Not quite Binners, I'm more of a World Music fan
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Used to do 170 miles a week commuting by bike. Advantages were health* and well being, and regular journey time. Disadvantages were weather, drivers and the fact that it took longer than driving.
Then I moved house. Distance is now 50% longer by bike, and the ride itself harder. Mrs North's commute is now 500% longer. We have a daughter we need to be home for. For me, driving is the only realistic option.
But f-- me it's annoying when the journey can be as short as 40 mins each way and as long as 2 hours in the car, all because the day has the letter "Y" in it....
*I think the volume of riding I did contributed to the heart probs I've spent the last year dealing with.
[i]traffic is only annoying if you let it get to you [/i]
Oh, I so wish I could stop it. I [b]know[/b] everytime I get in the damn car that it won't be 5 minutes before I encounter an idiot.. but it get's to me everytime. I need therapy. (Or a bike ride).
And I can get quite a bit of phone work and/or deal with emails.
Obvious Troll or complete arsehole?
I'd prefer to ride to work but its **** dangerous so no thanks.
click click whirr.
Commuting by bike into urbania is a false health-kick. You breath/ingest alot of harmful chemicals spewed out...
Neither of my cars have cabin filters so its a moot point.
"Commuting by bike into urbania is a false health-kick. You breath/ingest alot of harmful chemicals spewed out... "
As you do sat in your car. You're also burning expensive fuel and getting fat in your rapidly depreciating car.
I've done car commuting and it sucks.
Obvious Troll or complete arsehole?
Such a lovely place this. Or perhaps lets the driver do the driving.
Small thinkers, think small.
Driving a car should be fun. It's amazing how it has sucked the fun out of itself.
I guess that latest Freelander ad has it covered - people just want a comfortable cocoon.
Car: Runs on money and makes you fat
Bike: Runs on fat and saves you money
Sort of.
The biggest turn-off for me about driving is that it's so mind-numbingly boring.
3 mile off road commute for me. I sometimes see a kingfisher,always a heron couple of koi and lots of dogs to fuss.
. yours Mr Smug.
Well, for me it's a 40 mile each way commute that takes 50 mins or so.
I have learned several escape routes in case of accidents, but even then I can still get stuck.
I have looked for work closer to home, but am yet to find something suitable. Ideally, i'd love a 10-15 mile cycle to work.
Driving to work for me is only stressful because of the few inconsiderate drivers that do stupid things.
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Commuting by car stops me becoming one of those annoying sanctimonious ***** who think everything can be done by bike if we only thought about it and the proceed to lecture the world about how better they are than those poor fools.
[i]annoying sanctimonious ***** [/i]
mikewsmith = Typical STW member
For a year I did a 120 mile a day round trip commute. Used the car because it was a bit quicker.
I drive as i find riding on the road dull, i soon switch off. Quite like driving, music or karl pilkington on soon passes the time. But i get to work an hour earlier than i'm supposed to and go back to sleep 🙂
mikewsmith - As with most things, the annoying smugness factor is my primary motivation 😉
How do those of you who do this every day cope?
By doing the 'early shift'. Get on the road early; have a good blast in on emptyish roads; get to the office before everyone else arrives, and get more done in the quiet hour than the rest of the day put together; leave before the evening rush hour, and home in time for Neighbours*.
* That's just a figure of speech for those 'of a certain age'.
This all means I can live in a nice place, instead of within cycling distance of the office, which is in a shitty/prohibitively expensive area.
…which is a long way of saying what mikewsmith says above.
For the record I would if I could but the bikes are already downstairs in the office and the other office requires a plane or 12hrs ferry ride
You people that have jobs that mean commuting more than a few yards to a warm study, why do you do it and put up with it? How do those of you who do this every day cope? 😉
Ahem.....How do those of you who do this every day cope?
😆
50-mile commute from leafy suburbs to an industrial urban hell-hole.
I like to get the hell out of there as fast as possible a bicycle is not an option.
I chose a hotel 11 miles from the office so I could cycle in. Takes me about 35 mins. The other day I was running late so I drove. Took me 30 minutes.
Some commutes are far worse than others. The only way to cope is to switch off and not let it bother you.
And the 'early shift' is not feasible for some of us. To get on the M4 before traffic starts up you have to be well before 7am, and that's just not happening for me.
Commuting by car stops me becoming one of those annoying sanctimonious ***** who think everything can be done by bike if we only thought about it and the proceed to lecture the world about how better they are than those poor fools.
It can and we are.
Hope this helps.
Commuting by car - how do you stand it??!!!
It's better than un-employment
I HATE driving in to work - regardless of the weather. 10 mile journey from one side of Cardiff to the other:
Car = 60 minutes + £5 in costs + a slightly stressed feeling
Train = 50 minutes + £4.50 in costs + a very stressed feeling
Bus = completely impractical
[b]Bike = 40 minutes + FREE + a relaxed/rosy-cheeked feeling[/b]
There is a clear winnner.
