Does having kids affect the option of commuting

DonDaddyD

The Council tax letter came a few days back. This prompted me to have a rant about never being able to get a Garmin and how living in London is just too darn expensive.

Anyway, Mrs DDD and I got speaking about potential places to live. My point about living near a tube station increasing the cost and her need to learn to drive were swiftly swept away. Equally when she started talking about moving further out my mind wandered elsewhere. Its good having conversations with loved ones.

My mind had wandered onto this; if I moved out of London or further out, probably west, south west, I would have further to commute. How far would be too far and what areas are affordable* and nice? I live in Wimbledon work in the city and probably always will as that's where the big players in my sector operate and I like the whole healthcare policy and political arena.

This then bought me onto the realisation that if I had kids, this too would impact on my option of cycling. So of you parent does having children affect your option of cycling to work AND what age do you think is a good age to have kids?

I don't really want to say what I find affordable and not affordable. I no longer discuss wealth. if you have a suggestion and want to make a suggestion to cost then please feel free...

DonDaddyD

For those too lazy to read my long posts, to summise:

Name some good, affordable places to live in the South West, West London direction, but is still possible to commute to work?

Did having kids affect you option of cycling to work? And/or cycling in general?

What age would you recommend having kids?

londonbairn

I live in Ealing and commuting daily is fine to Bishopsgate 8)

Wrath Rob

I'm already in your neck of the woods and love it down our way so I'm not going to recommend anywhere else to live.

Regarding kids, I started cycling after I'd had my first and kids simply wern't a factor in my decision. However, now that I ride I'm in a much better state of mind to play with the kids and put them to bed when I get home. The tube sucks the very life from my bones and turns me into a zombie for the first hour of being at home, not good when you've got little ones happy that Daddy is home

tailwindhome

DonDaddyD wrote:

For those too lazy to read my long posts, to summise:

Name some good, affordable places to live in the South West, West London direction, but is still possible to commute to work?

Dunno, don't know your budget, even if I did I don't know London or England. Try Kirsty and Phil on C4.

Did having kids affect you option of cycling to work? And/or cycling in general?

Indirectly yes. We live in a small coastal town were my wife grew up so that the kids can good to the local school her family have gone to for 3 generations. This however means that I have to travel 30 miles each way for work as there is little available locally. If I worked closer to home I'd cycle daily.

Kids take up a lot of time. 4 take up all your time. The rules are simple, I want to ride at the weekend I must be out and back by lunchtime (one day only)

What age would you recommend having kids?

3 years after the wedding

asprilla

I live in Surrey (Esher, Walton, Hersham, Weybridge) and commute into London every day. I used to go to Tower Hill from there.

Much more affordable than London (I got a 4 bed house with 60 foot garden for the same price as a two bed flat with no garden in Wandsworth) and you get to commute though or round Richmond Park every day.

What more could you ask for?

(Apart from getting rid of the generally prevailing headwind on the way home?)

rjsterry

I reckon Carshalton ticks a fair few boxes. Fairly cheap (certainly when compared with Wimbledon). You can get a 3-bed house with a decent garden and driveway for well under £300K if you don't mind something a bit scruffy that needs some work.

It has good transport connections for when the bike is out of service/I can't be bothered - no-too-crowded (relative to Putney) trains into Victoria, Blackfriars/Farringdon and London Bridge.

Having a daughter has pretty much forced me into more cycling as a Z5 travel card is ruinous, and now that Mrs RJS is earning less I need to save money. Fitting non-commuting cycling around children is tricky, but I would hope that you would find them worth the sacrifice. Normally I'm too knackered by the weekend to ride much, but occasionally I get up early before Mrs RJS and Little M wake up, and get back in time for breakfast. 120-150miles of commuting a week, plus 6 hours sleep a night if I'm lucky means I need some recovery time though.

