New job, back to commuting?

[Crankarm]

I recently started a new job two weeks ago. Everything is going fine. I have a nice stress free drive into work, light traffic, which takes 15-20 minutes and like wise at the end of the day returning home. The company have a nice huge free car park as well with CCTV and proper security.

Last week I spied some bike stands and shelter in the far corner and adjacent to them a decent large motorcycle shelter as well. There seem to be quite a few BSO type bikes in there and a few cannibalised ones that have been slung to the far end of the shelter or hung on the adjacent fence. I should imagine come winter there will be lots of space as most will give up so there will a lot more space.

I also found out there are changing rooms in addition to the usual bogs toilets. I have checked these out and been shown through a door, which I thought was a cupboard, a huge wet room with two mains fed power showers. I have also found two other showers in the building both electric, but more than adequate. I think maybe these electric showers are for the use of senior management. Anyway the main shower wet room seems to get little use and there is a huge changing area for the shower itself which is private and self contained. This area is also tiled floor to ceiling like the wet room itself.

The company also provides lockers although at present these are like hens teeth to get hold of plus they are a bit on the small size so I'm not sure I would get one pannier in them let alone 2 or my cycle helmet and shoes. Hanging clothing up or leaving items elsewhere is not really an option as far as I can currently see.

Anyway I am tempted to return to commuting by bicycle despite giving it up back in Spring, because the changing, showering and bike shelter facilites provided by my employer are so good, but I am worried of the risk of being knocked down and killed by a dangerous selfish moton as I really decided in April after decades of riding, enough was enough. The journey one way is 15 miles / 40-45 minutes, so 30 miles round trip so not too onerous or knackering. It is pretty flat, but the wind can be and generally is pretty fierce and invariably is a head wind IME.

In a couple of weeks time we are supposed to move to a shift pattern either 6-2pm or 2pm-10pm which would mean commuting either really early in the morning say 4:30 to arrive for 5:30am in time for a shower or lunch time to depart around 2pm or late at night after 10pm when the shift has finished arriving home at approx. 11.15pm.

Maybe I should buy a motorcycle instead as on a bicycle one is so so vulnerable. Many motons travel at well over 80mph of Fenland roads. Late at night a large proportion are also pissed. Scary ................. Maybe I carry on driving.

 

[BentMikey]

Buy a motorcycle - that's even more skewed risk assessment from you. PTWs are perhaps on average 3.5 times more dangerous than bicycles. Stick to driving a car.

Cycling is so dangerous that regular cyclists can expect to live 2 years longer than the average.

 

[Crankarm]

Buy a motorcycle - that's even more skewed risk assessment from you. PTWs are perhaps on average 3.5 times more dangerous than bicycles. Stick to driving a car.

Cycling is so dangerous that regular cyclists can expect to live 2 years longer than the average.

More cockeyed reasoning from the 'bent man confusing issues of health with the risk of becoming a fatality on the road. I think I stick to driving. It will only cost £50 a month in fuel (600 miles), which although is still £50, I shall be alive and not enduring the gaunlet of shorts staining moments caused by deadly drivers....................... Yes I remember them now, plus all the abuse and bullying.

 

[beanzontoast]

I remember feeling sad at your decision to give up cycle commuting - though it was entirely understandable. My feeling is now what it was then. Only you can decide for you whether it's safe. You said at the time that leisure cycling off-road was where you still got enjoyment. To my way of thinking, I wouldn't resume a cycle commute unless I enjoyed it and felt confident about my safety.

 

[jimboalee]

I once did the 6 - 2, 2 - 10 shift pattern with a 14.5 mile commute.

I allowed an hour for the trip + 15 mins ( JIC puncture ) so I left home 04:30. The downside is a 21:30 bedtime. The upside is an afternoon ride home. The other upside was that the commute to work was a 'fasted' ride and I shifted a load of fat weight.

The downside on the afternoon shift is I needed to set my alarm wristwatch to the time I needed to get changed and go. 12:15. When I went out shopping in the morning, I had to continually check the wristwatch so I had plenty of time to get home for 12:15.

The upside on the evening shift was those wonderful summer evenings riding in the late evening sunset. My commute was through country lanes and there were Owls hooting many nights.
In wintertime, I rode the A45 between Coventry and Castle Bromwich. One evening at 22:30, I counted seven Royal Mail trucks in a convoy overtake me. ( there was always Royal Mail trucks ). My speed was drawn up to 37 mph on the flat past Packington.

The downside of the whole lot was I was recharging batteries every day. Even at the summer solstice, it was still mirky, so I used lamps.
Think of a dynamo.


You will become a 'clockwatcher'.

