Temporary Car Commuting

[mgarl10024]

Hi all,

This is likely to all be common sense stuff, but I'm amazed at it none the less.

I've been cycle commuting for about 10mths now, but thanks to a really awful cold bug that has swept through the open plan office that I work in, I felt it was best to drive in for a few days to give my body a chance to recover (with my view being that cycling with a cold when you don't have to just prolongs things unnecessarily).

The things that have struck me:
1) Petrol prices. My local pump was £1.27/litre. This was for just standard petrol, not posh optima stuff. And my car (a 10 year old 1.1 Saxo) took £55 before it was filled. I reckon if I took it in running on fumes that I could get £60 in there. Just imagine what a 4x4 takes!
Conversely, My Saxo also did about 380 miles of city driving (can get about 500 on motorway runs). At 380miles/£55, I worked out that my commute was about £1.83 for petrol a day. That's not as bad as I was expecting.
2) Stress. Maybe it's because I don't drive as much now, and maybe I'm just not as immune, however the roads seem to be such a stressful place. There were queues with people jostling for places, and in one place (the m4/m5 junction) there were 3/4 lanes of traffic all merging. I was glad that at the time I was in an older car, as had I have been in a brand new one of my own I'd have been panicked it was gonna get damaged. I sat there, feeling a bit on edge, with my chest getting a little tight (not as in risk of having a heart attack, but as in not relaxed). I thought at the time that if I had to do this every day again that I'd find it very depressing.
3) Time. Now this was unusual. There was a crash on the motorway which caused lots of problems, and then near my home on a dual carriageway a police car had stopped a motorbike and so was blocking one lane. This all meant that my 6.3 mile commute took just over an hour. I'll stress that this is unusual, but on this day, it really would have been quicker on two wheels!

Just my reflections. Looking forward to next week already when I can get back on the bike!

MG

 

[Chrismawa]

Number 1 and 3 are why I have switched to, two wheeled commuting.

 

[shunty]

I'll tell you what a 4x4 takes.... £110 on my last fill - I was sorely upset!
[Yes, yes, I know, I'm one of those 4x4 drivers - but I'm also a cyclist and I use the Landie for towing various trailers regularly]


This is primarily the reason I've re-started my cycle commuting with a vengeance - takes about 30 minutes longer each way but is soooo much cheaper! Not at the stage where I enjoy it yet but at least it's becoming more bearable.

 

[summerdays]

Theoretically it should have been better on the roads than normal since it is half term though it probably depends whether you normally commute at times affected by the school run. As I do the school run I'm never sure exactly how it changes the dynamics of commuter traffic.

 

[siadwell]

2) Stress. Maybe it's because I don't drive as much now, and maybe I'm just not as immune, however the roads seem to be such a stressful place. There were queues with people jostling for places, and in one place (the m4/m5 junction) there were 3/4 lanes of traffic all merging. I was glad that at the time I was in an older car, as had I have been in a brand new one of my own I'd have been panicked it was gonna get damaged. I sat there, feeling a bit on edge, with my chest getting a little tight (not as in risk of having a heart attack, but as in not relaxed). I thought at the time that if I had to do this every day again that I'd find it very depressing.

I'm exactly the same at the junction I come off the M25. That feeling is exacerbated by the fact it was there that a lorry ran into the back of my car and wrote it off about 18 months ago.

Now as I approach the junction I retune to Classic FM and start breathing deeply...

 

[400bhp]

I now very rarely drive to work.

For someone who is a serious petrolhead (can't believe this is happening) I am going to be selling my car and go without.

I'm going to see what it's like for 6 months or so.



I might start another thread on the topic.

 

[Chrismawa]

The best bit about my Cycle Communte is going past the huge traffic queue snaking up the hill at the Tyne Tunnel and then cycling across for FREE!

 

[BSRU]

The best bit about my Cycle Communte is going past the huge traffic queue snaking up the hill at the Tyne Tunnel and then cycling across for FREE!

Plus not worrying about how much it is costing to just sit in a traffic queue.

