Why don't more people cycle to work?

Wombatman

I'm surprised by how few cyclists are on the road in the morning when I'm on my way to work.

I live in Galway where the traffic is horrendously slow during rush hours, yet people aren't really seeing the bike as a solution.

I'd guess that if everyone who availed of the bike to work scheme actually biked to work we would see a dramatic increase.

It's interesting that with the upsurge cycling participation, the % of those commuting by bike has halved in the last 20 years.

http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cp6ci/p6cii/p6mtw/

I guess this has to do with population density and the greater distances people have to travel to work. One way around this is to bring it some of the way on the rack. This get one around the worst of the tailbacks.

Pelvis

Lack of showers in work.

Seth Brundle

Lack of showers as mentioned.
Lack of decent cycling facilities and secure storage areas.
Perception that it is or may be dangerous.
We're a nation of lazy gits!

Diarmuid

Laziness

uncle-mofo

Rain

Chips Lovell

"You're taking your life in your hands cycling in Dublin".

Despite empirical evidence in the form of myself and other cycling colleagues not getting killed to death on a daily basis, the opinion persists.

_Brian

Lack of cycle lanes.

Poor road conditions for bikes.

No facilities at work to change/shower.

Commuting too far.

Dangerous drivers/also dangerous cyclists as I believe it’s an equal problem on both sides.

The weather, were just coming out of a 7-8 month wet period.

Many have other stuff that needs to get done on way back from work, collecting kids, shopping etc.

Lastly there’s just no cycling culture among the general population, we cycle recreationally (off road) and among many of my my family it’s as if we’re some sort of deviants. Irish people are inherently lazy and sedentary.

Ray Bloody Purchase

In Galway it's probably just not viable. It's the people travelling from the hinterlands like Athenry, Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Tuam etc who wouldn't really have the option of cycling in, that are causing the major backlogs. Even if they wanted to cycle in, the infrastructure is poor for it.

Ray Bloody Purchase

Baron de Charlus wrote: »

"You're taking your life in your hands cycling in Dublin".

Despite empirical evidence in the form of myself and other cycling colleagues not getting killed to death on a daily basis, the opinion persists.

I get that the whole time. The general consensus seems to be that anyone who cycles in Dublin has to have a deathwish.

Grassey

Pelvis wrote: »

Lack of showers in work.

That's what the 'issue' is in my place (actually we have 1 shared shower in the other office building 5 mins down the road). That and no changing rooms requiring use of toilet cubicles. That said, a few of us have managed to lobby for removal of 2 parking spaces and install 12 bike stands and get lockers in. Unfortunately a 'drying rack' is still limited to an old coat stand outside in the car park....

On a sunny summer day all available bike spaces are full so about 15ish% of staff cycling in, on a cold winter day about 1%

I'm looked at oddly for my ~40km roundtrip as that is clearly too far to do in anything other than a car... the girl beside me lives 850m from the office and she'll drive in most days because she might need the car after work...

manonboard

I work in Dublin city center.
Lack of showers, lack of time to shower etc, but mostly the horrendously dangerous roads for cyclists. If there was a cycle lane that was separated or safe, I'd definitely cycle in.
The pollution too worries me.

Fian

People don't understand what it is like.

I am lucky i moved house temporarily while my own home was being extended. I moved to a place only about 2 km from work, with no direct public transport. Choise was walk or cycle and my cycle was mainly along the canal - from leintster park in harold's cross to harcourt street. I bought a chepa halfords mountain bike and started cycling. I enjoyed it so i decided to go mad and continue to cycle from dundrum after the extension was finished - on a better bike.

I would never have believed it was possible for me to cycle to work from Dundrum to city centre - only 7.5km - if i hadn't gotten back on a bike for the first time in 20 years or so to make that short little commute.

mathie

I saw a poster for a gym a while back that I think sums it up.

"Everyone has an excuse. Whats yours?"

When 3 out of 4 adult males are overweight or obese you know there are plenty of excuses out there.

niceonetom

This is exactly the wrong place to ask.

ford2600

Wombatman wrote: »

I'm surprised by how few cyclists are on the road in the morning when I'm on my way to work.

I live in Galway where the traffic is horrendously slow during rush hours, yet people aren't really seeing the bike as a solution.

I'd guess that if everyone who availed of the bike to work scheme actually biked to work we would see a dramatic increase.

It's interesting that with the upsurge cycling participation, the % of those commuting by bike has halved in the last 20 years.

http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cp6ci/p6cii/p6mtw/

I guess this has to do with population density and the greater distances people have to travel to work. One way around this is to bring it some of the way on the rack. This get one around the worst of the tailbacks.

