Cycling to work

[BettyButterfly]

I started cylcing to the gym which is only about 10 -15 on the bike there but 20-25 on the way back. I feel great afterwards though.

Such a cheap form of transport but everyone I have met worries about looking daft, I don't really care.

Can anyone reommed good cheap panniers for Uni?

 

[fredfelt]

Looking daft is half the fun of cycling. So long as you wear a helmut you have an excuse to wear anything you like!

Can't recommend cheap panniers as they are not waterproof.

Ortleib rock when it comes to panniers - but they are from £80 a pair. I've had mine for years now and they are super fab!

 

[rubbershoes]

i used to cycle clapham to farringdon and then sometimes when i changed jobs clapham to whitechapel. 25 mins to the city (on knobbly tyres) and 30 mins to whitechapel (on slicks)

when the tour de france was on channel 4 at 6pm, i'd leave whitechapel at 5.30 and try to get home forit. hard going .


i can't cycle to work now as there's no shower at or near work and i live on a big big hill

 

[nick]

Kanda
From Holmewood gardens
go to the north side and through the estate.
Left by the green London onto Upper Tulse Hill.
Then right at the end onto Brixton Hill

On the way home turn left onto somers road, right at the end of that and then back onto upper Tulse Hill

Welcome to Holmewood Gardens - I've been there about 5 years and it'sd a good place

n

 

[Kanda]

Cheers for that Nick and for the welcome.

Hoping Brixton Hill isn't as hard to get up as Archway...

 

[nick]

The hill hurts, but knowing that you only need to push hard until Somers road helps.
This means that you can maintain some dignity in public before turning off and collapsing on your handlebars as a gibbering breathless wreck.

 

[Kanda]

I've been walking the last 20% of Archway hill

 

[roryer]

I moved to Croydon a month or two back and have almost stopped cycling to work, I work near Kensington Olympia. I have cycled home once, it took me over an hour, but I did go on a circuitous route via Putney and Brixton as I had some people to see.

It takes me almost 50 mins by train so I don't mind the distance, even up and over the hill, as it keeps me fit.
The reason I don't cycle anymore is simply down to the pollution and traffic, I can handle anything up to 45 mins each way through heavy traffic but over that and I just get tired of concentrating and begin to feel overcome with soot.
What we need are cycle express ways of car free routes which have rights of way running into London from each and every direction, and a series of cycle ring roads also carfree.

Looking at the network of overland rail routes into London, there seems to be plenty of unused land on the sidings, surely we could borrow a meter or two on each side of most rail tracks to convert into cycleways, naturally bridges and tunnels would have either reduced space for cycles, upgraded to fit cycles or avoided with an alternative route.

 

[Termite Man]

25 minutes each way . Today is my 7th day of riding and I'm hoping with improved fitness I'll be making about 15-20 minutes . My old bus ride took 40 minutes and I take the same route on my bike

 

[ChrisFilter]

Looking at the network of overland rail routes into London, there seems to be plenty of unused land on the sidings, surely we could borrow a meter or two on each side of most rail tracks to convert into cycleways, naturally bridges and tunnels would have either reduced space for cycles, upgraded to fit cycles or avoided with an alternative route.

I always think this when I get the train to work. The cycle would take 15 mins then, would be ideal!