Cycling to work

I was doing 7.5 mile each way, and found it to be slightly too much, for the
regular commute grind.
How about car/bike share to slowly build the distance up

I reckon your trip will be about 1hr + shower/changing time on top

"Russ Clare" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Peewiglet
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I've recently got a new bike - not expensive in cycling terms, but the
best, lightest one I've ever had. I think it's sort of a mountain bike
in style: it's a Ridgeback Switch Cyclone
(http://www.ridgebackbikes.co.uk/).

Anyway, I'm wondering wehther I should be able to ride it to work. I'd
like to, and I'd be willing to leave suits at work and change there
after a shower, but I'm not a cyclist so I'm not sure what sort of
distances are feasible.

It's about 14 miles to where I work, and it's a mixture of roads and
cycle paths. Is that the sort of distance I should be able to build up
to doing regularly on that bike, d'you think?

I've taken the opportunity to lift this question out of the Pete/Rooney
safety conversation.

For years, I commuted to/from work by bike. The six miles used to take
around 25 minutes +/- a few minutes depending on how much or little
effort I was prepared to make.

I was very comfortable with that distance/time, but I think I would have
found twice the distance or more too much like being out for a bike ride
twice a day rather than having a convenient commute.

You also need to factor in things like how much traffic/how much
pollution/how cycling compares with the alternatives. These are all
matters of individual circumstance and preference. I stopped cycling on
urban roads years ago because of vehicle exhaust pollution.

--

Russ Clare

Russ Clare said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Peewiglet
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I've recently got a new bike

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Anyway, I'm wondering wehther I should be able to ride it to work.

Quoted message said:

I've taken the opportunity to lift this question out of the Pete/Rooney
safety conversation.

For years, I commuted to/from work by bike.

uk.rec.cycling is thataway -------->

Don't worry they're a friendly bunch and won't bit your head off for
asking newbie questions.

--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Phil Cook wrote sometime ago:

I can never get left and right sorted when giving directions. I can go
somewhere no problem but telling somebody which turns to make I am
forever saying left when I mean right and vice versa.

Then said:

uk.rec.cycling is thataway -------->

Erm.. don't you mean <-------- that away :-)

(Sorry, I'm having a slack afternoon, here)

--

Russ Clare

Russ Clare said:

Phil Cook wrote sometime ago:

I can never get left and right sorted when giving directions. I can go
somewhere no problem but telling somebody which turns to make I am
forever saying left when I mean right and vice versa.

Then said:

uk.rec.cycling is thataway -------->

Erm.. don't you mean <-------- that away :-)

(Sorry, I'm having a slack afternoon, here)

Aksherly on my newsreader it's

^
|
|
|
|
Thataway.

I'm having a slack day...
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 14:31:46 +0000, Russ Clare
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

I've taken the opportunity to lift this question out of the Pete/Rooney
safety conversation.

For years, I commuted to/from work by bike. The six miles used to take
around 25 minutes +/- a few minutes depending on how much or little
effort I was prepared to make.

That sounds right - I've actually done my proposed journey once, about
18 months ago, and it took me about an hour on the way in. I think it
took a little longer on the way home...

Quoted message said:

I was very comfortable with that distance/time, but I think I would have
found twice the distance or more too much like being out for a bike ride
twice a day rather than having a convenient commute.

You also need to factor in things like how much traffic/how much
pollution/how cycling compares with the alternatives. These are all
matters of individual circumstance and preference. I stopped cycling on
urban roads years ago because of vehicle exhaust pollution.

Good point about pollution, thanks, and I'd not considered it. I think
I'll try to build up and give it a try, but I'll certainly bear the
pollution point in mind.

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

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Bryan Hall said:

I was doing 7.5 mile each way, and found it to be slightly too much, for the
regular commute grind.
How about car/bike share to slowly build the distance up

Unfortunately, there isn't anyone else to share with. Not to worry,
though: I can build up the distance with weekend riding. Thanks 🙂

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

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On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 15:53:08 +0000, Phil Cook
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

uk.rec.cycling is thataway -------->

Don't worry they're a friendly bunch and won't bit your head off for
asking newbie questions.

I'll take a look - thanks 🙂

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

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I was thinking more use your car for 50% of the way the first 2 weeks and
then build it up

Nice to see u back again Peewiglet - we wuz getting worried here ;-)

"Peewiglet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bryan Hall said:

I was doing 7.5 mile each way, and found it to be slightly too much, for

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

regular commute grind.
How about car/bike share to slowly build the distance up

Unfortunately, there isn't anyone else to share with. Not to worry,
though: I can build up the distance with weekend riding. Thanks 🙂

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet

News==----

Quoted message said:

http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+

Newsgroups

Quoted message said:

----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption

=----

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 20:05:19 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

uk.rec.cycling is thataway -------->

Don't worry they're a friendly bunch and won't bit your head off for
asking newbie questions.

I'll take a look - thanks 🙂

They do seem a nice bunch. I've just learnt what a Sheffield Stand
is.

Judith

Peewiglet said:

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 14:31:46 +0000, Russ Clare
<[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You also need to factor in things like how much traffic/how much
pollution/how cycling compares with the alternatives. These are all
matters of individual circumstance and preference. I stopped cycling on
urban roads years ago because of vehicle exhaust pollution.

Good point about pollution, thanks, and I'd not considered it. I think
I'll try to build up and give it a try, but I'll certainly bear the
pollution point in mind.

