I have been offered the option to work from home a few days a week, so no commuting to work, which appeals but hours on your tod could be a neg.
Just wondering for those here who have gone for this option, do you find you fit in more riding?
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Do you work from home? - I have a quick question?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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No. Unless you like riding alone it's not going to help.
Posted 2 years ago # -
hmmm, that's what I thought.
I did wonder if summer lunch rides might be on though
Posted 2 years ago # -
I work from home 2-3 days a week. I find I work longer hours at home. The time I would be spending commuting is now spent working. So no extra cycling for me.
Saying that, my current situation is much improved on last year when I was working 4 days a week in Luton (I live near Edinburgh). Nothing wrong with Luton but it's crap not going home every night.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I used to ride to work fairly regularly. I thought I'd get out lunchtimes when workign at home to make up for it. I rarely get a lunchbreak so I've ended up riding less than before, if anything.
If you do a job you can fit around extended lunchbreask etc then go fo rit.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Homeworking brings particular problems you need to think about. It gets lonely, you don't manage your time properly, people think you're skiving, you get paranoid, people forget about you if they don't see your face.
These can be solved, and homeworking can be worthwhile. I suggest you do 2 days per week at home.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I work from home on average 2 days a week. The biggest problem - the vicinity of the biscuit barrel
I occasionally get in lunchtime rides but rarely.
The biggest issue working from home - you never "leave" work and hence I find myself working through the whole day. Way past 9-5. It's hard to switch off.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Sorry forgot to mention, I cycle/commute to work at the moment, which takes up roughly an hour each way.
I actually really enjoy the rides as its mostly tracks and quiet roads, apart from when its like today and hammering it down, I also like how it makes you feel charged up and ready for the day
I just get the feeling that the positives will not add up to more than all the negatives, well for me anyway.
Just interested in everyone's else opinions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
so no commuting to work, which appeals
oppps, contradicted myself there a bit
Posted 2 years ago # -
Yes, more riding, especially in winter when daylight's shot, although I'm self employed, so I can more or less take breaks when I want to. It can be tough using your home as the place you work and not getting the banter of an office. Mint not commuting though. Overall, worth it.
Posted 2 years ago # -
PS Helps that I've got local mates who ride during the week too, although I'm happy riding on my own when no one's available. Great trails on my doorstep also makes a big difference.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I used to work from home and rode almost every day of the year for 1-2 hrs. I like riding alone, so that aspect wasn't a problem, and I lived right next to the hills so I could just slope out the door and be on peak moorland. Interestingly I did a Polaris a few years back after a long stint in an agency over summer and found the (fast 12 mile) commute had got me way fitter than I normally was from MTBing an hour or two a day.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I work from home most of the time but as a freelance. The great advantage is being able to seize the moment and head out for a couple of hours on a sunny morning or squeeze in a sunset ride from the front door. On the flipside, I definitely get less done than I if I get out of the house.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I do roughly an hour each way commute but do work from home every so often.
If you live near enough to trails to ride from the door it is great. You just have to be stern with yourself when you're working from home, work the same number of hours you'd work at work, then go riding for the time you'd commute.
The bonus is that on a commute to home, you can move the hours round so you have twice as much time as each half of the days commute - a couple of hours is time to get a decent 15-20 miles of mountain biking in. Plus you can choose which direction you go in.
I don't ride as far as on a day I commute in on the road bike, but it does mean that I can ride off road, which is a nice change.
I did once have a job working at home 90% of the time - I had to be very organised about getting out riding then, but I managed it - and then I was living in London, where getting out riding meant 30 minutes on the train to get there.
I like riding on my own too - you don't have to wait for anyone (or they don't have to wait for you), you can go where you want, you don't have to fit round anyone's schedules or what hills people are happy to ride up. It is also great just being able to ride when it looks good to ride - like when it snowed hard, I dropped things for a couple of hours and did a great ride up the valley in fresh snow. Same goes for summer, when you have one of those amazingly sunny days, the trails are perfect, you can go for a quick couple of hours, yet still be able to get a full days work done.
Joe
Posted 2 years ago # -
i think you'll find all working from home questions are answered here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGg1567fzTY
on a serious note I get more riding in working form home as I get up just early as I when have to commute but go riding instead so that I'm home ready to start at 09:00 after a quick 2 hour blast.
It helps clear the mind.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I work from home occasionally (1 day a month or so) and find that the best way to do it is to treat it like any other day. Get up, go for a ride (ie "commute" to work), home, shower, work.
It's better if you can have a specific room in the house set aside as an office. I haven't got that so tend to get distracted sometimes by being in the living room.When I'd been made redundant this time last year I found I needed that kind of routine to my day otherwise I'd have spent most of the time lounging round and never getting anything done.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I work from home 2-3 days a week. I find I work longer hours at home.
Have found the opposite when I've done it. I find that working at home means you can just get on with what it is you're meant to be doing, you don't keep getting constantly interrupted and distracted. The negatives are though that you're reliant on the phone, or heaven forbid, daytime TV, for any kind of interaction with others...
It gets lonely, you don't manage your time properly, people think you're skiving, you get paranoid, people forget about you if they don't see your face.
It's much easier if you're not the only, or one of the only people doing it. Of course people are going to think you're skiving if you're the only one doing it, which will breed contempt. But if everybody is doing it, or has the option, there's no issues then.
Definitely a 2/3 day a week thing tops though really, you forget how much you need interaction with work colleagues sometimes, even if they're hardly your best mates.
I work from home on average 2 days a week. The biggest problem - the vicinity of the biscuit barrel
LOL, I found this problem too... Even bigger problem if you live close enough to a corner shop or supermarket, as you aren't worried about running out of biscuits if it's only a 10 minute walk to go and get more!
on a serious note I get more riding in working form home as I get up just early as I when have to commute but go riding instead so that I'm home ready to start at 09:00 after a quick 2 hour blast.
Fair play, that's quite impressive. I found that working at home meant that I'd just end up having an extra hour or so lie in, finally get up, start the day working in my Boxers and a T shirt. Finally I'd have a shower and get dressed around morning coffee break time, then work through til lunchtime. Have a quick lunch, do a bit more work, and then generally be finished by 4pm or so. I'd just make sure my phone was still on and answer it if of course anyone rang. Still found that I got more done at home that way than going into the office!
Oh, and if I'd stopped working at 4, if I wanted to go out on a ride, could definitely have everything ready to go by 5pm if I wanted... JUST as anybody in the office was packing their things up to get in their car to drive home! No matter what anyone says, you gain lots of time in the day, purely cos you're not spending an hour or more of it commuting to and from work... What you do with it is up to you.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Work from home almost all the time here. Echo the comments about the extra time gained from not commuting. I either run, swim or cycle every lunchtime. If I don't get "my" hour in, I get really cranky.
The chocolate in the fridge is a problem though. You just need to be strong-willed.
Paul
Posted 2 years ago #
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