I cycled to work.

[FrenchTart]

I have it and I found it worth it when I had a crash. Sometimes it can be very hard to get the driver to admit responsibility and short of recording your rides (which I don't do but I absolutely intend to start doing at some point) you're relying on luck in those situations.

I use Cycleguard and it was fairly hassle-free when I claimed a couple of years back. On my older ~£1000 bike it was about £10 per month iirc. Not the cheapest around I imagine.

Alternatively you can get very cheap public liability insurance and legal advice by joining British Cycling. You can also get 10% off one order per month at CRC, which is pretty awesome. I'm a member of BC as well as having insurance personally.

 

[Vern1961]

Used the bike the last couple of days (12 hour shifts this week so about the only exercise I get). Decided to use the car today only to arrive and find the usual staff car park closed off for repairs - no advice, cheers. Had to pay £4.00 for public car parking.

Epic fail = me!

 

[Liquid_Entity]

I haven't been on bike since Monday. Yesterday was meant to travel to Cardiff for a work meeting so took the car but it got cancelled and today I have to pick up lots of heavy stuff from Asda to take home so have the car again.

 

[Diddums]

@Diddums, did you get back on yesterday/today? - Fight through the pain!

Sadly not, I'm hoping to get back on tomorrow, but I'm seriously knackered at the moment.

To give you an idea, by Friday I will have worked 132 hours in 9 days, many of which are night shifts. I'm a bit dead atm


Well done on yours though, the burn is great isn't it?

 

[James07]

I started around a year ago, whilst a smoker, obesely overweight with an extremely bad diet.

I've now been smoke free a year, I've done 1800 miles and I have a mtb and a road bike, I also weigh 15kg less than when I started and feel physically fit and healthy!

I genuinely believe it's the hardest thing I've done but it's by far the most rewarding!

My original route was 5.6 miles there and the same back, climbing 950ft in that distance, I started on a dual sus mtb that wasn't made for commuting and I kept wrecking parts so bought the above bikes.

I know your pain with the bottom! I were the same, I rode two to three times a week and sometimes not even that, i eventually started riding more and longer and now I've moved I don't have a choice but to ride a minimum of 10 miles as that's the shortest route, I've been known to do a 24 mile ride to work, although I usually take a 16 mile route and a 10 mile route, it feels great to see the difference in my speeds and my body and that makes it worth it!

I too ride to work, work 6pm to 6am and ride home..

The week before last I climbed around 7500ft-7700ft in 120 miles which was the most climbing I'd done and the first time I'd commuted to and from without using the car or train since I'd moved house.

I prefer getting to work on the bike. It's a lot of fun and quicker through the traffic hit areas.

I've started to learn bike maintenance too which is great and I've saved so much money not driving. I commute to the train station 7 miles away and from the other startion to my house which is 3 miles when it's really bad weather, I still get 10 miles in and I get a couple of sprints in!

My first target was to get from work to home before my bus, took a couple of weeks but managed it, months later on the road bike I could get home a further way and still beat the bus, although now I've moved I avoid that route haha!

I use Strava challenges to set my monthly goals an so far I've aimed for the clouds and fallen just short due to fitness, this month I'm falling short due to illness which has angered me to no end haha, next month I'm going to smash it!

My year long goal is to do a 100 mile bike ride!

Keep it up, it's so worth it!

 

[DaleTheWhale]

Sadly not, I'm hoping to get back on tomorrow, but I'm seriously knackered at the moment.

To give you an idea, by Friday I will have worked 132 hours in 9 days, many of which are night shifts. I'm a bit dead atm


Well done on yours though, the burn is great isn't it?

No idea how you managed to do so many hours! No wonder your knackered.
Hopefully you can get back in the saddle to keep the momentum going!

The burn is good, was tough this morning but had a great cycle back minus the traffic and hail, felt good. I can see strava segments being an obsession at some point.

