How much of a pain is commuting into Oxford (center), is it worth doing in a car or is the peasant wagon (bus) pretty much the only option?

If you do it, generally how long does it take? Thanks.

most local’s commute via goat (or donkey if you live in Whitney)

JEngledow… into the city centre itself… do you have parking provided?
Where are you commuting from?

MrNutt.. at least we don’t have to walk, like the impovrished of Swindon do.

Where are you commuting from? I wouldn’t regularly commute in the car, whats wrong with he bike?

TSY the impoverished of Swindon don’t walk, they smear.

Depends where you’re coming in from, but usually much easier to cycle than drive…Oxford center not car friendly at all.

Haha… I was going to day ‘they drag’ but didn’t want to be too obvious I was looking with disdain down the length of my regal nose.

there’s plenty of waterways, get a coracle!

Paddling through Oxford City is proper awesome. Takes quite a while though. Especially from Eynsham or Abingdon.

Where from? Park and rides (bus) in three (maybe four, I forget) places around the outskirts. Or you can park there and then bike in from any of them. Driving into, and trying to park in, the city centre is definitely to be avoided.

There’re 5 Park & Rides.

They’re free again now and loads of people park and then ‘ride’ bikes into the city centre.

IIRC you live out West… so it’s be Seacourt in Botley (via the tollbridge) or Pear Tree cutting through Long Hanborough, Bladon etc.

I’d go for the second option and I reckon you’re looking at an hour.

Park in Barton or the Leys and take advantage of the local valet parking.

most local’s commute via goat (or donkey if you live in Whitney WITNEY or SHITNEY)

FTFY 😉

/pedalhead, a few miles outside of Witney.

Thanks All, I live in Witney and have an interview in the center next week. I’m not sure exactly where the job is based (one of several locations around the city / area) or if parking is available, but will find out in the interview. I’d like to be able to cycle to work a couple of days per week, but my job involves site visits (so not always possible).

I’m currently commuting 50 miles in about an hour and don’t really want to swap that for a commute of 20 miles in the same time (my fuel is currently paid!).

I’m trying to work out possibilities so that I know what to ask in the interview.

most local’s commute via goat (or donkey if you live in Whitney)

Where can I get a donkey?

Pedalhead. I spit in your village every morning.

Jengledow… Any journey I’ve had into Oxford takes an hour. I reckon the quickest on average would be cycling straight down the A40, You’d want a shower when you got there.

Driving at rush hour into the centre is a nightmare and to be avoided, driving into the centre and having to find somewhere to park, don’t bother. The ring road isn’t much fun either. Park and rides are ace. A friend commutes regularly on bike – he reckons 45 min.

Any journey I’ve had into Oxford takes an hour. I reckon the quickest on average would be cycling straight down the A40, You’d want a shower when you got there.

Thanks Yeti, I’ve added ‘is there a shower’ to my list of questions, but it looks like it’ll all depend on where the job is based then (if I’m offered).

Thanks again.

From Witney you may as well catch the bus straight into the centre. Otherwise, Peartree and bus, or Seacourt and a pleasant walk along Botley Road. For regular commuting I’d cycle.

For an interview, I’d catch the bus.

Any of you lot ride with Witney MTB club?

Why would you drive into the city centre? As people above have said the Park and Rides are excellent and getting from the ring road into town on a bike is straightforward and often quicker than driving. There are so many Park and Rides because the road layout isn’t set up for car traffic and the council are actively trying to discourage people from driving into or through the city centre–hence the current controversy around getting rid of the St Clements car park.

I ride with the Dreaming Tyres bunch, based mainly in Oxford.

pedalhead… any good? Do you/ they ride often?

You could always drive half way and then cycle in, the buses are so regular from P&R that I wouldn’t bother driving to P&R and then cycling, most of them are walking distance to CC.

There are Oxford based MTB clubs? I didn’t know of this. Do they accept unfit ex smokers with an affiliation to beer and an overly shiny new bike?!

I ride with Dreaming Tyres too just not in a while since MR MC has broken himself I’ve been busy doing other things, although only 2 weeks until SiTS!

MC… quite long walks though!

pedalhead… any good? Do you/ they ride often?

nah, they’re a bunch of misfits…and most of them are on here 😀

Actually, great group, got our own forum for discussing rides etc. Tend to alternate between Shotover and Boars Hill on Tuesday evenings, usually something happening at the weekend, plus there are often ad hoc rides on various days during the week as and when people have time off. Got a few injuries in the group at the moment so not as busy as usual, but Tuesday’s at the least are always on.

Where are you meeting this week, time etc?

JE – sorry for thread high jack!

Yeti, drop me an email (in profile)

I’ll e-mail you tonight… hotmail seems to disagree with work systems at the minute.

Cheers.

ok np

If you’re coming from Witney expect it to take about 1 1/2 hours on a bus (term time from 7.15 until about 9am, and thats if there are no accidents). Its an utter, utter ball ache and should really only take 30 mins if there is no traffic. Given the time it takes to come home a 9-5 day quickley turns into a 7-7 door to door . I used to cycle from Witney to the centre of Oxford and it took about 45 mins (A40, Eynsham, toll bridge, Cumnor hill, Botley Road etc)and thats on a hardtail with nobbly tyres.
Driving in is even worse as there is no-where to park!. One option could be to drive to on of the closer towns like woodstock and cycle the 8 miles or so from there.

The reason I applied for the job is that I though it was based just down the road (outside of Oxford), which would have knocked at least 1 1/2hours per day off my commute, however it turns out the interview is in the clients offices (City center), so I’m now a little confused where the job is based (one of the first questions for the interview I think). If it is based in the City center then it’ll probably be a longer commute than I’ve got now 🙁

I used to live round there a few years ago – as others have said from Witney I’d either get the bus into Oxford or drive to Kidlington / Yarnton and ride in from there.