You are hereAre you silly enough to commute to work?
Are you silly enough to commute to work?
No! Are you mad?
44% (28 votes)
Yep, 1–2 times a week
13% (8 votes)
Yes, 2-4 times a week
22% (14 votes)
Of course, every day – doesn’t everyone?
21% (13 votes)
Total votes: 63
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
Christine - this is a very narrow poll - I thought the majority of people wouldn't be lucky enough to work from home and therefore need some sort of commute.
Sadly I have to commute to work and I do it every weekday.
i kind of forgot to mention the pushbike part didn't I?
The correct answer is therefore, "No! Are you mad?"
I've tried a couple of times but I just found it wasn't worth it. The ride wasn't particularly pleasant and the changing into the suit etc was a pain.
I decided it was much easier getting up early and going for a decent ride or doing a spin class then getting ready for work in the comfort of home and catching the bus. I realise this is a soft option but I can live with that
.
wondering what you all do about clothes when you ride to work.. it's not like you can stuff a suit in a camelbak is it? Can someone enlighten me?
If you wore a suit in the office you'd keep one or two there and alternate them and take the one you weren't wearing to a 1 hour cleaner when required. You'd need a good supply of shirts and either take them home or have them cleaned near your office too.
Or you can wear casual as I do and roll up pants/tee/sweater/underwear which can all easily be carried in a Camelbak. Can get a whole change in a M.U.L.E. if I try. I leave the skate shoes worn with this casual ensemble in the office.
i leave everything needed at the office.
ie 2 x pairs pants, 5 x shirts, undies, socks, shoes, belt etc. I always drive in once per week so take new clothes in and the used clothes home. This way i can commute whenever i like, no preplanning is needed.
I also keep, deodarant, towel, wet wipes, hair brush etc at the office. Nice and easy.
I save approx $30 per week in petrol savings. And since i commute in the suburbs (castle hill area) its nice and peaceful and make use of the cyclepaths in the area. I dont travel on any roads which require me to share a lane with the cars. All offroad cyclepaths or roads with dedicated cycle lanes. Its quite good actually. No agro motorists beeping at me to get out of there way.
If looking for a new job i will always make sure i can cycle there. I hate being stuck in traffic.
Don
It would take me 10 minutes to get to work and then I'd have to get ready at work, which would take an hour (being a woman)
. AND I would have to figure out a way to get a change of clothes to the office. It's just not worth it!
I leave everything at work.
I get my shirts dry cleaned, once a week I bring a change of underwear & socks to the office.
My office provides shower facilities with lockers and a fresh towel everyday. Not to mention a lock-up bike rack/room in the building car park. Perfect.
I take it all in with me, I figure its good training to have the extra weight anywhere between 3-5kgs per day. tha includes lunch and what not.
I leave the towels and toiletries at work and a suit jacket as well. Luckily I only need a suit on 1-2 days a week and I leave a jacket at work and change it every week or so. Funnily enough I have to buy clothes that do not crease!
It's about a $7-10 saving a day vs the cost of a car or public transport so I have to usee the current bike for another 110 commutes and then I begin to break even. Crap thats 22 weeks!
Andrew
now i also would like to know how FAR you all ride - and do you just put the same bike riding clothes back on to go home with?
all these questions from a non-commuter hey!
I have a 22km eachway ride from Dee Why to chatswood via the spit (safest route)
I wear full SCUM outfit commuting which if hung up will dry in a couple hours ready for the return trip home.
Start commuting Blondie, you know you want to!
I have too much to fit it in in the mornings with walking the dogs and horse riding...plus then i would have to get to work early in time to do my 'hair and makeup'..not quite an hour but maybe half an hour - thats just plain unhealthy getting here early!
just making myself panic more about my impending 100..
I would love to ride to work but it's near impossibale being a tradie. It would be a nice 75-80k return too
If your not out there doing it,
Someone else is
I ride 30km each way. Takes between 1hr 20min to 1hr 30min with the traffic stops.
