Questions from a soon-to-be cyclist (hopefully)

damo34

Im half thinking of selling the car and getting a bike. The furthest trip I take every week is about 9 miles. So everything else is closer. Realistically within the 5-7 mile kinda area.

But before I go and sell the car I just need to know,

1) For an up and comming couch potatoe (whos desperatly wanting to get back into shape) would I be mad to rely on a bike as my main transport? Its a bit of a drastic step, but I cant afford to buy the bike without the selling the car, and Im a bit nervous to be diving in head first.

2) I had a mountain bike years ago (Raleigh if I remember correctly) and the one thing I remember is that no matter what gear I had the bike on, it was an absolute b0ll0x to get around on it. And if I came to a hill :eek: Would a road/racing bike be all that different, easier to cycle- or was I just a couch potatoe back then too :rolleyes:

3) For what Id want the bike for, would I find *that* much of a difference between spending a few hundred on the bike, compared to a good few hundreds that some you would be spending on bikes.

4) Oh and nearly forgot, how does cycling in wet/windy/icy/snowy weather fare out? Or is cycling only a summer thing?

Thanks

Seweryn

damo34 wrote: »

Im half thinking of selling the car and getting a bike. The furthest trip I take every week is about 9 miles. So everything else is closer. Realistically within the 5-7 mile kinda area.

But before I go and sell the car I just need to know,

1) For an up and comming couch potatoe (whos desperatly wanting to get back into shape) would I be mad to rely on a bike as my main transport? Its a bit of a drastic step, but I cant afford to buy the bike without the selling the car, and Im a bit nervous to be diving in head first.

2) I had a mountain bike years ago (Raleigh if I remember correctly) and the one thing I remember is that no matter what gear I had the bike on, it was an absolute b0ll0x to get around on it. And if I came to a hill :eek: Would a road/racing bike be all that different, easier to cycle- or was I just a couch potatoe back then too :rolleyes:

3) For what Id want the bike for, would I find *that* much of a difference between spending a few hundred on the bike, compared to a good few hundreds that some you would be spending on bikes.

4) Oh and nearly forgot, how does cycling in wet/windy/icy/snowy weather fare out? Or is cycling only a summer thing?

Thanks

Hi Couch Potatoe,

It is a great plan you are making and I like your idea a lot. If the longest distance you have to travel is only 15km, then there is no point in my opinion for keeping the car and paying all the bills (depreciation, insurance, motor tax, service bills, etc.). It is also a very good step forward in transfering your life style and if you ever need a car for an occasional jurney, you can always hire one.

The difference in commuting on a mountain bike and on a road bike is like night and day. These two bikes are designed for different tasks.

Depending on your budget, you can get a new bike or a second hand one. The more you spend, the more comfortable, lighter and responsive bike you are going to get in general.

Cycling is not only something that you do during the summer. I am thinking about starting commuting to work on a bike (22.5km each way) and for the bad weather you can dress appropriately.

As soon as you start cycling, you will feel better and your health will improve .

Lumen

I would focus on the practical elements (mudguards, rack/trailer etc) if you have to ride it wearing normal clothes.

A lot depends on how much stuff you have to carry around.

Keep_Her_Lit

damo34 wrote: »

Im half thinking of selling the car and getting a bike. The furthest trip I take every week is about 9 miles. So everything else is closer. Realistically within the 5-7 mile kinda area.

But before I go and sell the car I just need to know,

1) For an up and comming couch potatoe (whos desperatly wanting to get back into shape) would I be mad to rely on a bike as my main transport? Its a bit of a drastic step, but I cant afford to buy the bike without the selling the car, and Im a bit nervous to be diving in head first.

No, you would not be mad to rely on a bike as your main transport for journeys of this length. However, relying on a bike as your sole mode of transport could be a riskier proposition. Even if you get into cycling in a big way and really enjoy your daily commute, there may well be days when you either can't or really don't want to cycle. So you would be wise to have a plan 'B' to fall back on for those days, such as public transport or a lift with a colleague.

