Cycling vs. Driving

[Adam4868]

I see the point, although a friend is a landscape gardner and commutes by bike: he says it doesn't really make any difference; if it's raining he's wet already so who cares?

Ok I get your point aswell ! But....as I said it's not necessarily the weather.
More if I cycle in 40ish mins,then as in yesterday do a 13 mile post round I really can't be arsed cycling home in bad weather.Its not bravado or anything from me just I'm too knackered after 😁

 

[Andy in Germany]

Ok I get your point aswell ! But....as I said it's not necessarily the weather.
More if I cycle in 40ish mins,then as in yesterday do a 13 mile post round I really can't be arsed cycling home in bad weather.Its not bravado or anything from me just I'm too knackered after 😁

I'm with you. Also when I only have to commute for ten minutes I tend to be less concerned about weather than if I'm riding for 45...

 

[Adam4868]

Exactly.

Many people seem to think everyone works in a centrally heated office with a coffee machine a few paces away.

Especially if your doing a physically demanding job...I'm no athlete so the thought of a 10 mile commute in sh1te weather home doesn't do it for me.

 

[Brandane]

<whispers>Is the donkey still reading this thread??

Yes he is!
And as has already been pointed out, it depends where you live. It also depends on local roads, topography, weather, traffic, your fitness, your financial position, what hours you work, what job you do, what facilities you have at work, your domestic circumstances, and probably a host of other stuff that I've not covered. So, as ever on CC, it's each to their own. Personally I find it quite arrogant and not helpful for someone to jump in with both feet and make outrageous self righteous claims about cycling! I will cycle when it suits ME; and not to please anyone on a cycling forum.
Regards etc., The Donkey .

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Re commuting.

Retired now but I never had a job that was nearer than 35 miles from home.

All jobs were long hours too.

From age 28 to 44 I was field based (retail) and drove thousands of miles a year - 35-40k pa average with last 3 years at 60k pa. Lots of store visits and meetings, meetings, meetings. No Teams, Zoom etc back then.

Pretty sure I would've struggled cycling to work.

 

[Brandane]

Ok I get your point aswell ! But....as I said it's not necessarily the weather.
More if I cycle in 40ish mins,then as in yesterday do a 13 mile post round I really can't be arsed cycling home in bad weather.Its not bravado or anything from me just I'm too knackered after 😁

Come on now, doesn't EVERYONE on CC have a nice office* job, 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, with a 20 minute commute by bike through traffic free leafy, flat suburbia? Oh, and we all live in the temperate parts of the UK where we get 1 storm per year with wall to wall BBC coverage for 3 days in the lead up and another 2 days after. The rest of the time the weather is calm and dry with no ice, ever!

*A nice warm office of course, with showers and changing facilities.

 

[Brandane]

Pretty sure I would've struggled cycling to work.

I remember having a "discussion" with some of the CC old school (mostly now flounced) about this very subject. At the time I was driving HGV's and employed by an agency. So no permanent place of work, no regular hours, and start/finish times were all over the place (and all at short notice). The nearest probable work was 25 miles away, and anything over 35 miles I refused to go to. This just didn't seem to register with them; totally alien way of working!

 

[Adam4868]

Re commuting.

Retired now but I never had a job that was nearer than 35 miles from home.

All jobs were long hours too.

From age 28 to 44 I was field based (retail) and drove thousands of miles a year - 35-40k pa average with last 3 years at 60k pa. Lots of store visits and meetings, meetings, meetings. No Teams, Zoom etc back then.

Pretty sure I would've struggled cycling to work.

Lightweight !

 

[classic33]

Did split shifts over a four day weekend, during which time I'd be doing 250 miles on two wheels. Whatever the weather. Cycling home on quiet roads, in the early hours can be fun, with no other traffic on the roads.

If it started chucking it down whilst at work, chances are I'd be wet before cycling home anyway. Driving wasn't an option, and it went against me when the trip distance increased. The thought being that I'd carry on cycling home between shifts.

 

[HLaB]

I am doing a 1mile to the Station, 45-55 min on the train then a 11 miles the other side. It's only one day a week with the others WfH and whilst I could do it faster by car most times and probably cheaper (including standing charges), I prefer the reliable routine at the moment.

 

[Julia9054]

Come on now, doesn't EVERYONE on CC have a nice office* job, 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, with a 20 minute commute by bike through traffic free leafy, flat suburbia? Oh, and we all live in the temperate parts of the UK where we get 1 storm per year with wall to wall BBC coverage for 3 days in the lead up and another 2 days after. The rest of the time the weather is calm and dry with no ice, ever!

*A nice warm office of course, with showers and changing facilities.

Pretty much - although it’s 30 minutes and a school laboratory rather than an office. Oh, and only the male members of staff have changing facilities.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I remember having a "discussion" with some of the CC old school (mostly now flounced) about this very subject.

From what I remember I think most of them had office based local government jobs of some sort.

 

[gzoom]

From age 28 to 44 I was field based (retail) and drove thousands of miles a year - 35-40k pa average with last 3 years at 60k pa.

60K PA, you must have spent more time driving than actually 'working'!!!

 

[Arrowfoot]

For me it's needs based. When I was working in London it was cycling and public transport. Did not drive at all. Out of London it is mainly car journeys. Can't afford to spend time on lengthy cycling commutes as days are too short to accomplish other things. Cycling are reserved for weekends or holidays as it is a passion plus the health benefits.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

60K PA, you must have spent more timeerage driving than actually 'working'!!!

Average 4-5 hours per day - most days I left home or whatever hotel I was staying in at around 6am and home or whatever hotel I was staying in by around 8pm.

Had operational control of a large retail region - draw a straight line between Liverpool and Sheffield and then everything North of that to the tip of Scotland.

Very demanding job without the travel and very definitely not possible on a bike. 😁