Cycling to work – negatives?

I’m sure loads of folk on here cycle to work. I’m thinking about starting too. I live 4 miles from my work and will cycle from the village where I live to the town where I work. Has anyone on here ever started commuting by bicycle then jacked it in for the car/motorbike cos they hated cycling to work?

Yes. I entertained the idea and did actually like it, though I was tired when I got home. But it took too much time.

NEGATIVES:

getting up at 4am

having a mile n a bit 1:10 climb a mile from home on the way in

having a mile n a bit 1:10 descent a mile from home on the way home (several bends with loads of manhole covers make it a lottery in the dark)

riding home after a 12 / 13 / 14hr shift

being blinded by oncoming headlights

riding home / to work during the coldest part of the night

POSITIVES

as above

its an east / west commute so timed right its GREAT for sunset & sunrise

(currently feeling a distinct lack of motivation)

4 miles takes about 20 minutes, it doesn’t require loads of specialist clothing and is just about the right length to do every day without even thinking about it.
I’ve never commuted by car so it never occurs to me to do so.

As ap says.

try it, I’ve done 7 miles each way for 10 yrs, sometimes i feel i want to take the car but usually always end up riding,

low points are if going in for 6am i have to be up at 4:40am to get ready have a good breakfast etc,

and coming home after 13 + hrs at work i always think why am i doing this, after a couple of miles tho’ i know why i’m doing it, funnily enough i enjoy riding in the rain and the snow, although 2 yrs ago i rode everyday in -15 for two weeks, my usual ride takes me less than 30 mins but in that snow and ice it went up to 1-1.5 hrs on a good day, the worst was 2hrs !!, a good lesson in endurance and dressing correctly, Northwave Celsius a most worthy investment

I’ll not have any really early mornings as the earliest I start is 9. Sometimes I’ll finish at 3.30am though. That’ll be cold in winter but ace in the summer time.

Seriously 4 miles is nothing – just do it in “normal” clothes and keep spare shoes/ trousers in work for the odd occasion you get wet – getting changed at each end into proper cycling gear would take as long as the ride and be the biggest demotivater IMO.

The only negatives for me are the stupid remarks I get:

a) Oooh, you must be really fit.

b) What happens when it rains?

c) Isn’t it cold?

to which the answers are:

a) Yes I am, but not from just riding to work, be that as it may, you could ride to work too if you weren’t so lazy

b) Moisture-bearing air reaches a colder location so is unable to hold the moisture and it falls from the sky as precipitation – oh I see, you don’t mean that, I WEAR A JACKET.

c) Not really, I am nice and warm because I have been doing work whereas you are cold because, oh fat lazy one, you have been standing still waiting for a train.

😆

first couple of months are the hardest.
mudguards,waterproofs,overshoes.gloves.lights.
maybe a mirror.
commuting is the real test of cycling,I think.
besides,it’s the only cycling that actually saves me money.sort of.

I would even go so far as to say if its only 4 miles why are younot cycling to work?

What TJ said, your car won’t be warmed up after four miles, ’tis not very good for the engine.

My commute is currently a 1.5 miles on a road bike jobby. No need to even shower at the office.

In spring my offices might be moving location – my commute will then be a 7 miles flat tow path jobby. I’m really looking forward to it, as long as the facilities at the new office are up to scratch.

I do 8 miles each way, 5 days a week, normally no problem at all but as soon as it gets to this time of year I get really fed up with it, more so this year that i’m looking at doing my motorbike license.

commuted 4 miles walking sometimes.

I can’t help myself, pedant that I am but… license is a verb, licence is a noun

sorry 😳

On second thoughts. Why would you want to ride a motorbike in bad weather? Just curious BUT, more torque on wet/icy roads? Less physical work on a cold day?