Also, if you abruptly switch from couch potato to full time commuter overnight, it could make for a pretty rude introduction to cycling. You will probably be very sore and tired for the first couple of weeks. If you're unlucky, you could also pick up an injury, depending on your current state of fitness and age. If you don't own a bicycle now, could you borrow one for a few weeks? If so, you could start off with a couple of short evening spins, then try your commute for one or two days in the week, increasing to four days, say. Switching to a five day commute would then come as less of a shock and it's less likely that you would end up discouraged by the experience. A few trial commutes would also help to inform your final decision on whether or not to flog your motor.

2) I had a mountain bike years ago (Raleigh if I remember correctly) and the one thing I remember is that no matter what gear I had the bike on, it was an absolute b0ll0x to get around on it. And if I came to a hill Would a road/racing bike be all that different, easier to cycle- or was I just a couch potatoe back then too

It depends .... if your bike back then was cheap, heavy, had knobbly tyres, wasn't lovingly maintained (e.g. rusty chain, wheels out of true, squeaky pedal) and wasn't set up correctly (e.g. saddle way too low), then riding it would undoubtedly have been a pretty joyless experience. But buying a nice light road bike won't suddenly make it all easy-peasy, especially when it comes to climbing hills. Your fitness will be the main determinant there. I've been commuting on an MTB for a long time and find it just fine. It really isn't that much slower or harder than my roadbike but neither is it ideal. If you have no intention of riding off road then for sure, you should not get an MTB for your commute. Get a hybrid, road bike or tourer instead - each has its own advantages.

3) For what Id want the bike for, would I find *that* much of a difference between spending a few hundred on the bike, compared to a good few hundreds that some you would be spending on bikes.

The short answer is yes, you get what you pay for. The ever-so-slightly-longer answer is ... you will be relying on this bicycle as your main form of transport. So do not make the mistake of lumbering yourself with some soul destroying BSO (Bicycle Shaped Obect) that you thought was a bargain for €199. It will break your heart and possibly put you off cycling for good. There's no point in telling you how much you should spend but if you're thinking of buying new, under the BTW scheme, then you should be looking at bikes worth "several hundred" upwards. Where you draw the line is your choice. In this price range, for every extra hundred you spend, you get a real increase in quality. Somehwere over a grand, the returns start diminishing and more esoteric factors come into play. For a first, decent commuter, you don't need to spend a grand. €600-800 would get you a very good bike.

4) Oh and nearly forgot, how does cycling in wet/windy/icy/snowy weather fare out? Or is cycling only a summer thing?

Thanks

No, of course it isn't just a summer thing. However, the extremes can be pretty hostile and challenging. In the rain, you need to keep warm - this is more important than keeping dry. You also have to adjust your riding style to account for poorer visibility and reduced grip. Some people choose to leave the bike at home in very high winds because there is a risk of being hit by flying debris or being blown into the path of traffic. On the other hand, there is nealry always a bit of a breeze or wind blowing and you notice this much more as a cyclist than as a driver, passenger or pedestrian. You just have to get used to that and accept it. Ice is not nice and unless you fit studded tyres you will get sick of falling off pretty quickly. Drivers sliding around the place in their cars also pose a risk in icy/snowy conditions.

Overall, your plan is sound. But if you're going to follow it through, do it properly. Get decent equipment and be resolved to putting up with the crappy days as well as the great days. Good luck!

monument

OP -- What's your usual daily commute each way?

As others said, if you jump into it too quickly it can be off putting, and this is truer for longer distances. Try to get out a few times and cycle before buying the bike and selling the car.

If you do go ahead, it's highly advised that you look at getting panniers, ie bike bags, for carrying things.

tomasrojo

Also, if you're in Dublin or Cork, you might consider joining GoCar, which would allow you to still have access to a car, but would spare you most of the costs involved in owning a car.

http://www.gocar.ie

Since you'll be saving money by not owning a car, you can reward yourself with the odd taxi as well.

G rock

i started out commuting my 12k each way trip last summer, and went from 3days a week to four, then five and six, over the space over a few months (hadn't much fitness to begin with)

four weeks ago i sold my car since i was never using it, was just on the bike all the time.

so it is doable, but like the others have said, you will have to build up to doing it everyday gradually (for example, in january i ended up injuring my knee from doing a bit too much too soon-was adding too many km outside of commuting km and ended up off the bike for over two months-not something i'd fancy happening again now that i have no car to fall back on)

def doable if you work up to it and have some other form of transport fo fall back on.

best of luck!