There is some lovely countryside just a couple of miles further south, with the foothills of the North Downs to provide some interest/challenge, and plenty of quiet country lanes. A little further out, and you are into the Surrey Hills proper, so pretty ideal from that point of view. I have got a few short (<20mile) loops heading south from Carshalton, which suit me fine for a Sunday morning (can let you have details if interested). Having this close to hand makes the fitting in bit much easier.

Furthermore, Sutton Borough Council is very pro cycling, and provides free cycle training for children and adults. Cycling for youngsters is also pretty big in Sutton, with Joanna Rowsell being a graduate of Sutton Cycling Club (very focused on under 18s).

As for the 'right' age to have them, dunno, not sure there is one, but I would say sooner rather than later.

I'll go and collect my cheque from Sutton Council now

DonDaddyD

Asprilla wrote:

I live in Surrey (Esher, Walton, Hersham, Weybridge) and commute into London every day. I used to go to Tower Hill from there.

Much more affordable than London (I got a 4 bed house with 60 foot garden for the same price as a two bed flat with no garden in Wandsworth) and you get to commute though or round Richmond Park every day.

What more could you ask for?

(Apart from getting rid of the generally prevailing headwind on the way home?)

Could you narrow the area down for me. What about Hook or Chessington area, have much knowledge of that?

lost_in_thought

I have a place in Ealing that I pay naff all per month for, but I am led to believe that the area I'm in, while lovely, is the pricey bit. God knows if that's true or not.

But, DDD, in a serious answer to your question, keep a close eye on Brentford. It's just south of Ealing and north of Kew, on the river.

It's currently a thoroughly rough area, BUT it is now at the top of London's urban regeneration list, and the works are starting this year to completely redo the area. I've been involved through work, and it's looking very exciting and promising. It's on the river, South Ealing tube is close by, which is on the Piccadilly, it's a stone's throw from Richmond and Kew parks, and on the water. It also has direct access to the M4 for getting out of the city.

It's part of Hounslow DC, check out their site.

AAP here

amnezia

My council tax is about £700 /year in Wandsworth, pretty cheap compared to most of the other places i've lived.

asprilla

DonDaddyD wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

I live in Surrey (Esher, Walton, Hersham, Weybridge) and commute into London every day. I used to go to Tower Hill from there.

Much more affordable than London (I got a 4 bed house with 60 foot garden for the same price as a two bed flat with no garden in Wandsworth) and you get to commute though or round Richmond Park every day.

What more could you ask for?

(Apart from getting rid of the generally prevailing headwind on the way home?)

Could you narrow the area down for me. What about Hook or Chessington area, have much knowledge of that?

Unfortunately not. I'm in Walton, so I know the places I listed above, plus Oxshott, Leatherhead, Ewell and Epsom. I've never had the need to go to Hook / Chessington other than to turn off the A3 to go to Epsom I'm afraid.

When I was looking to move out of London it was a toss up between Ewell / Epsom and Walton / Weybridge. Walton / Weybridge has the bettwe train lines.

rjsterry

You want water? We've got Wandle! Ok not quite the Thames. However, we do have some proper hills down south, which I'm led to believe you have developed a taste for. Sorry, I seem to have turned this into "my place is better than yours". I'd spend a few Saturdays trying different areas out from a cycling and non-cycling point of view.

asprilla

amnezia wrote:

My council tax is about £700 /year in Wandsworth, pretty cheap compared to most of the other places i've lived.

That's because Wandsworth is one of the cheapest in the country. It also has pretty good services (or did when I lived there; could teach other councils a thing or two).

R_T_A

The simple answers first:

Did having kids affect you option of cycling to work?
No - although you'll be tired. A lot.
And/or cycling in general?
I do 20 miles, 5 days a week. I don't have time to do more cycling apart from extended routes home, but that's just me!
What age would you recommend having kids?
Whenever you're both feel you're ready. But it will still be a joy and a shock
(I was 34 and the wife 31, and 16 months later we're looking to add another to the clan).

Being a Dad has been the hardest thing I've done, and yet the most rewarding. You'll have less time for yourself, lose contact with drinking buddies, less disposable income for cycling stuff, and you'll be permanently knackered. And you'll still love them.

