What would convince you to cycle to work instead of drive?

Wildly Boaring

Eleven Benevolent Elephants wrote: »

If I cycle too far out some (very few) get impatient and beep and it's puts me under pressure to move to the left to let traffic by.

There isn't really such a thing as too far out.
You have "prime position" if another road user wishes to overtake they may do so when safe.

Stop worrying about the very few whonare beeping.

I usually take the left wheel track of vehicles (out say 1m) but often take the middle of the lane for instance if passing parked cars or if the road surface in left is poor.

I've been beeped at once in 18months. And he was a twat who was in such a rush, he then pulled in for an argument. He was seriously disappointed when he got none.

ED E

I've to dismount inside the front gate. Farcical as theres a 10 kph speed limit, great lighting and no ramps etc so its really perfect cycling conditions.

10km on nutty N roads with drivers buried in snapchat is fine but the 200m inside the gate in a go slow zone to the bike shelter isnt safe? Tried talking sense into the local safety engineer but having none of it.

99nsr125

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

100% disagree. I've zero interest in off road lanes - too much hassle when they stop/start every few metres. Give me the edge of a road any day.

Off road tracks also encourage the belief among many motorists that cyclists shouldn't be on public roads.

Well they shouldn't
Cyclists are very vulnerable just like pedestrians
Pedestrians are separated from the road for safety and so cyclists should be too.

Starting and stopping every few metres is a bit of an exaggeration now isn't it.

The edge the road gives you is green lights at a junction where then you can go with the flow of traffic but this is you wanting to be traffic when it suits and a cyclist when it doesn't.

It can't be like that. Cyclists are not vehicles they are in affect faster moving pedestrians with all the same vulnerabilities. We should be separate from the 2 ton metal hammers.

I am a cyclist also by the way.

GarIT

GoProGaming wrote: »

Just recently switched to cycle commuting. Pre covid I would be in the car for an hour + + getting from Dublin SW to South City. Now my average is 24 mins door to door on the bike. I'm lucky to have showers and a locker room.

There is still some shifts where I need the car, having to lug a boot full of equipment to another work location and back. The difference now is unreal, I don't enjoy the car commute anymore, I look forward to hopping on the bike and taking the scenic route in.

I'd be including the showe time as commuting time if it was necessary after my commute.

99nsr125

Eleven Benevolent Elephants wrote: »

Heavy vehicles aren't the danger, it's the driver inside them that's the danger.

Pay attention, watch your speed and keep your distance.

That's great if you are in roughly equivalent vehicles but we're not.

I can do that all I want and if something goes wrong I will still be horrifically injured

Weather warm and dry. This is the wettest windy place I ever lived. Not suitable for cycling

Wishbone Ash

99nsr125 wrote: »

..
Cyclists are very vulnerable just like pedestrians
Pedestrians are separated from the road for safety and so cyclists should be too.

....Cyclists are not vehicles ....

I think you need to brush up on the road traffic regulations. A bicycle is defined as a 'vehicle' under our legislation. Cyclists are defined as 'drivers'. Pedestrians are not 'vehicles' or 'drivers'.

If it were the case that bicycles are not vehicles, the Government would have to provide off road cycle tracks on every kilometre of road in the country.

lemonTrees

Yeah did it for a few weeks and then just got fed up with it. By the time i got to work, had a shower (we luckily had good facilities) changed etc...and dealt with the inevitable dangers cycling involves i couldn't have been arsed as it took the same amount of time. Some don't like driving but i do as it's a bit of quiet time to chill and listen to music before and after work.

Grassey

99nsr125 wrote:

The edge the road gives you is green lights at a junction where then you can go with the flow of traffic but this is you wanting to be traffic when it suits and a cyclist when it doesn't.

99nsr125 wrote:

Starting and stopping every few metres is a bit of an exaggeration now isn't it.

Have you noticed that off road lanes tend to dip up and down every few meters where there are entrances to houses? Or just stop to yield priority when crossing minor roads?
If you were on the road then you'd have a level surface and maintain priority along the main road.

Pre-covid I'd a 18km each way cycle, cycle lanes for about 15k of it. 4km of them unsuitable for commuting having to stop to cross at every estate or carpark or school entrance. The long stretches whether on or off road, parallel to the main traffic lane were far better to maintain momentum and safety.

daragh_

Eleven Benevolent Elephants wrote: »

Is 22 km an insurmountable distance to work up to?

What's your daily commute folks (cycling) ?

