who counts as a hardcore commuter?

[surfgurl]

I suppose I consider myself a semi hardcore commuter, I have a soft centre!
My colleagues think I am hardcore. I got to work and was greeted by some of the teachers and the kids with cries of "You cycled in today Miss? It's freezing! Why do you do it?"

 

[simoncc]

Hardcore. Currently 9 miles each way, rain or shine. I sell my city centre work provided parking space to another person at work for £2 per day.

 

[Aperitif]

"The BBC Watchdog reporters are looking into the black economy of city centre workers..."

Me? Hardish I suppose... Mon - Fri Heathrow to Kentish Town. The rain rinses the diesel exhaust soot from the water bottle spout, the potholes 'pringle' the wheels, and there are always those who think everything is a race and not a journey but hey! Better than South West trains and the Northern Line, full of the telephoning, iPod loving, loud, 'fragrant', posing captives of the Capital's transport system.
27km each way - approx 16.875 miles (approx ) Ride time averages out about 1hr 5mins, although actual time can be ten or twelve mins more at times...

 

[summerdays]

I work in different parts of Bristol, so one week it could be just a mile each way, or like this week - I'm in Shirehampton, Bedminster Down and Stockwood, so I'm doing at least 12 miles a day at the moment (and anywhere in Bristol means hills) - and my legs aren't used to it. New job since April and I haven't got a car so I will have to keep going when the weather turns bad... not looking forward to that.

 

[magnatom]

(In reality, I'm the world's biggest jessie & honorary chief coward)

Indeed you are, indeeeed you are.......

 

[Terminator]

I can't remember when I last used the tube to commute to and from work but at a guess it must be Feb 2003 when I eventually succumbed to a chest infection and had a rare week off of work.It was during the time that the central line was up the spout due to the derailment at chancery lane?

Allmost 10 miles ew.All weathers and all times of the day due to shiftwork and through Central London.

 

[Mountaincarrot]

10 miles a day with a nice 400 foot climb/descent. Virtually 100% off road so despite the winter mud & grit, I count myself lucky. Every day whatever the weather.

 

[Wolf04]

Based on last Sundays Top Gear programme (Go Hamster!!). I would suggest anyone commuting through central London is seriously hardcore. Mucho respect. I on the other hand have a 13 mile round trip mostly through residential streets, cycle paths and parks. Got mudguards and all the clothing. Only missed one potential trip in last year due to blizzard conditions, should have went for it, it was clear by lunchtime! Only went down like a bag of spanners on black ice twice (same day) and once avoiding a dog in a slippy underpass.
Pete

 

[Tynan]

you get used to London traffic, it's exciting

and I'd imagine Top Gear would have very much sexed it up

 

[gambatte]

Hmmm.....

Don't know about hardcore, what about serious, committed, happy?

Just checked the cyclecomputer. I've got a 15 mile trip home at 16:30 and the computers recorded 989.5 commuting miles.

So when I get home I'll have hit the 1000, and saved about £160 as all the car commuting would have been urban/rush hour.

Thats ignoring wear and tear on the car and the added benefits of cycling

 

[Wolf04]

you get used to London traffic, it's exciting

and I'd imagine Top Gear would have very much sexed it up

I refuse to have the Hamster in lycra and the words sexed up in the same universe

 

[Tynan]

I'd refuse both

 

[bonj2]

I would be hardcore if I cycled my commute more days a week than I do. Currently only done it once this week and once last week, but probably doing it again on friday and then trying to maintain an average of at least 2/3 days a week, then moving up to a constant 4 when the winter's worn off, possibly even in winter. It's apparently 23 miles (from viamichelin) but google claims it's between 20 and 21. (my cycle computer only tells me my speed and the current time as it's only a cheap VDO one that was a tenner from je james.)
Don't have showers, just a quick face wash, towel and change in the bogs and a spray of lynx.
There are more hills than I can be bothered to count on google, and it is damn windy on the top bits through derbyshire.
A lot of it is dark on unlit roads.
There's times when I've felt uncomfortable or like I don't really want to be cycling it, but none of them are things that can't be overcome by doing things differently or having more/better kit, and I consider knowing to do these things and having the right kit is just going to make me a better cyclist. For instance, I started off using my camelbak, but it got uncomfy after a bit so I've eliminated the need for it by using a bottle cage. Had a bit of an energy burnout, so learnt to always eat porridge/something before leaving. Felt a bit miserable yesterday, but only 'cos my feet were really cold- so i'm getting some thermal socks. When i've got everything right for the conditions, I enjoy it, and I enjoy improving to cope with the conditions better, and not letting anything put me off, I think this is at least half the mark of a hardcore cyclist.

30 miles, 5 days a week, 1 bike, all year round

I'm not hardcore I'm lazy, I can't stand playing train roulette. I don't like paying for cr$p service from TFL. It takes longer by train. I don't need to do any "exercise"

Oh and I now have a fantastic shower work :-)

Is this the longest on the forum - can anybody beat this?!
(Assuming the person who claimed to ride 50 miles each way on a fixie was joking )

 

[SimonGalgut]

(Assuming the person who claimed to ride 50 miles each way on a fixie was joking )

Only 50 miles per day. And no, I wasn't.

 

[Womble]

Oh what i wouldn't give for 50 miles on a fixie, you've got it easy, in my day it was 50 miles e/w, on a unicycle all weathers, with only my poor grandpa's old soiled yfronts for warmth sand showers at work and had to climb hartside every day!