[Closed] How many cycle for more than fun?

Most of my cycling is commuting and we tend to get about the place on foot. I probably average less than 100 car trips per year, and always as a passenger because I don't drive.

Changed job earlier in the year and now cycle everywhere. Have a road bike and full suss for training / leisure riding / events and a second road bike as a commuter bike but spend most of the time riding my cargo bike (xtracycle) hauling shopping, kids etc etc.

I have access to my wife's car but choose to ride instead, my wife keeps calling me a green hippy. Absolutely loving it.

I use my bike wherever possible.

I have to say I'm loads happier since we started walking and cycling to most places. I think it's the change of pace.

I don't own a car, haven't had one for 5 years or so, lifestyle and work allows it for it. I use trains and cabs as well as the bike.
I'd buy a car if needed, it's all well and good being an eco-warrior but for me it's more that I don't need one enough to justify it. Society is built around car transport and it's not easy to avoid it. It's easier than many would have you believe though.
Agreed that I'm happier for it, reading a book on a train vs the boredom and potential stress of a car commute - no contest. Or pop into town, park the errands-bike up, shop then go home with no parking or traffic faff.
I do miss those last-min Snowdonia trips though. Or just a ride at Afan. But fuel got a bit expensive and the driving vs out-there ratio was a drag.

Yeah, we have a car (1993 Toyota Lucida- ace for bike trips* and sleeping over, FYI!) and we know how to use it** but I do prefer not using it given the choice.

* 2 in with wheels on, easy
** Fuzzbox

The vast majority of my cycling is just for transport. Only just become a car-owner again after about 12yrs without, but that is only really used for family stuff on weekends and to allow me to cycle in slightly more exotic places for fun.

I commute to work all year around.My van did 4000miles last year.Use that to go to places for fun.Try getting to the Forest of Dean etc by public transport :D.Bike is just far less hassle to get to work and quicker.

I commute and cycle for local errands etc. Er, in theory, I've never actually done it this year for various reasons. But tbh if it wasn't for mountain biking I wouldn't, I only do it for a fitness boost.

i have cycled to work all my working life, 33yrs
i have had a car licence 31yrs
i drive less than twice per week. for weekly shop, and to take my mum home if she comes to visit.
i cycle for holidays too.

I agreed that my ex could keep the car when we split up last January.. I'd already been using a trailer on the bike for a few years and only used the car out of laziness..

I live in a medium sized town where nothing is more than 5 miles away and we have great rail connections.. I can't imagine using a car although the option to strap the kids in and go on an adventure would be nice..

I take 'em everywhere in the trailer, including doing the school run three days per week.. I'd imagined with the beach and woods and parks etc it would be simple to keep them inspired without having to travel further afield very often and I've largely been correct.. But when I borrowed a car over xmas their delight and enthusiasm at being in new surroundings made me question my decision briefly..

It's sometimes a bit of a chore if we want to do something after school because the added journey time doesn't always allow it..

I make an effort to cycle whenever I can. I do it because I enjoy it though. I find a 30 minute bike ride much more enjoyable than the corresponding car or train journey.

We only use the car for longer trips that would be impractical by bike, ie: visiting parents 50 old miles away, my truck averages <1000 miles a year, our car about 3k, I clock up about 5k a year on the bike and no idea what her total is but likely a couple of k.

Weekly shop is done by bike and 90% of trips in the same town are too and car only really used to either cart something around that won't fit in the trailer or panniers or to take our bikes somewhere to ride.

I don't begrudge car use, its just that it's generally quicker to get around by bike and more fun, especially during busy times and the less I use the car the happier I am these days 🙂

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Commuted by bike for 20 yrs - love it in general. Only slight drawback is the getting changed - always been a cycling gear on the bike man.
Like the style and easiness of cycling around in your working tweeds, but riding at 10 mph is not for me.

I definitely don't cycle for fun. Biycles are expensive pieces of sporting equipment with no practical application.

my commuter is my most used bike - also is my 'winter' road bike - so any milage claims are a bit off but it's done more miles than any of the others.

Ride to work at least 3 days a week normally - used to do 4 or 5 but longer hours and a house move have made it difficult to fit stuff in - i wish i could do it more.

Riding to work is longer - as i don't like the main road but takes less time.

Ride to work 5 days a week. Its not fun, but its exercise and the train's a lot less enjoyable. I'd like to say I save lots of cash, but I recently bought new winter cycling coat, gloves & shoes.

Last Sunday's MTB ride was enjoyable but pretty painful given the excessive mud. So fun & pain can go hand in hand.

Just reading the comments I realise I've been cycle commuting (if I count riding to school) for close on 40 yrs. Can't imagine not riding a bike.

My car has been off the road for the past year and a bit as i have it stripped back to a bare shell for a full acid dip rebuild so I've been biking everywhere including the 4 miles to work but I did that anyway beforehand, I borrow my parents car or transit perhaps once a week/fortnight to visit mates or to get a decent shop 30 miles away. Getting quite annoyed now as petrol is so cheap compared to what I was previously paying, I need to get it rebuilt soon, at 22mpg I need to take full advantage of cheap fuel before the price goes back up. 😉

I commute by bike when I can and ride for funsies, to keep fit and keep depression at bay.

