Hi,

After 3 quite close passes on the way too work and  malicious one within 10cm accompanied by hand gestures on the way home I’m wondering if life is too short for commuting.

I’ve been commuting off and on since 97 and have never been so rattled.

Options.

A) drive to work.

B) take a non direct route down less busy roads.

C) carry on as before.

The commute is 3 miles each way through a residential area. The route I take is down some busy ish main roads. I’m lit up like a Christmas tree and wear a bright yellow jacket.

Suggestions welcome

Only you can decide whether it’s too risky to carry on but if I were in your situation I would be investing in a helmet camera and possibly a rear facing one attached to your bike as well .

I’ve stopped. To many actual hits topped of with a broken spine. Mine was 13 miles each way. You could run the 3 miles, or walk it. It now takes me a minimum of 60 minutes to drive the shorter 9 mile route, and it costing me a fortune in fuel and parking.

If your commute is only 3 miles then I’d certainly be exploring a longer, less busy route. I often double my return journey distance so that I can use the local canal network rather than some of the busiest roads in Greater Manchester

Would be option b for me.

life is too short to have some **** who doesn’t give a shit about anyone but themselves gambling with it.

I stopped riding due to the commute which has been also most 3 years now,  Only started looking for new Bike last week as kids getting slightly older and I need something to do on the weekends.

Personally I would not mix the 2 again but living in London did not help.  I know not everyone has the choice but I was totally scared riding on roads lost that feeling of freedom.

D: video

Option B – makes my route 4.1 miles instead of 3.6. Cleaner air instead of guaranteed exhaust fumes. Can relax a bit once I’m out of town.

Get a helmet cam and film it. You can have the crown prosecute seriously close passes for dangerous driving.

Personally I hate cycling on roads these days, especially busy ones or windy narrow ones which temp held up drivers to make a risky pass.

I’m fortunate enough to live near the TPT which runs east west and allows me to avoid a lot of roads.

Maybe at the worse parts ride on the pavement in Cheltenham a lot of the pavements are dual purpose so even the council know how bad it is as said above look for quieter roads amazing how quiet some roads can be just of the main ones from my years of commuting always gets bad after the 6weeks holiday then around Christmas then calms down a bit.

Option B.

Find a quieter route, even if it means a detour. Or run it. My most direct commute (10km) involves a horrible stretch of dual carriageway plus some other pretty unpleasant busy roads in rush hour, so almost always take a longer (13km) but much quieter route. Fortunate in having various traffic free options for some sections.

I hate road riding, so I defo don’t commute by road any more. However there is a dead nice 6 km off road to my office which is flat, has about 500m total road, and is twice as far as the most direct route. Treat your extra distance as a treat, and use alt transport the rest of the time.

3 miles through a residential area. I’d probably take my BMX or 4X hardtail and stay mainly on the pavement hopping curbs, manualling and checking out the ladies.

If you’re not down with that option 3

Thanks!

I have a helmet cam for the mtb.

I don’t think it’s an option for me, I’m more concerned about my own well being than prosecuting someone after they have crashed into me.

I might have a closer look at less busy roads. They will be residential streets so changes the risk from people driving like a dangerous loon to driving like a distracted numpty.

Having watched one of my students hopping curbs and almost talking out a couple of pedestrians,I might give that a miss. My days of cracking frames just riding along (or down the steps of central Edinbrugh) are over.

My wife might have something to say about the checking out ladies bit 😉

Don’t honestly know how you could consider letting the driving **** win.

No way I could give up commuting – couldn’t afford to, for one thing. But giving up cos there’s a few ignorant bastards on the road, no way. **** em.

Find a quieter more scenic route is my choice. Take a break for a bit.

Walk it. Listen to some podcasts on the way.

My best time for my 3 mile walk is 42 minutes.

 But giving up cos there’s a few ignorant bastards on the road, no way. **** em.

That’s not quite the point though is it? Its not like “standing up to bullies” most of the time, it’s more like “putting you life into the hands of idiots”

I’ve had the same job for the last 15years and bike commuted most of the time.

2 things have made me stop;

1. Getting a dog so going for a good hours stomp before work

2. Realised it just want fun anymore and I was getting more and more stressed/annoyed at the complete lack of empathy for a fellow human when people are intentionally close passing and pulling out.

Also the realisation that I’m not going to change the world- I haven’t inspired anyone else to commute by bike there isn’t anyone else on my route cycling so **** it, I drive my Transit van the 6miles each way to work and back. They win but I’m alive and less stressed driving.

I don’t think it’s an option for me, I’m more concerned about my own well being than prosecuting someone after they have crashed into me.

But if enough cyclists have helmet cams and even dash cams in cars then people will be much less likely to indulge in bad driving as the chances of being caught will massively increase .

I’d try a mixture of driving and cycling the quietest route you can. Life is too short to cycle on busy roads.

I gave up for this very reason a few yrs ago having various near misses on my 7 mile cycle across Aberdeen.

If the direct route is 3 miles and you have the option of say extending it to a 5 mile route avoiding the danger zones then that seems the best idea.

Not exactly moon miles assuming it’s reletivley flat, after all it’s a commute not a race..

