Do you get nervous ahead of your commute?

[dodd82]

You might laugh (I don't mind!) but does anywhere here get nervous ahead of their evening commute?

I do - not hugely, just a little. It's the same feeling when I used to have a football match on a Tuesday evening... not sure what it's caused by!

I really enjoy the first part, where the roads are well lit and there's opportunities for drivers and bikes to be driven/riden well, though am a little fearful of the ride towards the end, on an unlit, narrow road that has a beast of a hill.

 

[carolonabike]

Not as much as when I first started but, yes, I still do sometimes, for no particular reason. At the moment I'm still getting used to the dark again.

 

[Drago]

No, I get excited! It's a fun thing to do and gives me sonething lo look forward to twice a day. The only think that makes a working day bearable.

 

[ianrauk]

Not in the slightest.
14 miles of SE London's finest roads and traffic doesn't even give me the slightest twinge of nervousness.

 

[Matthew_T]

At the end of my morning commute, I have to negotiate a busy hill with people trying to get into college. It is mad, especially when I am filtering with full panniers.
What makes it worse is when your brake cable brakes going downhill!

This section of road is all downhill: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=e...gHSDySYADapueTgm1Q36rA&cbp=12,321.93,,0,13.07
This roundabout also gets a bit mad: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=e...6G0FJMXgxE2W2vNRxz04pg&cbp=12,330.76,,0,18.73

 

[Davidsw8]

In the last week I have yeh. I had a bit of an incident on Lambeth Bridge last Friday which was tricky, then this morning I saw they'd blocked off Horseferry Road (just off the Bridge) because someone (a cyclist, I think) had had an accident Looked very serious.

Getting back on the horse in a few moments to tootle off home

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

You might laugh (I don't mind!) but does anywhere here get nervous ahead of their evening commute?

Every day! It's totally irrational, and I don't understand why it is. It doesn't even seem to be about the traffic or anything. Even after more than 2 years of dong it, until I'm out there and underway, I'm not convinced I can do the 25 mile round trip.

 

[hennbell]

The only time I get nervous ahead of a commute is if a significant change in road conditions has occurred an I am not prepared for it. For example if a head out in the morning on my mountain bike then it starts to rain. My mountain bike is not equipped with mudguards so if we get a downpour I start cursing that I did not bring my cyclocross or put mudguards on the MTB. Then the other issue I deal with is ice, any ice riding makes me nervous.

 

[martint235]

I used to if it was raining, used to freak me out. Then I did a couple of FNRttCs in the rain and it just doesn't bother me anymore

 

[dodd82]

A mixed bag!

Thing is, it's not nervousness about one particular part of the journey or element of cycling - as far as I know, it's just a general tense feeling.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

You might laugh (I don't mind!) but does anywhere here get nervous ahead of their evening commute?

I do - not hugely, just a little. It's the same feeling when I used to have a football match on a Tuesday evening... not sure what it's caused by!

I really enjoy the first part, where the roads are well lit and there's opportunities for drivers and bikes to be driven/riden well, though am a little fearful of the ride towards the end, on an unlit, narrow road that has a beast of a hill.

No, I've been commuting by bike more years than I care to remember and its just part of normal routine.

 

[Moodyman]

I came off the bike at 30mph last winter (ice) and slid 15 metres down the middle of the lane. Thankfully no following car. Now I get nervous down fast descents in heavy traffic on damp/greasy roads.

 

[400bhp]

I used to if it was raining, used to freak me out. Then I did a couple of FNRttCs in the rain and it just doesn't bother me anymore

If I'm being brutally honest then I do sometimes get a little nervous - usually when it's chucking down. There's just something about the rain and the dark when setting off. Only occurs before I get changed. As soon as kit is on I've forgotton.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I rarely commute by bike any longer, because of a change in lifestyle...

But when I did I'd have a couple of days a month when I just bumbled around the house before departure making the silliest excuses for delaying the off.

I've been in the presence of loud bangs aplenty and have had beastly weapons held to my head with menaces... but a 20-mile semi-rural commute in the rain would occasionally set the jitters going.

My wife always knew when I was'upset' and would smile and give me little huglets. To this day I have no idea what the nerves were about. I always loved the ride (whatever the weather) within minutes of setting off.

If you get the jitters before a commute, you are not alone and it does pass. I'd be nervous at the thought of close passes, but once I was among the wheelnuts of artics I felt alive and happy and fearless. We (mankind) seem to be strangely wired.

 

[donnydave]

I get nervous about one particular section, a stretch of about 1.5 miles where I know I'll get abused for not being on the cycle path but I still use the road. Half the path is rubbish but the first bit is actually pretty good, but I like to be consistent. I don't like to be seen hopping on/off the pavement even if it is shared use in case drivers think I have no regard for whatever rules they imagine exist. Sounds a bit daft but that's how I see it.