Bike commuting and Gautrain

[I FLY]

I tried out the bike commute in conjunction with a Gautrain ride yesterday and today from Honeydew to Jetpark.

 

The bike bag is made from black demin so it is relatively light - about 2 kgs. At the moment I am strapping it to the handlebars but will buy a seatpost mounted carrier for it.

 

The total commute time is 2 hours - 1h20 riding; packing and unpacking bike 10 minutes; 20 mins on train and 10 mins showering at work. Riding distance is 25 kms with 365m of climbing.

 

Yesterday I rode my SS with 32-16 gearing and this morning I rode my daughter's SS with 32-18. Although the 4 hills were easier with the 18 I was spinning too much on the flats. I guess that I will stick with the 16 as I am sure to get stronger.

 

The taxi drivers at the Sandton Station and the security guards were very amused at the bike in a bag trick.

 

Cost comparison - bike/train vs car - R67 vs R440

 

RE the photo: My bike has very wide riser bars and is not just pleased to see me.

[LeTurbo]

Cunning plan! Now Cape Storm / First Ascent need to come up with a bag that converts into a backpack and a rain suit.

[GregC]

Is that R67 vs R440 a week?

[CAAD4]

Surely R67 per day.

[rampies]

I like your initiative.

 

The car travelling cost seems steep - running costs included? Is that only one way cost?

 

Might think of following suit - moving to jhb next year.

sharpsharp

[Tumbleweed]

Is the bag homemade?

[I FLY]

Is that R67 vs R440 a week?

 

Daily.

 

I wrote off the total cost of bike over a year which equals R25 per day. Gautrain is R42 per day.

 

My car is the total cost - ownership, running costs and projected toll fees - for a 110 km daily drive. I used the AA tables for the rate.

 

If I exclude ownership costs then the comparison is R42 vs R203 - an annual saving of R38k

[I FLY]

Is the bag homemade?

 

A tailor in Northcliff Corner Centre make it. Total cost about R750 which includes a seperate bag for the front wheel.

[Tumbleweed]

A tailor in Northcliff Corner Centre make it. Total cost about R750 which includes a seperate bag for the front wheel.

 

Cool Did you design it, or just tell the tailor what it was that you needed?

[Slowbee]

can you not take the bike directly onto the train ?

[I FLY]

Cool Did you design it, or just tell the tailor what it was that you needed?

 

I took my bike and explained what he needed to make. Took about 3 days.

 

 

@Slowbee - bike has to be in a bag/case or else not allowed on Gautrain.

[SwissVan]

 

@Slowbee - bike has to be in a bag/case or else not allowed on Gautrain.

 

 

Agh this is a dof rule but I suppose they don’t have storage facilities for bikes i.e. a hook or rack in the carriage near the door where you can hang / attach the bike?

 

Funny enough they have a similar rule here in that on week days (Mon – Fri) during peak hours accompanied bikes are allowed only from 08:00 to 16:00 and from 19:00 to 06:00. However often people will still bring their bikes because there is usually a dedicated place for bikes on most trains.

 

It’s the more modern intercity type trains (I suspect the Gautrain is one of these) that do not have dedicated places to put a bike…

Edited December 21, 2010 by SwissVan

[SwissVan]

Picture of Bike "parking place" on train

 

[I FLY]

In the commuter carriages there is no place for bikes or suitcases. There is only a small , overhead parcel shelf.

 

The two airport carriages have baggage shelves

 

It is not a good time of the year to judge but this morning I was the only person in the commuter carriages.

[I FLY]

After 4 days of bicycle commuting I have a few observations:-

 

1. The Gautrain security and taxi drivers are highly amused at my bike bagging efforts.

 

2. The pavement curbstones are not bike friendly. Only in Sandton CBD do they have sloped approaches. I lost my pavement hopping mojo after my rubena tyre splitting fall.

 

3. Plenty of travellers go by train to airport.

 

4. Very few train commuters go East but hordes come to Sandton.

 

5. Many East Randers are using train to go shopping in Sandton. For some of the men the walk from the station to Sandton City is the most exercise they have had all year. It is unbelieveable how exhausted some of them are when they get back to the station.

 

6. Most car commuters seem to be women.

 

7. Only had one car block me.

 

8. It is going to be very cold in winter on the Sandton platform.

 

9. I spent 2 hours on Sunday trimming overhanging branches on my route. Only 30 minutes should be enough to finish the job.

 

10. My legs have not yet accepted the twice a day effort. They are complaining.

 

11. Had my 1st wet commute on Tuesday afternoon. I have good rain gear so experience was fine. Motorists became much more agressive in general.

[Renier82]

leke report!! hope they start makin more accommodations for bikes in future