Commuting Problems.........

[ChrisKH]

So, we've heard the advantages of commuting by bike but what are the disadvantages?

I have no problem commuting by both bike and train, but usually hit a bit of a problem when I have a function before or after work, or worse still an interview. Today I came in with a suit, attended a tax seminar (well someone has to) went to the office with a fully laden messenger bag with a view to leaving the suit at work and commuting home by bike. Thing is, I haven't got a bike at work as I thought I had, so now I've got to commute home on the train in lycra without the bike to be sure of having the right combination of clothes, with bike in the right place, for tomorrow morning, etc. I could have sworn I left a bike at work and almost had a coronary when it wasn't locked up in its usual place. Perhaps I'm getting too old for this.

Anyone else suffer similar problems?

 

[joebe]

Having a puncture and discovering your spare tube is knackered along with your pump..... 5 miles from home.

 

[jonny jeez]

Chris, I have a similar organizational/logistical challenge.

I have to bring in suits boxers socks and belts, enough for most occasions and also need to arrange for shirts to get ironed the day before I need them.(like most people I guess)

So far I've had one day when I went to a meeting without socks on (until I could find a department store!) and another with a really creased shirt hidden under a buttoned up jacket and coat (blimey that was a hot meeting), fortunately it was a site meeting, so a good excuse for the "arctic wear"

Otherwise my biggest drawback is the risk, as I mentioned to a pal over a pint a few Sundays ago (when I was "nonchalantly" telling him how I ride in!!) I never used to stop before I got in a car and wonder, "will I be OK on my way in today". I always do on the bike (motor or push)


….and am certain it's what keeps me safe.

 

[jonny jeez]

Having a puncture and discovering your spare tube is knackered along with your pump..... 5 miles from home.

oooo, nasty

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I've got a problem coming up in a few months: my commute will drop to ~3 miles. Means less exercise = fewer pies.

But it will be on a very nice route. And I suppose I can always extend it. So not that big a problem then.

 

[Twenty Inch]

What's the challenge?

Iron 5 shirts on Sunday evening, bring one in every day
Leave the suit at work.
Keep a "contingency wardrobe" at work - trews, socks, undies, ironed shirt, all in a bag and in a desk drawer until you need them.

The tube and pump on is nasty though, I agree.

 

[gaz]

I have a spair set off socks and boxers at work, one suite with two sets of trousers and i have found a cracking way to roll up a shirt and get minimal crease's no problems there for me!

Only issue we sometimes have is the towels running out, so i keep a spare in my draw

 

[Brains]

The solution I have found is to have a locker in the office.

It contains 2 suits, plus spare sox/pants/ties/ shoes/shaving kit/shirts etc.
I could walk into the office after a week of sleeping under a hedge and be ready for a meeting in 15 mins.

The shirt dilemma is to get them washed and ironed locally, most dry cleaners offer the service and there is at least one company that do a pickup and drop off service in central London for £1.75 a shirt if you do 10
http://fantasycleaners.com/1,dry-cleaning-london.html
Which given they do a far better job that I can and I don't waste an entire evening a week and then have the transportation problem, I recon is a pretty good deal

 

[palinurus]

There aren't any disadvantages, it's all good.

And I like my shirts wrinkly.

 

[neslon]

I leave a suit and 5 pairs of trousers at work & shove socks, shirt and tie in the 'sac. Rolled up it never seems to get too wrinkly, not that I care. The best thing about cycling for work is that if I have to go off for a meeting, I get to go for a ride in work time. The journey from Cramlington to Slaley Hall was particularly enjoyable.

 

[jonny jeez]

What's the challenge?

Iron 5 shirts on Sunday evening, bring one in every day
Leave the suit at work.
Keep a "contingency wardrobe" at work - trews, socks, undies, ironed shirt, all in a bag and in a desk drawer until you need them.

The tube and pump on is nasty though, I agree.

Never seems to work for me.

Perhaps because I also take the dirty bike in once or twice a week and so will wear a shirt/suit (under the bike gear) on those days.

Also, I cant find a way to "bring in" a shirt each day that still looks presentable (My job is very client facing) and so always bring in clean laundered shirts (in bulk) that then need to be ironed locally (near the office).
What with this, the loud bike and all the different times and locations that I travel to, and leave from (office, clients, site)...it often gets messy.

Jonny

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Commuting Problems? Doing it by Car!!

Due to Littlest-LC attending a party 700 yards away from where I work, that finishes 10 minutes after I leave work, Mrs-LC has pointedly pointed out that it makes most sense for me to pick her up from the party "on my way home" rather than Mrs-LC donig the 7 mile trip over 'specially.

Littlest-LC could do the ride home, but I'm not sure how we'd get her bike there in the first place (she's being taken from school to the party) and besides one of her friends needs taking home to just round the corner from us. And she wouldn't be able to do the ride home.

Sadly, we've not yet sold the second car and so that meant I had no excuse not to do it. So I've had to drive in today.

First, scrape the windows - don't have to do that on the bike. Then, stop for a few minutes at the traffic lights down the road - I use a different route on the bike: no traffic lights on bridleways. After a couple of miles of "freedom of the open road" style motoring, wait in the gridlock in the next village. Wait some more while WVM and "most important person in the world" do a Mexican stand off arguing about who should be allowed to go past the parked cars. Wait at the next lights. And the next ones.

The car route I used today is actually slightly shorter than the bike route I usually use. And I think I was all of 3 minutes quicker in the car. But a lot less happy. And it would only have taken WVM and MIPITW to spend a bit more time sorting out the pecking order to really snarl up that next village and I'd have been waiting a whole bunch longer.

Edit: On the Plus Side. I have restocked my beer and wine cellars by taking advantage of having a big carrying capacity with me today and calling in at the supermarket.

Edit Again: But you don't half get some funny looks pushing a big trolley of beer and wine out of Tesco at 08.15 in the morning.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Never seems to work for me.

Perhaps because I also take the dirty bike in once or twice a week and so will wear a shirt/suit (under the bike gear) on those days.

Also, I cant find a way to "bring in" a shirt each day that still looks presentable (My job is very client facing) and so always bring in clean laundered shirts (in bulk) that then need to be ironed locally (near the office).
What with this, the loud bike and all the different times and locations that I travel to, and leave from (office, clients, site)...it often gets messy.

Jonny

Stiff piece of cardboard, about 8x12 inches. Iron shirt while damp, leave to dry overnight. Fold shirt in classic mode with card in the middle making sure you pull it tight against the card. Stick in plastic bag ready to journey.

Or get one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001M0NXQK?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&tag=thatdwayne-20

or one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Luggage-Shirt-Carrier-OL-10081/dp/B001LEECMG

 

[fay144]

I have similar problems - it's not the issue of bringing clothes to work, but just having specific things in the right places. E.g. art stuff (including sketch books and tool box) for the nights I go to evening classes, climbing stuff for the days I go home via the climbing wall, running shoes, etc.

That would all be fairly easy to manage if I cycled every day, but I try and alternate with running (cycle in, run home, run in, cycle home, etc) and the only way it really worked was with my OH bringing kit into the office once a week.

We are car-less now for at least a few weeks and I'm going to need my bike most nights, so my running schedule is screwed... Maybe I need a second bike.

 

[johnsie]

I've taken to using a 10' x 4' file storage room to change, and got the maintenance guy to put some hooks up for change of clothes - Heard the room referred to the other day by management as "John's room" - I hope they recognise my kit, not my smell!