Things I've learnt from commuting

[The Ouzo]

let me guess: it's uphill both ways too? i have the SAME problem!!

funny enough my commute IS uphill both ways.

 

The highest part of the commute sits about 8km from work. 

So from home its a gradual climb up, from work it starts to climb right away and then there is about 3km of 5% grad climbing.

 

And very often its a side wind, so no matter which way you go you are fighting the wind.

[ChrisF]

Okay ... it IS official .... I am "tired" of waiting for the gate at work to be fixed .....

 

I cant leave the car at work until the gate is repaired ... so no commuting for the last month ....

 

 

IT SUCKS !!!!!!

[V18]

Over the Welgemoed climb as well? Do you particularly like to do climbs on your commute or do you just not know better?

 

Also commute to the Bellville Central area from D'ville but I skip that Welgemoed climb by going through the park/trail behind Door de Kraal dam, CWC and through the Tyger Waterfront area.

Haha! Really not much of a climb. Takes 4 minutes for the first bit an 2minutes for the one after Welgemoed primary. In the right gear it really doesn't matter and is a lot faster. And yes. I shower at work. Can't work sweatyballs. Edited November 28, 2018 by V18

[V18]

Today had the dreaded creak sneak up on my lovely cotic. Turned out to be my right pedal. Needed cleaning and regreasing the tread and tightening. Flippen hate a creak.

Another thing I started appreciating more and more. Full fenders. Looks like you're stuck in Holland in the 1940s but my socks are always dry.

Oh yes. Waterbottle grit free. Amazingly even my drivetrain remains squeaky clean. The marathon plus tyres are still holding strong. Despite my best attempts to ride them in gutters and glass shard patches.

What chain lube do you guys use?

[ChrisF]

Haha! Really not much of a climb. Takes 4 minutes for the first bit an 2minutes for the one after Welgemoed primary. In the right gear it really doesn't matter and is a lot faster. And yes. I shower at work. Can't work sweatyballs.

 

I have a short commute (when the gate works..)  But still I take fresh underwear to work .... a basin wash only goes so far .... DRY undies is an absolute must for the start of the day !

[Albatross]

Cycling into work this morning with a fairly decent tailwind I had found myself with time to let my thoughts wander and I questioned my need to commute. I assume most of you guys commute to beat the traffic, however if your like me, I have very little traffic to contend with on my normal drive to and from work, so I guess I'm just doing it to spend more time on my bike with a hint of health benefit thrown in. Anyone else in the same boat or with a different reason than beating the traffic?

[DJR]

Cycling into work this morning with a fairly decent tailwind I had found myself with time to let my thoughts wander and I questioned my need to commute. I assume most of you guys commute to beat the traffic, however if your like me, I have very little traffic to contend with on my normal drive to and from work, so I guess I'm just doing it to spend more time on my bike with a hint of health benefit thrown in. Anyone else in the same boat or with a different reason than beating the traffic?

By car or bike takes about the same time for me. So, I do it for the good mood it puts me in rather than the time it saves.

[I FLY]

Cycling into work this morning with a fairly decent tailwind I had found myself with time to let my thoughts wander and I questioned my need to commute. I assume most of you guys commute to beat the traffic, however if your like me, I have very little traffic to contend with on my normal drive to and from work, so I guess I'm just doing it to spend more time on my bike with a hint of health benefit thrown in. Anyone else in the same boat or with a different reason than beating the traffic?

I stay 3kms from my office so I cycle for the fun/health aspect. 

 

My trip varies from 3kms to 30kms depending on whether I feel like carrying my work clothes in a backpack and showering at work or riding first, going home to shower and then doing a slow ride to office in my work clothes. 

[cat-i]

Cycling into work this morning with a fairly decent tailwind I had found myself with time to let my thoughts wander and I questioned my need to commute. I assume most of you guys commute to beat the traffic, however if your like me, I have very little traffic to contend with on my normal drive to and from work, so I guess I'm just doing it to spend more time on my bike with a hint of health benefit thrown in. Anyone else in the same boat or with a different reason than beating the traffic?

 

Takes about the same time if I go shortest route.

- saves fuel

- starting a week on a Monday morning with riding singletrack

- arriving at the office in a good mood

- ending the week on a Friday afternoon riding singletrack

- arriving at home in a good mood

- getting to ride often with mr Cat-i (he sometimes commutes with me)

- saving time because I don't have to ride before/after work to get some training in

- relatively easy to make the weekly vitality goals. Sometimes if traffic lights are red too long I have to watch the average heart rate, but I will anyway get another chance that afternoon

[Eddy Gordo]

To beat traffic.

To not have to sit in traffic, my commute takes the sametime and often quicker than By car.

For the exercise.

[Hairy]

Been commuting so long that I have forgotten why I started

[Flemish Lion]

I received 3 video's from shortly after my crash, where medics are attending to me an load me on the ambulance bed. Was pretty chilling at first as I don't remember any of it.

 

Hectic to see the blood on my head and arm and my cracked helmet.

 

I'm still upset they cut my cycling top and pants as they were my favorite!

 

I can't load them here as they are too big.

 

A good reminder of how far I've come and happy to still be here!!

 

i still commute daily again - I don't do well or get the point sitting in traffic hence I cycle rain, shine or snow.

[Milosh]

Cycling into work this morning with a fairly decent tailwind I had found myself with time to let my thoughts wander and I questioned my need to commute. I assume most of you guys commute to beat the traffic, however if your like me, I have very little traffic to contend with on my normal drive to and from work, so I guess I'm just doing it to spend more time on my bike with a hint of health benefit thrown in. Anyone else in the same boat or with a different reason than beating the traffic?

 

Although i don't do it often as due to distance  

• Twice as long as drive but half as stressful 
• It gets some training in 
• Puts me in a great mood 

[The Ouzo]

I started to get some extra training in. Working 6 days a week and long hours kind of limits the outdoor training time.

 

Bike takes me almost twice as long as by car, but yesterday I was stuck in a traffic jam, it took me 3 times longer than normal by car to get home. When I got home I told my wife I can say 100% certain that it would have been quicker by bike to get home.

 

I love the feeling of getting to work and the body is energised from the ride.

[Albatross]

I'm also liking the look of that wind tomorrow, tailwind in and out for me

[Bateleur1]

Cycling into work this morning with a fairly decent tailwind I had found myself with time to let my thoughts wander and I questioned my need to commute. I assume most of you guys commute to beat the traffic, however if your like me, I have very little traffic to contend with on my normal drive to and from work, so I guess I'm just doing it to spend more time on my bike with a hint of health benefit thrown in. Anyone else in the same boat or with a different reason than beating the traffic?

 

Cycling is fun.  Do I need any other reason to commute by bike?