As where to live - I've no idea what you'd like.

My experience: I grew up near Wimbledon (Sutton), and then Heston with the lady wife. I'm now living in Wokingham - just East of Reading. It's lovely having countryside very close, but not being completely in the sticks. 30 minutes to Paddington if I get a job in the city, and near to the M4/M3 corridor for major businesses. I'm happy with the lifestyle and the opportunities available on my doorstep.

gbsahne001

No, as one of the posters above says, it makes me a better person when I get home and am confronted by a 6 yo in floods of tears saying, "daddy I dont want you to die."

When digging a bit further I find she's been watching Lion King and thinks that I'm going to die like Mufasa (those with kids will know what I'm talking about).

I then have to reassure her that I'm unlikely to fall off a cliff and then be trampled to death by a herd of wildebeast.

lost_in_thought

Asprilla wrote:

amnezia wrote:

My council tax is about £700 /year in Wandsworth, pretty cheap compared to most of the other places i've lived.

That's because Wandsworth is one of the cheapest in the country. It also has pretty good services (or did when I lived there; could teach other councils a thing or two).

Yep, Wandsworth is pretty famous for its low rates/council tax.

However, they can be pretty militant on parking fines etc, keep the £ coming in taking advantage of people's inability to park legally.

Runoutofgears

The only tangible way my cycling affects my kids, is that when I cycle my car blocks theirs in the drive way

asprilla

lost_in_thought wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

amnezia wrote:

My council tax is about £700 /year in Wandsworth, pretty cheap compared to most of the other places i've lived.

That's because Wandsworth is one of the cheapest in the country. It also has pretty good services (or did when I lived there; could teach other councils a thing or two).

Yep, Wandsworth is pretty famous for its low rates/council tax.

However, they can be pretty militant on parking fines etc, keep the £ coming in taking advantage of people's inability to park legally.

Oh god yes. When I lived there I didn't have a car, but I did have an off street parking place. My mate lived down the road and did have a car, but had to pay about £2000 for an on street parking permit (or something like that).

They parked in my space saving a lot of money and I got free use of their BMW whenever I wanted. Winner.

linsen

DDD

Children affect every area of your life. They did not stop my husband commuting to work by bike every day, put they sure put the kybosh on me being able to do it very often.

It depends on many factors, including how flexible your job is, whether the mother works etc etc.

As for your weekend rides when the children are young.... Brownie points cost.

Edit to add - I am glad I had children when I was young. I'd have no energy for all that now

DonDaddyD

rjsterry wrote:

I reckon Carshalton ticks a fair few boxes. Fairly cheap (certainly when compared with Wimbledon). You can get a 3-bed house with a decent garden and driveway for well under £300K if you don't mind something a bit scruffy that needs some work.

Think me and the miss need to visit the area.

ince

My kid is one of the reasons I started to cycle. I needed to get fit, build up the energy levels etc to keep up with him. On top of that I now have a 2 1/2 year old bimbeling around on a little balance bike which is cool.

Our second was due on Monday just gone (late). The only thing I am not looking forward to is the ride in after several nights of sleep deprivation. I can normally squash a ride in at the weekend, maybe if it's a visit over to the grandparents I will go on the bike and meet them there.

Clever Pun

why out west? why limit yourself?

Underscore

DonDaddyD wrote:

Did having kids affect you option of cycling to work? And/or cycling in general?

Actually, I cycle to work more as we sold one of the cars when my wife gave up work. However, she needs the car most days for ferrying the kids about. This means, on those days where the will power is lacking, I often don't have an option but to cycle. However, I do cycle less other than commuting - for which I compensate by taking longer routes on the commute whenever I can...

DonDaddyD wrote:

What age would you recommend having kids?

It may sound a little trite but whenever you're ready. I've had kids at the age of 31, 37, 39 and 40, and it's all been about my mental state rather than physical age...

