Cycled to work today, left home at about 8.20 so prime rush hour around here and it's about 4.5 miles. Spotted a blue 20vt (not a forum user I think as I have seen it around plenty of times and ver had a response to my "spotted" posts) about 5 minutes or so from home or the main road...I ride up the main road and then cut up a side street and down into a local village and then wiggle around and go through a park, takes about another 5 minutes I reckon...I again spot said coupe as I go into the park

I ride through the park, up a bit, along a bit, down a hill and I drop down onto the main road...come up to the next lights and I see said coupe again stuck in traffic at the lights (probably another 7 minutes) I reckon the actual distance is about the same...

I think, right gonna beat you So I ride along the main road, lots of queued traffic and me outrunning the barely moving cars the cars (note I do not weave in and out, always go between the queued cars and the pavement, using cycle lanes if there is one)... get to Epsom town centre in about another 6 minutes and no sign of the coupe (have seen in Epsom before so must work in or around here)

So, Vickster on push bike 1 - Coupe 20vt 0 (note as those who know me will attest that I am no Lance Armstrong )...or should that be Vickster 1-cra*py rush hour, school run traffic in Surrey 0

Plan to cycle as much as possible during the summer (although it will be slower come mid July when the schools break up)

LOL well done , should be in the Coupé vs section
Mind the roads !!

I used to love riding my bike into work when it was the summer.It was about 4.5 miles & mostly downhill.
Coming home (mostly uphill) was knackering,so i'd get my dad to collect me from work .

My trip is probably more uphill on the way there, the first 10 minutes pretty much are which is a bit of a killer

There is a steep hill after the park that I go down, on the way home I have to get off and push as I can't get up it I do feel a bit more awake in the mornings at work if I've cycled and it's a lot less stressful

The biggest hill for me was just outside my village on the way home. It felt like climbing Everest after a hard day, you would see a few others get off & push. Which was good really as they all chat to each other on the way up.

My commute is a 30 mile round trip. I have cycled it faster than the coop can drive it on an average day and more often than not I'm within 5 minutes of the average coop time.

There is not a huge amount of traffic, three sets of lights and 5 roundabouts. You'de be amased though how much time one set of lights can eat up for a driver.

It's when a headwind kicks in that the times drop dramatically. It's on those rides home that I question my sanity for cycling when I could be driving home in the coolest car in the world.

Well done Vickster, I'm envious of the fact you have the option to cycle to work. I like cycling but live too far.

You'll be surprised at how your fitness level should improve as you cycle more, and I reckon after a week or 2 you might find yourself able to cycle up that steep hill instead of pushing.

PS Hope you wear a helmet!

I used to commute from SW London to East London (About 11 miles). On average door to door during rush hour, times as follows:

Car - 1Hr
Tube - 50 mins
Bike - 38 mins

A bike around London is always a winner, but you always fear that it won't be there when you get back to where you left it.

I used to have a car like that

Yep and mitts, and fluorescent things in the dark and I have lights...and I'm pretty law abiding too

Secure underground parking

4.5 miles?

You should be running it, not cycling....

Either way, deffo not in a car.

Absolutely. My journey to work is 10 miles each way. It's:
50mins (minimum) door to door by pub trans/walking
40mins (minimum) door to door by car and
45mins door to door by bike.
1hr15/1hr20 on foot.

Like vickster I have secure parking, and yes full flourescance is a must. There are some idiots though, who come blaxzing down a dual carriage (i.e. busy) road, in rush hour, wearing no high-viz, no helmet, and to put the icing on the cake listening to their headphones so they can not hear a damn thing. They must be, quite literally, mental!!!

Kenno, you must really nail it to do 11 miles in 38 mins (although my 10 miles does inlcude a very large hill).

11 miles each way for me. Including changing and showering it takes 50mins. Only takes 25 in the car but then i would need to go to the gym for an hour And I don't wear a useless expensive polystyrene cup on my head

I do NOT run!! Oh and we have no showers, could not get away with it if I ran !!

Bockers is more of a pro cyclist than me, I've only had a bike again for 9 months and didn't use it for 6 of those

4.5 miles on a bike and no shower?

Yuk.

Soap-dodger......!

London is pretty flat and I catch a draft from buses whenever i can. Oh and having a carbon road bike does help.

Useless polystyrene cup!! I've got my lid to thank for not having to visit A&E.. twice.

Not at Sainsburys local... yet

Nice. I have a folder (full size MTB not a birdy) based on a Dahon Matrix frameset. It's quick and nimble with good shocks, but its not a hardcore road machine which makes a big difference on the speed stakes.

I've always found the harsher, more bent forward ride you get from a road bike coupled with the narrow saddles gives me ball ache.

Good on ya Vickster, show that coupe whos boss

Ive been riding to and from the station for about 5 weeks and apart from my first bike being stolen its about the fastest method of getting to the station (not including a lift from the wife (5-10 mins)

Cycle 15 mins
Walk and Bus 25-30 mins
Walk 40-45 mins

I also find it quite a nice stress reducer

hmmm I might just dig my bike out of the garage where it's sat for the last five years. Not for commuting though as it's 15 miles each way with an 8:00 clock start



any pics of the bit where you wiggle through the park



1 hr 15 for walking is that right. Sounds a bit quick to me, but I've never tried it. You could walk the London Marathon and beat half the runners

I shower before I leave home, I take fresh clothes and deodorant with me...remember we women glow, or at the worst perspire...we don't sweat No-one has complained yet

But how do you know

When I was working in Holborn Circus and communting 25 miles (only twice a week mind) the average journey speed went up as soon as i have passed Hammersmith, from there to Holborn you are going faster or as fast as a car.

I also find Central London safer to cycle in than the lanes of Surrey where cars are squeazing by at great speed. London cycling is very exilerating too

No, that's running!!! works out to a 1hr40 half marathon and a 3hr40 marathon.

you can't be sat on it correctly.. or you have big kahuna's!! LOL.

I'm glad to say that I've no frame of reference on the kahunas question.

I've always thought that the saddle angle must be a contributory factor. I assume a downward slant (towards the front wheel) is better? Is there anything else? If that's ruled out I'd have to conclude its down to overly large (or overly sensitive) kahunas!!!

I could cycle to work but getting back up the stairs at the end of the day is a pain.

I cycled up it tonight, quite slowly and in a rather low gear and I was panting and my legs were hurting when I made it to the top, but yay

About the only thing I swap my coupe for is the bike. Get to work awake, no fuel costs and no need to go to gym. My ride is only 15 minutes and would be longer by car. Bonus is want to drive the coupe all weekend

Admittedly they're not much use if you're going to get run over by a lorry, but one of those 'useless expensive polystyrene cups' saved my mates life. Sometimes i dont wear my pads or gloves but i ALWAYS wear a helmet, even if i'm just riding to the shop. Drain covers are a lot harder than my skull (i found that one out when i was 3, and i still have the scare to prove it)

Good effort on the cycling though Vickster, you'll be flying up that hill in no time.