Galway is a bit special though; the roads into it, in the main are horrible by bike. Headford/Spiddal/Clarinbridge(might be ok now with new motorway) etc.

There is no where else ime like the countryside around Galway for ribbon development; it is horrific. Narrow country roads are in the main perfect for cycling; if they are shared with a lot of other commuters in cars they are the worst of roads.

City Council efforts at bike lanes are a bit special also.

Subcomandante Marcos

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

In Galway it's probably just not viable. It's the people travelling from the hinterlands like Athenry, Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Tuam etc who wouldn't really have the option of cycling in, that are causing the major backlogs. Even if they wanted to cycle in, the infrastructure is poor for it.

Most people who commute in Galway do so from within the city or it's immediate surrounds. Knocknacarra to Parkmore is a 30-40 minute cycle and takes longer to drive or bus in the morning and evening. commuting from Knocknacarra, Salthill or Ballybrit or Remore to the city or university/GMIT is even quicker by bike but still thousands drive.
Even if they used used buses and left their cars at home the traffic would improve immeasurably. Irish people seem to have this weird fixation on the idea that because they own a car they have to use it or it's they god given right to use it for short single occupancy journeys that are the main cause of traffic congestion.

Tenzor07

ford2600 wrote: »

Galway is a bit special though

I think the thread title should be updated to "Why don't more people cycle to work in Galway"

gk5000

a. Not enough doctors orders !!!!!! get fit,lose weight....

b. I used to drive/luas for years - never realised how doable cycling is - 10k each way - and how you really get to like it - and the freedom it gives

c. Two good locks - but leave one at work on the stand on the street

d. Take it easy in the morning and you don't really sweat that much, and take a change of clothes

There should be some sort of genuine encouragement to try it for a week.

That said - my route is peaceful - not sure I want to be fighting with loads of other cyclists - like alongside the canals.

Dravokivich

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

Most people who commute in Galway do so from within the city or it's immediate surrounds. Knocknacarra to Parkmore is a 30-40 minute cycle and takes longer to drive or bus in the morning and evening. commuting from Knocknacarra, Salthill or Ballybrit or Remore to the city or university/GMIT is even quicker by bike but still thousands drive.
Even if they used used buses and left their cars at home the traffic would improve immeasurably. Irish people seem to have this weird fixation on the idea that because they own a car they have to use it or it's they god given right to use it for short single occupancy journeys that are the main cause of traffic congestion.

Just because you only see one person in the car when you go pass it, doesn't mean they were the only person who's been in that car for the commute.

Subcomandante Marcos

Dravokivich wrote: »

Just because you only see one person in the car when you go pass it, doesn't mean they were the only person who's been in that car for the commute.

No, but all surveys done on commuting and car use in Ireland show that single and low occupancy short trips are the main form of car use in Ireland.

DavyD_83

As mentioned above I think the real reason is that people have a complete misconception of how hard it is to cycle, and that it is somehow more difficult/hassle than other options.

Cycling as transport is something seen as done by people who don't have a better option (ie: car), or lycra clad elitist types.

Bike is by far the 'easiest' mode of transport around and in/out of the city, and the more people cycle the easier it will become.
Not so sure about any non-Dublin commutes.

We live in a country where I believe infrastructure and rules need to be driven by behaviour and existing demand and pressure; genuine attempts at creating infrastructure to influence behaviour has long since been abandoned as far as I can see.

People will always blame the dangerous roads and weather too.

Kuva

uncle-mofo wrote: »

Rain

Ruins everything.

Hard enough to go out in it never mind cycle.

gk5000

Fian wrote: »

People don't understand what it is like.

I am lucky i moved house temporarily while my own home was being extended. I moved to a place only about 2 km from work, with no direct public transport. Choise was walk or cycle and my cycle was mainly along the canal - from leintster park in harold's cross to harcourt street. I bought a chepa halfords mountain bike and started cycling. I enjoyed it so i decided to go mad and continue to cycle from dundrum after the extension was finished - on a better bike.

I would never have believed it was possible for me to cycle to work from Dundrum to city centre - only 7.5km - if i hadn't gotten back on a bike for the first time in 20 years or so to make that short little commute.

Exactly: should have read your's first. As I said later:

"There should be some sort of genuine encouragement to try it for a week.

steamsey

I commute about 12k each day into Dublin, and have been commuting by bike for a long time. The main things I hear from people are the weather (genuinely not an issue) and how dangerous the roads are.

