How/why do you cycle?

Marco_Panettone

What sort of bike-users do we have on MSE?

Primarily I use a bike for urban commuting (London) - 60 miles a week. I also ride to the shop with panniers on about once a week (3 miles a week) and enjoy pootling around the park. I also cycle for recreation and sport (about 50 miles a week).

I have 3 bikes - one for each 'discipline' (not really needed, but I like bikes!) - 1 fixed wheel track bike (commuting), 1 road bike (training/racing) and a utility bike (for bobbing about on).

When commuting and training I'm in Lycra, clipless pedals and helmet. When going to the shop I'm in normal clothes and no helmet (I've tried wearing it, but it makes me feel less safe on that bike).

What about you?

Cycrow

Im almost the same as you.

i do a 15mile round trip to work for 5 days (so 60 miles or so)
Usually on the weekend i will go out and do 40-80miles over the 2 days. usually 2 rides at about 40 miles each

I only have the one bike thou, a Hybrid. But i plan to get a proper road bike at some point, and a mountain bike to go on some trails.

any long ride i go on i will be wearing lycra, and use clipless pedals all the time, as well as helmet, glasses and gloves (fingerless during the summer)

Johnmcl7

I got back into cycling a couple of years ago with a hybrid as I thought the turbocharger on my car was failing so I wanted to avoid doing any more short trips in it.

That worked well and intended doing commuting, trips into town etc. on the bike but I wanted to extend my cycling so last year when the local community cafe/workshop started up night mountain biking I picked up a mountain bike and gave it a shot. I initially hated it partially because I'd really thrown myself in at the deep end but I stuck with it and now it's my favourite type of cycling.

The mountain bike numbers haven't been great recently so I've bought a road bike to supplement the mountain biking until the latter picks up again.

The hybrid still gets used for all the day to day stuff as it's the most practical for that (full mud guards, integrated gear hub, carbon belt instead of a chain) which is surprisingly handy. Cycling started off as a bit of a chore for me but it's great being able to go straight into the centre of town, avoid the traffic and park up for free plus in winter there's no need to wait to defrost the car before getting going. I enjoy the mountain and road cycling as the improvement is much more noticeable than I was expecting, each time I go out it gets easier and I can go further which is very rewarding.

No lycra apart from padded shorts hidden under normal clothes...

John

VictorCharlie

I cycle a 16 mile round trip to work everyday simply because I can't afford to drive and the train is too expensive.
Currently riding a cheap, heavy, full-suspension mountain bike since my half decent Trek died on me.

mcfisco

Mid range carbon road bike, similar mountain bike + 2 or 3 others that sometimes get used.
Full Lycra lout on the road bike, all baggy stuff on the MTB, helmet for everything except maybe shop and pub trips.
Bikes are only used for pleasure [bar the odd trip to a shop] so very environmentally unfriendly

Mileage varies with the seasons, so far this month I've done 1228km on the road bike but nothing on the MTB with a weekend left, I should manage 1500
January, I did 245km, Feb was 410 etc.

Off to the Alps with both bikes in a few weeks time.

Norman_Castle

I ride for pleasure and exercise. 1/2 mile on the road then into hay meadows and then on to a nature reserve. Various routes through or around it, or onto the canal network. Part of the nature reserve has just been developed into a mountain bike track which is not really my thing but is hard to resist. It makes me happy and keeps me sane.

I ride an old, slightly undersize, hardtail Scott.

Big_G_RC

I ride because I love it.

I always wear my helmet when I'm riding the bike on the road or up the forest.

Always wearing my lycra shorts, although on the MTB I put baggies over the top so I retain the padding on my !!!!

I'll turn my lights on when I see cars with their lights on. Be seen. Be safe

Up until Tuesday this week I had been putting in at least 100 miles on the road bike, but now I have a fractured my foot and torn muscles in it too. DR says 1 month off the bike... we'll see.

thelawnet

I ride a Kona Ute, which is a cargo bike, and carry my 2 kids on it, to and from school and activities.

I also ride it to the shops and occasionally on longer journeys, such as to London. I ride it every day during school term time.

I do not wear a helmet and I wear normal clothes, though I have some baggy shorts and a reflective jacket.

I have one bicycle.

liz545

I ride because it's fun, and living in London it's easily the fastest and cheapest way of getting around. It's also good exercise, and I've noticed my health improving since I started.
I've got three bikes. I have an inexpensive Decathlon Dutch-style step through for the commute, which is about 4 miles each way. It's really easy to ride and geared nice and low so accelerates quickly away from the lights. It's also not too conspicuous so I don't feel worried locking it up outside on the street. I also use it for grocery shopping with panniers, and I usually ride wearing normal clothes, with a helmet, and hi-vis (only in winter).

I have a Dawes Galaxy touring bike, which I bought this year and have slowly been working up to longer 40 mile day rides. We're going on our first multi-day tour this year to Holland, and I'm really looking forward to it. Usually ride in lycra.

I've also got a vintage Raleigh bike that's been my first restoration project, which I keep meaning to sell. It's beautiful, but I've learned my lesson about buying bikes without test-riding them - it's just too big for me! So I'm hoping to go down to just two bikes before long.

hugheskevi

I use a hybrid bike to commute 16 mile round-trip into central London 5 days a week.

That is about the only thing I use bike for, although will use it in central London if I am going on somewhere after work. Did once use bikes to go shopping, but use car for that now.

I generally wear old sports clothes, but have one set of decent gear for winter. Use clipless pedals, and helmet and hi-vis vest (only worn those since an accident last year when car drove into the side of me when it was entering a major road from a minor road, resulting in a broken arm). Carry waterproofs in bag but rarely need them.

Main reason for cycling is the expense and inconvenience of commuting by rail (my only viable alternative to cycling). A season ticket would cost about £1,400 compared to an annualised cost of cycling (including bike purchase) of something like £200-£300. I also like the health benefits, as 80 miles a week of cycling is an excellent base of exercise, and just go to the gym a couple of nights a week in addition to that - I do find I can easily put on weight in winter if I don't cycle due to it being cold

The rail service is also unreliable, with most trains about 5 minutes late as a matter of routine and usually take about 5 minutes longer than they should, might need to stand on way home (although only 20 minute trip) and there is usually about one day a month of chaos when there might be delays of maybe half an hour or more. Despite the 8 mile journey and living only a 10 minute walk from station, the trains are so slow that cycling is much faster once you factor in walking to/from station, and there is also the convenience of not having to work to train timetables.

I cycle nearly all year round, but use train in coldest weather (usually when it gets below about 2 degrees).

Bike (Sirrus 2010) is now 3.5 years old and has probably done a bit over 10,000 miles. Like it very much, but will soon be needing a new one as not economic to update all the bits that now really need replacing. Hoping to get maybe another year from it, but that might be optimistic

Wester

I also cycle to and from work about 80 miles per week

i cycle because i enjoy it , it keeps me fit and last but not least i save a lot of money on fares