 

[Crankarm]

Thanks Beanzontoast and Jimboalee. Yours were the sorts of posts I'd hoped to get. Yes I had thought of riding again when shifts start. At present I think I'll be on the late shift, no alternating, so ride in at 12-30, 1pm then home after 10pm. I would prefer the early shift really, but have to go with what one is told. At this early stage of a new job I'm not in a position to call the shots. It will mean that BST will end for me in a couple of weeks time. No sunsets again until the solstice next June 2011. Oh well. At least my ride in will always be in daylight, even in deepest winter, if I decide to ride of course. But as Beanz most sensibly states only go back to commuting by bicycle if I'm comfortable with it. That tbh I don't know as I got so scared and convinced my number was up that I decided to give up for good. Traffic during the day at lunch time isn't too bad is it? I am in the Fens which is sparsely populated anyway. Late at night there is practically nothing on the roads except for a few drunk East European drivers and hedgehogs ............. I don't want to end up like a hedgehog, flattened.

 

[crumpetman]

More cockeyed reasoning from the 'bent man confusing issues of health with the risk of becoming a fatality on the road. I think I stick to driving. It will only cost £50 a month in fuel (600 miles), which although is still £50, I shall be alive and not enduring the gaunlet of shorts staining moments caused by deadly drivers....................... Yes I remember them now, plus all the abuse and bullying.

Please can you tell me what car you have that gets you around 64 MPG? That's pretty good fuel economy.

 

[Crankarm]

Please can you tell me what car you have that gets you around 64 MPG? That's pretty good fuel economy.

Fiat diesel. £50-53 to fill it up. More like 53-55 mpg. I am not exactly a foot to the floor driver. I like to drive at a leisurely pace.

 

[hackbike 666]

I remember feeling sad at your decision to give up cycle commuting - though it was entirely understandable. My feeling is now what it was then. Only you can decide for you whether it's safe. You said at the time that leisure cycling off-road was where you still got enjoyment. To my way of thinking, I wouldn't resume a cycle commute unless I enjoyed it and felt confident about my safety.

I don't know whether I am confident about my safety.Should I post up another dodgy pass incident?

I know where Crankarm is coming from as I so recently had a very close encounter with a lorry and landrover...so the two year thing does not apply to me when I am playing Russian roulette with some complete moron who can't drive a car or just does not care/is drugged up or whatever...(I have come across all of these recently)

I have been talking to people today who say they would never commute by bike and would rather catch the tube and can I see where they are coming from...(I'm a realist)....Whereas I have said I have done it for so long I just hope my wits can get me out of trouble when it goes wrong.

The two year thing...If I should manage to cycle commute till I retire then I may admit you were right.(If I knew how long I was going to live for anyway)

 

[potsy]

I do 6-2 2-10 on an alternating pattern Cranky,great for a much quieter commute traffic wise,though like said you do need your lights all year round.
Sounds like you would have some cracking facilities too,maybe you've enough of a break from it for all the negatives to be forgotten,hope so.

 

[hackbike 666]

I missed Boris's Bikes today...(day off) Im sure that will add to the fun.

Had some cycling twat undertake me at Bank Junction last night...Im sure there will be an increase in this.

 

[Arch]

I have been talking to people today who say they would never commute by bike and would rather catch the tube

Which is fine until there's an escalator catches fire, or a bloke gets on with a bomb, or there's a flu epidemic, or you get your foot trodden on in the rush hour crush or your pocket picked....

The two year thing is a fact, based on stats. Those stats take into account people dying early in collisions. The two year thing still 'works'. Of course, it's not so much consolation if you're one of the negative stats, but if you thought about it too much, you'd never even get out of bed. You know how many people die in their own homes in accidents?

Or in bed, for that matter....

 

[mcshroom]

The facilities are there, and you are obviously thinking about it. I can't say what your commute would be like, and if you don't feel safe then there is no shame in driving in or doing anything else.

I would suggest that you give the route a try to see whether it 'feels' safe to you, and have a look to see if there is any slightly back-road option, but it's really I feel thing I think. If it doesn't feel safe don't do it.

As for commuting at unusual times I often ride a 10 mile ride back from a local village at about 8 o'clock at night, the road seems much safer then even though it's a twisity NSL A-road with lots of dips and hillocks, of course your experience may be very different.

I'm glad to hear about your new job, and you seem to like it so whatever you choose, good luck!

 

[neslon]

every time I have to take the car to work, I resent it and never think "what a lovely journey". Almost every time I go out on the bike, something happens that makes me think "what a good decision that was". I was knocked down last year and overcooked a corner the year before and ended under a bus (which was fortunately stationary) and occasionally get passed too close, but on balance I will continue to go by bike whenever possible. Don't give a monkeys about the risk or probabilities, I just know what I like doing.

 

[summerdays]

Why not wait until you have done the commute a few times by car at the right times ... and see what you think of the traffic in the car, if there are any spots that you would want to avoid and if there are any alternative routes. Then if you are happy with what you have seen, make the decision on a nice day to try it for one day. If you don't like it you go back to the car.