Cycle but don't commute by bike -- why not?

monument

The thread title says it all: If you cycle but don't commute by bike -- why not?

Also don't just vote in the poll, please post saying why.

patrick151

can't speak from personal experience, as i do commute via bike but was talking to one of the club members today about this and though he use to commute by bike he no longer can because he just needs to bring too much stuff in and out each day

kincsem

I'm retired.

Offalygal1

Work in dublin but live in offaly..be some cycle in the mornings :-P

monument

Poll added.

Seweryn

Most of work places in this country were designed without any consideration about commuting on a bike, i.e. no place to keep the bike, no place to keep or change your clothes, no shower facility, etc.
Sad, but true...

Kintarō Hattori

I commute to the train station each morning on my bike and try to do the full distance once a week.

triggermortis

Live in Monaghan - work in Zurich so too far to bike! On a course at the moment but once I start properly in Zurich, might ride in and out - have to wait and see where I end up living

hardCopy

I used to commute for a long time but have no shower facilities in my new job so the bike is kept for weekends now

PseudoFamous

80Km each way might be a bit tiring and time consuming, tbh.

Creamy Goodness

22k each way, would do it if there was shower/changing facilities but alas there is not.

Rovi

Self employed, working from home.
The bike hangs on the office wall though, so I'm in its company a lot.

Esroh

50km each way though I have done it a few times. No facilities in work so limited how often I can ask workmates for use of shower

smacl

Also self employed, office is 20 metres from the house. Cycle to the gym every morning if that counts.

4leto

My job is about 16 miles from home and I mix some mornings its the bike others the car, it really depends on the weather.

Fatbiker

I voted 'other' - I live only a mile from work so it wouldn't be worth getting clad in wet weather gear - which I don't have BTW - although I have sorted out storage at the office. Also, I have to pick up junior from school in the evening. I could cycle in the morning and back at lunch if I wanted but I prefer to get out for a longer cycle in the evenings while we have the light. FB

the_syco

Broke the elbow when the back wheel slipped on black ice just under two years ago. Driving since; only cycle during the summer months now.

shedweller

I work nights and it's a 55km commute. Double whammy!

fletch

I'm the opposite, I commute by bike but rarely if ever take the bike out at weekends.

tomasrojo

Many, maybe most workplaces in countries with a lot of cycling commuters don't have changing or shower facilities either. Indeed, if a large proportion of your workforce cycled and then needed a shower, there'd be such a long queue for the shower not much work could get done in the morning. I find that commutes of 15km or lower don't make you sweat that much, especially when it's not humid. A change of shirt and a superficial wipe-down usually suffices.

Somewhere to put your bike is often a problem here, I agree. I've often had to lock to lamp posts and sign posts and even flag poles.

EDIT: This page has some good advice.
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/commute/solution.htm

seven stars

No showers/facilities in work. That's the main reason.

rp

fletch wrote: »

I'm the opposite, I commute by bike but rarely if ever take the bike out at weekends.

Me too: after a week's commuting, I can't even look at the bike!

studiorat

Other - Too short a distance!

Take the bike sometimes, but I can pretty much freewheel all the way in.

Robdude

I used to commute by bicycle but it took too long.
It was about 15km.

I'd get up early and get dressed in my riding gear (hat gloves, pants, shoes, etc...) and pack a change of clothes and everything I would need to get cleaned up at the office. I also had things for the bike like a spare innertube, and the tools to swap it out/inflate it.

When I got to work I'd lock up my bicycle and go inside to the bathroom. Then I'd take of my cold, often wet, riding clothes and try to clean myself up as best I could to look professional and change into my office clothes.

It just seemed like a lot of time and work. Maybe I'm just too lazy.

Then, at the end of the day, I had to do the whole thing all over again - only this time I had to put on my cold, still wet, clothes.

I also had some really embarrassing stuff happen - one day I got to work only to realize I'd left my 'office pants' at home. I had my shoes and my shirt - but no pants....so I had to wear my bicycle pants all day.

reilig

70km from work
Need to have use of the car as part of my contract (But could get away with driving 2 days and cycling 3 per week)
Would cycle to the train station, but there's no shower in work either.
Live in Leitrim - its always raining here!!

reilig

Robdude wrote: »

I also had some really embarrassing stuff happen - one day I got to work only to realize I'd left my 'office pants' at home. I had my shoes and my shirt - but no pants....so I had to wear my bicycle pants all day.

