Checklist for planning a bicycle commute

[Shut Up Legs]

I'm going through a phase of varying my bicycle commute, or at least the one home from work in the afternoons (the pre-dawn ride to work has hardly any traffic, so no planning issues for that one). I just realised how difficult it is to avoid all the hazards: the best we can do really is to minimise them. I think the ideal bicycle commute should (where possible)

• avoid roundabouts;
• avoid primary/high schools by as wide a margin as possible;
• minimise the number of right-hand turns (always a bit trickier on a bicycle than in a car).

I haven't found my perfect commute home, yet, but I think I'm getting there, having found a route that minimises the above.

Comments or additions to the list, anyone?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I think roundabouts are fine if you're only turning left
I try to avoid filter lanes, always get beeped for being too slow too slow

 

[Moodyman]

Avoid the obvious car commuter routes. Most drivers will only ever use the same route to/from work - usually main roads. So, as a cyclist I specifically avoid these by using back lanes or quiet streets.

A lot of my commute is on quite roads which run parallel to the car commuter roads.

 

[classic33]

Avoid rush hour. Now about three hours. Not always possible, but as pointed out there's not much traffic on the roads around four in the morning.
Minimise the number of sets of traffic lights you'll have to pass through.

Whats wrong with roundabouts?

 

[Maylian]

Avoid rush hour. Now about three hours. Not always possible, but as pointed out there's not much traffic on the roads around four in the morning.
Minimise the number of sets of traffic lights you'll have to pass through.

Whats wrong with roundabouts?

I agree, roundabouts can be lots of fun depending on whether they're on a quiet or busy route. Not to bring your cycling skills into question I'd be curious why you're avoiding some road features as it may just make things worse or your cycling a little less confident. It also depends what you want to get out of the route? Do you want to get home as fast as possible, avoiding those features. Or do you want to have a bit more of an extended route to enjoy the weather and bicycle in a match made in........somewhere.

That being said for return extended journeys, avoid many of the main roads and keep to the quieter lanes; filtering is lots of fun but cruising on quiet lanes is just as much fun. I'd throw in a hill climb or two, doesn't need to be too steep but always good to get the heart pumping. If you've got a garmin then it makes planning a route easy, if not then you could always look on sites like ridewithgps and see if there is anything local and just adapt it a bit. I personally like going routes I've not been before to see new things and different parts of the local countryside.

My garmin has quite a few variations for getting home, direct home from work is about 5 miles or so. So it varies from 7, 11, 19 up to 60 miles route home and I'll have one for turning left or right out of work depending on what kind of terrain I want to experience. Quite a ramble sorry......

 

[SimonJKH]

I just like to avoid traffic lights. I want to get my head down and time-trial the whole thing

 

[Soup890]

Roundabouts are fine as long as you remain calm and keep looking. Cover the brakes.

 

[inkd]

Could`nt agree more with @Moodyman. Quieter streets are the way to go even if its a slight detour.

 

[Ganymede]

I cycle to the station to get a train. Coming home all the suits rush off the train, hurl themselves into their cars and queue competitively to get out of Station Road. I footer about with my bag/lights/reflective clothing/locks until they've all hurtled away and then have a nice quiet run along the high street, before turning off into the country lanes. You get the occasional big lorry on the main road but I find they are increasingly considerate. Luckily no roundabouts on my route but I agree the bigger ones can be traumatic and prone to being the recipient of motorised stupidity.

 

[jay clock]

why avoid roundabouts? Maybe in Oz they are a problem but I quite like them

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I have a couple of big, busy roundabouts on my preferred route home and find them time consuming, but safe. You have to pick your moment to pull out and it's not when a car or motorbike might so you end up holding up the cages behind you but once you've got over any feeling of bad manners it's fine. Just don't be tempted to go because the van on your right has gone so it will shield you. (BTDTGTTS, but fortunately it was a shout at self moment, not an end up under on coming car one).

 

[confusedcyclist]

... My garmin has quite a few variations for getting home, direct home from work is about 5 miles or so. So it varies from 7, 11, 19 up to 60 miles route home and I'll have one for turning left or right out of work depending on what kind of terrain I want to experience. Quite a ramble sorry......

What kind of Garmin?

 

[Maylian]

What kind of Garmin?

Garmin 800, they are all routes that I've drawn up using garmin and ridewithgps.

 

[summerdays]

I think my perfect route would be.... Wide cycle path through a field/next to a river but with lots of people in places, just so I didn't have to think about cars and my mind could wander.

Being more realistic and my commute changes frequently, I don't mind roundabouts though being honest I'm probably not so keen on right turns, but not to the extent that I avoid them. The thing I go out of my way is hills (not entirely possible around here), but I will take a longer route if it has an easier hill. I don't mind parked up roads, or ones where the cars get stuck and I filter, but not so keen on the ones where I get stuck with them.

 

[ufkacbln]

Don't analyse too much at this stage.

As a novice, plan the route, and then on a Sunday - Ride it

Then take your time, noting where there could be issues, where yu could shelter if you need to change a puncture, where youi can stop and wait rescue from the other half if you wimp out have a mechanical breakdown

Then ride it for real on a Monday

Then adapt as traffic changes, roads change, cycle paths are built or any other reason

I have commuted for nearly fifteen years to the same site and my route today bears little relation to the one I started with!