Author Topic: I never ride my bike (Read 5125 times)

Sergeant Pluck · « **on:** 11 December, 2012, 03:04:14 pm »

Or at least, hardly at all for the past 2 months

I've just been afflicted by some sort of fear as far as my commute goes. I guess it began with a flat move and not being familiar with the first part of my new commute. In addition, the new commute will only be 6 miles or so, so there is a part of me that feels that it is barely worth getting into the cycling togs for. Also, the new commute will be entirely urban, with no stretches that I can "get going" on, as there were previously.

But mostly, I think, it is because I have lost the will to fight my through the traffic. Each ride now is just a constant series of interactions or possible interactions during which I have to be constantly alert in order to avoid getting injured. At least my pre-move ride to work had a few nice stretches, or I could include a relatively pleasant stretch of the Thames path when I felt like it. I read "Rider down" on LFGSS too much. I see too much muppetry on the roads, as I observe from the footpath. Cycling is becoming a bit scary.

I've tried telling myself to MTFU. The bike is gathering dust. Advices for getting back on it? I miss the exercise badly, and the Oyster top-ups are hurting a bit.

clarion · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 December, 2012, 03:11:16 pm »

I know precisely what you mean, and it can take me a long while to get out on the commute.

It's one of the reasons I ride every day, so I ride every day (IYSWIM).

Notsototalnewbie · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 December, 2012, 03:22:22 pm »

I’ve been there, quite recently in fact. And my commute is only 2.5 miles (but does contain some of the junction on the TFL blacklist). Personally I consider anything above 5 miles worth changing for, so I don’t change, just pootle.

I just gave myself permission to get public transport for a while, until the combined pain of the Oyster top-ups/the sniffing-sneezing coughing/schoolkids playing music on their phones/crush/smell/waiting for a bus in the cold became worse my fear/can’t be bothered-ness. And then I started again, and it wasn’t as bad as I remembered, in fact it was enjoyable. Urban cycling is just a different kind of cycling, though yes I agree, you do need your ‘wits about you’ as my least-favourite mayor would say. That should get easier the more familiar you get with your route.

Good luck Pluck!

Snakehips · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 December, 2012, 03:24:50 pm »

Quote from: Sergeant Pluck on 11 December, 2012, 03:04:14 pm

Advices for getting back on it?

Would a target help ? http://training.bikeradar.com/group/view/161/12-rides-of-christmas-challenge

Kim · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 December, 2012, 03:25:28 pm »

There's a lot more to riding you bike than commuting. Maybe try some of the other stuff for a while and see what happens?

Speshact · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 December, 2012, 03:45:26 pm »

Where are you riding from and to?

loadsabikes · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 December, 2012, 03:49:45 pm »

Why not work out a couple of circular routes for the commute to lengthen it slightly.
Try to get into the habit of laughing at the idiots rather than getting cross, it makes the ride much more enjoyable for you and pisses off the motorists big style.

Charlotte · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 December, 2012, 03:51:27 pm »

We bought a car a little while ago; it's cold and dark in the mornings and Julian can drop me to work on her way to court...

You're not alone, Sarge.

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 December, 2012, 03:55:05 pm »

Quote from: Speshact on 11 December, 2012, 03:45:26 pm

Where are you riding from and to?

From the badlands of Chiswick, to the hell of... South Kensington

Yeah, I know

LEE · « **Reply #9 on:** 11 December, 2012, 04:01:58 pm »

Swap commuting for a nice ride at the weekends for a while. Get back on the bike for pleasure and see where it leads.

Domestique · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 December, 2012, 04:10:11 pm »

I still use a bike for commuting, its the other riding thats stopped for me. Like you I just seem to see, and be involved in more and more incidents. At least thats how it feels $:-\$
For the past three months we have been building up our 20 minute jog into an hour long one. At the moment I am finding I get more mental/physical satisfaction from that than I have from riding a bike for a long time.
Maybe when the weather gets a bit better etc ...... $:-\$

Perky · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 December, 2012, 04:11:12 pm »

I had similar when a white van cut the wrong side of a bollard at a t-junction and I had to swerve at the last second to avoid a 20mph head on collision. Everything went slo-mo, my brain (seeking a rational explanation for my imminent demise) was trying to work out how I'd wandered onto the wrong side of the road, which I hadn't, before engaging arms and hands to steer and brake my way out of the clutches of death. I thought this is it I'm a gonna. Shook me up so much I avoided the junction for a few weeks.

