Going to start commuting!

[Renard]

The new financial year starts tomorrow and my employer no longer requires me to provide a car for work.

I have three options to get to work :-

1. The bus. I can get a bus a couple of minutes from my house at fairly convenient times. Which drops me at a bus station a couple of minutes from work. Cost is reasonable too. £12.50 for a weeks unlimited travel or £14.50 for 10 journeys to be used in a 2 week period or £22 for 20 journeys to be used within a month.

2. Cycling from home. Roughly about a half hour or so along a busy A-road which is nose to tail with traffic doing about 40-45 mph and hardly any chance to overtake. Fairly unpleasant from a cyclists POV. I once got knocked off my bike on this road and took my elbow through to the bone which resulted in a three week absence from work. I can also take a more convoluted route along country roads which still comprises a little of the same route but takes more like an hour.

3. Driving to a country park on the outskirts of the town I work in and then cycling in the rest. This would take about 10 minutes drive and 10 minutes cycle. I am thinking of throwing a mountain bike with flat pedals into the back of the car for this so would not have the same drawbacks as far as wearing cycling gear as the full on cycling option.

At the moment I am going to trial various options according to the weather. When I am at work I am required to dress smartly as I have to make calls on businesses and members of the public in one of their cars. There is a shower in a first aid room although locker provision is poor i.e. a skinny half sized locker which doesn't hold very much. There is nowhere to leave a bike so I would be looking at leaving it beside my desk unless management object.

I am wondering what the general consensus would be as regards what option would be more favourable and if anyone has any advice to give? I am an experienced cyclist , IMO , and know about road positioning, gear to take etc.

 

[400bhp]

Lets see your route.

 

[Renard]

Its roughly between the blue flag in the bottom right corner to the white star in the top left...

 

[400bhp]

I guess the straight route is 8 miles?

If it was me, I'd be doing a route something like This. It's just under 11 miles.

Of course you know the area and will know what is feasable or not.

Personally I avoid A roads. In fact I could get to work in 7.5 miles, but the additional risks/unpleasantness isn't worth it, so I add another 2 miles on so I can go a much more pleasant route.

 

[rusky]

Can't see the image Renard

 

[laertes]

Go the long way round, more exercise, more fun, safer.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I can't see the image either - but my first recommendation would be to look at alternative routes avoiding busy A roads. A few miles extra on back country roads is well worth it (and probably faster).


The route that 400bhp suggests looks good. I would probably stay on the west of the A road though, and ride "into town" first then back around.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Another no-image...

but having commuted myself first by bus and for the last almost 2 years by bike, the bus does get a bit trying at times. You lose so much time walking at either end and waiting for the bus. I never much minded being on the bus as I like reading and can do that on the bus, but the waiting can get annoying. And of course the £12.50 a week seems small, but multiply that up by 52 weeks....

I was recently in on the bus for some reason and remember well that I was overtaken by a jogger while waiting at the bus stop, and as I got to work I swear the same jogger went past!

 

[Jezston]

Sounds like you are struggling to find a reason not to take the bus!

Check with mgmt about where you can keep the bike - that could make the decision for you.

 

[GlasgowGaryH]

Just get out there and start. You soon pick up new routes and know what is the best way to go.

 

[jefmcg]

Folding bike: works well in the car, you can keep it buy your desk, take it in the bus when required, fine for those distances.

Oh, and you can take it on Eurostar without pre-booking and pootle around Paris.

:-)