What is your average commute???

[hackbike 666]

I've got bitten by the armchair bug.

 

[Freewheeler]

I've got bitten by the armchair bug.

I'd get it fumigated if I were you

 

[saty]

Thanks all for the responses, I am 90% there , but got 10% of me not wanting to do it...

I started out in December by cycling to the station, 3.5 miles each way. First time I had to let my train go and get the next one, I was sweating enough to have been offensive! Later that day returned to find my bike had been stolen. So I got a cheapo hybrid(£70 new) and lugged it on the train to the office with me. Started daydreaming about other options and mused as to whether the full commute, 20.26 miles each way, would be feasible. Got it in my head that I could save money, lose weight, get fit and combine my exercise with my, previously dead, commuting time. Also the disbelief and hilarity, from friends and colleagues, at the mere idea spurred me on.

Save money my a*se(spend to date is approx £1600), got bitten by the bike bug and have spent loads on new bike and accompanying kit But I've now done the full commute 4 times and tomorrow will be No 5. Working on Mon/Wed/Fri all the way and Tues/Thurs bike and train. I started this at age 42 and 17.5 stone, if I can do it................

MacBludgeon, Good on ya fella, that is enough to make me sway my last 10% .. I think along the same lines as you, save on train fares and gym membership and use commuting time for trying to keep fit lol... I am also a large guy, 14.5/15 stone at 36 years old.. so the exercise defo keeps me on the lighter side lol

 

[nilling]

Very inspiring MacBludgeon not easy to start commuting in the winter..rollon spring

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Keep an eye on your spending. This morning I tallied up the cost of the cycling gear I had on and it came to £430, and that's just what I had on!!!

 

[Wigsie]

Mine is 18 miles each way with a bit of a gruelling first half over the south downs! I do it in 1hr 30 on a Bianchi Dos MTB with nobblies!!! My Spanking new Spesh Allez Elite is sitting next to my desk as i type just waiting to smash that time! if you can catch a train for sections to ease you into it it will help.

Another way (depending on parking at your office) is to drive in the morning, ride home, that way you have a nights sleep before you ride in the next day, a change of clothes BO Basher etc will be waiting for you in the car, after a couple of goes like this 28mile round trip will be an exciting challenge.

As EMD says, Watch spending is the key! ha ha.... To justify the bike to my pregnant wife i created a cost analysis spreadsheet comparing petrol costs against C2W scheme payments etc and figured if I cycled twice a week i would start to save money on a £500 bike and £100 accessories!

I then started looking a bikes etc, maxed out my £1000 c2w limit and the spending on new bits continues! I now have to cycle every day and give my 8 year old a backie to football at weekends before start saving money. ha ha

 

[saty]

Mine is 18 miles each way with a bit of a gruelling first half over the south downs! I do it in 1hr 30 on a Bianchi Dos MTB with nobblies!!! My Spanking new Spesh Allez Elite is sitting next to my desk as i type just waiting to smash that time! if you can catch a train for sections to ease you into it it will help.

Another way (depending on parking at your office) is to drive in the morning, ride home, that way you have a nights sleep before you ride in the next day, a change of clothes BO Basher etc will be waiting for you in the car, after a couple of goes like this 28mile round trip will be an exciting challenge.

As EMD says, Watch spending is the key! ha ha.... To justify the bike to my pregnant wife i created a cost analysis spreadsheet comparing petrol costs against C2W scheme payments etc and figured if I cycled twice a week i would start to save money on a £500 bike and £100 accessories!

I then started looking a bikes etc, maxed out my £1000 c2w limit and the spending on new bits continues! I now have to cycle every day and give my 8 year old a backie to football at weekends before start saving money. ha ha

wigsie .. lol @ spreadsheet

as per other thread, i am getting my replacement cycle toady [a ridgeback flight 01 from evans for 299 in the sale], so not a huge amount of cash..
also train idea for some of the journey is a good idea but the cost of the trains aint really worth it, might aswell ride it

 

[skupp]

My commute is a bit over 30 miles, a few steep hills at the start and end, mostly flat in the middle...

Bit of a struggle at first, journey time first attempt was 95 mins, got down to 54 mins before I got lazy and took a 2 month break. Back into it now tho, so rebuilding fitness... Much prefer cycling to work than catching the train, quicker too

Might have to invest in a bike with gears eventually, might make it a bit easier, but like the simplicity of the single speed...

Cheers,
Daniel.

 

[Brahan]

I started cycling to work a couple of weeks ago. There's an old cart track and its about 10 miles each way, perfect for hammering down on the mountain bike. The trouble being when I arrive at work I'm soaking and muddy. The good news; we've just moved to a serviced office with a shower!!! WAHEY! I'm delighted. The bad news; it cuts off 2 miles and now I'm cycling through traffic! People who don't cycle just don't get it do they? I mean, they fail to see the enjoyment in cycling. Riding for the pleasure of it and that's before we talk about the practicalities including money saving, health etc blah blah. On the money front by the way - I'm saving £84 a month in parking + £80 (at least) a month in petrol + £35 a month in insurance and then there's the road tax at £60 for 6 months!! None of that includes general repairs either. For anyone who used to drive to work, how much momey do you save now? Or like me do you spend it on things for your bike?

 

[swee'pea99]

For anyone who used to drive to work, how much momey do you save now? Or like me do you spend it on things for your bike?

I didn't used to drive, but one of the main reasons I got back into cycling was when my London travelcard went up to nigh on £1000 a year. That was about five years ago, and I doubt I've spent more than £5-600 on cycling all told in that time. (And I could easily recoup half that amount tomorrow by selling the bikes I've bought.)

 

[BentMikey]

43 mile round trip, quite hilly.

 

[BentMikey]

Only 8 miles each way for me. As an aside the first half going in is along narrow single carriageway so I am very used to close overtaking which is why I am always amused by people complaining on here about this. I have yet to see a very close overtake on all of the videos posted. I guess it depends on the individual as to what is close - for me it would be less than 1 foot.

Having drifted off topic I'll add it takes around 26-30 mins going in (no showers at work) and I like to take around 24 mins to get home.

At a guess you're not allowing for how video cameras make very close passes seem a little further out than they really are.

Since I have a couple of cameras and have had my own close overtakes, I'm much better able to judge how horrendously close many of the youtube videos are. Some are brushing past the bike rider, and I would have expected you to realise that.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

My camera is mounted on the left hand side of my handlebars until the summer when I take my lights off. So any overtake I put up as being close, you can take 7 or 8 inches off of the passing distance.

 

[HLaB]

At a guess you're not allowing for how video cameras make very close passes seem a little further out than they really are.

I must admit, its only now Ive got a camera that I realise how much they distorts things.

 

[levad]

26 mile round trip each day for me. Narrow, hilly country lanes, almost sheet ice this morning! I started out on a hybrid and moved to a road bike (Surly Crosscheck) last September and it has made the journey much more pleasant and faster.