You’re Wasting Money Driving to Work

[SteadyCycles]

With the continued increase in the petrol price, it just makes sense to start cycling to work! 

We put together a practical breakdown of what cycling to work in Cape Town actually looks like what roads to take, savings, safety, and whether it’s realistically worth it.

Read it here:
👉 https://www.steadycycles.co.za/articles/cycling-to-work-cape-town

[DieselnDust]

33 minutes ago, SteadyCycles said:

With the continued increase in the petrol price, it just makes sense to start cycling to work! 

We put together a practical breakdown of what cycling to work in Cape Town actually looks like what roads to take, savings, safety, and whether it’s realistically worth it.

Read it here:
👉 https://www.steadycycles.co.za/articles/cycling-to-work-cape-town

thanks for taking the time to pull together, Awesome!

[Spank]

It's way more economical to commute to work, even if you buy a new entry level bike for this purpose. That bike will pay itself  in just a couple months.

PLUS, the happy factor outweighs any costs. There is nothing sweeter than scooting past everyone sitting in their cars frustrated because of gridlock traffic. This feeling alone is worth it.

 

[milky4130]

Been commuting on & off for the last 25 years, just always made sense. The best was always taking the long way in or out i.e. a detour to make it worthwhile training & commuting all in one. COVID was a huge disruptor as it meant WFH was an option which stayed long after the end of the pandemic. Thankfully for the couple of days, I go into the office now just so I get to ride my bike more often again.

[David Marshall]

Makes economic sense to commute by bike. The negatives in Gauteng are the shocking state of the roads (apart from the surface some sections cannot be navigated by bike with traffic around) and the hilly topography. You will arrive at work in a sweat.

[MTBeer]

problem is you get to work smelling like a miner's armpit. 

[3BO#noTheft]

9 minutes ago, MTBeer said:

problem is you get to work smelling like a miner's armpit. 

never had the pleasure meself  a semi-cheap ebike solves this problem in part - and yes, you get them in the ebike-commuter aisle

[Bro Derek]

The traveling to work mentality is wild

South Africans think they are entitled to and have to get to work the fastest way possible no matter how they travel.

They will ride full gas and sweat instead of a leisurely pedal with minimal effort.

They speed from congestion to congestion in the car and get annoyed when lots of other road users with the same mentality are also trying to use the roads like a personal race track.

Guys on bikes would rather play 'who's fault is it' and 'blame the dog/child/walker' instead of slowing down after assessing the situation and acknowledging other space users.

Commuting is awesome. I've done it all over the world. In all types of weather.

Most places that actively encourage it over cars have showers at work, which would become more and more popular if more and more people cycled to work.

Leave earlier, pedal slower. Take spare clothes and wet wipes in a dry bag.

The thing is, it's easy to drive and then just complain about the traffic. It is automatic and importantly, it stops you from being part of your surroundings sitting inside your bubble of comfort.

Lets stop making excuses and admit that the reason most people don't commit isn't the sweat, the roads or the time, but it is habit, ease and lazyness. 

You'll realise your excuses are pretty lame once you get into the habit of using the car as a last resort instead of a necessity

[Cat2forLife]

I work from home

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, 3BO#noTheft said:

never had the pleasure meself  a semi-cheap ebike solves this problem in part - and yes, you get them in the ebike-commuter aisle

This segment really has the potential to explode.

If I look at the multitude of food delivery ebikes in CT CBD, they are all taking the pace of a mini motorbike scooter and they seem to be working well.

[The Ouzo]

2 hours ago, MTBeer said:

problem is you get to work smelling like a miner's armpit. 

I used to ride slower, and then also carry a few basic toiletries with me.

get to work a little earlier than everyone else, use the paraplegic bathroom as its normally bigger and not in use. Do a basin wash and get changed into work gear. 

The ride home I coudl then give it some stick and work up a real sweat.

 

currently my commute to work is about 15 steps, just a pity I've got to pile the kids into the car and do a 30km round trip to drop them at school first.

Edited 8 hours ago by The Ouzo

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, Bro Derek said:

The traveling to work mentality is wild

South Africans think they are entitled to and have to get to work the fastest way possible no matter how they travel.

They will ride full gas and sweat instead of a leisurely pedal with minimal effort.

They speed from congestion to congestion in the car and get annoyed when lots of other road users with the same mentality are also trying to use the roads like a personal race track.

Guys on bikes would rather play 'who's fault is it' and 'blame the dog/child/walker' instead of slowing down after assessing the situation and acknowledging other space users.

Commuting is awesome. I've done it all over the world. In all types of weather.

Most places that actively encourage it over cars have showers at work, which would become more and more popular if more and more people cycled to work.

Leave earlier, pedal slower. Take spare clothes and wet wipes in a dry bag.

The thing is, it's easy to drive and then just complain about the traffic. It is automatic and importantly, it stops you from being part of your surroundings sitting inside your bubble of comfort.

Lets stop making excuses and admit that the reason most people don't commit isn't the sweat, the roads or the time, but it is habit, ease and lazyness. 

You'll realise your excuses are pretty lame once you get into the habit of using the car as a last resort instead of a necessity

 

My heart agrees 100% ..... but then ....

 

I have to drive out to sites a few times a week. When my schedule allows I LOVE to commute by bike !!  Then again, only 4,8km, with only only one climb to get over the N1.

 

I can decide to PR it and arive drenched in sweat, or I can idle along and get to work with hardly any sweat.  Quick basin wipe down and some deodorant does the job.

 

After work ..... nothing like a bad meeting to help you smash all your PB's ..... More often than not the return trip includes some extra distance, often 30 to 40km return trip.

 

 

On the odd occasion I have a morning meeting the Cape CBD .... Every moment in the car I am doing the maths how much quicker I would get to Town on my bicycle .... except there is no safe route. 

 

 

On a super positive note .... every so often I get to schedule my meetings in remote spots, from Noordhoek to Stellenbosch to Villiersdorp, heck even Hermanus .... bike in the car time .... Nothing like doing Hemel and Aarde trails, or a lap around the Theewaterskloof dam, or G-spot, or even half an Argus after work .... by the time the ride is done I get to drive back home after peak traffic.

 

 

[CapSizer]

All good stuff & very true, but a couple of things to add from my experience of doing this on & off over many years:

• In a pinch, the tip of a camping towel wetted under the basin tap does a good job of cleaning up the sweat.  But a shower at work is a Wonderful Thing. 
• If you sweat like I do, a backpack is a really bad idea.  Carry the stuff on the bike, not on your body.
• If you don't have a rubber neck, a rearview mirror can really help situational awareness.
• Chasing personal bests can quickly lead to taking unnecessary risks.  
• Heavy traffic is not necessarily all bad.  Heavy traffic is slow traffic, and slow cars are less dangerous.
• There is a whole world of commuting that does not involve riding to work.  How many of your local non-work trips can you do by bike?  
• Be nice to other road users.