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Thread: Commuting with a bike

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    Senior Member kopite's Avatar
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    Commuting with a bike

    Hey people,

    I start a new job in the new year and Instead of driving in i`m looking at biking/training it.

    My road bike probably isnt going to be the best thing to do this on as it would mean carrying a change of shoes as well as clothes so I was looking at getting a new bike for the purpose.

    I was looking at Folding bikes but worry that for the money I have (2-300) I`m gonna get a pretty crappy one.

    I was thinking of a cheap mountain/Hybrid bikes but thought I'd open it up and ask here for advice

    What do you guys think?
    Are foldable bikes any good?

  2. #2
    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Check your train company's restrictions. Where I am for example, you cannot take non-foldable bikes on any peak time trains. Which I think is a horrible thing to mandate, but FCC do. So if you commute via FCC the only choice is a foldable.

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    Bah Humbug. Dooms's Avatar
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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Hmmm depends on the workplace, I cycle 10 miles each way on my commute and get around alot of the problems by using facilities at work.

    Lockers & Showers at work means I leave my work shoes at work and then Monday morning cycle in with bigger bag containing my weeks worth of work clothes. Don't need a large bag for the rest of the week until Friday on the way home.

    Rollout of bed in the morning, cycle to work, shower, get dressed, work, cycle home and repeat

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    Senior Member kopite's Avatar
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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    My New job is 30 miles away so i`m gonna need to get a train for part of the way.

    Checking the Website for the train company there are no rules against full size bikes on the train.

    I`m gonna have to ask about locker space. I know there are Showers at work but I dont know about lockers.

    It`ll be about 3-4 miles to the station on one end then 2-3 the other so i`m not expecting to get too sweat as to need a shower

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    Bah Humbug. Dooms's Avatar
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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Quote Originally Posted by kopite View Post
    It`ll be about 3-4 miles to the station on one end then 2-3 the other so i`m not expecting to get too sweat as to need a shower
    My journey isn't so much about sweat but rain & mud... a good 70% of my journey is an dirt path on a old railway track running through a forest that seems to never dry up

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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    You should check in case where ever you're working for has a cycle to work program the place my friend works at (computer department of a NHS hospital) does and they bought his bike for him.

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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Or if you are an contractor you can claim 20p per mile for cycling

    http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/travel.htm

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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Quote Originally Posted by kopite View Post
    Checking the Website for the train company there are no rules against full size bikes on the train
    But do you know if there will be the physical room for a full size bike jammed packed within the crush of everyone else?

    On a train into Liverpool Street I saw a guy lose his temper and pulled a bike out on to the platform and got on, unbeknown to it's owner.

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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Quote Originally Posted by TheDutyPaid View Post
    But do you know if there will be the physical room for a full size bike jammed packed within the crush of everyone else?
    Yeah, this is going to be an issue regardless of restrictions. How many dedicated bike spaces are there on the trains?

    Second hand folding bike could be a good option, not something to buy blind on fleabay though.

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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    These folding bikes are very neat these days, they will go straight into a zip type bag once folded down, ideal for bus or train.

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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    I have Brompton that I picked up when I changed jobs, used it as part of a bus and bike commute. Great fun when you catch an unaware lycra clad roadie, haul ass past them with a casual "morning" and wave.

    Good folders are fantastic bits of engineering, bad ones can be a nightmare. I still ride the Brompton out and about, and when you get the fit right they are very comfy, they are even used for touring. Brompton is one end of the market but there are good cheaper folders out there, do a bit of research or go used like I did.

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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    30 miles isn't so much ;-) I probably would commute that if I had a shower at work.

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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Quote Originally Posted by BradIey View Post
    You should check in case where ever you're working for has a cycle to work program the place my friend works at (computer department of a NHS hospital) does and they bought his bike for him.
    I expect he did - after all, this thread was started over six months ago!
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    Senior Member kopite's Avatar
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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Yeah bit of a necro post-athon going on here

    I ended up not taking the job that was 30 miles away as I got offered a job for more money closer to home(albeit doing something I didnt want to) I have since left that job and am working in chester doing what I have always wnated to and getting paid well for it THey even have a shower and a bike rack (Well a metal bar on the wall ) I am going to start riding in a bit over summer and get my fitness up

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    Not a good person scaryjim's Avatar
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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Quote Originally Posted by kopite View Post
    Yeah bit of a necro post-athon going on here
    Yeah, I spotted the first necro post on it, was tempted to just moosh it back down, but then an interesting convo started so I decided to leave it

    Quote Originally Posted by kopite View Post
    I ended up not taking the job that was 30 miles away as I got offered a job for more money closer to home(albeit doing something I didnt want to) I have since left that job and am working in chester doing what I have always wnated to and getting paid well for it THey even have a shower and a bike rack (Well a metal bar on the wall ) I am going to start riding in a bit over summer and get my fitness up
    Liverpool to Chester? That's a fair old commute! What bike are you riding for it?

    I have to say that, having looked at folding bikes extensively recently, I've come to the opinion that the only folding bike I'd ever get to do a mixed mode commute is a Brompton. Nothing else really gets close to it in terms of folded size, and that's going to be key if you're lugging it on and off buses and trains. I picked up a 20" wheel foldy with rear suspension (relatively cheap on ebay ), and while it's surprisingly nice to ride for a foldy, it's quite heavy and still pretty big when folded down. It'd be OK for shoving in the boot of an estate car if you wanted to take your own bike on holiday, but for regular commuting it'd be a complete no-go IMNSHO.

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    Re: Commuting with a bike

    Quote Originally Posted by scaryjim View Post
    I've come to the opinion that the only folding bike I'd ever get to do a mixed mode commute is a Brompton.
    Yeah I've come to the same conclusion. At the moment I do my commute fully on bike so don't need the foldy but if I ever did a bus/train > Bike commute again I would have to look into it... They are just so expensive tho

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