I'm mostly over it now... (commute this morning)

[capt_birdseye]

I used to cycle to work from ED to London bridge (probably over a period of a year and a half) and must say I used to dread it every morning and evening. Yes there are clear benefits but there are plenty of negatives too.

- Putting up with dangerous drivers and bendy buses

- Fumes

- Humiliation of being constantly overtaken by mature and or vastly overweight people on exceedingly cheaper bikes than your own

- Getting to work feeling thoroughly knackered and sweaty

- Getting home feeling thoroughly knackered and sweaty

- The hassle factor of having to get showered at both ends of the journey (or opting to stay stinky of an evening)

- Fixing punctures on the Walworth Road

- Leaving key items of clothing at home... How I smiled as I stepped out of the work shower only to realise I had forgotten to pack my trousers. Do you then sit at your desk in smelly shorts all day or do you get straight out to buy some new ones?

It's all very noble cycling and if your idea of fun is spending half the morning on a bus then that's great too, but give me the train any day. Sometimes it's late/cancelled but not as often as many would have you believe, and when it does run on time there's no quicker way into London Bridge (and if anyone says cycling is quicker, then they clearly aren't stopping at red lights).

[nutty]

No quicker way into London Bridge - read back - the motorbike option trumps all for speed.... Now if only Westminster hadn't taken away my free parking...

[AcedOut]

Vespa's rule!

[capt_birdseye]

Fair point nutty. A helicopter would also be quicker, but again the issue of parking rears it's head.

Oh yeah and I forgot to mention Dog Kennel Hill, surely no cyclist likes to be at the bottom of that hill staring upwards first thing in the morning?

[Pierre]

no cyclist likes to be at the bottom of that hill staring upwards first thing in the morning?

Fair point, but once you're at the top you can more or less roll all the way down to Camberwell Green, jaywalking phone-talkers permitting.

And I agree with AcedOut - the quickest way on my old commute to Fulham was on Mrs. Pierre's Vespa. Public transport was anywhere up to about two hours, usually around 90 minutes; cycling took around 35 minutes; the Vespa took about 25 if the South Circ was clear.

: P

[Marmora Man]

Avoid DKH by going thru' Peckham to E&C and then to anyone of a number of bridges - Westminster, Blackfriars, Waterloo.

Agree it's the wind that's the main opponent - yesterday it was always a head wind - going in and out.

Keeping a suit, shoes and couple of spare shirts at the office is good practice - then taking a clean shirt and socks daily.

I admit there are days when I use the bus and enjoy the 40 minute journey with my book or the paper - but I'm on a make MM thinner campaign so its biking for the foreseeable future.

[Asset]

I quite like DKH, gets the old heart pumping and fair wakes you up, it's not too bad a hill, short and sharp. PLUS you get to cycle down it on the way home.

[capt_birdseye]

Yeah, but the incline on the way home starts way down Denmark Hill, so by the time you get to the top of Champion Hill you're fit to drop. Freewheeling down DKH can be pretty terrifying and not too good for your brakes either.

[jocelyn]

It's just when you go out after work and then think "oh crap I'm on my bike," then you have that horrible decision do you risk leaving your lovely bike tied up in central London over night or drink and bike.

I am doing about 2 days out of 5 biking at the moment - I'm not sure what it's going to be like in the winter. I fear the dark may scare me!