If ever there was a case for the cycle commute...
Comments
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Couldn't agree more, thankfully she is doing a lot better now so I'm in the office full time again. Just need to get over my natural laziness. December is good for making me ride as the traffic is bad even though I leave at 4.30. The joy of late night shopping every night in Kingston.bompington wrote:Cycling is not actually the most important thing in the world though, as you obviously know.0 -
Cycle commuting changed my life. I've lost 17kg. No longer suffer from depression. 160km per week for 5 years next spring, normally done as if I'm being chased by the hounds of hell. Extra hill repeats once per week. Longer commutes in the summer months. Weekend rides when I'm allowed out.
My other half takes the train to work in Chiswick, which is less than 9 miles from home. That takes at least an hour, often longer. She also pays ~£90 per month to be a member of a gym, where she rides a stationary bike. I have started to laugh instead of being vaguely sympathetic whenever she moans about train delays. But cycling is, as per the OP's other half, just not an option.0 -
mr_eddy wrote:I live in North Nottingham and cycle to and from work (have done for nearly 20 years) and as such my commute takes generally the same amount of time (+/- 10 mins depending on weather).
My missus on the other hand drives , Our local council very sneakily withdrew the local bus service 3 months after we moved in so now our only public transport option also includes a 20 minute walk down an unlit back alley hence why she drives. She works at the main Boots HQ in Beeston - Anyway long story short the site has essentially 1 main entrance (thane road) with a simple road with 1 lane in and 1 lane out - Bear in mind that the Boots site probably accommodates 3000+ cars most of which leave at rush hour.
Anyway yesterday a tram crash cause chaos and my missus finished her day at 4pm , by 6pm she was still in the car park (not even off site at this point) - She finally got home at 8.45pm - This was obviously a very bad traffic day but its not uncommon for her to take 2-3 hours to get home - Note our house is 6 miles from the Boots HQ.
I have told her to get a bike but she just refuses to even consider the option.
Any other horror stories of commuting by car ?
I cycle down Thane Road on my commute... had a few car drivers call me over to ask what was going off (suprised me after they've clearly been sitting in it for hours they've not checked News and Travel - I knew it was gridlocked before I left work, despite being on the bike.
Still dont understand why cars weren't re-routed around the science park on Uni Blvd and thus bypassing the Tram incident. Hopefully when the new road comes into play alongside Boots it'll at least take some pressure off the ring road - tho Thane road might become even busier as a result.
Nottingham traffic is becoming a joke... I don't know how people can tollerate sitting in that traffic all day. Tho it did both amuse and annoy me seeing the people in the cars take to walking.... having to check Sat navs before they got to clifton bridge clearly having never walked.... the annoyance came from the car-walkers having no pedestrian etiquette, all on the wrong sides, all on phones - was chaos.Road: Kuota Kebel
TT: Canyon Speedmax
Work: Norco search0 -
At rush hour every day the Sheffield Parkway/A57 is solid for several miles heading into Sheffield Centre. The thing is, the Trans Pennine Trail follows the Parkway right into the centre of the city.
For people without a car, travelling at anytime of day even without traffic, it’s actually faster to cycle the 6 miles from where I live into the town centre than it is to travel on a bus - and that doesn’t include the time spent waiting for a bus in the first place.
That stretch of the TPT is mainly tarmac and almost entirely empty apart from a few dog walkers. It also runs mainly through nice woodland, yet most people won’t even know it exists.0 -
I know people at our place who live within 2miles of the office, who drive,then complain about the traffic. :roll: which strikes me as crazy as theres actually shared cycle paths linking both up, they dont have to even engage with on the road cycling and all the fun that brings, and they still would rather spend 10mins in a traffic queue, than 10mins riding a bike.
I try to encourage them to cycle, which has worked occasionally, but then you hear, "oh I couldnt cycle today because Im going to the gym". at least I know when I dont cycle in, and Im not a 5 day a week every week by any stretch of the imagination, Im honest enough with myself its the lazier option to drive.0 -
Veronese68 wrote:
I need to develop that mindset. Due to daughter not being well I worked from home for a few months and then changed my hours so driving is as quick as cycling. If I drive I can collect my wife on the way home. My annual mileage for the last 2 years has been about a third of previous years as a result. :oops:bompington wrote:I have just learned to have a mindset where I don't consider that I have a choice.
Must try harder.
For myself quite apart from the I simply like the bike, for myself cycling is the easiest, my damaged balance systems don’t like Walking or public transport, which I find physically and cognitively tiring, for the Car it’s simply being cognitively tired, and loosing the ability to think while in control of best part of two tons of metal doesn’t strike me as wise!0 -
I cycle to work when I can. It's 24.4 miles so I only do it when it's not rainy. Recently got into running locally too and went on a calorie controlled diet and the weight dropped off. Loads of people at work and friends have asked me how I did it. I explain there is no magic pill, it's training and diet. Their faces drop when I say that. They trot out All the excuses about time etc and bad knees bla bla bla. So I ask how far from work do you live? Most are about 6 to 8 miles. Well that is perfect to cycle in I say. But i get the universal answer that's it's too dangerous. I've now started replying by saying "you are far more at risk of dying from a heath related problem from being inactive, than you are of being hit by a car". I heard that on a tv program and it struck a cord with me. Can't convince people though. Same with calorie checking. I use "my fitness pal" and when I show people how it works they lose interest as it's 'to hard to weigh your food. Thing is you only have to do it for a while and then you more or less know.0
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My brother lives ten minutes walk from his job , the other day he took over an hour to get there in his car , traffic jam grid locked the one way.
I said why don't you get a cheap bike and ride every day ,
Lazy people don't get it0 -
mr_eddy wrote:I live in North Nottingham and cycle to and from work (have done for nearly 20 years) and as such my commute takes generally the same amount of time (+/- 10 mins depending on weather).
My missus on the other hand drives , Our local council very sneakily withdrew the local bus service 3 months after we moved in so now our only public transport option also includes a 20 minute walk down an unlit back alley hence why she drives. She works at the main Boots HQ in Beeston - Anyway long story short the site has essentially 1 main entrance (thane road) with a simple road with 1 lane in and 1 lane out - Bear in mind that the Boots site probably accommodates 3000+ cars most of which leave at rush hour.
Anyway yesterday a tram crash cause chaos and my missus finished her day at 4pm , by 6pm she was still in the car park (not even off site at this point) - She finally got home at 8.45pm - This was obviously a very bad traffic day but its not uncommon for her to take 2-3 hours to get home - Note our house is 6 miles from the Boots HQ.
I have told her to get a bike but she just refuses to even consider the option.
Any other horror stories of commuting by car ?
Studied in Nottingham - lived in Wollaton. Could have walked along the car roofs without touching the ground most rush hours - next to an empty bike/bus lane. Always found people choosing to do that baffling.0 -
About 3-4 years ago there was a bit of snow , a couple of inches so no bike commute that day. Work is only 7 miles away so upon driving home along Edge Lane Liverpool there is a slight uphill section.
One bus gets stuck and is unable to get up the slope (not even a hill), no problem thinks the bus behind him, as soon as he gets alongside he also comes to a stop.
Two lanes jammed up by 2 buses and at this point no place to turn off. Result for me was that the 7 mile journey took 90 minutes.
I hate driving to work0
