Cycling to work

[Spinnekop]

Also cycle to work every now and again.

Love it.

 

Visibility and being courteous to motorist is a must.

Avoid narrow streets.

Apart from that, have fun!

 

Doing it on Road and MTB at this stage. MTB is nice as you can climb curbs if need be. Road is nice because you get home FAST and in this cold it is essential!

[Slave]

Ride distance roughly 35 km to work and similar distance back in the arvie.

 

I leave home usually around 06h10 nd it's just starting to get light then. Take about an hour and a half (Two hours by car)

 

Leave the office around 15h45 and the home journey takes about an hour and a quarter.

 

The trip home by car takes a bit longer than 2 hours so I save time, petrol and plenty on parking costs.

 

It can be very hair raising some days depending on traffic, but I find most drivers, as long as they can see you, are polite and will give me a gap in the traffic. Taxi drivers seem tobe more friendly than most in my experience.

 

Peds walking through the traffic can be a nightmare as are those who run across the road between intersections, especially on Con hill and Oxford road. (Nice steep hills for high speed.)

 

Yesterday, I mnaged to use Joe Slovo despite road closure for the soccer. That was magical. No cars meant I had the whole road to myself. Pity it was such a short distance.

 

Remember, your safety is in your hands. Be seen, be safe and enjoy.

[Hairy]

Most skin I have lost whilst commuting would be compliments of pedestrians not looking what they are doing and running into the road.

[GLuvsMtb]

My commute to work varies from 1 hr to 2 hrs, depending on the detours that I wish to take. I only do it in summer though. I also ride home on Mondays and Thursdays with the bike and ride in on the Tuesdays and Fridays. I don't like taking a back pack (especially when I want to go ride single track after work on my way home) so I take a set of clothes and lunch on Mondays and Thursdays for the next day. Once forgot trousers and had to go to Truworths in my cycling kit to buy a pair. Good lights and reflective clothing is very important and the bigger the group is in the safer the ride is normally.

It takes a bit of planning to pack for 2 days in advance on Mondays and Thursdays, but its worth it. B)

[Eldron]

I'm a 36km occasional ride to worker...

 

I built up a mtb single speeder from old parts and use that to commute - it gives you "options" when the traffic gets bad.

 

I also try and find paths through the veld, short cuts, long cuts, fun cuts and any other cut that looks interesting. It turns a mundane trip into an adventure.

 

I leave a pair of shoes permanently at work and pack the rest - including my laptop! Pack is around 6kg and works the neck and shoulders nicely.

 

Hmmm thats a lot of sentences that start with the letter "I" - my high school english teacher and zen master** would not be pleased.

 

** I have no zen master - I just wanted to sound cool.

[Christopher Brunsdon]

Been commuting for over a year and love it. Only thing I can really add is get good slicks. I ride a MTB and Contental Town & Countrys on them - 1.9"

 

Much wider than your standard 1.25" slick but more safer. I nearly saw tar a few times when I was riding 1.25"s. Dangerous when you hit potholes, etc.

[Tuxstir]

Most skin I have lost whilst commuting would be compliments of pedestrians not looking what they are doing and running into the road.

 

Hairy i have destroyed one frame, tying to miss thoses @#$%, and have hit 2 of them, so know your pain all to well

[cruiser]

i wish i could cycle to work. save from buying vehicles.

[Cruzer]

I would really like to ride to work, my distance would be closer to 50k's one way using back roads.

 

I would not like to try this out on my own, I would hope to get a small bunch together, wishfull thinking I know. I would ride from the South to midrand, anybody out there with similar aspirations?

 

Training and commuting done all in one fowl swoop.

 

Do you think they will allow bikes onto the Gautrain??

[TYGA]

I've got a lekker route from Somerset West via Raithby, through the vineyards and up to the back of Technopark in Stellenbosch...all in about an hours ride of which about 15K's is off road and the first 3K's or so on tar...nothing nicer than cruising to work through the vineyards with my buddy More Wood for an hour before work. Having to watch him shower when we get there not so fun...

 

Agree with the other okes, drive in one day, cycle home, cycle back the next day, drive home...makes it nice 'n easy going. This summer going to definitely do it more often!

 

Best tip I could give someone who wants to "start commuting". Don't let the logistics get put you off before you began, just get on your bike and do it once...hell, we used to "commute" to school every day of our lives to no ill effect, why should it be any harder now? Just get on yer bike and ride, best thing you'll ever do.

[Stretched@Birth]

I would really like to ride to work, my distance would be closer to 50k's one way using back roads.

 

I would not like to try this out on my own, I would hope to get a small bunch together, wishfull thinking I know. I would ride from the South to midrand, anybody out there with similar aspirations?

 

Training and commuting done all in one fowl swoop.

 

Do you think they will allow bikes onto the Gautrain??

Hey Cruzer, I'm also in the South, and work In Linbro Park, would love to ride once or twice a week. Have no route though other than over Fishers Hill and up through Edenvale. Bikes on the Gautrain would be great, ride to town, catch the train to Marlboro, ride the last bit to the office.

[DomJBo]

I used to commute home from school and to and from gym.

 

1 must, if you see something fishing happening, stop and let the idiot do what he/she needs.

 

I crashed twice, once due to moron on cellphone, other due to "not been seen". Resulting in T - boning a car, bending front fork and smashing helmet into a million little pieces!

[kosmonooit]

In Jouburg besides keeping one eye scanning side roads for cars, the other one has to scan the road/pavement for missing manhole covers!

[Bateleur1]

Commuted this morning for the first time in a loooong time. Used to do it almost everyday and aspire to get back to that routing.

 

Have shower at work. Have spare belt, shoes and goodies for shower at work.

 

Pack clothes for the day in backpack with laptop and munchies.

 

Have one of three routes to work. 10, 23 and 48 kilos. Depends on how early I can get my bum out of bed. I nice 10 k time trial back home in the afternoon.

[Christopher Brunsdon]

Hairy i have destroyed one frame, tying to miss thoses @#$%, and have hit 2 of them, so know your pain all to well

 

This morning I nearly gave a local Tekkie brigade a face lift. She was looking down at her iPod and running in the road. She was swaying the whole time and I was unsure how to pass her.

 

She did not even apologise when she looked up just before she was about to run into my bike.

[Cruzer]

Hey Cruzer, I'm also in the South, and work In Linbro Park, would love to ride once or twice a week. Have no route though other than over Fishers Hill and up through Edenvale. Bikes on the Gautrain would be great, ride to town, catch the train to Marlboro, ride the last bit to the office.

 

Hi Stretched@Birth

 

I know a route via Alberton up Heidelberg rd right to Rocherville over the m2 into kensington up and over to Louis Botha ave into Old JHB rd (you would turn off into Marlboro dr)and on to Midrand.

 

I have driven the route a few times to try and suss it out - seems rather dangerous with Taxis on Louis Botha and Trucks in Rosherville(ESCOM)and on the old JHB rd all in all it would be a 52 km for me.

 

I agree that when Gautrain comes on line it will mean the possibility of riding to town and then taking the train which will be awsome - My Brother could join us as he works at Wits most days so he would ride with us to town. I would probably ride the train all the way to Midrand though.

 

Anyone else out there traveling from S to N?