Binners - not much need for the Mitchell and Webb approach
The Mrs is a 'stay at home' wife so the window cleaner's loss is my gain
🙂
😆
10 mile journey from one side of Cardiff to the other
Where to where? Cardiff can be easy or it can be a nightmare depending on where you want to go.
Commuting by car stops me becoming one of those annoying sanctimonious ***** who think everything can be done by bike if we only thought about it and the proceed to lecture the world about how better they are than those poor fools.
You see how angry driving make you? Calm down dear, it's only a modal choice.
[b]Costs:[/b]
Bought a bike on C2W 3.5 years ago and spend naff all since, so about £1 per day.
To drive, I'd have to learn to drive, plus buy, insure, etc. a car 🙂
becoming one of those annoying sanctimonious ***** who think everything can be done by bike if we only thought about it
I resemble that comment.
Sometimes it's 8 miles, sometimes it's 52 miles, either way bike is first choice.
30 miles from highland perthshire to the tay estuary, includes 2 sets of traffic lights and 4 roundabouts with frequent sightings of red kites, osprey, deer and red squirrels.
really nice drive but too much uphill at the end of the trek home to be arsed cycling
When I was driving to work, I was doing the equivalent of once round the Equator every year.
That's just decadent. 7 years car free here. No track days since 2002 though 🙁 and yes, they were decadent too
28 mile each way,motorway & dual carriage for most of it,takes 30-45 minutes in the car.....On a bike,with food & all the crap I need to take I could probably average 15 mph,depending on the weather conditions.Work shifts & have to been in for 6 am some weeks or stay till 9pm on others,Oh & then there's the nightshift as well.......
Car does 65 mpg, road tax is £20 a year & it costs £250 to insure it....Plus I kind of like seeing my family at some point during the day....
Bit of a no brainer really isn't it & with my shifts I get to ride any day in the week for pleasure anyway.....
Such a lovely place this. Or perhaps lets the driver do the driving.
Small thinkers, think small.
Fair enough. Pretty much a daily occurence to see people texting, calling, with a laptop open on the passenger seat, marking schoolwork whilst in control of a car.
road tax is £20 a year
I tried to resist, but i'm too weak.
There's no such thing as 'road tax'
C'mon, someone had to say it...
To my shame I only live 5 miles away but still drive regularly (I cycle once or twice per week in winter, more in summer). Mainly because I'm carrying stuff or because I need to go somewhere after work.
I [i]hate[/i]driving at rush hour though, so in the morning I come in at about 6.30, go for a run, shower at the office, go for a coffee and then go in to work. Going home I grin and bear it because my commute is short enough that it rarely turns into a complete nightmare (and if it does I could always park the car and walk the rest of the way). Having said that, it sometimes takes 15 minutes to get out of the office car park, at which point I find something to do in town before going home later.
Car, though I car share, so only drive every 3 weeks.
43 miles each way if I go the economical (up to 57mpg) way. Very dull - 50 mins to 90 mins in the snow a couple of years back.
37 miles each way if I go the fun way over the moors (44mpg). FUN - 38mins is my PB!
The alternative is to move into Co. Durham - no thanks.
2002 Alfa 156 2.4JTD. Cost me £700 6 months ago, so don't see it depreciating much more.
I'd like to commute by bike more. I've kind of got out of the habit.
The fact that both the wife and I work near each other makes driving pretty practical though. If she drives on her own she would have to pay to park, I get free parking at my office.
I can't say the commute by car bother me that much, its a good opportunity to vent at muppets who don't know what motorway lanes or indicators are for!
I used to commute by car 3 hrs + per day until recently. I now drive 40 mins or so through country side on fantastic driving roads...it just a shame I have to do it in a people carrier (wish I had the MX5 again)
Intend to start riding it in the spring when its light again, would dream of riding the country route I do in the dark.
I can't ride to work.
The 600 litre water tank and 3/4 of a tonne of equipment I need would be a bit of a hassle on a bike.
But I'm never stressed on my "commute" and pretty much never late either.
I'm just organised and I set off in plenty of time, that way I can relax, listen to music, learn Mandarin, whatever really.
After todays Edinburgh bypass car park, the ZZR11 will be making an appearance again.
Moved house so that a 80 mile round trip by car could become a 6 mile each way (or up to 35 miles if it's nice...) commute by bike.
Funny, got in this morning. A colleague asked if I was cold and wet - he arrived by car wearing an insulated jacket that didn't come off for an hour after he got to work. I've ridden in shorts today and sat in the same office in a short sleeve shirt. Comfy.