My solution was simply to take a different route. My journey went from a direct 2 miles to a round the houses 4 miles. Took me all over the place. Discovered a bunch of local cut-throughs and paths I didn't know about, and I found a nice cycle way that is mostly very pleasant. Even took to dawdling over the common by the river to watch the insects and birds in the summer.

So I recommend a longer route. Fire up Google Maps in satellite view and Bing maps in Bird's Eye view and start ferreting about for a more amenable route.

Pancho · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 December, 2012, 05:28:53 pm »

Been there. In spades. I haven't commuted day-in, day-out for years. For me it was a combination of waking up in hospital once and also, simply, being ground down by the constant alertness that a busy urban DC A road commute requires. Too many near misses, nasty sights and altercations. Shell shock.

Please post if you find a way out - I never did. Tried the "going for a ride" lark but, having ridden a bike as transport since the age of 7, never really saw the point.

Ham · « **Reply #13 on:** 11 December, 2012, 05:53:03 pm »

As others have said, don't sweat it. If it is easier and works for you, use the bike, if it is too much just use public transport. A bit of that and you may find yourself hankering for the freedom of the bike again.

I'm right in thinking you are a reasonably new convert to London? (at least in recent years) If so, it is entirely understandable, I know I often feel like copping out of the straight route, choosing instead one that's more pleasant traffic wise, and that's after 30 odd years of hacking it and more London commuting miles under my belt than seem likely.

One thing you might think about, just for the hell of it, is TfLs free cycle training http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11689.aspx - I organised it for my daughter and did it myself at the same time (OK, it was Woolly delivering it) and really think it is worth doing for anyone that uses London streets.

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 December, 2012, 06:04:44 pm »

I'm bussing it all the way at the moment. Ice, and cold, and wet, and CBA with the faff, so I can thoroughly empathise. Mind, 6 miles for me is riding in civvies territory. I don't don lycra easily, y'see.

Obviously I know nowt about routing in That LonDon, but a longer more pleasant route is what made my old Friday commute doable. Why ride 9 horrible miles when you can ride 16 pleasant ones, sort of idea.

Do you run? Would that be a viable alternative - maybe oystering one way with cunning alternating direction to get appropriate gear to the right places, on average?

Or a combination of walking/bus/Boris biking? Again, I dunno the geography so no idea if it is feasible on your commute.

What bike are you riding? Could it work to take the NSTN (I _think_ that's who it was.... moment of paranoia that I've mixed her up with someone else!) approach to a shorter commute - sit up and beg bike, bimble, and look infinitely stylish in the process?

Wowbagger · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 December, 2012, 06:08:10 pm »

Quote from: Paul Metcalfe on 11 December, 2012, 04:01:58 pm

Swap commuting for a nice ride at the weekends for a while. Get back on the bike for pleasure and see where it leads.

Please sir, I can answer that, sir!

(click to show/hide)

Commiserations, Sgt. P. I have a road which does that to me quite a bit. I frequently mention it.

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 December, 2012, 08:44:38 pm »

Thanks all, for the camaraderie and the absence of just HTFU.

I just need to get that first commute done, I think. There aren't any really stand-out spots on my commute. None of it is hard core London commuting territory, and it's not all new so I'm already familiar with some of the crapness. It's just the unrelenting nature of it, or so it seems from my current mood in regard to the matter.

I usually see myself as fairly sensible on the safety front; I don't wear a helmet, but I try to ensure that I am visible, mainly by means of lights but the odd splash of hi viz too. I stop at red lights, do my best not to get into daft situations at junctions, and generally I don't think I ride like a dick. It's a measure of the state of provision for cyclists that I still don't feel safe. That's the main reason why I haven't got on my bike: I don't feel safe

My thinking over the past few weeks, most days, has been "I was fine before. Maybe I just need to get the first commute done. You'll probably love it by the time you get to the end of the street". But every morning, I get on the tube.

clarion · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 December, 2012, 08:49:10 pm »

PM me if you want to meet up for a trundle. I'm afraid your commute is very different from mine, otherwise I'd offer to ride over it with you (so long as you slowed down for me to keep up), but it would be nice to see you again for a bit of pottering about.

