Reasons to Commute

seajays
seajays Posts: 331
edited October 2014 in Commuting chat
Well that's me over three months into my cycling commute now, and time has really flown by. I have to say I'm really loving it too.:
  1. I feel much fitter and healthier
  2. I'm fortunate to have a lovely picturesque route in.
  3. It's so much quicker than my one hour bus journey!
  4. It's cheaper* than the bus
  5. I have the smug satisfact… err… I'm helping the environment. :)
Still improving from then to now as well (onwards and upwards)!

So what other reasons do people out there have for commuting by bike?

* Please ignore the other stuff I keep buying - that's a one-off "investment" :lol:
Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017
Revolution Courier Race Disc '14
My Strava
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Comments

  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    I like riding my bike.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly
    Good golly, Miss Molly and boats

    Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet
    Jump back in the alley and nanny goats

    18 wheeler Scammels, dominica camels
    All other mammals plus equal votes

    Seeing Piccadilly, Fanny sniffin' Willie
    Being rather silly and porridge oats
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    Because my hi-vis yellow jersey is as close as I'll ever get to the tour leaders jersey?
  • vermin
    vermin Posts: 1,739
    To get to work
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    vermin wrote:
    To get to work
    exactly.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • 5 months in for me and I as well as being 9kgs lighter I much prefer it to the train... only downside is that it takes longer than the train so making me unpopular at home. Oh and each day that I cycle saves me £15
  • Quicker than two trains to paddy. Not far off the taxi time on 2nd segement over 7-8 miles.

    I look good in castelli bibs

    Nothing like the feeling as you set off out from the house to smash away any doubt you're not doing the best thing for you.
    Le Cannon [98 Cannondale M400] [FCN: 8]
    The Mad Monkey [2013 Hoy 003] [FCN: 4]
  • msmancunia
    msmancunia Posts: 1,415
    Wakes me up and clears my head. Plus I hate driving.
    Commute: Chadderton - Sportcity
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    It means i can eat as much cheese as i like.
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • The cape, the seals....
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Fun, fitness, free trip to work, chance to ride the nice bike without having to make time for it, get to show off the legs at work, and you really can't beat being called 'mad' or 'nuts' by a colleague just for riding in every time you do it.
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Er, its the quickest way for me to get to work. Why spend ~£4 and 45 minutes when I can do it in 15 mins for free?
  • kevess
    kevess Posts: 186
    37 years plus commuting in the smoke, I just love riding the bike!
  • daddy0
    daddy0 Posts: 686
    When I started commuting (again) 3 years ago my reasons were:
    Lose weight
    Get fit
    Stop smoking
    Save money - mostly because I wasn't buying tobacco, but also petrol

    These days my reasons are:
    To get fit enough to race. I'm already fitter than I ever have been, but now I've got the bug.
    To keep myself slim and attractive to the opposite sex (whom I have no time nor energy to chase, just as well as I'm happily married).
    Save money - I save between £150 and £200 a month by not buying petrol.
    I enjoy it - as I have 2 kids now I don't get time to go out for leisure rides very often, so my commute is my "my time".
    To stop myself from taking up smoking again.
    To justify to the EPO spending money on my bikes.
    To guarantee I arrive on time(ish) - by car my 25 mile journey can take anywhere between 50 minutes (never happens) and 150 minutes (happens too much), by bike its 80 minutes one way and 70 the other, give or take 5 minutes.
    To be a positive influence on others - I have spread the love by convincing a couple of my friends to take up commuting by bicycle.
    To maintain a high level of zen - I arrive at work super chilled ready for the IT guy vs user struggles. If I drive I arrive at work already stressed out.
    To avoid sickness. Since taking up commuting I've not really been ill. I used to get ill a lot. Everyone I work with get ill a lot - and don't seem to get better very quickly. Riding in the countryside exposes me to a healthy dose of bacteria which keeps my immune system sharp! Being super fit can't hurt neither I spose.
    To bolster my Strava stats and own the people in the bike clubs I sometimes ride with by regularly topping the leader boards.

    Theres probably a bunch of other reasons... :P
  • Daddy0,

    Is one of those clubs Bigfoot? Can't remember what but something you posted gave me the impression you were a member. I joined recently, been going out on Saturdays and the odd evening MTB ride.
  • daddy0
    daddy0 Posts: 686
    Daddy0,

    Is one of those clubs Bigfoot? Can't remember what but something you posted gave me the impression you were a member. I joined recently, been going out on Saturdays and the odd evening MTB ride.

    Yeah I have been riding with Bigfoot, and Bromley based Mid Life Cycle Club. Bigfoot wise - I was at the 10 year anniversary at the Cyclopark if you were there? I was the guy who won the fastest lap and highest power output on the trainer competitions (been meaning to boast about that to someone for ages) :twisted:

    However, I've recently moved out to near Gravesend, and the family has grown by C+1. I've toyed with the idea of riding down to meet the Bigfoot level 1s on a Saturday morning, but after commuting 50 miles a day 5 days in a row the last thing I want to do is get up early and punish my poor legs some more... I intend to get back to riding with Bigfoot though, they're a good bunch.

    I went out with Gravesend CC a couple of weekends ago - they meet on Sundays at 9am about 2 miles from my house, so will probably be riding with them from now on. They seem like a nice bunch too.
  • pastryboy
    pastryboy Posts: 1,385
    Seajays wrote:
    I have to say I'm really loving it too.:

    But the question is will you still be loving it come January when it's cold and dark.
  • its generally less hassel, though mildly slower by a few mins than driving most of the time.