 

[DaleTheWhale]

James thats a huge amount of climbing, my legs would have no chance of climbing 500ft more! I'm amazed, 80ft is tough enough at times!

 

[londonbairn]

I've started to learn bike maintenance too which is great and I've saved so much money not driving.

This is very essential as a commuter! I spent a small fortune on decent tools and I definitely see the return. I do everything myself, only thing I need to learn is installing a headset which I will do soon when I get a chance.

Had to replace my bottom bracket (well I could have cleaned the old one, but they're £11 each for a Ultegra 6800 OEM one so easier just to buy a new one!) at the weekend.

 

[James07]

This is very essential as a commuter! I spent a small fortune on decent tools and I definitely see the return. I do everything myself, only thing I need to learn is installing a headset which I will do soon when I get a chance.

Had to replace my bottom bracket (well I could have cleaned the old one, but they're £11 each for a Ultegra 6800 OEM one so easier just to buy a new one!) at the weekend.

For that price you're better buying new than trying to refit old parts that are worn.

I prefer to replace parts than try service them if they're cheap, it's worth it in the long run!

 

[savagesam117]

For that price you're better buying new than trying to refit old parts that are worn.

I prefer to replace parts than try service them if they're cheap, it's worth it in the long run!

+1

The odd occasion I service my own bike I just replace parts, I can't be bothered to service them. When you service other people's day in day out, your own bike just becomes neglected

 

[James07]

+1

The odd occasion I service my own bike I just replace parts, I can't be bothered to service them. When you service other people's day in day out, your own bike just becomes neglected

If it's a simple spray and clean I'll do that, if its something that will take stupid time for little gain then it'll just get replaced lol.

 

[savagesam117]

If it's a simple spray and clean I'll do that, if its something that will take stupid time for little gain then it'll just get replaced lol.

I'm too lazy to even clean my chain, I just replace it, they only cost me a few quid!

Although, I do recommend to anyone, learn how to fix your bike, Bike shops overcharge massively. It's really simple too.

 

[JeffyB]

I started around a year ago, whilst a smoker, obesely overweight with an extremely bad diet.

I've now been smoke free a year, I've done 1800 miles and I have a mtb and a road bike, I also weigh 15kg less than when I started and feel physically fit and healthy!

I genuinely believe it's the hardest thing I've done but it's by far the most rewarding!

My original route was 5.6 miles there and the same back, climbing 950ft in that distance, I started on a dual sus mtb that wasn't made for commuting and I kept wrecking parts so bought the above bikes.

I know your pain with the bottom! I were the same, I rode two to three times a week and sometimes not even that, i eventually started riding more and longer and now I've moved I don't have a choice but to ride a minimum of 10 miles as that's the shortest route, I've been known to do a 24 mile ride to work, although I usually take a 16 mile route and a 10 mile route, it feels great to see the difference in my speeds and my body and that makes it worth it!

I too ride to work, work 6pm to 6am and ride home..

The week before last I climbed around 7500ft-7700ft in 120 miles which was the most climbing I'd done and the first time I'd commuted to and from without using the car or train since I'd moved house.

I prefer getting to work on the bike. It's a lot of fun and quicker through the traffic hit areas.

I've started to learn bike maintenance too which is great and I've saved so much money not driving. I commute to the train station 7 miles away and from the other startion to my house which is 3 miles when it's really bad weather, I still get 10 miles in and I get a couple of sprints in!

My first target was to get from work to home before my bus, took a couple of weeks but managed it, months later on the road bike I could get home a further way and still beat the bus, although now I've moved I avoid that route haha!

I use Strava challenges to set my monthly goals an so far I've aimed for the clouds and fallen just short due to fitness, this month I'm falling short due to illness which has angered me to no end haha, next month I'm going to smash it!

My year long goal is to do a 100 mile bike ride!

Keep it up, it's so worth it!

