My Commuting Story

[Inertia]

I was relaying this to someone recently and thought it may be of interest here (stranger things have happened) :-D

A year ago, only one person cycled in (about 3 miles) and that was the site handyman, I didnt know he cycled till recently. One guy used to cycle in every now and then but he had left a couple of years before and when he did cycle in I was pretty much like anyone else, amazed that someone CYCLED into work. Last summer though I was telling the lady I work with that I had recently started to cycle on the weekends and evenings and she dared me to cycle into work. I ummed and ahhd for a long time, it was 13 miles after all which seemed a fair distance, especially with no shower. Then she cycled in and though it wasn’t as far, only about 4 miles, I was shamed into cycling :-D
I plotted a course avoiding busy roads, along tow-paths and along country lanes and made my journey, I didn't even make a practice run. I got lost! I took a wrong turn leaving the tow-path and ended up doing nearer 17 miles!

Fortunately I didn’t give up and now pretty much cycle in every day and enjoy the way into work much more than stuck in the car. I even joy watching peoples faces when they realise I cycled in the pouring rain. I think people forget they wont melt.

A year on, have a cycle scheme, 3 other people cycle in regularly with another 2-3 cycling about twice a week each and where I used to have the room I lock the bike in to myself, now I have to squeezes my bike in!

A colleague of mine said something I was surprised by, she only started working here about 2 months ago and she said she had never been in a company where so many people cycled to work. She said she is always walking up to people who are in a conversation about cycling, I couldn’t help being pleased by that :-D

I said she should have been here just one year ago!

Now she is planning to ride in one day.

I think sometimes it only takes onepers on to start doing it and from being unusual it becomes normal.

Thanks for reading this far :-D

 

[BentMikey]

Hey, that's a great story! Thanks for taking the time.

 

[skudupnorth]

Thanks for sharing,cycling is one form of transport where you nearly always give or receive a nod from your fellow cyclists.....un-like driving !!

 

[pedallingpasty]

Nice story.
Think the best thing about the tale is that there is no preaching about using a bike, people just looked at you cycling into work every day and realising that commuting by bike instead of car was a better option.
The goverment could learn something from that. Goes to show, if cycling to work was made visible and safer, people will do the rest.
Be interesting how many keep cycling when winter comes.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

When I started people thought I was totally mad, 17 each way and it would never last. But 14 month later, I am still going.
I got 2 others in my dept into it but they fell off the wagon after a few weeks and so its me only, but at least there is no queue for the shower !!!!

 

[- Baz -]

Thanks for sharing,cycling is one form of transport where you nearly always give or receive a nod from your fellow cyclists.....un-like driving !!

Er, not in my experience. Most of 'em are miserable b'stards (present company excepted, of course). When I first stared commuting, I naively used to raise a hand in acknowledgement or say 'Morning!' in a cheery voice, especially if the weather was bad and either passing or being passed. Might as well not have bothered. Soon gave up that malarkey. Now, I only acknowledge a fellow cyclist if they let on to me first. This has only happened once.

The commuters arriving at work the same time as me are even worse. They're all miserable b'stards too!

 

[PBancroft]

Er, not in my experience. Most of 'em are miserable b'stards (present company excepted, of course). When I first stared commuting, I naively used to raise a hand in acknowledgement or say 'Morning!' in a cheery voice, especially if the weather was bad and either passing or being passed. Might as well not have bothered. Soon gave up that malarkey. Now, I only acknowledge a fellow cyclist if they let on to me first. This has only happened once.

The commuters arriving at work the same time as me are even worse. They're all miserable b'stards too!

I always say a cheerful "Morning!" (or "Evening!" etc.) to all cyclists, even if they don't respond. I even do this to the fast bar-stewards as they scalp me.

After a few encounters they are invariably worn down enough to nod in response, and a few more after that they say hello back. I'll make glass-half-fullers out of them yet!

 

[skudupnorth]

Er, not in my experience. Most of 'em are miserable b'stards (present company excepted, of course). When I first stared commuting, I naively used to raise a hand in acknowledgement or say 'Morning!' in a cheery voice, especially if the weather was bad and either passing or being passed. Might as well not have bothered. Soon gave up that malarkey. Now, I only acknowledge a fellow cyclist if they let on to me first. This has only happened once.

The commuters arriving at work the same time as me are even worse. They're all miserable b'stards too!

I have the same problem with certain types (lycra clad Cough ! ) but most of the time i do get a response,if i see you in Bolton i will say hello and even give you a hug if you need

 

[Moodyman]

Now, I only acknowledge a fellow cyclist if they let on to me first. This has only happened once.

I get plenty of nods and hellos on quieter roads. On busy sections everyone, me including, is too busy staying alive.

 

[RedBike]

At my last job nobody would believe that I cycled the 7miles into work. They all thought that it was too far. I never had the heart to tell them that most days I would go the long way because I didn't think 7 miles was far enough!

 

[BinBag]

Er, not in my experience. Most of 'em are miserable b'stards (present company excepted, of course). When I first stared commuting, I naively used to raise a hand in acknowledgement or say 'Morning!' in a cheery voice, especially if the weather was bad and either passing or being passed. Might as well not have bothered. Soon gave up that malarkey. Now, I only acknowledge a fellow cyclist if they let on to me first. This has only happened once.

The commuters arriving at work the same time as me are even worse. They're all miserable b'stards too!

It's a strange one this for me...because I always, always look at fellow cyclists and if they nod, say hello (or whatever) I'll repeat back to them. If they don't, I don't - maybe I should. I have said a the odd cheery comment when passing or meeting at lights.

I communte through east Manchester on a silver Specialized Allez, so if you see me say hello - and I'll wave back!

 

[Inertia]

Hey, that's a great story! Thanks for taking the time.

Your welcome, thanks for reading

When I started people thought I was totally mad, 17 each way and it would never last. But 14 month later, I am still going.
I got 2 others in my dept into it but they fell off the wagon after a few weeks and so its me only, but at least there is no queue for the shower !!!!

Thats great going! I can imagine 17 may get a bit much sometimes though maybe there is more chance to vary a route that long, I try to take alternate paths just to change things a bit, even if they are a bit longer.

Now, I only acknowledge a fellow cyclist if they let on to me first. This has only happened once.

I get plenty of nods and hellos on quieter roads. On busy sections everyone, me including, is too busy staying alive.

I generally get a nod at least, I have a 4-5 word conversation a day with one guy I always pass going the other way on the same stretch. It can be a bit confusing as we try to guess what the other will say, I will shout windy today! at the same time as he shouts, nice day today! and then he is gone.

Guess depending on the direction you are going can make a big difference

 

[taxing]

There's a country(ish) road that I go down where other cyclists will nod or say good morning, and I do the same, but as soon as I'm out on the roads with more cars no one does it. I very much enjoy a cheery "good morning!", and there's even a tractor driver who waves to me whenever we pass, but the nice road leads directly onto a horrible A road with really bad road surfacing and twatty drivers, so there are other things to think about.