So if you are bearing polution in mind are you going to bear it in
mind whilst walking, catching the bus or driving? Polution levels on
urban streets are the same for all users, fancy pollen filters and
air-conditioning don't make you immune in a car. In central London and
other large cities it is quite probable that cycling will minimise
your exposure to polution by minimising your journey time.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

In article <[email hidden]>, Judith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 20:05:19 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

uk.rec.cycling is thataway -------->

Don't worry they're a friendly bunch and won't bit your head off for
asking newbie questions.

I'll take a look - thanks 🙂

They do seem a nice bunch. I've just learnt what a Sheffield Stand
is.

I haven't yet but I have found out about the Kryptonite lock replacement
problem which is a bit :-( but also a bit :-)

--

Dominic Sexton

SNIP

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You also need to factor in things like how much traffic/how much
pollution/how cycling compares with the alternatives. These are all
matters of individual circumstance and preference. I stopped cycling on
urban roads years ago because of vehicle exhaust pollution.

Good point about pollution, thanks, and I'd not considered it. I think
I'll try to build up and give it a try, but I'll certainly bear the
pollution point in mind.

Best wishes,

ISTR that pollution in a car is actually worse than on a bike. I believe
it is because on a bike you are relatively high up and in a car the air
intake tends to be lined up with the exhaust of the car in front of you
when you're in a traffic jam. I'm sure if you ask on URC someone will
have the details of this.

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 20:51:00 +0000, Phil Cook
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You also need to factor in things like how much traffic/how much
pollution/how cycling compares with the alternatives. These are all
matters of individual circumstance and preference. I stopped cycling on
urban roads years ago because of vehicle exhaust pollution.

Good point about pollution, thanks, and I'd not considered it. I think
I'll try to build up and give it a try, but I'll certainly bear the
pollution point in mind.

So if you are bearing polution in mind are you going to bear it in
mind whilst walking, catching the bus or driving? Polution levels on
urban streets are the same for all users, fancy pollen filters and
air-conditioning don't make you immune in a car. In central London and
other large cities it is quite probable that cycling will minimise
your exposure to polution by minimising your journey time.

I don't live in London or a large city.

It seemed to me, once my attention was drawn to the point, that it
might actually be quite unpleasant to spend an hour, twice a day,
inhaling car fumes on a dual carriageway. I'm sure what you say is
right, though.

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 21:57:46 +0000, Bill Scarab
<billscarab@Junk_hotmail.com> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

ISTR that pollution in a car is actually worse than on a bike. I believe
it is because on a bike you are relatively high up and in a car the air
intake tends to be lined up with the exhaust of the car in front of you
when you're in a traffic jam. I'm sure if you ask on URC someone will
have the details of this.

Many thanks for the pointer - I'll have a look in Google.

To be honest, though, I was probably thinking more of the degree of
discomfort involved in inhaling car fumes for two hours on a dual
carriageway than the actual relative toxicity of journeys by car v.
journeys by bike.

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Bryan Hall said:

I was thinking more use your car for 50% of the way the first 2 weeks and
then build it up

Doh... I see what you mean 🙂

Quoted message said:

Nice to see u back again Peewiglet - we wuz getting worried here ;-)

Thank you 🙂

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

In article <[email hidden]>, Phil Cook <u-r-
[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

So if you are bearing polution in mind are you going to bear it in
mind whilst walking, catching the bus or driving? Polution levels on
urban streets are the same for all users, fancy pollen filters and
air-conditioning don't make you immune in a car. In central London and
other large cities it is quite probable that cycling will minimise
your exposure to polution by minimising your journey time.

Fair points, but also consider that increased lung ventilation during
exercise increases exposure to pollutants.

--

Russ Clare

Peewiglet said:

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 21:57:46 +0000, Bill Scarab
<billscarab@Junk_hotmail.com> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Many thanks for the pointer - I'll have a look in Google.

To be honest, though, I was probably thinking more of the degree of
discomfort involved in inhaling car fumes for two hours on a dual
carriageway than the actual relative toxicity of journeys by car v.
journeys by bike.

Best wishes,

To be honest when I ride on the road i never notice the fumes, but I
don't commute on mine so it's usually outside rush hour. I do want to ry
commuting but I need to get my fitness up as it's 20 miles each way
which is too much for me at the moment. The best thing is probably to
try it and see how bad it is.

BTW if you haven't already get hold of a copy of cyclecraft by John
Franklin, very good advice on riding safely in traffic. It's published
by the Stationery Office, it's always recommended by the experts on URC.

--
regards

Bill

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 22:54:35 +0000, Bill Scarab
<billscarab@junk_hotmail.com> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

To be honest when I ride on the road i never notice the fumes, but I
don't commute on mine so it's usually outside rush hour. I do want to ry
commuting but I need to get my fitness up as it's 20 miles each way
which is too much for me at the moment. The best thing is probably to
try it and see how bad it is.

That's what I think I'll do.

Quoted message said:

BTW if you haven't already get hold of a copy of cyclecraft by John
Franklin, very good advice on riding safely in traffic. It's published
by the Stationery Office, it's always recommended by the experts on URC.

Many thanks - I'll seek one out 🙂 My cycle skills are very old and
rusty.

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Peewiglet said:

Many thanks - I'll seek one out 🙂 My cycle skills are very old and
rusty.

http://tinyurl.com/6jtop links you to the Amazon buy page for it. They
have a good price (30% off) and it's usually an order in job at a
bookshop anyway :-(

Where it really scores is on stuff like practical road positioning to
safely and efficiently cycle through traffic.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/