Things I've learnt from commuting

[PhilipV]

Of you ride to work. And don't look poor, people look at you funnily. Here in the suburbs of The West Side even the kids don't ride to school.

I left my bakkie at work on Sunday and came home with it today. (Friday)

It feels kind of weird to cycle 5km to work, get in my bakkie, drive 450km, and then cycle home. But at least the cycle home is lekker, and my wife reckon I am a better person after a ride. Double win.

[Lurch the stalker]

The comment about looking poor made me think of what happened a few months back at work, one of the women came and asked me if I needed a lift to work. I had to explain that this is something I actually enjoy doing, haha.

[ChrisF]

Of you ride to work. And don't look poor, people look at you funnily. Here in the suburbs of The West Side even the kids don't ride to school.

I left my bakkie at work on Sunday and came home with it today. (Friday)

It feels kind of weird to cycle 5km to work, get in my bakkie, drive 450km, and then cycle home. But at least the cycle home is lekker, and my wife reckon I am a better person after a ride. Double win.

 

SAME boat as you.  Leave the car in the basement parking at work, then do hundreds of kilometers to work sites.  Then commute the 4,2km by bicycle.  I enjoy the morning cycle, but somehow the afternoon ride is just awesome !!!   Starting to take detours to add distance to the commute.

 

 

It takes a few minutes to get kitted for the bike ride ...

 

Then the cycling time ...

 

At work a few more minutes to get washed and dressed for work ....

 

I can save about 30 minutes in the morning by using the car.

 

Hardly makes sense on paper ...

 

 

 

 

You have to do it yourself to EXPERIENCE the benefits.  

 

 

 

and looking back after doing it for a few months - BEST thing I have done in many years !!

[ChrisF]

The comment about looking poor made me think of what happened a few months back at work, one of the women came and asked me if I needed a lift to work. I had to explain that this is something I actually enjoy doing, haha.

 

Hehehehe .....

 

 

 

 

Jip, have had some VERY strange comments ....

[Hairy]

I look really poor when I get off the bike

[bleedToWin]

Distance obviously do-able ....

 

Try it over a weekend - checking to see where you can cycle safely .....  couple of tight spots with little to no space for a bike .....

 

 

With the work on the Old Oak bridge my commute route is about to get busy with cars .... busy looking at parallel routes to use with the bike, may just hop a pavement or two to get onto back roads and out of the busy streets ....

 

 

 

the other challange with commuting - shower/wash facilities at work .....

 

 

a back-pack REALLY makes you sweat !!  So I made a carrier for my daily goodies ....

 

IMG_0898 (Large).JPG

 

 

If you get these in place - ENJOY your commute

 

The backpack is a bit of a pain on longer commutes, but I'm afraid a carrier on my road bike just wont cut it... I'm thinking of permanently leaving a pair of shoes at work to make the daily load less...

[bleedToWin]

You have to do it yourself to EXPERIENCE the benefits.  

 

The most surprising benefit for me on my current short commute was the decreased recovery time during last years winter while I was doing marathon training. Running really gives your legs a beating and a gentle short cycle twice a day did wonders for my sore legs!

[ChrisF]

The backpack is a bit of a pain on longer commutes, but I'm afraid a carrier on my road bike just wont cut it... I'm thinking of permanently leaving a pair of shoes at work to make the daily load less...

 

I leave my office shoes in the office, and use a pair of older tekkies for the commute (flat pedals).

 

Also leave the "belt" at work.  Thus only a shirt and pants that needs to be transported.

 

some deodorant in the office drawer also helps ...

[Bernard Horn]

Pulled into work to find 2 Harleys in the bicycle parking.Marvelling at the sight,forgot to focus,windbreaker got hooked up on front of saddle causing me to fall in front of the Harleys.Luckily nobody around.Only ego damaged!

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Of you ride to work. And don't look poor, people look at you funnily. Here in the suburbs of The West Side even the kids don't ride to school.

I left my bakkie at work on Sunday and came home with it today. (Friday)

It feels kind of weird to cycle 5km to work, get in my bakkie, drive 450km, and then cycle home. But at least the cycle home is lekker, and my wife reckon I am a better person after a ride. Double win.

We had an interview with the principal at Wynberg Boys Junior on Wednesday. Lightie goes to Grade R next year, and he saw where we lived. After saying that he wasn't going to sell the school to us, because he couldn't say no to us (we're in the area) he said "well, Michael can ride to school"... 

 

Winning. And he was right. It's only ± 900m he'd need to ride, but it's a very decent ride with relatively little traffic. I'd ride with him for the first few months while he gets used to riding on a road with traffic, but I reckon once he hits 7yo he'll be riding to school with mommy running next to him (I'm not a runner at all)

 

And yeah - I used to do it all the time. Ride to school, that is. 

Edited May 7, 2017 by Myles Mayhew

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

The backpack is a bit of a pain on longer commutes, but I'm afraid a carrier on my road bike just wont cut it... I'm thinking of permanently leaving a pair of shoes at work to make the daily load less...

Why aren't you doing this already?

 

Also - what I used to do in London and again here when I have the chance to commute during the week is take a stockpile of shirts and socks in on monday, and hang them in the communal change-rooms (london) or fold them properly and put them in a drawer (here) and just ride in every day in between. 

 

Put the dirties in a gym bag, take that home in the car on Friday. 

 

Essentially the only thing I end up taking home is the laptop, if anything. 

[PhilipV]

We had an interview with the principal at Wynberg Boys Junior on Wednesday. Lightie goes to Grade R next year, and he saw where we lived. After saying that he wasn't going to sell the school to us, because he couldn't say no to us (we're in the area) he said "well, Michael can ride to school"...

 

Winning. And he was right. It's only ± 900m he'd need to ride, but it's a very decent ride with relatively little traffic. I'd ride with him for the first few months while he gets used to riding on a road with traffic, but I reckon once he hits 7yo he'll be riding to school with mommy running next to him (I'm not a runner at all)

 

And yeah - I used to do it all the time. Ride to school, that is.

I got a real bicycle (26inch wheels) for my 7th birthday. From then I rode to school (1.3km) and back until I went to high school in a different town. I went from a slow runner to a fast loose forward and athletics performer in the space of a year because of riding to school. Developed a lot of explosive power in my legs that wasn't there before.

 

Good times.

[hayleyearth]

The backpack is a bit of a pain on longer commutes, but I'm afraid a carrier on my road bike just wont cut it... I'm thinking of permanently leaving a pair of shoes at work to make the daily load less...

 

I bring a whole weeks worth of working clothes in on a Monday, then take it back on a Friday.

So Tuesday to Thursdays I have no backpack

[hayleyearth]

I am thinking of running into work (or maybe home this afternoon), then carrying a phone becomes a pain. Anyone else here run to/from work?

[samson99]

Why aren't you doing this already?

 

Also - what I used to do in London and again here when I have the chance to commute during the week is take a stockpile of shirts and socks in on monday, and hang them in the communal change-rooms (london) or fold them properly and put them in a drawer (here) and just ride in every day in between. 

 

Put the dirties in a gym bag, take that home in the car on Friday. 

 

Essentially the only thing I end up taking home is the laptop, if anything. 

 

I do exactly this. Have 8 commutes to work and home then.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I am thinking of running into work (or maybe home this afternoon), then carrying a phone becomes a pain. Anyone else here run to/from work?

I know Coenie does. But he's not on here much anymore