Bike vs London Underground

blamptey
blamptey Posts: 7
edited November 2015 in Commuting general
So purely by chance I parked my car at the same spot as a work colleague whilst we were both on our way to work. From our parking location he was going to ride the tube (London Underground) and I was going to ride my bike 12 miles across London so thought this would be a good time to see what mode of transport was the better option. Read more by clicking the link below

http://bit.ly/1UPoTbd

Comments

  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Tower Hill climb?!
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • blamptey
    blamptey Posts: 7
    It's only a small one travelling from West to East just after Southwark bridge
  • jamesco
    jamesco Posts: 687
    My route - Ealing to Shoreditch - is fairly similar to yours and my competition is the Central Line. But even against the snail-paced District Line, it's only delays and any walking to and from the stations that can make the train journey longer than the bike one.

    I guess if you're blisteringly fast it might help. For me, I typically beat the train journey - which includes 25 minutes of walking - by only a few minutes, but arrive sweaty so it's a wash.
  • mitb
    mitb Posts: 78
    I go from Paddington to Fenchurch Street and when things are going right on the tube the bike takes about the same time as the Circle Line, and you have to add on 'blanket bath' time in the disabled toilet, but so often the tube is ruined in some way or another, you stand on platform 16 like a cold, bored idiot, you stand on the train until Farringdon, if you're lucky, and it may just decide to stop at Moorgate for some mystery reason. riding means i get time-neutral exercise, the journey time is predictable to within a few minutes at most, and I love it! I just binned off my travelcard and saved myself £800* too.
    *that £800 may get spent on bicycle related purchases, but rather Wiggle than Tfl..
  • edrobbin
    edrobbin Posts: 173
    I was doing Waterloo - Charing Cross Hospital on the Tube - Bakerloo to Pic Circus, then Picadilly out to Baron's Court, then a 10min walk. Train arrives at W'loo 07:24, I was getting to the office at about 08:05

    Been on the bike since start of August; would typically take about 24-25mins elapsed time so adding the faffing about with bag, lights etc, I was getting to office at about 08:00.

    Now I'm out in White City (Hammersmith Hospital), my ride takes about 27-30mins elapsed time (loads more traffic lights), meaning I'm arriving about 08:05ish. I'd have to add a walk to a bus in Hammersmith, then out here, so probably another 20mins - 08:25 by public transport.

    No brainer for me - bike every time, plus the exercise and adrenaline
    Waterloo - White City

    Cannondale Quick Carbon 1 2016
    Cannondale Scalpel Carbon 3 26" (Lefty) :D
  • mitb
    mitb Posts: 78
    Adreniline is certainly the word, particularly in Oxford Street. I sometimes feel a little...guilty, or something...for enjoying it. I'm really careful, I go quickly but stop at lights, don't do the annoying and pointless "light predicting" thing i see so often (a side note- but if you're right at the very cusp of the lights going green, you're also right at the very end of the amber-gamblers and RLJ'ers. So just wait for the green, come on..) I overtake things and squeeze in gaps but only if I'm certain I'll get out of it ok. But it's still pretty knife-edge at times and I'll be honest it's kind of exciting, not like those bell-end Lucas Brunelle videos but the same kind of thrill, only not endangering anyone or p/ssing off drivers (much).
    Anyway, not sure why i felt the need to share but my name's mitb and I'm a cycle commute-a-holic apparrently...

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