Hi everyone,

Im thinking about starting to ride a bike to work. my place of work is 15 miles away.
im looking to get fit and also save £5-6 of fuel a day.

Im looking for someone to give me some helpful tips.....

1) what sort of bike would you recommend for riding on b roads and where is the best place to buy??

2) am i plain crazy to attampt this safety wise,, my family think i am???

3) could i do it all year round or would it be too dangerous???

I would appreicate any.. ANY helpful tips


thanks again

dave:)

Hi everyone,

Im thinking about starting to ride a bike to work. my place of work is 15 miles away.
im looking to get fit and also save £5-6 of fuel a day.

Im looking for someone to give me some helpful tips.....

1) what sort of bike would you recommend for riding on b roads and where is the best place to buy??

2) am i plain crazy to attampt this safety wise,, my family think i am???

3) could i do it all year round or would it be too dangerous???

I would appreicate any.. ANY helpful tips


thanks again

dave

I am no world beater on a bike but seems a long way to me. The safety should not be a problem if you take the right care and don't ride like some Tw^^^ do. Do you have a shower at work? You'll need one. I was told by a friend that if I didn't have loads of money for a bike then buying the best you can afford from Decathlon would always see you right.

I'd recommend you got a mountain bike - possibly with front suspension depending on the state of the roads. They're that bit more robust and the tyres are less likely to pick up a puncture. You can pick up a decent 2nd hand one off here for next to nothing.

No you're not crazy, it's a great way to stay in trim.

I find that when it's dark and wet, There's too much distracting drivers and they don't notice me whatever lights or Hi vis I use. So I don't cycle in to work from Nov to Feb, but it's dependent on the journey you have.

Hi everyone,

Im thinking about starting to ride a bike to work. my place of work is 15 miles away.
im looking to get fit and also save £5-6 of fuel a day.

Im looking for someone to give me some helpful tips.....

1) what sort of bike would you recommend for riding on b roads and where is the best place to buy??

2) am i plain crazy to attampt this safety wise,, my family think i am???

3) could i do it all year round or would it be too dangerous???

I would appreicate any.. ANY helpful tips


thanks again

dave

2 choices really when it comes to a bike.

1 - get a mountain bike and stick a set of slick tyres on it

2- get a hybrid bike, which is a mounatin bike frame but with race bike size wheels ( although wheels are usually a tad fatter then full race bike wheels )

Place to buy try either J E James or Decathlon

Safety wise, sure theres a little danger cycling on sheffield roads, but ive cycled to work for the last 7 years and only had one real major crash and that was when some old guy walked out in front of me, although ive had a few near misses with idiot car drivers.

Sure you can cycle all year round but really it all depends on if you want to be cycling on cold dark winter mornings & nights.

15 miles may not be too far, but it all depends on the route that you take. Is that 15 miles on main road that you will share with buses and trucks, trying to navigate round big roundabouts at peak hours? Is it from one side of a really big hill to the other by going over the top? That matters in Sheffield!

If the terrain isn't too bad and you can find a way that takes in cycle paths for at least some of the way and avoiding the really bad traffic issues for another part of the way then I'd consider it (in your position- obviously I couldn't do it in real life because my disabilities would stop me these days).

If in any doubt I'd be sure that you could do at least 20 miles on a bike in the gym without dying afterwards before I'd try it for real though- road riding is always more hard work, especially bearing in mind that you are likely to be carrying your things for work either in a back pack or paniers with you as extra weight.

EDIT- before you consider it it's also worth finding somewhere that you can change and have at least a private wash but preferably a shower when you get there. If you can't find anywhere to wash you could spend the day feeling really sweaty and uncomfortable.

Thanks very much for your advise.

its helped me a lot

dave

Go for it!! borrow a bike and see for the first few times, my husband did it for three days and gave up! down hill on the way and up hill on the way back. I think its great that you are even thinking about it, please promise to wear a helmet.....

Hi everyone,

Im thinking about starting to ride a bike to work. my place of work is 15 miles away.
im looking to get fit and also save £5-6 of fuel a day.

Im looking for someone to give me some helpful tips.....

1) what sort of bike would you recommend for riding on b roads and where is the best place to buy??

2) am i plain crazy to attampt this safety wise,, my family think i am???

3) could i do it all year round or would it be too dangerous???

I would appreicate any.. ANY helpful tips


thanks again

dave

1. what he said

2. not really. just wear plenty of reflective stuff, be aware of everything, and dont ride right in the gutter

3. should be ok, but b roads in winter will be wet and/or icy, and use lights (i used to use 2 halogen front lights and 2 flashing rear lights when i lived out in the sticks)

also, bear in mind that it'll take about an hour to cycle that distance to begin with.

but, do it, you'll love it! and, have fun and take care

I say do it. It the long run you'll save yourself money and improve your fitness.