20km each way - not at the moment obvs. Totally doable.

daragh_

99nsr125 wrote: »

Starting and stopping every few metres is a bit of an exaggeration now isn't it.

It really isn't.

My route to work is a mixed bag (Deansgrange to Citywest) Sections of really well designed cycling paths - separate to the road, on-road bike lanes, bits of path with a bike lane painted on the side and nothing at all.

Apart from the off the road bit I just ride on the road and follow the regular flow of traffic - without incident.

Every now and then when I've time I ride the whole thing following the (barely joined up) bits of cycling 'infrastructure'. Just to remind myself how crap it is.

It takes at least 20 minutes longer and involves stopping and yielding a ridiculous amount. If car drivers had to do the same there would be a national meltdown :rolleyes:

Eleven Benevolent Elephants

99nsr125 wrote: »

That's why sensible countries put the cycle lane on the footpath.

Here we just paint a line on the road and make it crap for everyone

Which sensible countries btw?

lawrencesummers

Used to cycle when I was working nights.
Starting at 8pm until 8am and the cycle home

Decided staying alive was a better option because drivers have a particular inability to be patient in the morning, also the person that’s driving while on the phone, drinking coffee, changing the radio station and checking their hair doesn’t have much time for watching out for things like bikes.

whisky_galore

99nsr125 wrote: »

That's why sensible countries put the cycle lane on the footpath.

Here we just paint a line on the road and make it crap for everyone

Footpath should be for pedestrians only, the clue is in the name.
Besides the Irish ones are often barely wide enough to allow 2 pedestrians to pass comfortably let alone put bikes on them.

This thread is obviously for those who don't already cycle.

Might be a more rounded discussion on the C&T board than the cycling board

Eleven Benevolent Elephants

99nsr125 wrote: »

Cyclists are not vehicles

Yes they are.

"99nsr125 wrote: »

They are in affect faster moving pedestrians

No, they aren't.

99nsr125 wrote: »

I am a cyclist also by the way.

Your point?

billyhead

I used to cycle to work each day 26km round trip up until I moved jobs which was a 60km round trip. I loved the daily exercise and been out in the fresh air. I would have no hesitation in cycling to work each day if roads were car and truck free. I had too many near incidents through no fault of my own and for one of them to make contact could be catastrophic. Not worth the risk now with a route that would take me through the city centre. It just takes one eejit to not concentrate behind the wheel. I am getting out every day now for an hour and a half as I am wfh but I can pick and choose the best route and what I feel is the safest route.

Wishbone Ash

billyhead wrote: »

...I would have no hesitation in cycling to work each day if roads were car and truck free....

In all fairness billyhead, you have to be realistic. Roads which are car and truck free don't feature in any normal country. Otherwise paved roads wouldn't be there in the first place.

magicbastarder

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Concrete descending/ascending ramp? Slippery when wet?

tarmac ramp down to the car park. can't say i've ever noticed any slipperiness. to be fair, i have never been stopped in the car park cycling through.

magicbastarder

GarIT wrote: »

I'd be including the showe time as commuting time if it was necessary after my commute.

well, if you're going to be showering in the morning anyway, there's no reason to count showering in work after the cycle against your commute time.

i.e. if you're showering twice a day because of the cycle commute, instead of once, you don't count both showers against your commute.

Seamai

Guaranteed dry and frost free weather.
Not arriving into work in a bog of sweat.
Safe bike lanes all the way.

What ever about the last two no one can guarantee the weather.

Eleven Benevolent Elephants

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, if you're going to be showering in the morning anyway, there's no reason to count showering in work after the cycle against your commute time.

i.e. if you're showering twice a day because of the cycle commute, instead of once, you don't count both showers against your commute.

I'm male. I've timed my showers (not requiring washing my hair) in less than 5 minutes including drying and dressing.

99nsr125

Grassey wrote: »

Have you noticed that off road lanes tend to dip up and down every few meters where there are entrances to houses? Or just stop to yield priority when crossing minor roads?
If you were on the road then you'd have a level surface and maintain priority along the main road.

Pre-covid I'd a 18km each way cycle, cycle lanes for about 15k of it. 4km of them unsuitable for commuting having to stop to cross at every estate or carpark or school entrance. The long stretches whether on or off road, parallel to the main traffic lane were far better to maintain momentum and safety.

You're advocating a point I'm not making, of course the road is faster it's designed to be faster. I'm advocating for a safe lane for us, we can never achieve the speeds the road is designed to carry cars and trucks at.

