parking the car if you cycle and drive?

[chipmonster]

Hi

I cannot conmmute the whole distant, therefore I drive and cycle in the last couple of miles.

Originally, I struggled to find a good reliable parking spot, but by parking up on a daily basis, I have found a few good parking places.

I currently park up in a medical centre car park, always pretty empty and you do not get any noisey neighbours. I also find indusrial estates very good.

Just curious where do you park if you cycle and drive to work?

 

[Tynan]

go on then, how far is whole trip?

 

[Ravenz]

Is it worth the faff to drive and then ride...? I mean getting bike in or on car, getting kitted up for riding.. ((aint your empty med centre car park early doors full to chocker at GP times...?)).. putting dirty wet bike on/in car .. driving back in cold wet clothing ... izzit worth the faff..?

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

I bet the medical centre love you when they are busy!

Just got back from my own Doctors this morning and the car park was absoltuely chocca at 8.45 this morning - somebody even boxed in my bike in the bike racks (an optimistic three racks)!

I would'nt bother with half bike half car - it just sounds like a massive amount of trouble to me. I suppose I haven't ever faced the dilemma of a 25/30 mile commute though.

The thing that would get me though is the queuing in traffic all the time. I hate going out in the car nowadays becuase all I do is move from one traffic queue to another. You just don't notice it so much on the bike but it is just endless tedium in the car.

 

[Ravenz]

I bet the medical centre love you when they are busy!

Just got back from my own Doctors this morning and the car park was absoltuely chocca at 8.45 this morning - somebody even boxed in my bike in the bike racks (an optimistic three racks)!

Damned effective anti theft device tho'.... unless someone nicks the car then nicks the bike !!

 

[tyred]

My commute is a 46 mile round trip and very steep in places so I use the car. I have toyed with the idea of cycling part of it, especially now as traffic is very bad on the run up to Christmas but I feel it's hardly worth the hassle of packing/unpacking the bike into the car. I do have an old Raleigh folding bike but even it isn't very compact when folded and it's still a hassle to put it in the car. And then you'd have to put it in the car when it's wet and soak the boot floor.

 

[Ravenz]

My commute is a 46 mile round trip and very steep in places so I use the car. .

go on then... 'how steep...?

 

[tyred]

go on then... 'how steep...?

Steep enough for someone who isn't overly fit...

 

[LLB]

Always important to consider the levels of fitness and distance other have to commute over ones own circumstances

If he is using the car on empty roads, and commuting the congested roads on a cycle, it is surely better than just saying sod it, the bike is staying in the shed ?

 

[chipmonster]

Okay my commute would be 30 miles each way, round trip 60 miles.

I commute about 3.5 miles on my bike, this is normally very congested and takes me about 35 mins on the car and the rest of the 27 miles takes about 30 mins.

However, the 3.5 miles on my bike takes me 15 mins, so its great.
I commute on my racing bike, which fits in nicely at the back of my car, no need to worry about cycle carriers etc. Additionally, to park near work would cost me between £3.5 - £5 a day and the car parks are really full. Where I park its free and ample parking.

I park in the medical centre, they have a massive car park, its a new medical centre and the car park is never full, unlike my own its always chokka blocked. I needed to pick my bike up today and half the car park was empty at about 11 am. Therefore, parking here is never an issue.

Its no hassle, i have been doing it for over 4 months now and its great.

 

[Crackle]

Never done that. I have driven in cycled home and back the next day. That can be useful if you're re-starting after a break or a virus or similiar but then I've never needed to commute 30 miles. Sounds like a good plan.

 

[LLB]

The next question is likely to be why couldn't you get a job closer so you could cycle instead of using a car to commute....

 

[tyred]

I suppose if the bike is an easy fit in your boot, it's different but I only have a small car.

 

[chipmonster]

The next question is likely to be why couldn't you get a job closer so you could cycle instead of using a car to commute....

The pay is much better in Manchester i get aproximately £6 K - £10k per annum better salary in the city compared to the small town in Blackburn and sorrounding areas (I am a finance manager). Additionally, their tends to be more jobs in the city centre.

 

[LLB]

The pay is much better in Manchester i get aproximately £6 K - £10k per annum better salary in the city compared to the small town in Blackburn and sorrounding areas (I am a finance manager). Additionally, their tends to be more jobs in the city centre.

Hmm, greedy and happy to kill the planet in the process some would say.

Naughty LLB, mustn't fall into the pious blame mentality which slips so easily off the tongue of some.

There I said it before the real yoghurt knitters jump in.

Fill your boots, I'm not judging you and anyone who thinks 60 miles a day commute on a cycle is viable or remotely sensible is off their trolley