Nice experiences you would miss if you commuted by car

[Boris Bajic]

They are impossible to count. The drive was lovely and the ride was better.

The smell of blossom, the buzzards overhead, that excellent tired-lungs feeling when you drop back into the saddle and breathe deeply for the coming descent, the occasional cyclist spotted en route, getting a both-thubs-together gearchange just right before a hump-back bridge, glancing down and seeing my speed is higher than I thought it was, popping the peak of my casquette down and finding it keeps the sun perfectly out of my eyes... I could go on.

I usually do.

 

[Leodis]

The bus is a 'orrid experience, just sat there passing time until I arrive at work, no pleasure at all. Least cycling I pass through an urban farm and check out the hot sheep, donkeys and them spitting things.

 

[thegravestoneman]

The bus is a 'orrid experience, just sat there passing time until I arrive at work, no pleasure at all. Least cycling I pass through an urban farm and check out the hot sheep, donkeys and them spitting things.

Spitting things, the kids on the Meanwood Road ?

 

[Nigeyy]

One of life's biggest but simple pleasures for me cycle commuting:

When you are cycling along, and after a bit of effort (or the weather is warm) you start to get hot, if you wear just the right top and hit any wind with just the right angle..... you get a semi-circle of soothing cool air actually lifting the back of your collar around the back of your neck. The feeling of that cool air circulating over and around your neck is just l-o-v-e-l-y.

Never had that driving a car.

 

[Leodis]

Spitting things, the kids on the Meanwood Road ?

lol yes... llama's they have there.

 

[thegravestoneman]

lol yes... llama's they have there.

things seem to have moved on since I last went up there, but thinking about it that about 15 years or more.

 

[Leodis]

Its pretty cool, they even have duck houses!! How posh!! You wouldnt get that in Alwoodley.

 

[veloevol]

Animals.

Last year I met an indian runner duck.


View: http://youtu.be/x_8rkmXZTv4


This year just a dog so far.


View: http://youtu.be/Wz6KVSaEJ28

 

[MisterStan]

Its pretty cool, they even have duck houses!! How posh!! You wouldnt get that in Alwoodley.

Not unless an MP lived there

 

[subaqua]

the smell of onions being cooked in Ghee and spices along the mile end road. morning Noon and night.

and being able to beat work colleagues who leave work 10 minutes before me but use a car so get stuck causing traffic

 

[AndyRM]

Racing the Metro and winning on the way in.

The view over Newcastle from Whitley Road on the way home.

 

[Dave Crampton]

For me its cycling through the Dalmeny Estate, a nice Firth of Forth side country estate with tracks running along the shoreline. Then later riding on the disused railway beds in Edinburgh, now tarmacd for cyclists and pedestrians. Passing cars in slow traffic, feeling the wind in my face! Over taking slow moving traffic across the Forth Road Bridge with a tailwind and watching them double take at you flying by. Being able to chat to cyclists as we ride the same stretch - something you couldn't do in a car/metal box, which I think puts up barriers and gives drivers an ignorant over protective stance against anything which comes close to their cars. Watching parents riding along the cycle paths with their young children going to nursery and school, and getting a wave from them as we pass and exchange greetings. Being asked by a young kid, 'Are you a racing cyclist' after the TdF and Olympics, and answering YES - and then seeing the glee on their face! Getting on the scales for that (down from 16st) to ~12.8st mark. On winter those crisp mornings when you see the sun come up over the Forth. Bombing along the country tracks aiming for some never achievable Strava segment. Just riding home from work, early on a Friday taking a long meandering route late in summer, in the hot countryside and just really enjoying yourself.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

For me its cycling through the Dalmeny Estate, a nice Firth of Forth side country estate with tracks running along the shoreline. Then later riding on the disused railway beds in Edinburgh, now tarmacd for cyclists and pedestrians. Passing cars in slow traffic, feeling the wind in my face! Over taking slow moving traffic across the Forth Road Bridge with a tailwind and watching them double take at you flying by. Being able to chat to cyclists as we ride the same stretch - something you couldn't do in a car/metal box, which I think puts up barriers and gives drivers an ignorant over protective stance against anything which comes close to their cars. Watching parents riding along the cycle paths with their young children going to nursery and school, and getting a wave from them as we pass and exchange greetings. Being asked by a young kid, 'Are you a racing cyclist' after the TdF and Olympics, and answering YES - and then seeing the glee on their face! Getting on the scales for that (down from 16st) to ~12.8st mark. On winter those crisp mornings when you see the sun come up over the Forth. Bombing along the country tracks aiming for some never achievable Strava segment. Just riding home from work, early on a Friday taking a long meandering route late in summer, in the hot countryside and just really enjoying yourself.

understatement of the year! do these meanderings get longer as the summer approaches? the last one seemed more than long enough.

 

[subaqua]

For me its cycling through the Dalmeny Estate, a nice Firth of Forth side country estate with tracks running along the shoreline. Then later riding on the disused railway beds in Edinburgh, now tarmacd for cyclists and pedestrians. Passing cars in slow traffic, feeling the wind in my face! Over taking slow moving traffic across the Forth Road Bridge with a tailwind and watching them double take at you flying by. Being able to chat to cyclists as we ride the same stretch - something you couldn't do in a car/metal box, which I think puts up barriers and gives drivers an ignorant over protective stance against anything which comes close to their cars. Watching parents riding along the cycle paths with their young children going to nursery and school, and getting a wave from them as we pass and exchange greetings. Being asked by a young kid, 'Are you a racing cyclist' after the TdF and Olympics, and answering YES - and then seeing the glee on their face! Getting on the scales for that (down from 16st) to ~12.8st mark. On winter those crisp mornings when you see the sun come up over the Forth. Bombing along the country tracks aiming for some never achievable Strava segment. Just riding home from work, early on a Friday taking a long meandering route late in summer, in the hot countryside and just really enjoying yourself.

you can go off people you know.

I think i need to risde out into epping on the long way home

 

[addictfreak]

The wave I get every morning from an attractive young lady who commutes in the opposite direction to me. Up until this week it had been 5 months since my last commute. On Monday morning I wondered if she would still be there. Sure enough, the same friendly little wave and smile. She must have missed me