Yes I wear the same clothes. I just hang them up under my desk and they are dry by the afternoon for the ride home.
But i do ride while i am away in Canberra , Wagga And also Bermagui when possible ...
I guess that is a good payoff for not having my own bed one week per month ......I do ride to the Gym in the morning though and there are enough morons on that little journey as it is
I have to go to Wagga (sometime around the 26.3.),after my return from "Deutschland"....
could you let me know where in Wagga you have found some nice tracks.
Thanks
Bernd
On the Sturt hwy about 2 k west of the Olympic Hwy roundabout look for the golf course turn off .....on the right , go towards the golf course But dont go into carpark , go straight 100 metres , park ( Under the big pines)and you will find Parmagana Park ( not correct spelling ) right in front of you and a great little 10-11 k XC course. I was there on Tuesday night and it was marked quite well but i have gone off course which proved to be no dramas as you cant go too far off track
There are some others but i am yet to try them . check out the website for MTB Wagga http://www.mtbwagga.asn.au/, from memory there seems to be a few riders there on a wednesday afternoon , only saw one tuesday though
Hope that helps
Wayne
thanks a lot, may ask you again closer to the date.
Cheers
Bernd
Hey Christine
I do about 20km each way. I don't wear a suit but I keep 3 - 4 pairs of trousers and 6 - 7 shirts in the office, all of which I take to the laundry downstairs from my office. I keep some shoes there too.
Most days i carry a spare set of bib shorts to ride home in and some times a spare top. I can recommend Ground Effect's merino mix tops as they dry quickly and still smell fresh on the way home! I have a shower at the office and have space to keep my clothes and bike. We are discussing installing a new shower and more bike storage as the number of bike commuters in the office increases. 18 months ago we had around 7 regular riders which has now increased to about 15 ( in an office of about 100).... the queue for the shower in the morning is getting a bit long !
My route is mostly busy roads ( N. Curl Curl to Wynyard) but I do think that the drivers are getting better ( with a few obvious exceptions).
Even my worst trip on the bike ( howling wind, driving rain, reckless drivers, punctures etc. etc.) is better than my best trip on the bus.
CB
I commute every single day and love it. The fitness gained from it is fantastic and then when I ride recreationally I can keep it to just all the fun stuff and not have to do boring long training rides as it is all done during the week. I mean.. i have to get to work anyway. Its actually faster than Walk/train/Walk door to door and it is also faster than driving on a heavy day's traffic. Of course offpeak I can drive in 20min vs 45min but not really a comparable situation really.
I have access to showers at work, so thats great. I leave my dress shoes, suit pants and towel at work along with soap/deo/product etc... Then i bring in a business shirt socks and undies in. Hang up the shirt/pants and wear the same getup home which has nicely dried out albeit a bit stinky..... I rotate towels every so often but really doesn't get that dirty as its a post shower towel only.
I just wish it was a bit further as 15km is on the short end
I can always extend my route which I've done occasionally however the aim to get home or get to work usually prevents that from happening :\
Even still though, I'm LOVING IT!
You know you're right into it when those morning where you sleep in, or its cold, or its raining or you're tired where you used to just skip that days commute, but then they turn into F*CK it, I'm still gonna ride in anyway
Extremely satisfying 
Loz
I answered 2-4 times/wk, but it's a huge 2.5K's (Neutral Bay - Kirribilli), 5 mins too work & 8 mins back, at least I get to do the hill climb on the way home
I ticked everyday, Manly Vale to Ultimo
35km's daily, 17km there, 18km back. Takes 45min on avg. Quicker than pubic transport and the same as the car. I raced my wife one day last year. She was in the car. She only beat me by 30 secs. Reckon I could've been a couple of mins quicker if I hadn't a headwind the whole way that morning.