250 000 miles in 6 years in the van.... at an average of 21p per mile!! 😯

But I do walk/cycle for local errands and shops etc plus pub visits... it's just work is spread out and I have to carry tools.

That said there is always a bike in the back!!

I need the car for work - it does make me feel guilty tbh but it is as fuel efficient as my bangernomics policy allows

Doubt I do 10 miles a week that is not work related and that is to karate with kids....could possibly cycle but doubt they would train well if we did.

Life gets in the way, I could cycle to work but I only do 3 days a week, however on them 3 days I have to pick my lad up from school, which with a 7 mile trip after that makes it impractical. The weekend stuff means a 50+ mile drive to Dunstable, which I can't cycle as I have to go to ASDA shopping when I get there...

So me, very rarely is it anything more than a social/exercise thing.

Ride to work unless a work reason not to . most weeks the car sits outside my house was genuinely shocked by the drop in petrol price last week it was ages ago that I last filled up. Walk or ride to local shop . Have used the car more this year as crankbrat is now to big for the bike seat and has only just got really good on the balance bike . we are both about to head out to work and nursery through snowy Leeds by bike.

my bike is my only form of transport (obviously excluding buses e.t.c).

Always cycled to work, small shop by brompton, and for local errands (ie up to 5 miles). Big shop by car now as it's just easier and aren't keen to leave nice bikes outside shops. We do know people who'll drive 1/4 of a mile 🙄

Much like aP. Though we now only ever do supermarket shops by car when we are en route to somewhere else - a few times each year. Otherwise use supermarket delivery services for big shops and walk/Brompton top ups.

Car (van) does about 7k a year but probably 2k of that is an annual trip to the Pyrenees and back. Car often doesn't get used for a fortnight at a time. Daily commute used to stack up to around 4k a year on the bike.

Loads of commuting (calling in shops on way back), proper shopping trips (with panniers), pub visits etc..

I've got a cheap-ish bike for this which has already paid for itself (bike cost 250, annual train ticket in London - nearly 2k) so i don't mind locking it up.

I commute by bike as much as I can manage (take the train the other times)
Used to do the big shop by bike, since kids and extra shopping I now use the car. Quick trips to the shops or anywhere I'm going on my own and don't need carrying capacity (distance/weather permitting) I'll take the bike. Did a few nursery runs by bike with a kids seat but once we had a second nipper that put paid to that. When they were a little older we used to walk to/from school/nursery the few times I did it but swapped nursery now so not possible.
Mrs does a lot of driving but TBF most of the time she's going to/from work anyway where she needs a car. She still does a few trips she could easily walk tho which I give her (a little) grief for. Think we're still well under 4k miles a year including occasional lakes trips.

Managed til the age of 30 without a car, but for having kids* I reckon we could do without fairly easily, damn useful to have on occasion tho, tricky to get to west lakes early sunday morning without private transport 🙂

*Still doable obviously but reckon both parents would need to be fairly committed/treehugging

5thElefant - Member
I definitely don't cycle for fun. Biycles are expensive pieces of sporting equipment with no practical application.

Did I miss the punchline?

The part of this thread that is missing is where do people live.

I would love to cycle more, I have a Kona Ute and as of September when my daughter goes to school in the next village, I am sure that we will, but currently my work is 35 miles away and while I can cycle that distance, I would probably be killed within a week on one of the twisty country lanes as rural drives seem to be less aware of cyclists or that bit more arrogant/ UKIPpy than city drivers.
My partner works in Cambridge, which is about 45 miles away and she takes the train.
When I lived in the city I cycled and walked everywhere, I don't want to give up the rural idel, but also would love to cycle more, but there is no work locally and with a small child the car gets used more than I would like.

Had a licence for 5 years, never owned a car though. Most of my riding is training rather than 'fun' riding though, not to say I don't enjoy it.

(mostly) i quite enjoy my commute, i'd even describe bits of it as 'fun'.

does that mean it doesn't count?

As well as where people live, there are some other pretty key element

1 - many have the use of a car, rather than no car
2 - whether or not you have kids
3 - how far you are from work

Up until moving job we had 1 car, but I used to motorcycle rather than cycle to work. Now we have 2 cars I'm in the car most days, try to cycle once a week, and do local trips with the bike. But if I'm with the kids then its usually the car (the odd school run happens by bike, but I'm very rarely able to make it)

Work to live, live to bike, bike to work... Commute daily, ride club rides for fun and training, coach riders, mince mountain bike, race five flavors of cycling to limited success, trundle into town to go shopping...

I cycle more miles than I drive and only use the car at weekends (often bike related). It wasn't always thus. We used to live in rural Oxfordshire and I commuted 600+ miles per week by company car. For 10 years. I don't miss it.

