Why wouldn't you commute by bike?

[al78]

I try to drive at night, especially long distance...

I'd rather not torture myself with sleep deprivation. I have enough problems with fatigue as it is.

 

[slowmotion]

A year ago, I would have said because a five mile trip to work was far too much like exercise, slower, and dangerous, and no fun at all.

It turned out, after a bit of practice, to be huge fun, quicker and a whole lot faster across west London. I guess you come, in some way, to deal with the danger. It is , actually, out there for a cyclist in London. The benefits outweigh the risks for me.

No, I am not some kind of hero. I spent today in the van, and just wished I could have been on the bike.

 

[CopperBrompton]

The risks are greatly exaggerated - the fatality rate for cycling is way, way lower than for driving.

 

[slowmotion]

Ben, I just feel a whole lot softer than a swerving lump of steel off my right handlebar, somewhere in Earls Court. My choice though, and I'm happy to make it. So far...

 

[CopperBrompton]

Cyclists are more vulnerable in accidents, of course, but are involved in far fewer of them. Given the exercise benefits, it is actually safer to cycle than not to cycle.

 

[fozy tornip]

Wherever you come across best practice guidelines around facilities which support cyle commuting the big three invariably tend to be secure, covered cycle storage; storage space/lockers for clothing and kit; decent changing facilities/showers.
As a backpacking youth getting a strip wash at a village pump or service station hand basin gave a roughing it frisson to the experience, but as a middle aged man trying to wash my sweaty arse and back stood at a toilet hand basin every working day is a dispiriting indignity. Never mind whether I stink or not, I want to feel clean preparatory to a day's work. Sure there are commutes which are short enough and topographically mild enough to make a shower unnecessary - I've had them, and there are hardcore cylists who'll happily swab up with some baby wipes - I've been one. But the idea that the car dependent might be tempted out of their cars with the prospect of a dowsing with deodorant in the disabled loos is absurd.

 

[cyberknight]

10 miles for me each way.
We do have showers but i never use them, give it 29 minutes and i will be sweating anyway .
Unlike (it seems ) the majority here i do not have an office job, after a full shift in a car factory weld shop i smell worse than any cycle sweat will leave me
This time of year i need about 2-3 pints of water on top of breaks to keep hydrated.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

My commute, by bike, is 14.5 miles in (+ 12.5 home) - we don't have showers, I use the sink and flannel method (I don't stand in the sink!).

Convert 1 - a shopfloor guy has got his old MTB out of the shed and has started biking in - now looking for a cheap roadie.

(Potential) convert 2 - a yardie has bought a road bike and is in training for the big commute.

23 to go - it's like the Moonies!

 

[Browser]

There are three guys on my shift including me, two of us cycle and one doesn't. The one who doesn't is the heaviest (clinically obese according to BMI calculators), doesn't exercise, smokes cigars and likes a drink.
Oh, and he lives closest to work too of the three of us! He was talking about cycling in a while ago, but always had an excuse, couldn't get the handlebar ends he wanted so I found some on Ebay. Then a bloke 'down the pub' told him "they can slip round whilst you're riding", I pointed out I had the same ones on my old bike and had never suffered this problem. Then it was that he had an MTB and the tyres dragged, so I showed him the range of slick tyres available. Then it was that the route was too dangerous as it meant cycling along a dual carriageway, so I showed him the route I used to ride when I lived very near to where he does.
Then (finally) he said "it's too much hassle", ergo he can't be ar**ed! Lazy buggers have always got an excuse, haven't they?

 

[Origamist]

One of the biggest barriers to cycling is car dependency - people choose to drive as it's part of their routine. Driving to work, the shops, or school is the convention in the 21s century and it's a habit that's hard to break.

 

[HJ]

I'm becoming a bit of a bike bore and am trying to entice a few colleagues and friends to commute by bike. Each of them lives less than 6 miles from their offices and two of them live on the river (flat as you like).