 

[Davidc]

I don't often move around in peak city traffic any more (Taunton doesn't count - it has country town traffic).

I do however visit Bristol and London, and find that moving around by bike is less stressful, quicker, allows me to accurately time my journeys, and is much cheaper.

The worst problem I've had in a long time was last Wednesday in London, at Victoria, at 8:30 am. I couldn't find a serviceable Boris Bike straight away and was nearly late for my appointment. Those things are heavy when you need to go fast.

 

[DrSquirrel]

An hour to do 6.3 miles, thats doable on foot! No wonder you ride.

I assume the bike route is slightly longer though to avoid the big roads etc... but still

 

[gbb]

I've found (and this is a bad thing...and a good thing) that commuting (and cycling in general) has utterly ruined any pleasure i had in driving, partly because of the hike in petrol prices.
On a weeks holiday at the moment, so just pottering around. I struggle to run my car economically (1.6 Focus)...and the continuous stop start of city driving just hammers the consumption. It seems like there's a conspiracy of traffic lights against me. FFS
I never notice this when i'm cycling, i make better time, i enjoy the trip on a bike so much more, even when its murky out there.
Commuting by car ?...no chance. I'm missing my commutes by bike already. Sad innit...a week off and i'm missing riding to work

 

[BSRU]

I've found (and this is a bad thing...and a good thing) that commuting (and cycling in general) has utterly ruined any pleasure i had in driving, partly because of the hike in petrol prices.
On a weeks holiday at the moment, so just pottering around. I struggle to run my car economically (1.6 Focus)...and the continuous stop start of city driving just hammers the consumption. It seems like there's a conspiracy of traffic lights against me. FFS
I never notice this when i'm cycling, i make better time, i enjoy the trip on a bike so much more, even when its murky out there.
Commuting by car ?...no chance. I'm missing my commutes by bike already. Sad innit...a week off and i'm missing riding to work

My pleasure in driving was initially ruined by motorbikes and now by my bicycle.

 

[Woz!]

I'm SORNing my car this month and relying on my scoot (Vespa PX 125 ) and cycle.
I've sadly found I can do the cycle year round because the bridleway I have to use to cross the motorway is impassable in the wet winter weather - I could do it on my MTB but that would be useless for the other 12 miles of the ride and I'd be filthy. My tourer's still literally caked in mud from the one attempt earlier in the year.
Getting the scoot back on the road has been a good compromise.

 

[subaqua]

it costs 80l x £1.30 to fill the jeep from empty.I don't want to work that out. from that i can get 550 miles if i drive it sensibly. I found using the trailer it makes it more economical as i have to drive at a slower speed than normal on Motorway etc

drive it like i stole it and that drops to about 300 miles.

the Skoda octavia diesel that doesn't have a towbar (yet) averages 55 mpg over the week. SWMBO uses that for the commute to her work, dropping kids to breakfast clubs nursery etc. not doable by bike due to opening hours and time she needs to be in work for.

I haven't used a car to commute for 3 years except the odd factory visit where pubic (sic) transport would not be any use.

the jeep gets used less and less but the skoda isn't big enough for the summer holiday when we go camping for a few weeks at a time

time wise it beats car and PT every time for anywhere in the City from home and i no longer have to wait on cold platforms for a sardine tin.

Bike everytime, I have even started using bike for shorter trips at weekend etc when it just doesn't make sense to use the car. pop the 30l rucksack on and a mini shop fits quite easily and isn't too heavy.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I don't have the option of cycle commuting.
Work is over the limit of what I can currently do without the pain setting in.
Plus I know my bike would be stripped to it's components by my workmates and sold down the nearest pub within 2 minutes of me leaving it!

I love driving, I don't get stressed by the commute or any jams, I'm nice and comfy, watching the other loonies surf the red lights and tailgate each other. I even vary my route for fun.
Yes, it costs, but it's the occupational hazard of travelling this way. The consumption of my current car is WAY better than my old Astra.

You'll know me when you see me, I'm giving you courtesy, consideration, and plenty of space (maybe even a thumbs up) - as I drive past in my BMW!