I wish I had further to commute so I could ride but as it's only 5 minutes walk from my house to the office it would take longer to ride in than it does on foot. If I was already on the bike then I might be a bit moremotivated to extend it but as it is the option to spontaneously go for a ride on the way home is lost.
i live 2 miles from work. I can walk, skate, cycle or drive. I nearly always cycle unless its heaving down, or I need my car straight after work for something. Due to parking, its the fastest method of getting here by far
Strangely, the only times I drive is when I'm going to the DH course straight after work with a Volvo full of BigHit and tools.
Take company car in on Mondays, take bike left in strationary cupboard over weekend, cycle home, repeat til friday, leave bike in cupboard, drive home. Not far but quicker and saves sanity.........
Definitley by choice, my OH currently drives to work everyday and we work at same place.
11 mile journey is quicker by bike than car except for school holidays.
I cycle by choice, normally leaving the car at home. It's 21 miles, takes an hour to cycle plus time for a shower, and 40 minutes to drive. Sometimes, especially in Winter, I drive the first 10 miles, get the bike out of the car and ride the rest. It helps me keep fit and I'm sure it costs less than driving.
Most of tie time I enjoy it. Sometimes though, on the days when I struggle in to work through a headwind, then set off home to find the wind has changed 180 degrees.....
I got used to cycling every day when I dad a 5 mile commute into Manchester city centre. In 2 years i reckon i drove in about 4 times.
You'd have to be mental not too. 20 minutes on the bike. 45 in the car in solid gridlocked traffic. Maybe an hour including trying to find parking. Then there's the cost of parking. Daylight robbery!! How anyone puts themselves through that every day, I can't comprehend!
In the end my business partner bought a bike, having never ridden since school, and started doing the same after noting our somewhat different moods at the start of the day. He ended up selling his car shortly afterwards as he never used it any more 😀
ride in most day shifts (12 hours) because it wakes me up and theres little chance of me doing any other exercise before or after work. don't bother on nights because i'll usually do some training before work and i really couldn't face riding home after a nightshift.
I cycle by choice, not all the time…on days I cycle in, 6 miles at 5 in the morning certainly wakes you up, roads are deserted and quite often i see owls, badgers. Deer, foxes and the occasional lion, tiger,rhino and giraffe!, on nights I go in the car so I can get home and straight in to bed!, would do it all the time but It completely knackers me out cycling and doing 12hour shifts.
My commute is 3 minutes or 5 if the ducks cause a traffic jam. So I take the long way round about 30 road or off road. Different route each time. I'm happier and nicer to the ducks as a result.
Can't afford a car.. cycle 10 miles all in to work and back each day.. nightmare roads..
i choose to, i have a car and can afford diesel, i could get the bus for free as im a bus driver.
as others have said, i feel better/more awake all day when i do it.
+1 to doing it through choice.
Currently cycling 10 miles each way roughly twice a week on my ancient MTB that I bought when I was 12. Having just spent a year commuting 65 miles each way in the car from Newcastle to Carlisle, it's so much more relaxing and I definitely feel fitter.
Don't see the point when it is tipping down with rain but, when it's a lovely autumn day, it would be rude not to!
+ By choice.
Car sits on the drive until I drive to an MTB ride or for long weekend trips
Yes until the car goes back.
I get:
Free towels for nice showers
Locker for suit and clothes
Secure parking
Free bike maintenance
Bike shop on site
Paid £1 each day
Half price LCC membership
It would be a shame not to use it 😀
Of course, what kind of idiot would drive 5 miles to work? I've pretty much cycled everywhere since 1986.
Indeed, it would do my head in having to drive into to work.
Once a year to take it in for an M.O.T. is enough.
I choose to cycle, a 15 mile round trip on the more scenic route. I have a car parking permit I've never used, can get a bus which is mostly quicker, or go by motorbike which is loads quicker. I cycle at least 90% of the time. Even in the suburbs I get to ride about a mile of singletrack and a couple more of towpath.
It is worth riding through the coldest of winters to see the first snowdrops of spring, ducklings, lambs etc at sunrise or before. It is only when cycling in that I've been late for work because I've stopped to take photos on the way.
Absolutely... I only cycle commute as a wee easy boost for my mountainbiking fitness. Car is only a few minutes faster though so it's no hardship.
I have the option of tram, bus, cycle or drive but the last one would be totally mad, 4 miles of horrendous traffic into manchester and pay for parking.... I ride every day and even though I choose to, it's not a conscious choice as I do it out of habit. keeps me fit and it's cheap
Chose to go without a car when after I had a year living in new york without one about 7 years ago. I live in Manchester with a 9 mile each way ride to work. I do hire a car or van about 2 or 3 times a year, and use planes, trains and public transport for some local trips. I don't have kids so it's pretty easy for me. I haven't really done any cost comparisons to what I spend versus owning a car, as I didn't do it as a cost thing. I just couldn't see why I needed a car.
by bike whenever possible, its 46 miles to work and try and do that when I'm in the office (2-3 times a week) then train home, unless I'm feeling V keen.
I travel a lot by train with work and recently bought a brompton which is getting substantial use around london, waaaaay better than the tube and probably quicker. felt a little guilty riding through hyde park in the sun this week but it better for the soul than looking at a crackberry on the underground
Yup, have a car and work location has plenty of parking spaces + journey is easy. But I chose to bike it because I'm getting exercise for free, helps environmental bobbins and I enjoy it 🙂
Cycle five miles each way when I have the options of the bus, my own car or car share at my disposal.
Cycle six miles each way, feel more awake and ready for the day.
It requires horizontal rain before I use the car.
Devilman
I have a company van and take my bike to work when I fancy it then cycle home (7.5 miles) then cycle back to work in the morning get changed and off in the van for the day.
