don't do this. A friend of mine does it. I think he's a bad, bad person.

cjcp

rowing_sculling wrote:

Agent57 wrote:

rowing_sculling wrote:

I always thought rowing kit was expensive

I thought my Concept 2 model D was expensive (£940 when I bought it 6 years ago), but that's peanuts compared to some of the bikes I've been looking at lately.

Thankfully bikes are relatively cheap compared to boats. My last boat was about £7,500 (excluding the cost of getting it shipped to the UK) on top of that I paid £300 for a new pair of oars, and £450 for a bag to put the boat in. So paying £2,500 for a bike is somewhat easier to justify!

£300 for some paddles!!!! WTH :shock:

rowing_sculling

Rowing kit is fairly expensive but clothing is fairly cheap, unlike cycling where kit seems fairly expensive and clothing costs a fortune - where do Assos get their prices from?

Route wise I cycle from Paddington to Savile Row, so not that far and when I go along often not that many people to try and cycle past!

rowing_sculling

Rowing kit is fairly expensive but clothing is fairly cheap, unlike cycling where kit seems fairly expensive and clothing costs a fortune - where do Assos get their prices from?

Route wise I cycle from Paddington to Savile Row, so not that far and when I go along often not that many people to try and cycle past!

Bassjunkieuk

CJCP - Why are you surprised paddles cost £300? How much is that carbon Lightweight rear mech or even the wheel skewers on Wiggle?

I actually found a paddle in my loft when we first moved in :-) Doubt it's a £300 one but it should do if I ever get the kids an inflatable raft!

lost_in_thought

Welcome!

If there's any commuter that strikes fear into the heart of an SCR-er, it's the one who looks like a rower.

And Assos get their prices by asking what the man on the street would pay, then cubing it.

rowing_sculling

lost_in_thought wrote:

Welcome!

If there's any commuter that strikes fear into the heart of an SCR-er, it's the one who looks like a rower.

Does that have anything to do with the fact it is a novelty for me to see where I am going without looking over my shoulder?

lost_in_thought

rowing_sculling wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Welcome!

If there's any commuter that strikes fear into the heart of an SCR-er, it's the one who looks like a rower.

Does that have anything to do with the fact it is a novelty for me to see where I am going without looking over my shoulder?

It's the absence of a healthy fear of fetid water.

cjcp

rowing_sculling wrote:

Route wise I cycle from Paddington to Savile Row, so not that far and when I go along often not that many people to try and cycle past!

Nowhere near me then. Good. Enough rowers on my route tearing up the road already.

rowing_sculling

I used to cycle to the rowing club, and like most other rowers at the time we had an unhealthy disregard of everyone and everything that wasn't another rower. I never spent much time rowing on the tideway and am generally rather sceptical about the water quality of it. I much prefered the cleaner part of the Thames in Oxfordshire.