It is much safer to be separate from those trucks because they can never impale us if we are seperate from them. The difference in progress is negligible but the safety level immediately enhanced.

Pedestrians are road users too but they are separated for everyone's safety must importantly theirs, the difference in there progress negligible but their safety level immeasurably enhanced.

secman

The game changer for me would be shower facilites as 1km in I'm already sweating and would need a shower post commute even though its only 5 to 6 km.

BorneTobyWilde

An enclosed electric bicycle would convince a lot of people. Crazy that they can't produce such a thing, geez, its simple.

BorneTobyWilde

These are cool, but I don't like that you still pedal with feet out in the open, why not enclose the whole thing and make it a 3 wheeler, and thinner, a bicycle is not that wide .

Grassey

99nsr125 wrote:

You're advocating a point I'm not making, of course the road is faster it's designed to be faster. I'm advocating for a safe lane for us, we can never achieve the speeds the road is designed to carry cars and trucks at.

No, I'm advocating parity of priority if the lane parallels the road.

If a segregated lane is parallel to the road, and doesn't have a level surface, and you've to stop and yield every minute to left turning cars turning across your lane why would anyone bother using it? By deliberate design it is poor infrastructure. You are as well off staying on the road if you want to go any distance in a reasonably consistent time.

As someone above posted, imagine a straight road where every 50m you have to stop at a traffic light and wait a sequence before progressing 50m to the next. Each light is always red on approach. You never have a clear run of even 1 green, each sequence let's 1 car through. That is what most cycling design is. Yet the common speil is 'sure there is perfectly good lane there they won't use'

Seth Brundle

begbysback wrote: »

Nothing, if cycling was the last remaining form of transport then I’d walk.

Out of curiosity, why? What is your current commute like?
My commute by car was about 20-40 minutes. By bike it was 22-26 minutes along the same route. I'd arrive in work, get myself a shower and feel ready for the day. On my way to the desk I'd grab a coffee and listen to people complain about how bad the traffic was (which they contributed to :rolleyes:)

gadarnol wrote: »

If Ireland had the climate of the Canaries.

Not sure what you mean. There's no bad weather, just bad clothes!

Seamai wrote: »

Guaranteed dry and frost free weather.
Not arriving into work in a bog of sweat.
Safe bike lanes all the way.

What ever about the last two no one can guarantee the weather.

Again, there is no bad weather, just bad clothes. Some of my most memorable and pleasant commutes, prior to working from home, this year were on crisp frosty mornings. The only weather I'm not mad on is strong wind but it's not a big concern. Rain, hail, cold and all the other negative perceptions of weather don't bother me. In fact when it's pissing rain, my commute time will be much the same yet I see a massive increase in the number of cars travelling very slowly along.

Seth Brundle

Grassey wrote: »

No, I'm advocating parity of priority if the lane parallels the road.

If a segregated lane is parallel to the road, and doesn't have a level surface, and you've to stop and yield every minute to left turning cars turning across your lane why would anyone bother using it? By deliberate design it is poor infrastructure. You are as well off staying on the road if you want to go any distance in a reasonably consistent time.

As someone above posted, imagine a straight road where every 50m you have to stop at a traffic light and wait a sequence before progressing 50m to the next. Each light is always red on approach. You never have a clear run of even 1 green, each sequence let's 1 car through. That is what most cycling design is. Yet the common speil is 'sure there is perfectly good lane there they won't use'

Up until now, Irish road design was to ensure that motor vehicles moved with priority. Pedestrians and cyclists were placed further down the pecking order in how a road would be designed. Thankfully this is starting to change within some council areas.
In terms of cycle lane design, this too was designed in the past as a facility with the view of keeping cyclists out of the way of cars or else as a box ticking exercise (how exactly do painted lines protect anyone). The cycle paths weren't designed for cyclists and because of the poor design, would tend not to be used.
The maintenance of cycle lanes also has been abysmal to date. The enforcement of mandatory cycle lanes has been abysmal. Gardai on the whole dont give a toss.
Drivers travel too fast to notice the flaws with cycle lanes. If they were to see for themselves, they'd realise how crap they are and why cyclists aren't compelled to use them.

magicbastarder

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

These are cool, but I don't like that you still pedal with feet out in the open, why not enclose the whole thing and make it a 3 wheeler, and thinner, a bicycle is not that wide .

i can see the initial attraction, but can't help thinking you'd get stuck in traffic a hell of a lot with that, unless your route was all cycle paths. it's 87cm wide - that's double the width of the bars on my road bike.