Commuting

Bus vs Bike vs WoMan

Today was d-day - the running commute was upon me. Much forwarding planning had been involved as well as expenses incurred and I couldn't really think of a suitable excuse to get out of it.

Since I started working at the hospital back in September I have cycled in every single day. Most people ooh and gasp when they hear this, it is clearly a major commitment in their eyes. Of course it involves precious little commitment on my part. It actually just provides further evidence of quite how lazy I am.

On a typical day, my third alarm buzzes at 7.30 and I drag myself out of bed, potter around on the web before heading out to retrieve my bike at about 8.15. Today, because I needed to leave my bike at home, thereby freeing me to run home this evening, I had to endure the horrors of early morning public transport. This meant I had to set my alarm 50 mins early, miss the pottering around and shoot out into the dark and miserable morning streets at 7am in search of a suitable bus stop. I only needed two buses, which isn't too bad but the length of the journey was unbearable. I didn't arrive at work until 8.57. Taking the bus to work took 1hr 15mins longer than on my bike - and that includes the faffing time, where I have to lock my bike and get changed at the other end. Thats 1hr 15 mins longer in bed - every morning if I cycle. Surely if people realised this they would hand in their bus passes and head off to the bike shop, at the very least they wouldn't find it so odd that I choose to cycle everyday.

When persuading myself to do this running commute, I appeased my inner slob by allowing a get out clause - I could take my oyster card and hop on a bus for part of the journey if it all felt too hellish. After the trip in this morning though I had a challenge ahead of me. Surely, even at my pace, I could beat the bus home. The race was on!

I didn't start off particularly race-like. I approached the starting line, and then switched on the garmin and waited to lock on to the satellites. I waited and waited a bit more. All this while stood outside a psychiatric hospital in the pitch dark while it was raining, dressed in a luminous yellow t-shirt, trying desperately to look as though I wasn't pretending to be a runner. Why does it always take so flippin long to get a signal????





It proved to be quite an acceptable run. In the end I didn't go directly home but chose to spoil a friend with my sweaty company, which proved a good choice as I managed to run directly into a hot a foamy bath that she had prepared for me. How nice.

The garmin beeped right outside her gate to say I had completed 10k, how satisfying is that? Another perfect 10k route. It took me 1hr 20mins which isn't a record pace but it did include numerous stops at traffic lights and more importantly beat the bus! So gold goes to cycling, silver to running and a pitiful runners up boobly prize to the bus.

Commuting

Cycle Commuting and Rain

As mentioned previously I've decided to keep a tally of the number of times I get caught in the rain while cycling too and from work. I cycle approximately 8 miles each way, so thats two journeys of about 30 mins, in and around West London.

Key:
1 raindrop - barely worth moaning about and I could probably get away without a rainjacket if I was made of sterner stuff.
2 raindrops - ok so now I am pretty wet, I just got caught in the typical English downpour.
3 raindrops - I've saved this extreme for those crazy flash flood days that we seem to get about once a year.

Date	AM	PM	Rain
28/09/06	Y
28/09/06		Y
02/10/06		Y
05/10/06		Y
06/10/06	Y
06/10/06		Y
10/10/06	Y
Morning Totals	3
Evening Totals		4
Total to Date	7

Commuting

Soggy Bike Commuting

Now that I've changed jobs my daily commute has a changed considerably and I have whole new stresses related to it. I now head west out of London, which brings me into contact with faster cars and it seems the drivers are less familiar with cyclists than those crawling through central London.

My main issue though, is related to clothing. Now that I have a "proper job" I have to be smart at work, and for the first few months I don't have a desk or anywhere to store all my cycling trammel. This means I'm carrying my suit and shoes in my courier bag and then lugging it around all day with my sweaty cycling clobber. Not very practial. I've even stopped wearing my helmet cos its just something extra for me to lug around.

I've started stressing about the weather as well now. Usually I don't care if I get wet, I've always been able to dry my clothes either on the back of my chair or by using a blow torch from the lab. If it rains on me now, the trip home is going to feel gross.

I vaguely recall some statistic that claims London commuters only get caught in the rain about 4 times a year. This I believe is absolute tosh! This article from the Independent claims the average London cycle commuter will get drenched an average of 12 rides a year. I need to find out if this is reasonable so will start keeping a table with all the wet rides endured.

There are of course stacks of positives associated with the commute. I arrive at work an hour earlier than I would if I used the public transport and on friday I found a lovely route almost door to door along the Grand Union Canal.

It's quite bizarre to find yourself so completely isolated from the grotty hubbub of this industrial side of London. Actually in someways it is rather too isolated - I wouldn't fancy doing this at dusk on my own.

Commuting

We fair sailed home today

Peculiar flash floods hit London for the second time since taking up cycling to work. I must say I quite enjoy them - I always end up singing as I pedal along and people take photos of me on their mobile phones. I feel like a right star.

Peryl was pretty clean by the time we got home having been near drowned in the floods around Barnes and Mortlake.

The BBC news described "small puddles", I would have thought that water accumulating to knee height would be better described as a lake or at least a pond. The floods were worst directly outside my flat. Passing cars were generating fearsome waves and I had to cycle in to the crest to prevent myself being sideswiped.

We coped well and I'm sure cycling proved to be the fastest mode of transport even under these conditions. Not even a canoe would have performed better.

The waters had receded quite a bit by the time I took this snap.

Commuting

Homicidal Bus Driver

Rather uncharacteristically I took the bus in this morning. I adopted the zombie state that seems to be required for such passive commuting trips but was jolted awake by abuse shouted by the driver. We had just approached Hammersmith Bridge at the same time as another bus came off it and the driver seemed to be doing his best to sandwich a cyclist in between and give him a bit of verbal just for good measure.

Not content with this the driver then drove alongside the cyclist, appeared to be pushing him to the kerb and then threatened to run him over.

I have just sent my complaint to TFL and I imagine a number of the other passengers will too - there was quite a murmuring of discontent on board. In fact one of the passengers stepped up furiously and sorted the driver out, he almost got himself a standing ovation. This is quite positive actually, last time I was on that bus all I heard was tutting as cyclists passed by.

Commuting

Dirty Little Tike

Peryl had her first shower last night. After 4 consequetive days commuting I thought she deserved it.
Typically it pissed it down this morning so I wish I hadn't bothered.

Commuting

Airnimal Rides Again

Four days and Peryl hardly got a ride in, my excuse is that I've been ill and in truth I've felt just a little intimidated by her.

Still, thats all changed now. I replaced the seat and we headed for the hills yesterday, or at least we went to Richmond Park.

Blimey, blimey that bike can move. I went down one of the hills at such a pace I nearly wet myself. Can't tell what speed I was actually going as I had set the wrong wheelsize into the computer! Must have been 60mph at least!

Today i went into work and set a time of 37mins which is really pretty good for me, now if I could remove the traffic lights I might really be able to set some records.

All in all I am pretty happy with Peryl the Airnimal Chameleon, I've sussed out the balance so I can stand in the pedals and have begun to feel that old confidence - the trust between man and bike. I was talking to my dad about the importance of feeling in tune in your bike, London is a scary place to ride without trusting your machine. He described me as a cyclotaur - half woman, half bike. He thinks he's funny, what can you do?