Sorry, off topic,

But I arrived at work one day to find that I was wearing 1 brown shoe and one black shoe

zil

Too much hassle really. It's a lot easier to just hop on a bus than to remember to sort out cycling gear / tubes etc beforehand, cycle in, have a shower and change clothes.

andy69

130km round-trip for my commute. just a tad too far

Lumen

Robdude wrote: »

I used to commute by bicycle but it took too long. It was about 15km.

I'd get up early and get dressed in my riding gear (hat gloves, pants, shoes, etc...) and pack a change of clothes and everything I would need to get cleaned up at the office. I also had things for the bike like a spare innertube, and the tools to swap it out/inflate it.

When I got to work I'd lock up my bicycle and go inside to the bathroom. Then I'd take of my cold, often wet, riding clothes and try to clean myself up as best I could to look professional and change into my office clothes.

It just seemed like a lot of time and work. Maybe I'm just too lazy.

Then, at the end of the day, I had to do the whole thing all over again - only this time I had to put on my cold, still wet, clothes.

zil wrote: »

Too much hassle really. It's a lot easier to just hop on a bus than to remember to sort out cycling gear / tubes etc beforehand, cycle in, have a shower and change clothes.

I used to feel exactly this ^^

(apologies for length)

I have a commute of 15km each way and the option of a train which is 1hr door-to-door.

I tried commuting by bike, but found five days too physically hard, so I did two or three.

Every morning I had a choice of riding the bike or taking the train, and I never managed to get any routine together. My decision would be influenced by the weather, or whether I had clean cycling clothes, or how my bad back felt.

I would manage a couple of months of 3 days a week, then I'd be back on the train.

Then last autumn the recession started affecting commuting patterns, and the train got fuller. Standing room only for week after week, regardless of how I varied my schedule. So when the new year came round I decided to use the bike every day, without fail.

Best decision ever. 9 months on I haven't used the train once, and I don't miss it. I used to get regular bad tonsillitis, and this has now gone completely, probably due to not being packed like a sardine with a bunch of snotters.

My tools/tubes etc are in my backpack, although I haven't ever had a puncture on the commute. I keep locks in the carpark at work. Mudguards and dynamo lights are practical but not essential.

I don't have showers at work, only a basin in a toilet, but that's perfectly fine. Towel and flannel gets changed every week.

Changing at work and showering when I get home adds a few minutes, but with the cycling itself taking only 75 minutes in total I'm still well inside the 2hr commute time I had with the train.

I wear fresh lycra every day (bib shorts and jersey) and a gilet or winter training jacket when it's cold and wet. Takes up little space in the wash and dries quickly.

Anyway, moving to a daily bike commute has left me healthier, happier and faster and I have more free time to spend with the family rather than togging round Wicklow "getting the miles in" at weekends.

tunney

Only 10km into work, not much of a work out on the bike so run in.

Eamonnator

I'M RETIRED

CptMackey

I would if work had a shower or even a changing room. 20k each way wouldn't be the worst but I'm in a suit all day so don't want to be sweaty

Cabaal

35mile each way if I go to work via bike, done it a few times but not practical daily as would make a very long day for me

subway

few reasons...
i work from home 90% of the time
when i do go into the office its for max 2-3 hours and usually to meet a customer or other visitor
there are limited facilities where i work and not much in the way of privacy (cant imagine having a hobo shower or whatever you call it when the boss walks in to the bathroom)
its a 70km round trip on the motorway if i was to do it


so theres my bag of excuses

turbodiesel

It's approx 8 miles each way. 45 - 50 mins going in but a definitie hour uphill coming out.

studiorat

Am actually seriously considering moving to about 15Km away from work so I can have a decent spin in each morning.

Anyone else done this?

Lumen

studiorat wrote: »

Am actually seriously considering moving to about 15Km away from work so I can have a decent spin in each morning.

Anyone else done this?

15km is a bit close. I'm thinking of moving my office further away from my house.

25km would be perfect, I reckon. Under an hour each way, and 250km a week commuting.

Idleater

Lumen wrote: »

25km would be perfect, I reckon. Under an hour each way, and 250km a week commuting.

