Wahay!!! Took Bike to Work

[Python]

My first time cycling to work - and I really enjoyed it

By car it takes 10-15 minutes to get out of our estate onto the main road into town (and that's on a good day), then another 20 - 30 minutes to get to my work depending on volume of traffic.

On the bike it took just 15 minutes From my house it is a downhill ride all the way.

However, on the way back it is uphill all the way It took 25 minutes to get home again which I though wasn't bad. I only had one altercation with a pizza delivery driver who came out of a junction and did a right turn in front of me. It was where there were some roadworks and the car coming in the opposite direction stopped to let him out. She was pointing like mad at me trying to tell him there was a bike coming...so he just carried on turning right. Instead of pulling straight out in front of me though he pulled parallel to the other car (obviously to ask her what she was pointing ferociously at). I heard her say that he hadn't seen the bike. Me having quite a temper yelled at him in rather impolite terms and definitely not ladylike, did he have &*(&^ eyes? A few unofficial hand signals were exchanged and we went on our way LOL.

Will I be going to work on the bike tomorrow? You bet I am

[RoadRaven]

Well done Python

It's a great feeling to "beat" cars --- I have a strange feeling of superiority, I guess, when I zip past cars who are idling at stop signs/lights/corners or backed up in slow-moving cues. And when I do have to stop at a light, or give way, I am not sitting there fumigating the world and wasting resources!

Yesterday I biked to work and passed my son's bus twice - I told him I would beat him to his school... I didn't make that goal, but it was fun trying!

Enjoy commuting... its a great way to start the day.

[chickwhorips]

great job!!!

it feels so good doesn't it.

[Tri Girl]

Congrats on your commute (and you sure saved a lot of time getting to work!). Glad you didn't have a collision with the car. I am always a much better rider than driver. I tend to drift and wander (my mind) when I'm in my car, but when I'm biking I'm on ultra-alert. It's funny how I get spidey senses when I'm biking.
Have fun tomorrow!!!

[carpaltunnel]

Great job, didn't you feel wonderful?
And, "unofficial hand signals", what a riot!
Do you find yourself actually looking forward to Monday a little bit, so you can do it again?

[Python]

Unofficial hand signals - also known as The One Finger Salute or the Two Finger Salute LOL. There are a couple more which are, umm, well, rude!

Yes, I am looking forward to cycling to work on Monday again. I cycled to work again yesterday. The hardest part of the journey at the moment is getting across the dual-carriageway. There is a crossing there for pedestrians and cyclists but it's out of action as a vehicle mangled the control box and it's going to be another 7 - 10 days before it is repaired again (I phoned the Council yesterday to ask why it had been out of action for so long). Apparently they have to get a new control box made and they're just waiting for it to be delivered and installed now. To go to the other crossing adds a mile onto my journey. I could go across the roundabout, but the volume of traffic there really makes it too dangerous to even attempt. I haven't seen any cyclists try that one yet, even more experienced cyclists than me.

The money I save from using my bike is going towards the cost of my new bike. In two days I've already saved £12 (about $24). I estimate if I use my bike every day to work I should save £30 ( about $60) over and above what I've already budgeted for, so should get my new bike fairly soon. Sooner if I can get my car sold

I also like using the bike because there are no parking worries and I can take her everywhere with me - something you can't do with a car all the time. Our town is very pro-bike and has bike stands all over the place - many with CCTV cameras watching them. However, when I get my new bike I shall only be using her to get to and from work as I can park my bike next to my desk. Even with CCTV cameras, quality bikes are a target for thieves. There was an article about that on our local news last night. One person interviewed said he just nipped into the local pub for 10 minutes. When he came out his bike was gone even though he'd locked it. If I want to go shopping after work I'll use my Raleigh. She's an older bike (older style) so is not such a target for a would-be thief. I'd still be very angry and upset if she got stolen as I'm very fond of her.

Not sure if I'll be going out with the bike today. Son has his dialysis session this afternoon so it really depends on how he feels later on when he comes home and there's quite a strong wind today.

[Geonz]

I've heard of people re-painting their bikes so they look nasty to deter thieves

My brother says "sometime in May" he'll be coming out to buy my car and make a taxi out of it (his current taxi is nearing the maximum mileage allowed, 300K). I drove *today* a little bit but I dind't have to (but I wanted to carry two bikes at a time).

Not saying I won't buy another car ... just not right away... looking forward to that little refund from the insurance company.

[Python]

I still need to have a car of my own for the time being, but I have a 4x4 (SUV) at the moment. Road Tax here has shot up to £440 per year (about $900). Insurance is another £250 ($500) on top of that and the price of diesel fuel has gone up again to 93.5p per litre and the taxation on it is going to rise again in September so we're looking at £1 per litre. Our greedy government is hitting the motorist all the time.

I need to have a car because of my son's illness (he suffered kidney failure 5 years ago when he was 15). My brother is coming down from Scotland next month to be tested to see if he is a suitable match for my son. If he is, great, if not then my son will be put on the transplant list. The renal hospital is 40 miles away and we would have to get there very quickly if a suitable kidney became available (that's surmising that my brother may not be able to donate). My husband's job takes him all over the place so I still need the use of a car but I object to paying over the odds for my 4x4 just because our government (thanks to a vociferous minority of people who hate 4x4s) is targetting 4x4s as the next cash-cow after speed cameras Anyway, I thought if I sold my 4x4, that would finance the new bike and a smaller car, plus still leave me with a nice little nest egg - not to mention what I'm saving by using the bike to commute

Now I'm looking forward to cycling to work tomorrow and all this week

[dingster1]

Wow!! a tax on SUV's!!!!

[Python]

Our government's next tax raising scam is to tax you on the size of your garden. They're taxing absolutely everything