Commuting on the full sus !

[upsidedown]

Checking out my options to reduce the 20 mile each way commute in the winter, i noticed a bridleway from right outside the office, 3 miles to the nearest train station.

So the plan, ride to station, wheels off, bike into bag(after my only other journey onto a London Midland train with the road bike ended up in a very long ride home when i had to get off the overcrowded train), wheels on, 3miles of singletrack and into the office.

Can't wait.

 

[hackbike 6]

As a jobsworth driver I think that may be ok.

I've seen those things you can wrap your bike up in.They look okay to me.

 

[upsidedown]

hmm, just wondering what a jobsworth guard would say when they let you through the ticket barrier in rush hour. Sure you will be able to get away with putting your bike in a bag? If so, then great enjoy your commute.

Don't know, the start station doesn't have a barrier, and the end station is unmanned.
When i tried before the bike bit had a pushchair in it which nobody seemed to be in a hurry to move. If i was thicker skinned i'd just get on, but it goes through New St so guess it's pretty busy.

Don't know why they can't just stick a guards van on the back, worked ok for the last 100 years.

 

[dudi]

It'sno different to having a big suitcase...
just wear long shorts and sunglasses and tell them you're going to hawaii!

 

[hackbike 6]

Don't know why they can't just stick a guards van on the back, worked ok for the last 100 years.

Guards brake wasn't always on the back...except freight trains and I think some of the reason may have been trains going to DOO operation (In the 1980's).No guards brake.No guards either.

ITS ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY!

 

[simoncc]

The problem with off-road commuting is that it takes ages. I tried travelling the 9 miles into Manchester on the Bridgewater Canal towpath which I can get onto 1/4 mile from my house. It took well over twice as long as the road commute. I was surprised but I don't know why. As an MTB rider I know that a day's MTB riding is much more tiring and covers much less distance than road riding.

 

[snapper_37]

As an MTB rider I know that a day's MTB riding is much more tiring and covers much less distance than road riding.

Too right. 1 mile on MTB is like 5 mile on road.

 

[hackbike 6]

I remember hiring a MTB in Gran Canaria,low gears and heavy = knackering.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

I've seen a couple of guys on full-sus bikes on my commute into work (north->central London). To be honest they always seem to be having all the fun - using the speed bumps to launch into jumps, that kind of thing. The best one I saw was some guy I was following down to a roundabout - he didn't bother turning, just went straight ahead, jumped up the 1.5 ft sidewall on the central section, powered it over the grassy area in the middle and hopped off the other side.

Probably foolhardy, but impressive and it had me grinning for the rest of my journey...

 

[Trillian]

just ride the road bike on the path if its a smooth ish one...

 

[BentMikey]

LOL, I have to chuckle when you see a pogo cyclist bouncing rythmically down the road.

Fixed that username for you, OP:

umopep!sdn

 

[rnscotch]

It makes me laugh when someone comes on the train with a pram and gives you evil stares for daring to have your bike parked in the bike/wheelchair storage area.

I feel like saying something and pointing to the large blue sticker which says "Bike Storage Area"

What also does my head in is people that refuse to get of there seat when it clearly states

"Passengers seated in this area should move when a rider with a bicycle boards the train or when asked by the train staff "

LOL... at pogo cyclist