I've not yet convinced them but was interested in the reasons that they gave NOT to give it a go, which were along the lines of;

Too much effort (but they spend hours in the gym each week)

No showers (I kind of sympathise as I wouldn't want to work without having freshened up)

Its Nerdy (I do understand this, as I try really hard not to be nerdy about it myself).

but the overwhelming reason given to me is:

Its too bloody dangerous!

Simple answer to the "Its too bloody dangerous!", ask them why if it so dangerous most regular cycle commuters have lower sick leave rates and long life expectancies? Perception and reality are different...

As I have stated elsewhere, cyclists account for only 4% of road fatalities (2008 UK figures) compared with 17.1% for motorcyclists, 19.6% for Pedestrians, and 50.2% for car occupants. When these figures are adjusted to reflect the numbers of people travelling and the distance they travel, we find that riding a motorbike is the most dangerous, followed by travelling in a car! The level of risk involved in cycling is about the same as (or lower than) walking, even though most cyclists are riding on the road (it should be noted that in the UK on average 70 people are killed by motor vehicles on the pavement every year). Indeed regular cyclists have a life expectancy that is at least 2 years longer than average, they have fitness levels of someone 10 years their junior, also better mental health and are healthier in older age.

 

[Amanda P]

People should always be able to say that they just simply don't want to ride a bike to work...

Ah, but they never do say that, do they? In my experience, it's always "I'd like to cycle but..." it's too far; it's too dangerous; I have to bring my kids; I have to carry too much kit; I'm too fat (what kind of excuse is that??!); I'd have to get up earlier; my bike's got a puncture (!? so fix it!); etc etc.

I'm known for cycling to work here. Every time I go to the coffee machine I have one of these "I'd cycle only..." conversations.

Never has anyone ever said "I don't cycle because I don't want to". They feel they have to make lame excuses, which suggests to me they somehow feel guilty for NOT cycling.

Given that this is an organisation which ought to have some environmental credentials, that's fair enough.

 

[fossyant]

there are hardcore cylists who'll happily swab up with some baby wipes - I've been one. But the idea that the car dependent might be tempted out of their cars with the prospect of a dowsing with deodorant in the disabled loos is absurd.

Grr I must be well 'ard then !!

I've never had great facilities !

My old 20 mile commute was ride there and back with all clothes including shoes, and a bike cover. Lock up, cover bike, walk 5 mins to office block, get changed in loo, hang clothes under desk to air....

Now I have covered parking, although take bike in office. Hang clothes up in my office, although we have showers, they aren't much use and tucked away in a far corner. I can get changed and 'clean' with wipes in the office - so for me that's quite good. The other sites generally have a disabled loo I can get changed in near to the bike parking.

I'm likely to be moving into another office soon, which means bike in secure bike park, then getting changed in a loo, and hanging my kit up in the loo to dry - no chance of stuff in the office !

If I'm still here in about 5 years, we are moving to a new office, which will be a dream for cyclists - there will be a cycling hub, all in one place. Secure parking, showers, changing facilities, drying facilities and possibly a mechanic...that's a long way off though !

 

[Arch]

Never has anyone ever said "I don't cycle because I don't want to". They feel they have to make lame excuses, which suggests to me they somehow feel guilty for NOT cycling.

Quite. If they are honest, fair enough*.

I rode into work today, of course - if the office door had been open just a little bit more, I could have ridden right in to my desk!

*we all do it at some time, I suppose, about something - make up a 'noble' excuse for just not wanting to.

 

[marzjennings]

I'll be honest and admit I don't want to commute to work. I live 7 miles from work, the roads are flat quiet neighbourhood streets, we have showers and my schedule would allow for the extra time it would take to get in, showered and dressed.

In fact one of colleagues commutes in every day almost right past my door, so I could even have a riding buddy.

I just can't be arsed with the extra effort needed to commute by bike.