On the weather - it really doesn't rain in the morning as much as people think. This winter was definitely an exception but I rarely need the rain gear.

On showers as people have mentioned - if none at work then shower at home. Change into clean clothes in the jacks at work. Not an issue. Prep becomes second nature and it's genuinely no hassle.

On the dangerous roads - I used to say they are as dangerous as you make them. But I don't believe that anymore. Dublin roads are lethal for cyclists. The lack of garda out there has been noticed by road users, and as a result, the phones are out, red lights are run, people park wherever they want and so on. In over 2 decades of commuting by bike I have never seen the conditions so bad for cyclists. There is a general dislike for cyclists among drivers and while there are of course still plenty of considerate drivers out there, there are plenty of aggressive nut jobs too. As much as I want cycling to get to the critical mass it needs, I could not honestly encourage someone I know or care about to take up cycling at the moment.

Compounding this is the terrible traffic which is clearly frustrating drivers. The mornings are when you most need to be on the ball when drivers rage levels are highest.

I saw a lone cyclist garda in Terenure last night watching the bus lane on the way home, and it's the first time I've seen anything like it for years. Perhaps when we get more garda things will change, but the traffic is not going to get better anytime soon and I think it will get worse for cyclists before it gets better.

I still commute by bike, but maybe not for much longer I'm sad to say. The summer brings a welcome reprieve from the rush hour madness so once that's over, I'll probably look at changing how I commute.

With that said though, I do recognise that it's an amazing way to get to work, get your daily exercise and start the day properly. I just wish that cyclists had proper segregation from the main road and that there was consistent, visible, effective garda presence on main routes into town.

gk5000

uncle-mofo wrote: »

Rain

Rarer than you think.
You only have to worry about rain for say 30 mins in the morning and 30 mins in the evening.

You'll find rain is only really an issue about 10%-20% of the days even in the winter - and heavy rain only about 5% of the time.

average_runner

Baron de Charlus wrote: »

"You're taking your life in your hands cycling in Dublin".

Despite empirical evidence in the form of myself and other cycling colleagues not getting killed to death on a daily basis, the opinion persists.

Well the "near misses" thread doesn't promote a safe picture

Subcomandante Marcos

I'm not buying the rain argument.

It rains just as much in The Netherlands, Denmark and other Northern European countries as it does in Ireland. Dublin and the east of Ireland more sun shine than most of Northern and Western Europe. Ireland also gets less extreme weather than other Northern European counties. Weather is the least biggest obstacle.

Weepsie

manonboard wrote: »

The pollution too worries me.

Do you drive? The pollution is worsein the car? Do you use public transport and breathe in what every body else is spewing out?

We are not in a smog laden industrial city in south east asia. Pollution while on the bike is not any more of a problem than it would be when out walking really.


Roads are not dangerous. Bad drivers, and nervous cyclists are not a good mix. Better infrastructure would be great, but changing behaviours is far more important I think.

Also, Galway, that's a city I don't like cycling in. I've never felt more in danger anywhere else. Drivers just have no patience, or no awareness. Nearly got t-boned when I was with a group that had a garda escort. Car still didn't stop!

Weepsie

Also on the showers. I strolled into work today. At a leisurely pace. I was more in need of a shower afterwards than I normally am cycling in. Same when taking a bus when it's packed, or warm.

Subcomandante Marcos

Weepsie wrote: »

Also on the showers. I strolled into work today. At a leisurely pace. I was more in need of a shower afterwards than I normally am cycling in. Same when taking a bus when it's packed, or warm.

I sweat far more on over crowded buses on winter mornings when the heating is cranked and the windows are closed than I would doddling along on my town bike, and it takes me longer to get from home to work and vice versa.

Wombatman

mathie wrote: »

I saw a poster for a gym a while back that I think sums it up.

"Everyone has an excuse. Whats yours?"

When 3 out of 4 adult males are overweight or obese you know there are plenty of excuses out there.

Totally agree with this. Most of the obstacles cited are far from insurmountable.

Showers = Baby Wipes or wash cloth in plastic box. Take it handy. Most in the Netherlands bike commute in their normal clothes.

Distance \ Kids Drop = Split commute. Rack or left bike. You will be quicker cycling in rush hour.

Dangerous Roads = State of mind? Doesn't seem to stop clubs at the weekend although traffic lighter. Take is handy and pick a good route. Look to be the biggest problem though.

Weather = 3 times as many cycle commuters in Sweaden. Weather is Ireland is generally quite good for cycling. You do need a good rain jacket.

etc etc.