I'm on a 25k commute and like you started once per week, now at 2-3 times and my aim is to up it to the full week when possible.
Unfortunately for me, if I've to go into the city for meetings / customer interaction :rolleyes: I've to motorbike / public transport.
I also will put panniers on the bicycle to remove the "need" /excuse to take the motorbike to bring in towel and change of clothing.

smacl

If your commute is too short, why not just extend by cycling an alternate route? You're not obliged to take the shortest route from A to B.

Lumen

smacl wrote: »

If your commute is too short, why not just extend by cycling an alternate route? You're not obliged to take the shortest route from A to B.

Only triathletes have the level of personal organisation required for this.

I am always late.

rp

subway wrote: »

few reasons...so theres my bag of excuses

There was a campaign in Belgium around the Brussels ring-road a couple of years back, where they erected billboards giving pre-prepared reasons for not cycling today, something like:
"I don't ride my bike to work because.... I absolutely must have air-conditioning"

smacl

Lumen wrote: »

Only triathletes have the level of personal organisation required for this.

Yikes. While I've been tri-curious in the past, it would appear I'm starting to exhibit observable tri tenancies. Not good.

07Lapierre

Travel Light: You don't have to carry a full size beach towel. Use a Tee towel or even a face cloth along with "baby wipes" (Best invention ever!).

Leave you Bike Lock locked to a solid object at your destination (that way you don't have to carry it).

Rain gear: don't wear it....Leave a change of clothes (work and cycle) at your destination. You'll be amazed how in-frequently you actually need a fresh set of cycle gear ( Cycle kit dries very quickly)

Leave some spares at work: ( Inner tube, Tyre, Brake and Gear cable, Multi tool, batteries for lights,)

My commute is 25klm each way. Not too short and Not too long either.

Dandelion6

I sometimes commute by bike, but when I don't there could be a number of reasons:

1. It's raining. I really, really hate cycling in the rain. Or it's extremely windy. Or both.

2. Am wearing clothing in which I cannot cycle comfortably. Sometimes I'll carry it with me and just change at work but depends on how much else I'm carrying

3. I have to make a stop on the way. I have a short commute so it's not worth the extra time to lock and unlock the bike. (Will take a Dublin Bike instead if there's one nearby with bikes available but there often isn't.)

studiorat

smacl wrote: »

If your commute is too short, why not just extend by cycling an alternate route? You're not obliged to take the shortest route from A to B.

Too lazy for that I'm afraid.

cdaly_

Idleater wrote: »

I also will put panniers on the bicycle to remove the "need" /excuse to take the motorbike to bring in towel and change of clothing.

Dandelion6 wrote: »

2. Am wearing clothing in which I cannot cycle comfortably. Sometimes I'll carry it with me and just change at work but depends on how much else I'm carrying

I bring a pannier of clothes for the week and leave it (inc towel, shampoo etc) in work. Tools / spares live on the bike. No organising to do in the morning bar put lunch in my jersey pocket...

sy

Have to bring my teenagers to school and yes they should also commute by bike but lycra is not cool when you are a teenager and definitely not cool if you arrive to school by bike with your dad (work close to their school)

Undercover Elephant

Robdude wrote: »

I used to commute by bicycle but it took too long.

I find the opposite. I live 2 mins walk from the Dart but still find I can get in quicker by bike (about 12km). Maybe if I could time myself to reach the train just as it arrives it would be competitive, but who manages to do this?

One day last week I had to take the Dart. It was so frustrating stopping every mile. Screw that.

My workplace has the second best showers in the entire world, but I think I'd probably still do it if there was just a dripping cold tap.

Lemag

I live within 1km of where I work and there is no facility provided for me to store my bike. I could get up early and go for a cycle beforehand but that would require that I get up early.

Junior

I live in Mid County Waterford, and Work just outside Carlow Town, so it's a tad too far to commute on a bike ..

Khannie

Undercover Elephant wrote: »

I find the opposite. I live 2 mins walk from the Dart but still find I can get in quicker by bike (about 12km). Maybe if I could time myself to reach the train just as it arrives it would be competitive, but who manages to do this?

There is an app for that. I use it every day to determine if I need to run or not.

Train commute and bike commute times aren't that different for me but when I add in the shower etc the cycle is much longer overall. Doesn't stop me though.