Tewdric · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 December, 2012, 08:53:52 pm »

Dr Tewdric prescribes a nice pootle in Monmouthshire involving a Pub lunch so you remember why you like cycling, then a cyclescheme N+1 in the form of a Brompton H3L, which you can ride in civvies for 6 miles with no problem.

Jurek · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 December, 2012, 08:59:48 pm »

FWIW whenever I've had a spell off the bike (or off the commute, and just doing idyllic country lanes when the traffic is light) - be it motor or push - the first time I get back on it and mix it with commuting traffic it's a bit of a shock to the system, and I've found it takes 2 or 3 days to restructure my gung-ho fu (do any of those words really exist?) to the extent that I remain unfazed by whatever the traffic throws at me.
After which I am mostly ok.
YMMV.
I'm currently debating (after this evening's commute, the Londres Sud half of which was in freezing fog) whether or not I should wuss out of tomorrow's commute and use the ginger line

.
But I really, really don't want to (tube it) - but I digress off topic....

My advice?
Get back on it. And you'll (hopefully) love it.
For me it works this way:
There are days when I really don't fancy it, and it takes an effort to don the apparel and get onto the saddle.
Once there though my experience is that it takes only half a dozen turns of the pedals to know that it was totally the right thing to have done.
Again, YMMV - but you should give it a go

marcusjb · « **Reply #20 on:** 11 December, 2012, 09:02:53 pm »

Sargeant, I commute Chiswick to south ken regularly. My hours are a bit all over the place, but drop me a line if you fancy a ride in together whenever. My better half has more regular hours and also does the route daily.

Alternatively, you're only around the corner - if you ever fancy even a couple of laps around Richmond park at the weekend or whatever, let me know!

Butterfly · « **Reply #21 on:** 11 December, 2012, 10:13:46 pm »

My commute currently consists of 3 miles riding the folder and the rest on the train. Unfortunately the train isn't too crowded, is a bit faster than me riding in the morning and has never been more than 3 minutes late in the morning and is (usually) considerably faster than me riding in the evening, so it really is rather nicer than the bit of road that has been grinding me down for the last few years. The cost might get to me at some point, but at the moment, arriving home usually before 8pm and not being too tired to breathe, wins. Sometimes you need a break.

I have just over a week left in this job. I'm hoping to find some mojo and energy before I find a new one.

LindaG · « **Reply #22 on:** 11 December, 2012, 10:29:33 pm »

Quote from: Pancho on 11 December, 2012, 05:28:53 pm

Been there. In spades. I haven't commuted day-in, day-out for years. For me it was a combination of waking up in hospital once and also, simply, being ground down by the constant alertness that a busy urban DC A road commute requires. Too many near misses, nasty sights and altercations. Shell shock.

Please post if you find a way out - I never did. Tried the "going for a ride" lark but, having ridden a bike as transport since the age of 7, never really saw the point.

I found a way out. Counselling. Helped by my loathing of being restrained from doing what I want.

Speshact · « **Reply #23 on:** 11 December, 2012, 11:16:41 pm »

Quote from: Ham link=topic=66238.msg1374954#msg1374954 date=1355248383
One thing you might think about, just for the hell of it, is TfLs free cycle training [url

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11689.aspx[/url] - I organised it for my daughter and did it myself at the same time (OK, it was Woolly delivering it) and really think it is worth doing for anyone that uses London streets.

^ This. (mind you a cycle trainer I should agree. My patch is Westminster, Southwark and Lambeth, rather than H&F/K&C but I could make an exception one morning!).

geraldc · « **Reply #24 on:** 12 December, 2012, 12:36:46 am »

I've stopped bike commuting since starting my new job, as I have to wear shirt and tie everyday, and there's no secure bike parking. I think I'll get a sit up and beg hack bike and start commuting after the Xmas break. A zone 1+2 travel card is £29, assuming 2 weeks off a year, that's £1.4k wasted on the commute to work...

Author Topic: I never ride my bike (Read 5125 times)

LEE

LindaG