Commuting V-card needed

[Joe Low]

After 5 years of the same crappy journey, for the first time, I went to work on my bike this a.m.  Bedfordview to Wadeville.

 

Can't say it was "nice" but it wasnt as bad as I thought it would be.  At 43mins It took twice as long as the car which is fine. I finish at 2pm so going back will be easier trafficwise.

 

Main issue would be the state of the roads & with the cars you can't swerve around stuff.  There's huge amounts of crap to avoid.

 

No showers at work so feelin slightly salty, time for wet wipes (TMI I know).

 

The upside is that the women here are impressed and the guys jealous.

 

So - where do I get this V-card thingy or am I sposed to give it to someone?

 

[Tumbleweed]

your bike has to give it to you.

 

joe, i was shocked the other day when i checked my son's homework diary. one of the items was "finish v-card"! apparently it stood for valentine's?   

[Joe Low]

The overwhelming response to last week's post has encouraged me to to do an update.

 

2nd cycle-to-work-Friday today and I was only 40% as scared as last week which meant a lot fewer calories burnt.

 

Also knocked 10 mins & 4kms off the ride by not getting diverted & by tackling Germiston High Road where, surprisingly, there was no taxi war in progress this morning.

 

33mins on the bike vs 23mins in the car.

 

The route covers a lot - Bedfordview is quite smart; then Primrose not so; the Simmer and Jack mine and squatter camp; central Germiston lots of pedestrians; industrial Wadeville, lots of pedestrians.

 

Traffic fairly well behaved apart from the guy next to me at the lights who turned left regardless of what I was going to do.

 

Cooler temps too & I spent time going up and down the street to cool off before coming indoors "glowing".

 

[Weight Weenie]

Cool, when I worked last year I rode to work a few time, its only like 6km away, took same time as the car (15 min)

 

I got to work much more relaxed as I could ride on the sidewalk and offroad with the mtb and not have to worry about the trafic !

 

Wish there was showers though and a safer place to put the bike, it was always in the way on the balcony.

[Nancy Drew]

The overwhelming response to last week's post has encouraged me to to do an update.

  

 

 

Aaah Lowly, well done on your 2nd Friday journey. Now to make it a bit safer, do it on the MTB. Go on, the extra effort will make you stronger too (or so I'm told)

 

 

[AndreZA]

Great stuff. More people need to ride their bikes to work (says he that only commutes in the winter).

[Thug]

I look forward to further installments of the "Freakin 'ell its Friday, let's live on the edge, ride to work and smell for the rest of the day" saga.

 

 

 

 

 

[Joe Low]

Evenin' loyal thread fans.

 

Sorry to be quiet last week, was no ride-to-work Friday as I was in Zambia and that was a bit far to get back from.

 

But yesterday I was back on & found that Primrose is the Land of the Rising Sun at 6:45 & had a couple of nervous thoughts followin the Ootshorn incident.

 

I knocked a minute off my time.  I found that if you go thru the 1st light at the top of President St., Germiston on green at 40kmh & keep goin a that speed - then they all go green, marvellous.

 

Drivers were a little unpredictable, squeezin space as they came by or not clear about turning across me.  This elicits a bit of fear-inspired bad language when I'm going downhill over 50kmh.

 

Still not as unpredictable as the mum and her two schoolkids doing the Diski Dance a yard into the road ahead of me. As the Kinks asked "Should I Stay or Should I Go?". It took time before they jumped back on the pavement.

 

Look I'm not saying its super-dangerous cycling to work in Jo'burg but I passed that Bear Gryhlls, his bike and camera crew sat at the side of the road & crying. Survivorman was coming to pick them up to go somewhere more restful, like Antarctica or the Everglades.

 

And for ur info Thug 32mins 40 is not enough to get a decent office pong going before I depart at 2:30.

 

 

 

[Christopher Brunsdon]

This week coming will be a year that I decided to get a MTB to commute. It was more a question of economics as times where tough and needed to save some petrol expenses.

 

That and to loose some weight.

 

Originally I was only going to commute twice a week, perhaps a 3rd time in an emergency. We only have one car and it was only Tuesday & Thursday that was inconvenient for my wife to play taxi.

 

Fast forward.

 

I seldom use the car at all as I get really frustrated if I cannot commute (30minutes). Also I've lost over 13kg, my health is the best in years and I'm less frustrated.

 

Anyway, enjoy it as it becomes addictive. On safety, remember to always be visable. I have hi-viz-neon top from Cape Union that works like a charm and some christmas lights on my bike.

 

[Joe Low]

Really cool CB - we've gotta do it & hopefully more people will see the sense & ride too, taking the extra 10 mins but getting fitter and making it safer on the roads.

 

Its a sad indictment that one guy cycling to work is a big deal around the office.

 

Am not brave enough yet to go with the 5 o' clock traffic tho'.

 

 

[Mutt]

JL - i wish to place on record - I am a follower of this thread - now whats a v-card?

[Joe Low]

hi mutt - well done to Son-of-Mutt in his Argus race.

 

v-card as i had to ask on a previos thread is wat the current generation of 12-15yr olds give ea othr on losing their virginity. Makes me feel old but kinda glad i'm not a teenager.

 

 

 

 

[Mutt]

I see. mmm v-card! I am going to ride to work but logistically its a challenge. It will be a 15Km trip one way and I could probably do it as quick as in the car when you consider how I will fly through the traffic. Other benefit is it will add 2 hrs to my training or day or both!

 

 

 

I work for a company that spouts GREEN GREEN GREEN to the world but are one of the most un-green mob i have ever seen (Despite them running competitions etc for green ideas and initiatives)! Found some showers but now where to store my bike is the challenge i'm battling with at the moment.

 

 

 

Argus - it think it was cbrundsons kid you are thinking of - i'm in crime central still thanking the piranah gods for getting us thru another night :-)

[Mutt]

I need to qualify 15Km is 1 hr and then 15Km home another hour - I'm slow but not that slow So its 2Hrs for 30Km odd. Could probably do it quicker if we could move the taxis pedestrians off the pavements and into road!

[The Crappy German]

 

After 5 years of the same crappy journey' date=' for the first time, I went to work on my bike this a.m.  Bedfordview to Wadeville.

 

Can't say it was "nice" but it wasnt as bad as I thought it would be.  At 43mins It took twice as long as the car which is fine. I finish at 2pm so going back will be easier trafficwise.

 

Main issue would be the state of the roads & with the cars you can't swerve around stuff.  There's huge amounts of crap to avoid.

 

No showers at work so feelin slightly salty, time for wet wipes (TMI I know).

 

The upside is that the women here are impressed and the guys jealous.

 

So - where do I get this V-card thingy or am I sposed to give it to someone?

 

[/quote']

 

geez man. Cool you do that commuting thing but without a shower there's no way I'd do that.

 

[Ricycle]

JL your ongoing fascination with the V-card thing astounds me - you just HAD to bring it up in this thread as well 

Well done on the ride-to-work days, maybe I'll get there one day too (and that's a very ig maybe!)