BTW cycling is always fun - even a trundle into town on a shopping bike, or a potter down a towpath with kids. It's all good.

EDIT :

I don't want to give up the rural idel

I cycle to work 5 days a week - 3 miles each way.
Weekends is either made up of
My turn on the rota for local Sustrans guided ride, and during the summer Skyride leader.
Couple of laps of Llandegla, blast around Rivington or Gisburn.
Holidays are bike related weekends in the Lakes or up at Glentress. Or a week in the Alps.

1 - many have the use of a car, rather than no car
2 - whether or not you have kids
3 - how far you are from work

0 - we live in a (small) city, everywhere in the city is doable by bike, and we have good riding < 10miles away, and great riding (Dartmoor) ~15 miles away.

1 - yes, we have 2 between 2 of us that are barely used, seriously thinking about ditching one but it's worth peanuts and costs peanuts to keep.

2 - no, I imagine that when we do it will change things a bit, but with careful planing and commitment I hope most of our journeys will still be on foot or by bike.

3 - We both work in the city, a few miles from home. This is deliberate, some years ago I used to work 30 miles away, and she used to travel all over the place doing supply work, we could have got a bigger house further out, or higher paying jobs elsewhere, but for us the positives of being in the city outweigh everything else.

I would also rather be in the city for when we have kids, especially since it's such a small city and within 10 miles in any direction we have countryside, moors, or a coastline/beach, I'd rather do the trip out of the city for recreation when needed than the trip in every day.

I don't have a car as I don't see the point I live in the city centre and have great rail links, my work is 13 minutes walk from my house. Only time this is a bit of a pain is races which can be some distance from a station and I have to take a lot on my bike also can't take a trailer on the train. When I'm 25 I will start renting a car occasionally as I wont have to pay the young driver fee.

1 - many have the use of a car, rather than no car
2 - whether or not you have kids
3 - how far you are from work

We made a conscious decision to live near to the things/people that were important to us. So, when we got married we bought a house in the same part of town that both our parents lived in and where we went to various clubs/groups. That minimised our need for a car on weekends and evenings.

I don't drive, so only ever applied for jobs that I could reach on foot or bike or public transport. That eliminated my 'need' to learn to drive.

My wife can drive, but we didn't initially want the financial burden of a car, so she also applied to local jobs. Once you get used to that, the thought of driving for half an hour at each end of the working day really doesn't appeal.

When we had kids, we had bought a car but we got rid of it and had a year or so car-free. We did have the use of my in-laws' car for occasional trips and for the weekly Big Shop, but that was a once a week, or school holidays thing.

Our kids go to the local school. It's not the 'outstanding' school on the west end of town, but we weren't prepared to move or drive - so they walk to school and their friends are mainly in walking distance.

You can make choices that eliminate or reduce car usage, but I think you need to make them early on otherwise you get stuck. (If it was just down to me, we wouldn't have a car at all; but, I'm married...)

I took my bike around the Bearbones200 in October.
That wasn't fun, not even type2.

I commute on the bike once a week (approx 32km each way) and get the train the other days. I use a bike to pop to shops, nip to friend's houses etc, take kids to school when I'm at home (eldest ride his own bike, youngest has a seat on mine)

I ride for fun at least one evening a week, and try to on a weekend (with kids and "proper" riding)

I'd love this thread if was on a motoring website... but we're already mostly 2 wheel converts. sigh.

1 - many have the use of a car, rather than no car
2 - whether or not you have kids
3 - how far you are from work

I've heard a theory that people set a commute (drive) they are willing to do, look at houses and then think "can I drive an extra 15mins each way to get an extra bedroom/20sqm of garden/20k off the price?". I bet doing that in most cases ties you to your car for pretty much everything.
Bleurgh, sounds horrible IMO

^ that is also how you become dependant on having a car.

Put yourself in a position where you can't easily get by without one and naturally you'll start to think it's essential.

If I didn't cycle to work I would hardly cycle at all! We're looking to move house and one of the key considerations is what my cycle would be like to work.

No car, 1 toddler, 10 miles away from work, 5 days a week. Don't do "big shops" and hire a car if it's really necessary (eg camping hols), but that's not often.

As mentioned above, I'm no eco warrior but prefer the lack of faff not having a car brings. We live in a city centre and parking is either really expensive or a massive headache finding a free spot, just can't be doing with it.

Cant speak for all but in my case I used to cycle to work and due to TUPE and redeployments that were not my choice [ Thanks bankers] I can no longer commute

Given all the crap i need to take with me any commute would not really be practical

I really wish I could commute

I cycle for work (commuting to, and also travelling between sites for meetings etc) and in fact that has now become the sum total of my cycling. I'm currently grounded from MTBing by the boss until a number of large home improvement projects are completed (which pretty much translates as: I've retired from mountain biking).

The full sus mountain bike is now possibly not the most sensible 'steed' since it never goes off road. Handy for potholes I suppose.