I carry a change of clothes with me everyday and keep my shower gear at the office. I'm lucky I can wear jeans, t-shirts and trainers to work
PB
Loz - you need meet up on the way home if you need more kays!
If I go directly to the office it's about 5Km/12 minutes - just a thrash down the Pacific Highway and over the bridge.
So even on 'short' days I usually go through Waverton and down to Balls Head on the way, then cruise along Hickson Rd to make it around 10Km.
I blogged about commute training on the way home the other day (see http://nobmob.com/node/8106) which just involves throwing loads of detours and loads of hills around the LNS in. Pretty much all of this is very quiet roads and nice views so it's all good. Well - as good as riding on the road can be. As Loz said - you have to take the time to get to work so might as well be exercising as you go.
crowd -do you all still do this in the rain... and the dead of winter when its freezng, raining and dark?
i find you all fascinating!
Usually, yes, of course.
Sometimes, if it's really really bad or really really late at night, I chuck the bike on the Manly Ferry. But this only occurs perhaps once a month.
yes yes and YES!
I agree with letthemeatcake on this - I find it easier getting up at 5am a couple of times a week and doing a ride until 7am then going to work on the bus after. If its freezing, raining and dark I'll sleep in though, or use the trainer if feeling motivated (like around TdF time). (Freezing and dark is OK, but add rain - NO THANKS) After riding Stromlo at dawn a couple of times last winter nothing in Sydney is too cold...
It's not that bad riding in the rain. When I lived in the uk I rode rain, hell or shine all year round
If your not out there doing it,
Someone else is
Why don't you post for a scumming commute? (Yes i know this is a MTB site but we are training for MTB) I ride past about 7.15pm and back about 5.45pm
I would certainly be in on this if the timing was right.
I remember commuting in England When I was looking at 20mm think frost on the windscreens of cars as a i rode nu and was wondering if there was any black ice on the roads???
Just shut up and ride.
If I were you and could manage a MTB ride on the way to work, NOTHING would stop me!!!
Imagine zipping down Heath on your way to work launching yourself off waterbars and then slog it out of Quarry and give robs hotlap a run for its money!
What better way could you spend getting to work!???
Just do it!
i don't know... maybe a lovely V8!
i may be blonde but not totally stupid! i don't like cascades at the best of times!! and Quarry? You are cruel...
This comment has been moved here.
commuting has its benefits but I am not sure what they are!
Probably saves me $7 a day in tolls plus gas etc. but that ain't the point, really.
I do 13km each way on the almost-all-cycleway Nth Sydney to Nth Ryde (ahh, North Ryde, that bustling metropolitan hub). About 30 mins flat ona good day and gets the heart going well and truly. I remember John (carlgroover) saying he thought that regular (ie daily) training even short distances was the secret - I hope so!!
I leave shirts pants and shoes at the office bring lunch towel sock and jocks - and laptop
. Just realised I am carrying my toiletries back and forth for no good reason though - might trim a kg off the pack. Rotate shirts one day a week - probably could launder local to the office them but prefer more variety.
Gear dries out OK, especially Ground Effect (NobMob top is OK too) although not the towel - so I take a fresh one each day - nowhere in my office to hang damp towel, I dont think... might do a test overnight and see on that.
Riding in the rain is OK as long as you are set for it - I don't mind, I am a kiwi after all.
-------------------------------------------------
if at first you don't succeed try not to look astonished
Tradie commute is possible but because of the distance and tools I have to carry to jobs all over Sydney you have to find a safe spot like a friends house or something to leave your vehicle at a convenient distance from home.
I live in the Blue Mountains so in the morning I ride 23km downhill to my car with lunch and clothes in my backpack and then drive to work.
After work I get the better workout riding up the mountain. The good thing about this is you don't get a choice in the morning, rain, hail or freezing cold I have to ride down to my car.
