Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • Part commute by bike – Bike and advice?
  • thv3
    Free Member

    So I’m moving office from the outskirts of Edinburgh to the City Centre in the fairly near future, and as a result I will no longer have access to free car parking.

    I’m about 30 miles away, so a 60 mile round trip commute which means cycling the whole way is realistically out (for me at least). I tend to commute 2/3 days a week, with the others spent working from home.

    So I’m thinking on part commuting by bike, with the theory that I’d drive in to a park and ride or similar, and then cycle in to the office.

    My initial thoughts were along the lines of a folding bike, which I could pull out the boot, cycle into the City, and then sling under a desk. However I know nothing about folding bikes, and driving through Edinburgh this afternoon, I can’t help but notice two things;

    1. All the cyclists were on “proper” bikes, with at least a 26” (old school 😉 ) wheel.
    2. The roads are in a pretty poor condition which is probably linked to the above.

    I’m guessing it’s a balance between something that folds to a reasonable size vs something that rides like a “proper” bike? Other option is a cheap sacrificial “proper” bike, which is will be chained up outside the office and subject to all the weather, abuse etc which seems normal in a city centre these days.

    Does anyone do something similar, or have any advice on what type of bike to consider? From a cursory look prices also seem to vary hugely between supermarket specials to a £15,500 Moulton!

    wiggles
    Free Member

    Brompton

    irc
    Full Member

    I’dd guess it depends how close to your office you will park. Five miles I’d maybe go folder. Ten miles or more I’d want full size wheels.

    Parking in the street the cheapo bike sounds good to me. Scruffy second hand, perhaps with decent fast tyres and big lock left at office.

    Much depends on your parking. I was lucky when bike commuting that I had secure parking.

    Which bike. The Marin Muirwoods looks decent value. Under £500 by the time a rack and mudguards are added. 700×42 tyres for Edinburgh roads.

    http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/marin-muirwoods-29er-16

    But maybe only if The theft risk can be mitigated. If not cheap and scruffy or a folder.

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    stevemtb
    Free Member

    The only sensible choice is a new Mega 😉

    Gotama
    Free Member

    I do the same and park about 7 miles from the office albeit my ride is into London. I had a Brompton but at 6ft 3 it got on my nerves so now just have a normal bike which I take the wheels off and throw in the boot. I also had a Tern before the Brompton which was a better ride. If I was doing the folder route again given I don’t have to take it on public transport and have a storage cupboard at work I would go for the Tern/Dahon size again. One issue you may have with a folder under your desk is that it’s fine when it’s dry, but if the bike is soaked is there somewhere in the office you can store it while it dries?

    If you’re heavy (I’m 100kg and would class myself as so) then maybe avoid the Tern as I ended up snapping the hinge bolt by doing nothing other than riding it as you would.

    Stevet1
    Free Member

    I do this, drive partway in, then cycle the rest. Partly to avoid rush hour congestion, partly to avoid parking charges (although this has now changed) and partly to just get some more time on my bike so that I’m fitter when going out for fun. I don’t bother with a folder, I just fold my back seats down and sling a commutified MTB in the back. Works well if you can find somewhere to park that’s quiet, and also if you have facilities at your place of work for changing / showering and keeping clothes etc.
    It is sometimes a faff putting bike in and out every day, expecially as I’ve got child seats to take in and out but overall it’s worth it (to me). As a bonus I sometimes go out for a cheeky lunchtime ride as well.

    benp1
    Full Member

    I live in the London suburbs and work in central London. I usually cycle to work but recently N+1’d on a brompton. It was a bit of an experiment. I use it all the time, in fact I’m using it today – it’s next to my desk

    Went to school sports day in the morning, rode to tube station, jumped on tube most of the way, cycled in the rest of the way (I can save on the Zone 1 fare and justify the N+1 in this way). Have a meeting this evening so will tube there and cycle to the final place.

    To be honest, I’m using it way more than I expected. I can cycle the 10 miles home on it no problem

    It’s great fun to ride and I use it with my kids a lot too, we call it the clown bike!

    I love bikes so won’t be getting rid of the others, but it rides so well and is so easy to lob in the boot just in case (or use public transport with it) but if I was in a flat and needed a practical bike for everyday commuting and normal use it would be easy to justify a little brompton

    You can guess that I’ve become a massive fan

    benp1
    Full Member

    PS – the luggage is excellent too. I’m using the Brompton Game Bag

    PPS – If you’re driving in part way then you could just get a rack and lob ANY bike on the car

    Hob-Nob
    Free Member

    I do this when i’m motivated enough to do so, an 80km round trip is a bit much for me and doesn’t really help with my racing anyway.

    Generally I drive the crappy bit out of town, park in a sleepy little Hampshire village & ride to another sleepy little Hampshire village.

    Depending on where I park it’s 40-50km which is a bit more manageable time wise etc.

    Full sized bike just slung in the back with the seats down.

    rugbydick
    Full Member

    A sacrificial full sized bike of your choice that’s chained up at the park and ride overnight?

    martymac
    Full Member

    Depends which park and ride, for example, the ones at ferrytoll and halbeath (just over the forth road bridge) both have free lockers big enough for a full size bike, so you could park there during the day and leave the bike there overnight.
    Lots of people park at ferrytoll and ride over the bridge into edi, i can ‘usually’ beat them unless traffic is particularly bad, but not always. (Megabus/citylink driver)
    I cant beat a bike from barnton or corstorphine into the city centre if the rider is fit. This situation is unlikely to change, as the zone 1 20mph speed limit comes into force at the end of the month.

    EDIT: im talking about peak time traffic here.

    thv3
    Free Member

    Cheers folks, going to do a few test rides on a current bike checking out facilities, road surfaces etc

    Do like the look of that Marin, and it seems a bargain, but suspect it would attract the wrong kind of attention.

    dirtyrider
    Free Member

    i used to sometimes drive to work, cycle home, cycle to work and then drive home

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Generally I drive the crappy bit out of town, park in a sleepy little Hampshire village & ride to another sleepy little Hampshire village.

    Intrigued….! 🙂

    As above though, my take would be…

    Fully integrated transport – Nothing beats a Brompton.
    Semi integrated transport – A beater bike left at the car park location (If feasible).

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