I’m a lazy bastard and my car cost me £300 3 years ago so I’m not too fussed about it. 🙂
My main reason for not cycling is that my old place of work was another town, only five miles away but down hill all the way there. On top of that there is often a headwind on the way back. I have a wee honda C90 that I used to use for work but there won’t be secure parking for it at my new building (pushbike can be kept inside), arguably that would be cheaper than cycling. It uses hardly any fuel compared to how much I eat after a big cycle. 😆

Negatives – work’s 170 miles away 🙁

I’d love to live 4 miles from work, I’d probably cycle a lot. Current commute is 35 miles each way so sod riding that! Spending a fortune on petrol though.

Only neg. would be starting this time of year, having to kit yourself for wet, dark, cold commutes, saying that I do enjoy riding at night 😉

At least you can look forward to hot summer rides.

On second thoughts. Why would you want to ride a motorbike in bad weather?

because I do.

Same as TJ

But also have you considered just running it?

Karinofnine – Depends on the bike. You’ll be nice and warm on something like a pan euro or old BMW and as my old man says “the thottle works baith ways..”

But what is completely unquantifiable (and blows everything else out of the water) is the smug-factor 😆

Running along a country road in the dark isn’t a good idea. I hate running.

Fair reply, I once had the (mis?)fortune to own a Honda C70. OMFG, B O R I N G, and I nearly froze to death, it wasn’t fast enough to bark with the big dogs down the outside lane of the cars, not allowed (then) in the bus lane. Horrible. Sold it and went back to cycling.

Negatives?

Putting on cold wet kit to ride home in if you got soaked in the morning and stuff hasn’t dried out.
Headwinds + rain. Either one was fine, but combined = yuk.
Feeling like a 3rd class road user.

Didn’t stop me though.

With the wee Cubs you just need to be more “committed.” Plus they are super cheap and keep the miles off your big bike.
We even used the C90 as a drunken trials bike (don’t try this at home) at a mates party. Great fun!

I’m going to get myself some waterproof over layers in case it rains. I’ll be able to dry any wet gear at work. The more I think about it the more convinced I’m getting. 🙂

This would be the distance i do . i keep my suit at work ride in cycling kit plus high viz vest, Never too sweaty that a strip wash in the toilets is not enough.

15 to 20 mins each way i live in leeds so by car it’s 10 to 45 mins . chain the bike up at the office by car i pay £8 to park 5 mins from the office.

negatives are car drivers and students, car drivers pull out on you or try to squeeze past, students don’t cover basic road crossing till the third year so step out into the road without looking.

pros cheap commute, fun and stay fit . Also in leeds avoiding grid lock is a major plus.

Do it do it do it – you gonna do the nightshift as well? 😆

Best thing i do is ride to work. Avoiding all the tin cans, getting wet, getting hot and sweaty

Love it

4 miles is a bit of a no brainer IMO

Get some lovely wool jersey’s, a decent jacket,gloves etc good lights and full mudguards = jobs a good ‘un.

If you get through the first winter you’ll have cracked it for life.

Have a look at this – the game[/url], and remember ,you’re only riding to work 😉

Thats the plan. If I can stick at commuting in the crap weather I’ll get a dedicated bike for it.

Biggest negative for me is strong headwinds. Not much fun when my commute is 45km each way (done 2-3 times a week)

From March to September I do 18 miles before breakfast

I work from home so I need something to stop me feeling lethargic

pros
I really enjoy my breakfast when I get back
I don’t have to bother if the weather is shit
keeps me fit

cons
non that I can think of

-1 for headwinds 🙁

I jacked in cycling to work when the journey was reduced to 3ft 😉

Cycling while working is the one! 😉

try it. Stick it out for at least 4 weeks before reviewing….it will feel tiring initially so its easy to give it up after 1 week, but you get used to it very quickly and 4 miles each way is simple. If you get on okay it will soon start to make you feel fitter and you’ll start to save a few pounds.

I commute 8 miles each way daily…biggest drawback is the traffic….london cabbies are generally @rseholes….and many other london drivers are far too busy/angry/shortsighted.

I get to do that too! Getting paid to cycle about is pretty good.