Cutting travel costs by cycling...

tesspip

Well, dp and I don't have a car, but we still have soaring travel costs in the form of a bus pass. It used to be very reasonable at £35 for 4 weeks for both of us (I work weekdays & he works weekends). That was last year, it's now £70!!

As a result I've decided to start cycling to work - the whole 14 mile round trip! I bought a Marin Bobcat trail bike in excellent condition off ebay for £40 (absolute bargin, the latest model costs £550). Now I have to buy a helmet, mud guards, pannier & visability jacket (already blagged lights, d-lock & puncture repair kit). A kagool might be an idea also!

Anybody out there already cycle commuting? Got any tips for saving money on biking equip, or general tips for a cyclist?

I've planned my route already, mostly B-roads & bridleway (plan to avoid motorists as much as poss & keep my limbs just how I like them).

Teresa

tonyE1

Make sur eyou have a strategy for dealing with punctures. You can get a material to go inside the inner tube to make it puncture resistant, or carry spare inner tube and spanners. Almost certainly you will get a puncture. Remember they ALWAYS come in threes and chances are they will be at your half way point on your way in. 14 miles is a good length. After a few weeks you will wonder why you never cycled before.

Re safety: believe that everyone is out to kill you and dont trust anyone to do what you expect ie dont think you have the right to turn right across traffic just because you are signalling - somone will knock you off eventually.

Now is a good time of year to start as it will give you time to get into it before the weather gets wintery.

Good luck

Browntoa

and grit on the road is your enemy , worse than ice !!

go for a thick solid bike chain , not those thin cheapo comination ones that your see for about £3.99

keep an eye out on aldi's and Lidl's as they have bike stuff on a regular basis , always good for a Gel seat (you'll soon see why you need one of those) and winter bike clothing. some sort of Sun glasses are a must to stop insects/grit getting in your eye

tesspip

Cheers.

I used to cycle *loads* as a kid, a 7 mile trip was normal. Although I'm not as fit as I was back then, I'm pretty sure it won't take long to regain my fitness.

I was knocked over once on a roundabout by a git who wasn't looking and pulled out in front of me, and I've had a car door in the face from a lady who didn't bother to check her mirror. From this I've learnt to cycle as prominently and confidently as poss on the roads; if you cycle in the gutter in a hesitant manner the cars will just bully you and cut you up, or you're just invisible to them. This is why I'm going to avoid A-roads, no need to run the gauntlet.

Puncture provisions is a good point, must get spare inner tubes. Like the gel seat tip too; I have a large, padded bottom but I fear this will not be enough.

I can't wait to get "out there" again...

peterae

Hi
Good luck with the cycling.
I live 12.5 miles from work and get stuck in some heavy traffic on the way, so early in the summer i bought a Mongoose Tyrax and started cycling to work, i was flaked out by the time i got to work and it took 2 hours, but instead of using roads i plotted a course across the south downs way which turned out to be 2.5 miles shorter, there were some mighty hills, i was lucky that the south downs way went from my house door to where i work.
I have been doing this 1-3 times a week and feel so fit now, but i must confess i have started cheating, i bought an electric upgrade for my bike and can now get to work cycling in 55 mins and it can take 45 by car

Good Luck

tesspip

Wow! 12.5 miles, one way, with hills... having a bit of electric help is hardly cheeting! You must be really fit by now.

There must be a pay-off for all the hard work otherwise I just won't do it, and cycling seems to be beneficial in several ways:

-Improved health (provided some monkey driving a car doesn't mow you down)
-Inexpensive (compared to cars bloody cheap, even if you get a top rate bike)
-The smug factor:A: avoiding traffic jams, getting slim & fit plus being enviromentally friendly. And if you really want to p*ss people off you can walk through the office in a dayglo lycra body suit!

Teresa

dimbo61

when you get the chance consider a better bike !
mountain/trail bikes are hard work over 7 miles.
I bought a subway 3 from halfords on the " bike to work scheme " which
is something you could ask your employer to look into.
Its got high pressure tyres ( no puntures so far X )
quick shift gears and disc brakes a good comuter bike.
Cheap biking clothes from aldi and lidle . GOOD LUCK

esthomizzy

Armadillo tyres are well worth the layout I haven't had a single puncture in 6 months (short commute of 4k each way) since swapping to them. Also except where traffic is at a standstill never be tempted to follow the line between lanes, both lanes of traffic wont know which you are in and either will treat you as if you are in the other lane. Check over your shoulder before overtaking too. It sounds obvious but every day I see cyclists not doing it. Also if a lane you are in is too narrow for you and a car comfortably then cycle towards the middle to force cars to overtake safely or not all. If you follow the gutter cars will thnk there is enough room for them to pass and will squeeze you into the gutter/the other lane.

Be prepared to shout a warning at pedestrians with a death wish too and keep an eye out for irresponsible bus drivers letting people off buses into cycle lanes (my friend fell off and had a tooth knocked out after avoiding a pedestrian in just these circumstances).

Oh and obey traffic lights otherwise even more drivers will hate us Cyclists

weezie_2

As above, cycle well out from the kerb - it's the best safety measure you can take.
Don't worry about changing your whole bike. I cycle a 10 mile one-way commute serveral times a week on a mountain bike no problem. Changing to slick (& puncture-proof) tyres will cut a surprising amount of time off your journey.
Try not to get discouraged by heckling (tends to only happen during the summer when louts are driving around with the windows open) or inevitable dangerous driving. If you get too unnerved after a close incident, maybe consider some cyle training.
There's loads of advice available over on the forums on the CTC website (their membership might be worth considering if you want legal cover on the road / insurance over any household insurance)

tesspip

Oh and obey traffic lights otherwise even more drivers will hate us Cyclists

Don't worry, I've passed my cycling proficiency! I don't weave in & out of traffic, I stay clear of lorries & buses, I don't assume that cars can see me, and I don't ride on & off the path (unless avoiding something that will dismont/run over me). Thankfully I won't have to do too much road riding; half the distance can be covered by two bridleways. And if those proove to be too tough to ride I can take the cycle path along the A-road most of the way, it's a bit boring though. I'll have to see which is better, which will probably depend on the weather.

Thanks for the tyre tips, punctures are my worst nightmare (short of being squished by a tanker).

I did enquire about the cycle to work scheme with my employer, along with the employee annual discounted bus ticket (which would have cost me £22.50pcm). Unfortunately our HR dept is one over-worked part-time mum; I couldn't get anywhere.

Anyway, I've got my mind set on having a super-fit cyclist's body now! Have to see how it goes...

phead

tesspip wrote: »

Now I have to buy a helmet, mud guards, pannier & visability jacket (already blagged lights, d-lock & puncture repair kit). A kagool might be an idea also!

If you don't wear them already, buy some gloves/mitts. Helmets may or may not be a good idea, but I guarantee you will land on your hands every time you come off .

The last person I moaned at about wearing gloves went over the bonnet of a car two days later!