What makes riding a bike into work attractive...

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yenrod

Guest
Apart from the cars (obviously)...you got to;

[tired] - get changed;

Put on creased clothes;

Get hardly a proper wash;

It doesn't last very long (the ride - in my case 5mls/15mins);

SO - can anyone persuade me to dump the BUS [lazy smiley]
 

4F

Active member of Helmets Are Sh*t Lobby
Location
Suffolk.
Not having to drive on the A14 and not having to go the gym does it for me
 

baggytrousers

Well-Known Member
Location
wirral
As I sit at a desk all day - it's a great way to get some exercise which I can build into my working day without having to commit any extra time to it.
 

fofo

New Member
Location
S Manchester
yenrod said:
SO - can anyone persuade me to dump the BUS [lazy smiley]

Well I used to have wait 10 minutes to get on a bus to sit next to someone who invariably smells and the bus stops at every stop on the way into town. Then when I had finished work I had to wait normally 20minutes - 1/2 an hour for a bus packed with people and stand for 25-30 minutes.

When I cycle I go the direct route and never end up that tired or sweaty, I fold my shirt nicely so it doesn't get creased on the way in and have two pairs of trousers I hang up in work which I get dry cleaned regularly. (I have a suit jacket which I only wear when I have a client in (v rare)). When I have finished work I get changed and fly straight out of the door and I am home in 10-15 minutes giving me much more free time to spend with my better half/cooking/making music and if the weather's nice I often take a detour. It is much less stressful and cheaper than getting the bus plus I don't have to make polite conversation with people I know who get the same bus.
 

pinkkaz

Veteran
Location
London
yenrod said:
Apart from the cars (obviously)...you got to;

[tired] - get changed;

Put on creased clothes;

Get hardly a proper wash;

It doesn't last very long (the ride - in my case 5mls/15mins);

SO - can anyone persuade me to dump the BUS [lazy smiley]

If it's only 15 minutes then you're not going to get that sweaty anyway so point 3 doesn't count! And why would your clothes be creased? Do you use panniers? Learn to fold up your clothes neatly!
 
baggytrousers said:
As I sit at a desk all day - it's a great way to get some exercise which I can build into my working day without having to commit any extra time to it.


Me too, plus I can't stand going to the gym.

Yenrod,

No problems with clothes for me, only in a small office so I have to take clean clothes in every day and don't have a problem with creases - just fold carefully. Luckily we've got a shower at work but if you take it steady you shouldn't sweat too badly - baby wipes are a good option if you don't have a shower.

The cash you save not going on the bus should be a good enough incentive. Spend the savings on bike stuff:biggrin:
 

Plax

Guru
Location
Wales
I'm attracted to cycling to work as;
a) It saves on petrol
:smile: It saves me having to go to the gym
c) It makes me feel good and I don't have to feel guilty about eating lots of chocolate.

So initially it was a monetary incentive. However now that I'm addicted I'm actually spending more money than I'm saving on bike related gear!
 
Apart from the fact that I enjoy it, the alternatives makes it the most attractive way to get into work.

I'd get more wet waiting for a bus/ walking at the other end.
Buses aren't the best environment for sitting in lots of waterproofs.
I'm fixed by a bus time table and it suffers in congestion. With the bike I know exactly how long I'll be and can leave when it suits me.
Stop to Stop journey time is about the same as my slowest bike time but with the waiting / walking/ congestion its much longer and less predictable.
I always catch a bug on the bus, the bike's better for my health.
I'm sure this list can be expanded.
 

goo_mason

Champion barbed-wire hurdler
Location
Leith, Edinburgh
We have a nice changing room and showers that I use, so I get to my desk all clean and sweet-smelling .

I bring my clothes in on a Monday (bus day), so they hang in my locker all week and aren't crushed.

I get to and from work in half the time that the bus takes.

I get free daily exercise (no gym fees, and no wasting £2.20 a day on the bus).

No having to sit on a crammed bus next to someone who hasn't washed in years / no having someone coughing, sneezing and spluttering all over you and not using a hankie /no having to put up with Neds causing trouble on the bus / no having to wait at uncovered bus-stops in the rain wondering where all the buses go when it gets wet.

So - the bike is VERY attractive for those reasons as a means of getting to work.
 

snorri

Legendary Member
goo_mason said:
No having to sit on a crammed bus next to someone who hasn't washed in years / no having someone coughing, sneezing and spluttering all over you and not using a hankie /no having to put up with Neds causing trouble on the bus /
Yes, yes, yes, but you are isolating yourself from social inter action, an important part of your mental wellbeing.:biggrin::biggrin:
 

Bugner

New Member
Location
Sarf London
yenrod said:
AND i'd get wet if it rained !!!!!!!!!!


That will solve the problem about half a wash :biggrin: and you will soon dry

My reasons

It gives me 2 hours exercise a day without going to the gym and is quicker for me than travelling by public transport.

No worries of
Delays
Cancellations
Packed & smelly Trains/Tubes
Cheaper
See things you wouldn't normally see
You can have a chat with strangers at the lights :-) don't see many commuters chatting to each other!!
Tax Relief (Cycle to work scheme :biggrin:)

The flip side to the coin is WHY NOT CYCLE????
 
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