That’s not quite the point though is it? Its not like “standing up to bullies” most of the time, it’s more like “putting you life into the hands of idiots

If it’s close passes, bullying is exactly what it is. I’ve been close passed more times than I can remember, but putting my life into their hands?? Its annoying, but nah. maybe two were anywhere near that. And they weren’t bullies, just **** morons. But I didn’t give up, I changed my route and I’m still here.

If it was me I would drive or walk to work. IMO a busy commute is not worth the hassle or the risk.

I feel like a lot of people who commute do a really bad job of managing risk. So many of the roads in the uk are just too dangerous to ride on. Blows my mind sometimes when i see people that are clearly otherwise really sensible riding on them. Often when theres a pavemwnt right next to them!! Yes i know its not really legal to ride on pavements but often its the only aensible choice aside from pushing.

Op.. i think youve seen the light. Youre route sounds far too dangerous. Youre clearly at risk. Id say either reroute or get on the pavement on the stretches you feel youre most at risk on.

Life is too short and fragile for that shit.

They win but I’m alive and less stressed driving.

I find driving to work much more stressful than cycling to work. Sitting in a tin can no thanks. Would much rather ride! Maybe once or twice a week I’ll call someone a prick once they’re 100yards down the road for breaking the speed limit and passing me closer than I’d prefer, but never had any really close passes thankfully. But ride on the pavement at pinch points up hill in town. On way home have time to ride along seafront avoid roads and piss about hoping off things etc. Too many reasons to give up just because of a few pricks who round my way seem to be in the minority.

Thanks for the input.

A week of driving followed by smaller roads next week I think

Cheers

Martin

Go option B

Run, or get a bmx and go all ‘street’ railing cars, popping over mopeds, and high fiving pedestrians.

I’d run.

I notice a lot of drivers eyes on the roads, and so, so many are looking down at their laps and up, and laps and up…

Scary shit.

Option B.

I’ve commuted for the past 5 years, done about 30,000 miles.

I have a rule, if i find i get lots of close passes on a certain stretch of road i change my commute and take a different route. Often its not the driver that intentionally makes a close pass but the design of the road that kind of forces them to take risks to get past you, they just don’t understand.

My current route takes me about 10 minutes longer but its far more enjoyable than the direct fast route. Can’t actually remember my last close pass.

If it is only 3 miles I would walk.  Better exercise than a 3 mile bike ride and still doesn’t take that long (45 minutes).  I used to walk 3 miles to work for a few years and found it did me good.  Although if I had to do it today I would probably get an electric micro scooter for the times I want to get there or back a bit quicker.

This time of year is the worst for it – you always get about 3 weeks of utter insanity as the mornings get darker and colder and then the clocks go back.

My commute is a mix of driving, riding or getting the train depending on factors like weather, what I’m doing at work (carrying lots of stuff in = car, going out after work = train and so on) but I’m always extra careful on the bike around now.

Most people don’t do much driving other than the commute and basic errands so as soon as it’s dark in the mornings, it takes them a week to get used to it. Minor things like remembering to turn the lights on (4 cars this morning), finding out that a bulb has blown (far too many one-eyed cars to count this morning!), de-misting the windows… Add in leaves on the road, wet weather, low autumn sun at rush hour time – October / early November is just a nightmare.

See if you can change your commute route for a bit, mix it up to stop it becoming a chore.

Definitely look for a different route, especially as the commute is so short. If you’re really worried get a (kick) scooter and use that (can pop on the pavements too)

My route home is 1 mile longer than my route in, but it’s much quieter. I just want to get to work in the morning and the roads are quieter because I leave early. On the way home the roads are busier and it’s slightly uphill so I’m slower. I take a slower way home, often on an off road path. Ironically the only commuting crash I’ve had was a head on collision with an idiot cyclist flying round a blind corner on the off road path

I have two part time jobs, one shift work and the other a 9-5’er. The shift job is 12 miles each way of country roads and then straight through Chesterfield, but being shift work I miss all the rush hours. I like this ride to be fair, less so at 5am of a piss wet dark morning but hey. Then I got job two which is a flat 7 mile run down the A6 between Bakewell and Matlock, and chuff me it is an absolute horror show. I’m a long time cycle commuter, and this was as unpleasant a ride as I have had, give me a busy city centre any day! But luckily there is the White Peak Trail that runs parallel to the A6, on mixed gravel type surfaces. So I built up an old trek steel rigid 26′, accepted the fact it was going to take longer than the road bike and I now love this ride too. When the weather is good I get to enjoy some of my local trails which is a great bonus 😁 I don’t believe this mtfu business some on here seem to suggest; adapt, survive and be happy ✌️

If it is only 3 miles I would walk. Better exercise than a 3 mile bike ride and still doesn’t take that long (45 minutes).

Defo, by the time you get all your gear on, buggering about with lights etc, wouldn’t be much longer walking. Get to work nice n chilled too.

Re-route to avoid the busiest sections.

A question for those who are suggesting a camera, I realise it can might as a deterrent to some, but its not actually going to PREVENT a close pass or worse is it? Its all very well having the footage of the accident that paralysed you…..