starting a new job bus or cycle?

WiggyDiggyPoo

sniggings wrote: »

starting a job soon, low wage so saving money would be good but I don't know is I can face cycling 14 miles a round trip to work?

I'm guessing it will take me around 50 mins to cycle it one way, the bus will be an hour each way, with one change, and cost £13 a week, so not a bad saving but if it's raining I can't work in wet cloths and showering is not an option at work.

anyone do this type of thing and how do you cope with bad weather?

I would love to cycle in and not have to relay on puplic transport but just need the motivation

7 miles at a moderate pace should not leave you needing a shower esp if you have clean clothes at work - I used to change in the toilet cubicle at my last office - at most you might want to wipe your pits and bits you can reach (:p) with some baby wipes but you should be fine.

StuC75

Regarding Money saving - do Factor in that the extra exercise will increase your appetite so might cost more in breakfast \ take something with you...

sniggings wrote: »

cheers all.

I have the bike, it's a GT mountain bike but I have fitted it with quite narrow (for a MTB) slick tyres and it's got a fixed fork too.

The route is flat but can be windy, a couple of hills at the end near work.

I was thinking this would save money, as I was thinking all bus or all bike, as the monthly bus ticket works out at £11.50 a week but a day ticket is £3.50, so more than 2 buses and I make no savings, 2 buses and it's around £4 but that will be used on the bike.

So I guess the motivation isn't going to be money!

I was thinking nearer 50 mins as I'm really unfit, but if I can get it down to 30 mins that would be great, as 50 mins plus changing etc would mean the bike would take longer than the bus.

I thought it was just a case of jumping on the bike but I see there is loads more to it.

I guess what will be the deciding factor is how safe I feel the bike will be at work.

I'll check it all out on my first week, but half and half sounds doable...how long do on street punctures take to do? do you guys use the slime stuff?

sniggings

cheers guys.

You have all helped me to start seeing this as not a money saving exercise but keeping fit.

Think what I will do is buy the monthly bus ticket anyway, so I do not feel any pressure to cycle in bad weather which might totally put me off, and no trying to save money, as if there are any savings to be made, they are much smaller than I was at first thinking of £600...was never going to be that much I can see now.Then I can start to only buy daily bus tickets if I find I'm cycling more, and spend the extra on my bike.

will keep an eye out for that video Nev.

liz545

sniggings wrote: »

I was thinking this would save money, as I was thinking all bus or all bike, as the monthly bus ticket works out at £11.50 a week but a day ticket is £3.50, so more than 2 buses and I make no savings, 2 buses and it's around £4 but that will be used on the bike.

So I guess the motivation isn't going to be money!

Think of it more as a chance to get a bit of exercise into your life without the need to spend money or time at the gym. You don't really need to shell out for loads of gear (although you may want to ).

Just give it a go for a couple of days and see how you get on.

Cycrow

its perfectly possible to save money cycling, as you dont need to spend alot.
Its just that most cyclists when they get into it will tend to spend alot on gear and equipment.

afterall, the optimum number of bikes to have is, current number + 1.

During winter its wise to get a few things like waterproof jacket, gloves, etc

sniggings

Cycrow wrote: »

its perfectly possible to save money cycling, as you dont need to spend alot.
Its just that most cyclists when they get into it will tend to spend alot on gear and equipment.

afterall, the optimum number of bikes to have is, current number + 1.

During winter its wise to get a few things like waterproof jacket, gloves, etc

yeah I love new toys...just been pricing up a rack and bag, and considering having a new chain and sprocket fitted, spending already and I'm not saved a penny yet

Have to say tho, I was on the bus yesterday, picked a bad time as it was the school bus, I must be old now as I could have got up a couple of times and clipped the ear of a couple of them, the language of some of them, so a couple of brownie points of the bus plus points.

WiggyDiggyPoo

StuC75 wrote: »

Regarding Money saving - do Factor in that the extra exercise will increase your appetite so might cost more in breakfast \ take something with you...

Nah A normal breakfast no larger than anything you have already will be fine. I do 11 miles and sometimes skip breakfast altogether although always have a drink before/during/after the ride.

A long epic ride or some sort of race, yes make some provision for provisions but a 7 mile each way commute is very normal in terms of food needed.

EasyToAssemble

Sounds like you face a similar distance (and bus costs) to me.

I use a road-bike and get changed at work. I'd say a change of clothes is unavoidable, especially over that distance in the unpredictable UK weather. I wear lycra purely as it's comfortable. I tend to average about 3 days per week on the bike, and then treat myself to 2 on the bus (steaming down a steep hill with shopping bags on drop-bars doesn't appeal somehow:rotfl:).

I'm going to be another one to suggest investing in some cycling gear and embracing lycra:D. With baselayers, it really does make a difference when the rain appears from nowhere. Cycling in wet cotton or denim can literally be a pain due to the rash you can get from doing this over a few miles, and in waterproof overtrousers, you'll just sweat. A decent waterproof jacket can be important, as you want to avoid "boil-in-the-bag-syndrome". The good ones usually have a compromise between breathability and waterproofing, which means you don't get all sweaty inside the jacket.

I've had some great buys from Aldi, including winter-weight tights/cycling jacket. Amazon stock a brand called Tenn Outdoors who do good products at decent prices. Once you get over the goofiness of wearing lycra (no-one ever looks good in it ), the comfort benefits will make up for it.

Some expenses can't be avoided though, such as a high-viz jacket and a good set of lights. I learned the hard way by buying cheap lights, only to realise that they were a false economy. I'd say spend about £30 on front, rear, and additional clip-on lights for your rucksack/helmet. Anything less than 4 lights and a high-viz jacket is invisible to me. I'd rather not take chances when it comes to being seen, although my route involves about 5 miles of unlit country B-roads.

You might also want to consider clipless pedals. This will make your efforts go much further, make the ride a little easier, and shave some time off your commute.

Cycling can be an upfront investment to begin with, but over time, getting the right gear makes all the difference to a journey that will quickly become tedious if you're in unsuitable stuff. Fortunately, if you shop around, there are some great bargains to be had.

sniggings

just thought I would update the thread...I have started cycling, really surprised me it only took 30 mins, so I'm not as unfit as I thought, by day 3 I was a little tired tho but still was only 40mins.

As I guessed the money saving hasn't happened, already bought one of the topeak beam racks and bags

Loving the fact it's saving me a hour tho, I thought the bus was only an hour but it's nearer 1.5hours in the evening, when returning home, so I'm saving an hour on my return trip and sometimes an hour on the morning trip too if the buses mess up, so a 2 hour saving, add in the fitness then it's a win win...well things may change in winter :mad:

Marco_Panettone

Riding in bad weather isn't too horrible usually - you just need to be organised. Clean and dry clothes on arrival, and a towel will be fine, along with the additional 5 minutes changing time. There's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing (except ice - this IS bad!).


Anyway, by the time winter arrives you'll value the time and money-saving more, and keep riding!