Incentives

[sleuthey]

What measures do you put in place as incentives to take the bike to work when you could take the car instead?

Here are my top 6:

1. Wall mounted bike rack by back door (prep in the warm and no walking through wet grass to the shed).
2. Work clothes, food, money and laptop all kept at work (removes rucksack burden).
3. Clothes for comfort not performance (removes the dread of wearing clingy elasticated clothes).
4. A route, that took a year to fine tune, that favours bikes (avoids dreading red traffic lights).
5 Selection of Seasonal jackets on coathooks (saves faffing in the wardrobe for layers).
6. Sunday fettling (makes you want to test the bike out after).

So I guess for me it's all about making cycling simple and convenient even if it involves spending money/time up front. You?

 

[ianrauk]

To be honest, none.
I really don't need incentives to ride my bike to work. I just love the commute. Highlight of my day, come rain or shine.
I'm in the 13th year of my current commute. Now and again I do change the route slightly for a bit of change.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Have a bike ready with its tyres inflated correctly, and lights charged and fitted the night before. Make sure whatever kit I need is packed and ready the night before, and the clothing is ready to just put on and go, the night before. I’m generally out of the house just before 05:00, so I really don’t need any faffing in the morning.

 

[rivers]

No real incentives other than I hate being stuck in traffic and it's quicker for me to cycle the 16 miles to work than drive 10.

 

[Slick]

Another with no tricks to incentivise me as I love it. I did feel a bit low on energy last Monday morning when I heard the heavy rain bounce off the conservatory roof, but I knew as soon as I got out I would be back loving it and as I passed another cyclist on a short climb, him in full wet gear and me in shorts, I was. The best start to my working day ever.

 

[Drago]

I didn't meed to incentivise myself - loved it.

My problem was the opposite. If the weather was forecast to be decent I'd often be out of bed at stupid o'clock to hit the road and get my fix, do if I didn't rein myself in I could lose 90 minutes to 2 hours of valuable sleep a day.

 

[Threevok]

Here's my top incentives

1. I can't drive - the best excuse ever
2. I would have to ask Mrs V to take me and pick me up and much ear-bashing would ensue
3. Mrs V would swing by the petrol station on the way, for me to put petrol in "seeing as we were passing"
4. Mrs V would want to "pop in Morrisons" on the way home and there would be much pushing of trolleys, purchasing of chocs and yellow sticker products
5. By the time we got home, all the parking spaces in the street would be taken and much ear-bashing would ensue

In short : Cycling to work is a cheaper and quieter life

 

[winjim]

Driving for a mile only to park a mile away from where I need to be would be silly when I could just walk or cycle for a mile and be right there.

 

[Arjimlad]

Hi @sleuthey fellow South Glos cyclist.

Over the years for me, the motivation is chiefly "time-neutral exercise" - all the benefits of exercise in the fresh air without having to take "time out" specifically.

It sets off the enormous appetite for cake which I seem to have.

Other things which help certainly include having a shower at work & facilities to change, I can leave shirts/suit in the office and dry things off somewhat.

Even in the rain it's better than being stuck in traffic.

 

[HarryTheDog]

@Arjimlad now I have a new term for my vocabulary , time-neutral excercise. Yes thats why I commute, If I dont excercise I get fat . I took up cycling 15 yrs ago to lose 4.5 stone of fat and it only stays off if I keep cycling. So commuting to work for me is indeed time-neutral excercise as going by car or train takes very nearly the same time.

 

[sleuthey]

I didn't meed to incentivise myself - loved it.

My problem was the opposite. If the weather was forecast to be decent I'd often be out of bed at stupid o'clock to hit the road and get my fix, do if I didn't rein myself in I could lose 90 minutes to 2 hours of valuable sleep a day.

Good for you. Some of us don't have that armed forces mentality though and need a little persuasion!

 

[Threevok]

To be honest though, If I could drive, I would still cycle to work

I've been doing it for 20 years and don't see any reason to stop now

 

[rugby bloke]

I'm another one for preparing the bike and all my kit the night before. The bike is then brought inside and sits by the back door so I just need to grab and go. The main incentive is the fact that I can ride 26 miles on a day when I would not normally have time for any exercise. At the London end of the journey - riding a bike is so much more pleasant then taking the tube. I can then have a decent hot shower and be fresh and ready for work, rather than stagger in hot and sweaty from a tube journey.

 

[sleuthey]

Hi @sleuthey fellow South Glos cyclist.

Over the years for me, the motivation is chiefly "time-neutral exercise" - all the benefits of exercise in the fresh air without having to take "time out" specifically.

It sets off the enormous appetite for cake which I seem to have.

Other things which help certainly include having a shower at work & facilities to change, I can leave shirts/suit in the office and dry things off somewhat.

Even in the rain it's better than being stuck in traffic.

Absolutely spot on. Kill 2 birds with one stone

 

[confusedcyclist]

4. Mrs V would want to "pop in Morrisons" on the way home and there would be much pushing of trolleys, purchasing of chocs and yellow sticker products

Did you marry my wife too!