Cycling to be faster than driving soon

[mjr]

I have taken to doing some partial commutes by bike, I drive car to outskirts of the town where I work, then cycle from that point, I have saved a ton of time.

Park and pedal. Good places to park on the edges of cities are becoming harder to find as suburbs get resident parking restrictions and suburban parks get 2 hour parking limits. Cambridge is a notable exception, allowing you to use their park and ride car parks, but I've a good train link to there anyway.

 

[Venod]

I cycled down the so called Cycling Super Highway from Bradford to Leeds the other day (not a commute, for pleasure )

At the Bradford end I noticed an estate car with fancy sign writing, I was surprised I beat him to Armley (where I joined the canal) despite having a few lengthy stops at traffic lights, I didn't encounter any other cyclists and its downhill mostly, so in rush hour it might not be achievable and definitely won't be going the other way.

 

[confusedcyclist]

I cycled down the so called Cycling Super Highway from Bradford to Leeds the other day (not a commute for pleasure )

At the Bradford end I noticed an estate car with fancy sign writing, I was surprised I beat him to Armley (where I joined the canal) despite having a few lengthy stops at traffic lights, I didn't encounter any other cyclists and its downhill mostly, so in rush hour it might not be achievable and definitely won't be going the other way.

You'd be surprised, that's my daily commute, traffic is so bad it's often faster on the bike despite the climbing. My route varies when I'm in the car vs the bike, but if I set off any later than 7.30 I'm basically guaranteed to get a higher average speed on the cycle super highway than in the car. And this isn't with a carbon racer, it's my heavy surly steel frame and panniers.

 

[screenman]

Getting changed to ride a bike is usually a choice. Plenty of people riding to work in shop colours around here.


Sparsely populated area that, IIRC.

Not many chimney pots for sure.

 

[KneesUp]

This has long been the case, surely?

I used to commute 5 miles or so into Manchester from the south in the early 90s and it was a bad run if I didn't beat the 42 bus to the university. Ok so the bus had to stop but it also had a bus lane down Oxford Road, so it was quicker than cars overall. On the days I did take my car it not only took longer travelling, but you also had to spend time finding a parking spot and then walk from it to work, whereas on the bike I used to lock it up in the bike rack about 20 metres from the door.

 

[mustang1]

A scooter or motorbike is faster, sometimes. I did an experiment one week back in the spring. One day I took the car to work (11 miles), took me about an hour and 20 minutes. The motorbike took me bang on an hour. Cycling took me an hour and 3 minutes, but it's 5 miles longer as I opt for the Bristol to Bath Railway Path as opposed to the A4. I ate done the A4 a couple of times, and it's taken 40 minutes

This is a good experiment. But... I would consider door-to-door time... meaning the time it takes to change bike clothes and take shower too.

 

[mjr]

This is a good experiment. But... I would consider door-to-door time... meaning the time it takes to change bike clothes and take shower too.

You get changed and shower outdoors?!?

Anyway, for relaxed short-distance city riding, bike clothes and showers aren't necessary for most people. Just get on your bikes and riiiiide.

 

[jarlrmai]

Used to be when the new term started at the local uni my 2 miles commute could consist entirely of filtering passed cars. They've changed the rules on parking and it's been better this year.

 

[rivers]

This is a good experiment. But... I would consider door-to-door time... meaning the time it takes to change bike clothes and take shower too.

I take my bike into the building my office is in, whereas I face a 10 or so minute walk from the car park if I'm lucky enough to get a spot on campus. If the car park is full, I then have a 10 minute drive to the overflow car park where I will need to wait for a shuttle to bring me back to campus. Changing rooms and showers next to my office, so additional time is negligible.

 

[EasyPeez]

I like the article quoting motoring groups calling for cars to be allowed in bus lanes etc to 'optimise' traffic flow

Yeah, I liked that too. I also liked how those lovely Torygraph readers managed, within minutes of the article going live, to outline how congestion is actually an immigration issue.

I feel sorry for the hardworking satirists out there...they must feel pretty redundant living in these times!

 

[nickr]

I've been commuting Kingston to Chiswick by bike for 6 years. I now recognised quite a few cars I pass everyday. I suppose I ought to feel sorry for them, stuck in there in their boxy wheelchairs, too weak, fat and unfit for a short commute.

 

[mustang1]

Cycling will definitely become faster than driving especially if the cyclist uses a windbreaking car in front. What with all the 100mph plus cyclists making the headlines lately...

 

[EasyPeez]

I now recognised quite a few cars I pass everyday. I suppose I ought to feel sorry for them, stuck in there in their boxy wheelchairs, too weak, fat and unfit for a short commute.

Same here on my 8.5 mile commute. I used to feel smug as I sailed past them all. Now I just feel sorry for them, for younger/less confident cyclists and pedestrians struggling through the melee, and more especially for the future of the planet.

It's marginally quicker by car for me if I leave around 7-8am, anytime after that and it's easily quicker by bike.

 

[Milkfloat]

Cycling will definitely become faster than driving especially if the cyclist uses a windbreaking car in front. What with all the 100mph plus cyclists making the headlines lately...

Surely the car and the cyclist have to go at the same speed for that to work?

 

[C R]

Same here on my 8.5 mile commute. I used to feel smug as I sailed past them all. Now I just feel sorry for them, for younger/less confident cyclists and pedestrians struggling through the melee, and more especially for the future of the planet.

It's marginally quicker by car for me if I leave around 7-8am, anytime after that and it's easily quicker by bike.

My commute is only two miles, takes about the same time by car on the way to work, and quicker by bike on the way back.

One of my neighbours works in the same business park, and always seems a bit miffed by the fact that I enter the business park at the same time as him even though he comes out of the street in front of me.