_

artaxerxes

If you want to stick to SW London how about Kingston or Surbiton?
If you want affordable space (in relative terms of course) you'll need to go to SE London. Lewisham, Hither Green, Brockley, Lee are all within ~8 miles of the City area.

solsurf

Staines, although it sounds bad, its actually really nice. near windsor without the plane noise and you have some great tow paths along the thames and its good access to both london and the countryside. The train goes into waterloo and the housing stock is very good and not bad value for money. Loads of triathlons at Dorney lake and windsor down the road and lots of stuff going on. I enjoyed living there up until I moved to the Lake District but thats another story!

Anyway worth a look.

cheers,

prawny

ince wrote:

My kid is one of the reasons I started to cycle. I needed to get fit, build up the energy levels etc to keep up with him. On top of that I now have a 2 1/2 year old bimbeling around on a little balance bike which is cool.

Our second was due on Monday just gone (late). The only thing I am not looking forward to is the ride in after several nights of sleep deprivation. I can normally squash a ride in at the weekend, maybe if it's a visit over to the grandparents I will go on the bike and meet them there.

This is me too. Wanted to lose weight so I could keep up with the little un.

Just had our second so it's hard going at the moment facing a 40 mile round trip after 4 hours sleep, but it's the only chance I get to ride.

The only way it really affects my commute is that I have to press on homewards so I can see em before they go to bed.

I'm glad I had kids now when I'm relatively young I had my first when I was 25 now 27 eldest was born just before our second anniversary

navt

I have kids. Two. I started cycling because I had to forgo the luxury of public transport to save for their private tuition (at least that's what I tell the missus).

Two years on, I needed a new, quicker bike which would enable me to get home 5 minutes earlier to spend with said kids (at least that's what I tell the missus).

When we moved home last year, I quite looked forward to it. I meant a two-fold increase in my commuting distance. Considering that I previously only lived 4.5 miles away from the office (Holborn), I hardly had time to get my pedals to engage with my cleats .

DonDaddyD

I'd prefer to live South West and West London purely because I don't liek South East London, or North London (all of it).

Kids, I love them, always been good with them. I want to spend lots of time with my own. I'm not going to be of those Dad's by association and name. I won't be holding my child who is crying and having to give them to their mother as she's the only one capable of calming them down (unless they're feeding). My child.

I do think about schools cost of living, quality of life. Fact is I could provide more financially if I lived further away from the city but then there is a trade off with time. I area of employment is really London city based and I don't want to spend all my time commuting either.

Aidy

Have an eye of one of the various "how far do you commute" threads to see what's practical really. Tailor for how fit/fast you reckon you are in comparison, and how much time you're willing to spend travelling each day.

It's a pretty personal choice, I reckon.

PeteinSQ

Not all of SE London is terrible you know! Brockley is really nice and very affordable and you would be a short ride from Crystal Palace where you could ride in criterium races in the summer.

Very affordable too, and about to be on the east london line and already on train lines with a direct line into London Bridge and Cannon Street.

the_hundredth_idiot

I've got friends who have done the "move to a big house in the country" thing when they had kids - for the "quality of life". And they now spend half the as long on their commute as they actually spend in the office. Their kids might have a nice quality of life but it seems that their commuting parents don't.

So my wife and I took the decision to stay in reasonably central London (zone2/zone 3 borders). Perhaps a smaller house than we would have had otherwise, but I get to spend more time with my family.

Cycle commuting fits in nicely with that. It's slightly quicker than getting the train (and I've got a good train link to the office). It's good use of time from a fitness PoV as I have little spare time to go to the gym. It saves a little cash (once you take the lapsed gym membership into the equation as I spend a lot on bike-related gubbins). And, perhaps most of all, it's about the only time I get to myself all day - kids suck up every free second you have. Fighting your way to the train station on an evening, fighting your way onto a train, cursing because the train is delayed or cancelled, nose to armpit with someone with poor personal hygiene - that's not quality time to yourself. Jump onto a nicely maintained road bike, clip in, pedal, get the heart rate going, switch off from work, relax and get home in a much better mood. The commute (both to work and home again) is "me time". Sad, perhaps, but true.