Why did you start cycle commuting?

[spindrift]

My first job in London was running the SU bar at the LSE.

I finished late and got the N8 nightbus home.

One night I must have nodded off.

I woke up, curled up snugly on the top deck at 8am Saturday morning. Had a great night's sleep.

I wandered down the stairs of the bus and stepped out into a large garage with mechanics walking about whistling.

I staggered out into the sunshine, blinking, and spotted a cafe over the road next to a shop called "Romford Hardware".

Oh shitty bollocks, I said to myself, and went into the cafe and said "Egg sausage chips beans toast coffee and where am I please"?

I was in Romford, 14 miles out of London.

The next week I bought a hybrid and started cycling and like the chap who broke his neck I never looked back.

 

[malkie]

Fitness.

Done the Great North Run for the last 2 years in 2.08 then 1.52 . As I can`t run regularly enough to be sure of beating 1.52 next year , I needed a way to improve my basic fitness . And the thing is getting fit whilst commuting is for free timewise .
I have a mate at work who cycles in past my house who said "if you can run it , you can cycle it" ..... he knows I have been known to run the 10.5
mile trip before now.

Well maybe

First cycle commute for 20 years was yesterday and I do have some sore bits today 40 mins there and 43 mins back didn`t seem too shabby tho.

Oh and I believe its customary / obligatory to fall off once when getting used to clipless pedals .... well I have got that out of the way already ( fast learner me )

Malkie.

 

[biking_fox]

Not sure.

First job was just outside cambridge, and owning a car in cams never occured to me. As a kid I pretty much always cycled to wherever I wanted to go - parent too busy to taxi me - and I just always accepted this was a sensible means of transport.

Moved to S Manchester, and again ownign a car is just wasting space - it isn't going anywhere.

 

[cupoftea]

I hate the Tube, unreliable, slow, and expensive.

I also wanted to keep fit

 

[simonali]

Simple answer; I used to cycle to school, I left school, I started work and I cycled there too!

Got ill in summer of 1995 and took my driving test at age of 27. Only really cycle to work in nice weather nowadays, but it's better than nowt, eh?

 

[tdr1nka]

Started using bike as sole form of transport in '91 due to lack of money and never looked back. My commutes have never been much over 25 miles round trip but obviously riding in London I have enough to keep me occupied!

T x

 

[02GF74]

that is easy. many yrs ago bought an MGB whcih was my only car and needed work doing so was off the road. had to get into to work some way so bicycle it was.

MGB was called manilla becasue it was white and Stationery!

 

[ratty2k]

Did it work - have you lost lots of weight?

Got down to 16 1/2 st- gave up smoking (I know) and have put on a stone since I did.
Trying a bit harder now and am back down to 17.... want to get to 13 1/2 or 14 st (I'm 6ft and reasonably heavy set)

So yer, but more to go!

 

[soolrider]

(Hello Found the forum while looking for helmet/handlebar cam advice as I've just bought one to record any commuting "incidents", have enjoyed reading/watching others' stories)

Until 2 years ago, always walked to work - until we moved 3.5 miles away. Don't want/need a car, no direct bus, so time to "get on my bike"... I've never looked back.

Cycling saves me finding the time to exercise, as fitness is important to me. Learning to deal with muppet drivers has done wonders for my anger management. Have also enjoyed learning how to do all the maintenance.

Only thing now is 7 miles a day feels like nothing, so will have to move house to get more of a daily cycling fix!

 

[gbb]

A variety of reasons for me...being a tightwad being the primary one

Ive always tried to limit my car useage or fuel consumption, i spent a good many years on a very mediocre wage.

Tied in with that, ive always enjoyed cycling...ive slowly moved away from the car for commuting over the last 5 years, to the point i only (and grudgingly) use it once a week, barring downpours.

 

[Freewheeler]

I first commuted 6 miles each way over 10 years ago, before I had a car. At that time the only other option was 2 buses, so it was out of necessity although I did enjoy riding my bike (except for when the weather was truly appalling). I passed my driving test in 1999, and started using the car all the time. To my shame, my old Muddy Fox was allowed to rust away in the garden

Then got a job 1/2 a mile from home, so using the car was silly and I got back into riding to and from work, including nipping home for lunch. Now I work in Manchester and ride to the railway station, about 3 miles each way. Only left the bike at home once last year, and that was because it was the works Christmas party.

The main reason I commute is because it's mostly fun. Also helps keep the fitness up, as having a young daughter means that weekend rides longer than an hour are a rare treat these days. Filling the petrol tank less often and reducing my carbon footprint and fuel bill is important to me as well.

 

[longers]

I always wanted to cycle to work.

It was only two years ago that I was able to. It's the best thing since sliced bread . I'm currently looking to move further away.

 

[neslon]

Youo dont need to move further away when the commute feels too short, just get an OS map & sort out a variety of routes, 1 for all occasions. This also justifies you having a shed full of bikes if you can include some off-road bits on one of the routes.

as if we need to justify it...

 

[gavintc]

I have cycle commuted off and on for about 25 yrs. Whenever, I could I would cycle or walk to work and apart from when I lived in Hong Kong, I have never commuted by car. My reasons were initially financial, but this have given way over the years to a desire to maintain fitness. I currently have 2 cars, but never use the small one, and if I can prise it away from my student daughter, it is going to produce some cash for the summer holiday. It is only in the last 3 yrs that I moved from a pretty crappy mountain bike to a reasonable winter road bike and from that, the carbon one seemed a natural development.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

18 months ago Mrs Stig told me I wasn't allowed to go out running so much in the evenings because she wanted me to do more with the kids. Asked if it was OK to cycle and that started me off.

I have since found out I could leave later and get back sooner than if I took the train.

If the kids bothered staying in for the evenings, I'd be able to do more with them....