Last winter I was doing this leading up to the Solo 24 Champs and needed a beanie, a scarf, ski gloves, arm warmers, leg warmers and jacket, so it makes for a heavy backpack in the afternoon heading up the hill but I always look forward to parking the car and jumping on the roadie. I have been thinking lately I should go hardcore and do the Oaks as my commute every day
Cheers
Christine,
Given that most respondents said they commute during peak hour, on main arterial roads, in heavy traffic, going to commercial premises where they have to get ready for work with pre-arranged for clothing and you;
a) Work banker hours (10.00am to 3.00pm).
b) Would have to commute from Oxford Falls to St Ives could be done mostly off-road and with trail combinations including Cascades, Wildflower, Epithany, etc).
c) Work from your sister's house which has a fully functioning bathroom and probably room to house your wardrode, and
d) You drive a gas guzzler.
Why the procrastination - just do it.
Ok from the comments I can certainly ride the Belrose-Redfern and might even bump into a few buddies.
No suit for me so fairly easy with showers here at the office.
Question for the poll is, what percentage of those that ride to work scum or mtb?
I would prefer the flexibility of MTB, ie not to worry about what I ride over and ability to short cut and avoid cars if necessary.
AND could save $70 a week.... thats a new bike every 18 months!!
Kiwi boy, the chamois towel is the trick! not so nice in winter though.
Being from Glasgow, I was used to riding every day in the dead of winter when it was freezing, snowing and dark. I also rode every day in summer when it was freezing, raining and not so dark !
Here I ride all year round in bib shorts and a cycling top with fingerless gloves. As I have acclimatised over the years, I now occasionally wear arm warmers and zip the top up .... my dad thinks I've gone soft.
CB
CB, do you ride a trek roadie and occasionally wear a comm bank jersey? Think I see you almost everyday if you do. I remebed a Scottish madman in short finger gloves saying it wasn't so bad July last year, reckon it was you!
I'm with CB. Albeit I'm from a bit further south than he. A Yorkshireman through and through. Enduring the freezing, wet, dark nights of winter to the positively balmy cold, wet not as-dark nights of summer. This Aussie riding's not so bad. I think I wore my warmers about a dozen times last winter.
Sorry Dangersean..
Couldn't bring myself to ride a roadie, always seem to think of trek as the evil empire and am very busy at work so unlikely to be a comm banker.....
I'm usually pretty recognisable riding a Yeti 575 with 700c road wheels ( long story...). I usually get a double take from the road and the off road commuters !
The rest of it sounds just like me though.
If you see me, say hello
CB
Hey Phil
They build them tough down your way as I remember. There's nowt soft about Yorkshiremen.....
I do miss riding in driving sleet though...... occasionally.
On a serious note though, I miss the very long summer nights where there is good daylight until after 10pm, ( presuming that the sun was visible that day...)
Weather here is a bit good though, isn't it ?
CB
....seats, air conditioning, 4WD V8, 2.5 tonnes of steel and a bike bar is the only way I'm commuting.
See you on the dirt!
Bite me!
Pikey
-------------------------------------------
The Liver is Evil and must be punished (but only two per day)
-------------------------------------------
i have for these commuters (now that i know all about your wardrobes) IS... do you all commute the day after a competition? say, 24hr race or 100? I can't imagine any of you opting for a 50!
I am also compiling a list of people to not ride with on the weekends... roidys!!!
I try ride after a race. I take it east though. It helps work out the soreness.
But don't shy away from riding with me blondie, my fitness just means I have more breath to try and out-talk you on a social ride
... impossible!! lol
Has anybody ever considered an informal Nobmob commuter 'bike bus'? ie. a designated route from the northern beaches (or wherever) passing certain destinations at certain times picking up other mob commuters along the way?
I guess I mean, I ride the same route to work everyday at the same time on my own. I'm sure others are in the same boat.
now who will own and administer it?
Sounds like a 'Road' ride meeting to me
If you include a lap around The Dam along the way tho?