Couldn't agree more and am setting myself similar challenges. I've lost 11kg since the new year, 4 kg of which since I started riding again 3 weeks ago. Just keep at it and remember the 3 best pieces of advice, keep cycling, keep cycling and um keep cycling

 

[tom_nieto]

Very impressive that you're cycling after nights. I tend to treat myself to the car when I'm working long days or nights. Will be able to get back to my goal of 100 miles a week next week after these shifts are over! Keep at it, it's made me feel loads better cycling to work and I plan to continue for as long as possible!

 

[JeffyB]

I'm too lazy to even clean my chain, I just replace it, they only cost me a few quid!

Although, I do recommend to anyone, learn how to fix your bike, Bike shops overcharge massively. It's really simple too.

Always enjoyed the technicalities of things and it's carried through to my bike, chain care is pretty simple and makes for silky smooth shifting. SRAM have some great videos on youtube to help with setup and i'm fine with general derailleur stuff but i've yet to master the finer points of yaw adjustment on my reds.

 

[Diddums]

Another day not up to it


I just need this damn week over and done with. I was meant to have 6 days off but I've already been roped in to work 3 of them, but I've refused to work Sat & Sun. The only other day I've got off for the foreseeable future is Wednesday, Thursday I go back on to nights. I prefer cycling after a night shift tbh. All the traffic and hustle & bustle is going in the opposite direction so I can just cruise home at a leisurely pace with no problem. Plus it's lovely to cycle through bits of park with nobody there with the early morning fresh air and the sun just up. It's really refreshing.

One more day, then hopefulyl I'll have some semblance of normality again and can continue cycling. I shall not give this up!

 

[James07]

Another day not up to it


I just need this damn week over and done with. I was meant to have 6 days off but I've already been roped in to work 3 of them, but I've refused to work Sat & Sun. The only other day I've got off for the foreseeable future is Wednesday, Thursday I go back on to nights. I prefer cycling after a night shift tbh. All the traffic and hustle & bustle is going in the opposite direction so I can just cruise home at a leisurely pace with no problem. Plus it's lovely to cycle through bits of park with nobody there with the early morning fresh air and the sun just up. It's really refreshing.

One more day, then hopefulyl I'll have some semblance of normality again and can continue cycling. I shall not give this up!

I prefer my morning commute home, I finish at 6, on the road 5-10 mins later and its beaut!

Low traffic, morons still but less to deal with! So much nicer than on an evening! If I could have the afternoon heat and morning traffic id be happy!

Cycling will happen you just have to find time and keep motivated, eventually you'll far prefer it! I hate driving to work!

 

[londonbairn]

For that price you're better buying new than trying to refit old parts that are worn.

I prefer to replace parts than try service them if they're cheap, it's worth it in the long run!

That's exactly what I am saying. I never clean BBs and just replace them as they are so cheap.

For chains I do use a chain cleaner with citrus, and replace often (105 cassette and KMC X10 is cheap)

Only parts I will clean is the derauiller (every six months I will dismantle the rear to properly clean the cogs) though probably time to change my front as the limit screws are a bit worn!

It's amazing the difference a new BB has

 

[savagesam117]

Always enjoyed the technicalities of things and it's carried through to my bike, chain care is pretty simple and makes for silky smooth shifting. SRAM have some great videos on youtube to help with setup and i'm fine with general derailleur stuff but i've yet to master the finer points of yaw adjustment on my reds.

Yeah I know, I love them for brake bleeds. I always forget how to bleed avid brakes so at work just bring up YouTube and follow the steps

Yaw adjustment? The stop screws? H-L? They are super easy, once set up never need touching

 

[thedoc46]

I used to cycle to work, when I lived in the UK... From Surrey into the city.. Loved it.. 25miles round trip.. Sometimes the missus (ah the days before kids) would cycle up and meet me on a Fri afternoon, and we'd hit the river pubs, have a few and cycle back a bit tipsy.

Loved it..