Commuting daily on a bike - what are you main problems / big

jzed

Traffic lights. CS2 has recently (last 6 months) been perfectly timed to ensure no one can progress from one traffic light to the next without being stopped. There is no way in the world it is just random, and no way in the world it is timed with mind to ensuring cyclists can progress along a superhighway. Therefore it can only have been timed to ensure no one gets anywhere. Maybe so when they do the CS2 improvements, they can suddenly claim journey times have improved. Meanwhile CS2 continues to be a death trap.

CitizenLee

I don't actually mind my daily commute as it’s relatively short and there are decent shower facilities at work, but if I had to pick a few things that get on my nerves then it would be these:

-Having next to no bike-only bike lanes. In Aberdeen cyclists have to share 90% of the bike lanes with busses and taxis, who give cyclists zero respect/room. That’s on the few roads that even have them. Really not set up for it here, which is surprising considering the amount of money the city has.
-The general condition of the roads. Cracked, potholed, sunken drains etc etc. Again, it’s supposed to be a rich city.
-The fact that living right on the coast means it’s pretty much always windy.
-At least once a week being stuck behind a cattle truck on its way to the abattoir. The smells and sounds of animals on their way to meet their doom is pretty horrific + their mess spills out all over the road.
-As above but fish trucks.
-The lack of anything nice to look at (grey city centre, a prison, harbour, fish factories, car showrooms, oil company offices).
-No offroad options.
-People who drive / stop to close to the kerb.
-Drivers in general.
-Cyclists who go as slow as the traffic - you’re on a bike FFS, filter!
-Cyclists with no lights.
-Pedestrians who don’t check before they cross the road.
-People who leave their sweaty lycra wear/towels in the shower room for weeks.

More than I thought tbh

TheBigBean

Faff at either end - locking bike, removing lights, showering etc. Improving these would help with commuting.

In a dream world, I'd also like to have an onsite bike mechanic to look after all the maintenance whilst I'm working.

The riding bit is fine.

vermin

There are no problems with the commute to work in the morning or back home in the evening.

It's the bit in between that's the problem.

daniel_b

When I did commute my issues were:

Secure covered parking, or rather the lack of.
Only 1 shower, so it may or may not be available when I arrived
There were 4 lockers, but 2 were permanently locked, and the others were used for keeping cleaning supplies!
No where really to keep work clothes for the week
No where really to hang clothes out to dry/air - had to improvise and hang it under my desk.

I would drive in one day a week and bring in a stash of shirts, just ended up having to hang them on the coat rack in the office.

gbsahne001

boredom.....day dreaming the other day and I almost disappeared off the side of the road down an embankment

veronese68

I've got a serious case of manflu so I drove in. It was cold and miserable outside yet I wished I was on my bike. The traffic wasn't even particularly bad, but I still wished I was on my bike. I had the Mrs for company, but I still wished I was on my bike.
In spite of all the negatives, riding to work is still better than the alternatives.

pblakeney

Winter crud.

Prepare to strip down your rear derailleur monthly, if not weekly.
Add on a regular chain & rim/block clean and it starts becoming a faff.

I'd still rather do that than use PT or get stuck in traffic though.

Get full mud guards. Wet padded shorts are no pleasure.

The Rookie

Weather happens, I cope with it, too cold or too hot, likewise, congestion is also a fact of life.

Biggest issue is incompetent motorists, there is a whole range of problems, but it can be summoned up as 'sh!t driving', passing too close, not anticipating you are moving, left hooking etc etc, all just 'driving without due care and attention' to bordering on dangerous driving. Sure I probably only swear mildly at one driver a day and more seriously one driver a week but its too many and there is the odd really close shave when the risk of serious injury or death is really quite high.

kingtubby

Weather or dark mornings not an issue with the right gear..I have been commuting in London for 15 years biggest issues are: 1. Drivers still don't get it, too many can barely handle their own car and seem to regard cyclists as the enemy. 2. The cycling infrastructure has improved a little bit since the 90's (esp company bike racks, showers), but not as much as the Mayor would have you believe and it is still light years away from a proper cycle city eg Berlin, Amsterdam etc. Some cycle lanes are a joke and drivers will infringe without penalty. That might be the UK for you...