    Through Bushy Park is fantastic, in many ways the winter is better than summer.

    Public transport is remarkably long, take best part of a hour, vs a very easy 30mins within which is wiggle room and time to make a hot drink etc when I get at work before the mayhem starts.
  • Daddy0 wrote:
    Yeah I have been riding with Bigfoot, and Bromley based Mid Life Cycle Club. Bigfoot wise - I was at the 10 year anniversary at the Cyclopark if you were there? I was the guy who won the fastest lap and highest power output on the trainer competitions (been meaning to boast about that to someone for ages) :twisted:

    However, I've recently moved out to near Gravesend, and the family has grown by C+1. I've toyed with the idea of riding down to meet the Bigfoot level 1s on a Saturday morning, but after commuting 50 miles a day 5 days in a row the last thing I want to do is get up early and punish my poor legs some more... I intend to get back to riding with Bigfoot though, they're a good bunch.

    I went out with Gravesend CC a couple of weekends ago - they meet on Sundays at 9am about 2 miles from my house, so will probably be riding with them from now on. They seem like a nice bunch too.

    Yeah, I've been enjoying it. I've been going out with the L3s or 4s for the time being, as I am unfit. The MTBing is good too, I would never have thought there would be such fun on a MTB to be had within a short ride of home.

    I didn't go to the Cyclopark day, I'm just getting SWMBO used to me disappearing for half of every Saturday so didn't think it was an opportune time to suggest a day of bike-related fun on the Sunday too!

    Yeah, with that daily milage, the local Sunday ride seems the sensible option alright!
  • seajays
    seajays Posts: 331
    pastryboy wrote:
    Seajays wrote:
    I have to say I'm really loving it too.:

    But the question is will you still be loving it come January when it's cold and dark.

    Well I hope so... this is Aberdeen - it's already dark at 6.30am! :D (Plus we were down to 4°C the other day and it was fine - and I haven't got my winter gear yet!). Dark, cold, even wet I'm not too bothered about. The thing that concerns me is icy/snow ground conditions - have yet to decide about that one...
    Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017
    Revolution Courier Race Disc '14
    My Strava
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Seajays wrote:
    pastryboy wrote:
    Seajays wrote:
    I have to say I'm really loving it too.:

    But the question is will you still be loving it come January when it's cold and dark.

    Well I hope so... this is Aberdeen - it's already dark at 6.30am! :D (Plus we were down to 4°C the other day and it was fine - and I haven't got my winter gear yet!). Dark, cold, even wet I'm not too bothered about. The thing that concerns me is icy/snow ground conditions - have yet to decide about that one...

    You need a pair of these:

    _2l43MWoCMI.jpg

    They work a treat in ice and snow and in my experience the 26x1.9" Snow Studs are immune to punctures (you don't want to be fixing punctures in sub-zero do you) and work as low as 25 PSI with plenty of traction.

    http://www.schwalbe.com/en/spikes.html
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Plus they are a right laugh when you're the only thing moving on the roads :)
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Plus they are a right laugh when you're the only thing moving on the roads :)

    Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads!

    Part of why I use them is that they open up off road paths that no one else uses when they are covered in ice and snow.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • mlgt
    mlgt Posts: 366
    For a free shower on the way to work.
    Just like this mornings unexpected downpour :)
    N2 - SW1

    Canyon Endurace 9.0
  • daddy0
    daddy0 Posts: 686
    How far do you guys ride in the snow? I'm thinking that a 25 mile commute might be a bit too far, or am I being pathetic?
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    I did 12 quite happily... took some time but as I was the only one trying to get in, no one minded :)
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • daddy0
    daddy0 Posts: 686
    mlgt wrote:
    For a free shower on the way to work.
    Just like this mornings unexpected downpour :)

    Yeah, it was a good one this morning. I'm coming to the realisation that I prefer riding in the rain - it spurs me on, plus I think it cools my legs down, I feel like I can push harder when it rains anyway. This morning I was half expecting to have got a KOM, but 2nd place out of 1085 aint too bad (that KOM is going to take some beating):
    http://www.strava.com/activities/201771985/segments/4753236112
  • daddy0
    daddy0 Posts: 686
    I did 12 quite happily... took some time but as I was the only one trying to get in, no one minded :)

    Yeah I was thinking 10 would be no problem, 15 maybe at a push, but 25 would be a hill too far...
  • Daddy0 wrote:
    I did 12 quite happily... took some time but as I was the only one trying to get in, no one minded :)

    Yeah I was thinking 10 would be no problem, 15 maybe at a push, but 25 would be a hill too far...

    25 miles each way or in total? I do a 25 mile round-trip no matter what the weather, and after a week on snow-tyres, that adds up to some pretty sore legs. They're hard work and heavy.

    I use Suomi/Nokian w106 tyres on the MTB, they're excellent in both ice and snow. I line them with Panaracer Flataway kevlar liners to make them thoroughly resistant to me having to fix them in a blizzard.
  • seajays
    seajays Posts: 331

    You need a pair of these:



    They work a treat in ice and snow and in my experience the 26x1.9" Snow Studs are immune to punctures (you don't want to be fixing punctures in sub-zero do you) and work as low as 25 PSI with plenty of traction.

    http://www.schwalbe.com/en/spikes.html

    This means I need a second set of wheels then…? Having no concept of cost of a complete set of wheels (as opposed to a whole bike), what's that likely to run to? (for this)

    I know, I know, but N+1 is out of the question just now!
    Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017
    Revolution Courier Race Disc '14
    My Strava