Dunno if this'll be of any interest

[Panter]

but it seems to me that cycling is the answer to a whole host of problems. Overcrowded roads, the environment, stress levels etc the list goes on. Common sense really.

Anyway, I thought I'd put a couple of polls on a fish keeping foum I frequent.
No real reasson to choose a fish keeping forum, I just thought it would prevent a more balanced view than on a cycling or a petrolhead forum.

Anyway, here's the poll on how far people drive to work and here's the question why don't you cycle?

I was fairly shocked at how short a distance people would drive but encouraged to see that it was a lack of facilities stopping some people cycling and not purely laziness.
It would be nice if employers had an incentive to provide shower facilities, what do you lot think?

 

[mickle]

Are you going to conduct a poll on here to find out how many people keep fish?

 

[marinyork]

Very interesting actually. The poll is highly interesting. The responses less so as they are mostly perceptions. That said many perceptions on transport use in general are subconsciously post-rationalised and to do with "hygiene", "personal space" and "safety".

I was somewhat surprised by the number of people who claimed there were actually shower facilities at work (always the 1) and they knew about their ins and outs.

 

[mondobongo]

Always keep some cod in the freezer.

 

[Panter]

fair enough

 

[zimzum42]

I'm not sure I agree with your utopianist view of cycling will make everyone happy, but back to the topic.

I used to cycle commute when i lived in london, but stopped over a particularly cold Christmas spell and never went back to it. I used to work long hours and the time I lost cycling/changing/showering was actually significant, and if you work long hours it can make a real difference.

In cycling terms I far prefer to go for a ride after work and ride a route I want to ride, not the route to work. And in London the route was very dull, and I could get to work so much quicker in a car.

In singapore there is no chance I'll be coming in on a bike, even after a shower I'd be sweating, it's so damn hot here all the time. And a bus takes me door to door in about 7 minutes, so I'll stick with the air condditioned comfort.

I go for a ride in the evening and come home drenched, I have to swim in the pool for 20 minutes properly to cool off before I can even consider a shower!

 

[hubgearfreak]

I was .... ... encouraged to see that it was a lack of facilities stopping some people cycling and not purely laziness.

i'll wager that for 90%, a lack of facilities is just an excuse for being lazy

 

[rich p]

Quite a good response Panter. I suspect you've possibly recruited a couple of people to the bike scheme.
Sweat seems to be the main issue which I can sympathise with. I have a 2.5 mile commute which involves a mile uphill at the end and I have to take it deliberately slowly to avoid it. It seems pointless to get a sweat on for such a short ride.

 

[mr_cellophane]

Are you going to conduct a poll on here to find out how many people keep fish?

I have a small Koi pond 800 gallons. When the linning goes I will dig it a big bigger.

 

[Panter]

I have a small Koi pond 800 gallons. When the linning goes I will dig it a big bigger.

Good for you



Zimzum, I take your point but it must be relatively unusual for someone in London to have a significantly quicker journey by car wouldn't it? Although I wouldn't want to cycle in the heat and humidity you face now.

I still think cycling would solve a huge amount of problems though. I had to go to Sittingbourne to collect a hire van for work yesterday morning. There was limited car parking at the hire centre and I had the bosses Porsche so didn't want to risk leaving that somewhere dodgy.
I didn't really want to cycle as it was pishing down with rain but public transport is useless where I live so I ended up cycling down to collect it.

Its the first time I've actually cycled through Sittingbourne in rush hour, it was amazing
Traffic was gridlocked and I just sailed down the outside of everything and got there in half the time it would've taken to drive and having had a bit of excercise, and without burning any fuel (except a slice of toast.)

Ok, I was wet but to be fair I didn't really dress for it with just a rain jacket and ordinary shorts (its only a few miles) but I'd far rather do that than sit in a car everyday.

I wouldn't mind betting that most of that traffic was local either.

I suspect you've possibly recruited a couple of people to the bike scheme.

That would be nice

 

[zimzum42]

It is unusual, yes. It was mainly because I worked shifts, so generally missed the rush hour, and because I lived in the centre and worked in West London, and had a 70mph burn along the Westway that cut off a lot of time vs. the bike