However 15 miles is a long way for a novice, especially in Sheffield. It might be worth driving the first 10 miles and then riding the last 5 for the first few weeks. Then as your fitness gradually improves you can start parking further and further away. Also get out on a weekend and find the routes that will best suit you.

I would recommend a mountain bike with slicks or a hybrid. You don't want to spend a heap and then give up but likewise I don't recommend buying something very cheap that'll start going wrong after a few weeks. Try JE James, Decathlon or Halfords. Each have different options and pros & cons. Halfords do the bike to work scheme so if your employer does this, it's an option worth considering. JE James may it is as well.

You can do it all year round but just make sure you have the right equipment. For winter you'll need decent lights and high viz clothing that'll keep you warm and dry. You'll also need some basic tools and a spare tube or two, helmet, lock, water bottles etc. Initial outlay can be quite a bit but it's worth it in the long run.

If your not confident riding on roads or doing basic bike maintenance, it may be worth taking a course on these.

get a good helmet and a bag with a 'bladder' so that you can drink as you go. Put a puncture kit in your bag too.

Good luck, wish I could cycle to work, but its 30 miles for me each way, which is way beyond my capability.

Hi

I used to ride to work everyday and I really enjoy it. I am just about to start again myself. It will kill you for the first couple of weeks if your not used to the miles but once your body gets used to it then you will enjoy it and save money. I always carry contact details in case some careless driver knocks you off. I think you should go for it I have been riding bike since I was a young lad and love it. As for all year round going to and from work I would say yes apart from when its snowing and full of ice. But having said that if you dont like getting cold and wet then I dont think winter riding is a good idea. I would let one of your family know your route to and from work and stick to that route then if you do have any problems they know where to find you. Anyway if you have anymore question then please pm me.

I bought a mountain bike in 1999. It was a Specialized Rockhopper and cost £500 (you can get a bike as good for £300 nowadays). I wanted it for 'proper' mountain biking but also to commute to work, a distance (the route I took) of 8-9 miles.

To begin with, I just couldn't do it every day. It was too much, and bear in mind I was following a canal towpath much of the way, which was pretty flat! I got terribly saddle-sore; bruised like I'd been kicked up the arse, and had to ride alternate days, or ride to work one day, bus home, then bus back in next day and ride home. I also sweat a lot anyway, but being unfit, I was drenched before I'd gone 5 minutes.

A combination of that, and going out for recreational rides, got me fitter, until one week, I managed to ride every day of the week. From then on, there was no looking back, and I rarely had to bus it anymore.

On moving to Sheffield, I commuted to work, which is far shorter than my Leeds commute, but very hilly. Being fit though, I don't find the hills a problem.

The problems stem from drivers; they are mostly OK, but some fail to see you, and others see you and want to kill you, so you'll get the odd one who'll deliberately block your path, cut you up etc. You just learn to read them though, just like a parent spotting an oncoming tantrum in a toddler, you watch for the Audis and beemers and get ready for aggression.

Oh, and ride 'assertively'. Don't ride in the gutter and don't let cars intimidate you. Stay about 2-3 feet from the kerb, and at junctions, go to the front of the queue of traffic and either place yourself in front of the lead car, or to the side but slightly ahead, so the drivers can see you. As a rule, don't give way to cars unless the road demands it, as it takes physical effort for you to get going once stopped, whereas a twitch of a foot is all it takes for a driver. Plus, if you do give way, you'll rarely get a wave of thanks. As long as you're confident they've seen you, let them give way to you!

Always look back before making any sort of maneouvre, and signal if you can do so safely. All that matters is that drivers can see you, and that they can tell what you are doing, and what you intend to do. Don't worry about what they think, or that you might be making them slow down. Nobody has run into me in nearly 10 years of riding, apart from once, when a woman came out of a side road and hit me without seeing me.

If I know drivers have seen me, then I know they won't hit me, whatever I do, even if they don't like what I do. They don't want to hurt me after all, and they don't want to damage their car either. So when pulling out at a junction, and there's cars coming, but some distance away, it doesn't matter if they have to slow down a bit, so long as there's space for it. Otherwise, at some junctions, you can be there all day waiting for a big gap in the traffic. Similarly, in multi-lane roundabouts or roads, you should get in the correct lane and ride in the middle of the lane, otherwise you'll have some car drivers squeezing past you, possibly clipping you or forcing you sideways. It happens, so remember, be confident, be assertive, and signal your intentions!

In terms of safety and the points about cycling in heavy traffic I'd recommend having a look at Pedal Ready. They offer free adult cycle training for all levels, funded by the city council and intended to encourage people to cycle to work

See this website (http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/cycling-and-walking-and-prow/cycling/cycle-training) for more info