Could've put this in the 'Todays Ride' section but its more than that. It's the story of yesterdays commute but also how I learnt how to ride in the first place and my first bike. Sorry its a bit 'blathery' and to whom it might concern, please don't report me for being different

So yesterdays commute was the first to a regular place of work after having been a temp for the previous 4 years. The night before it was a bit knackering just thinking of the task at hand - 40 (39.7 actually) miles to work and hopefully 40 miles back - as I needed to be in and ready by 0715. Tgis meant a 0400 depart and hence an early sleep.

To cut it short, the stress was mainly pre-ride and middle of the night I woke a few times. Again it was probably the stress, but how hard could it be. You see, in my commuting career (more on that later) I've managed to cover a one way bike commute of roughly 80 miles one way. That was with the train back off course and it did take a few attempts aswell as much planning thought process' pre-ride. In the end I managed to cover the full 80ish mile commute and for good measure I repeated it around 4 or 5 times (on different days many many days apart off course). It was off course short-shifts.

So yesterdays ride surely wasn't gonna be that bad. Managed to get up to my alarm and depart by 0418. Twas a lovely ride into work with the sounds of the birds and the smells of the countryside (some sections actually remind me of the smells from Pakistan, from what I remember of the one occassion I've actually visited, many many moons ago) as well as roads that seemed privately made just for me. Got into work without much fuss of which the light tailwind might have had a good part to play. Then post shift, a shift during which i managed to not think too much about the train, I kept my mind blank and mounted the bike to face the light headwind back.

Won't lie, the ride back home was a little tougher and I did contemplate the train briefly enroute. I even checked train times/fares and the fact that it was £5.20 didn't put me off too much. Thankfully, admitting defeat on my first shift, aswell as the train taking me away from 'home's direction' to then get me there, kept me motivated to keep cycling. Journey to work of 2H and 20 minutes with a journey back of 3H and 20 job well done and I'm hoping, onwards and upwards, with many more commutes to come. This signpost was particularly satisfying as it indicated 'hope'.



Then upon arriving home, my Earnie was particularly pleased with himself as he was happily allowed to spend the night indoors, without the missus going berzerk (strong term, I know, it's an exaggeration, please don't hate me ).

Hopefully the above didn't bore (or offend) thw daylights out of you. Next section coming up on past commutes and how I've managed to hold onto the cycle-commuting way...

Well that was impressive, especially the 4am business. I think I'm just about going to bed by then . And your 80 miler was monster. All that rubbish on the other thread about not being able to keep up . Next plan, ride there night before, bivvy in bushes outside, walk in fresh as a daisy!

RIP wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 7:06 pm Well that was impressive, especially the 4am business. I think I'm just about going to bed by then . And your 80 miler was monster. All that rubbish on the other thread about not being able to keep up . Next plan, ride there night before, bivvy in bushes outside, walk in fresh as a daisy!

Reg... Thanks very much. Bout the bivy, hmmm, yes I have managed one of my BAMs last year on the way back home on this very commute (at that time I was temping though) so I guess I do know a few spots here and there that could work well riding through seems easier though... lol

Part 2: The background
--------------------

So I suppose part of the reason posting this here thread was to give myself a little legitimacy as well as encouragement from others who do similar. I'm pretty sure there is a fair few with Karl being one of em that regularly does a 40 miler one way. Always nice to not get stunned voices when others hear of (this probably accounts for many on here) your regular ride. Btw, Reg, riding through ankle deep water for days on end is equally, if not more, absurd/bizarre

Anyway, so the background to this here commute. It all began - sorry if you've heard it before - when I used to have dreams about riding a bike back when I was a lad. Actually it was a 18" frame married to 12" wheels which I actually believed I was riding and didnt know how. That's because I could never actually ride a bike when younger as the folks were afraid of me and the siblings being run over. So when I started working at B&Q in my early 1999(ish), I made the mathematical breakthrough that my 3 miler commute to work would be cheaper (than the £2 return bus journey) and cleaner with a bike. With around 6 months - or so I told myself - of bus fares I could pay for a bike.

Off i went Colne Valley Cycles on the edges of Huddersfield and got myself my first Marin Palisades Trail on the Christmas Club (I wonder if they still do such schemes). SIX months later I had my shiny bike and my commutes went from returns of 6 miles, to 10, to 30. 30 miles was the end of my mtb commuting days. That was to Leeds and back and stopped in 2015 when I became a temp worker.

I eventually discovered that road bikes don't neccessarily equate to your tires falling into the gutters on the edge of the road. So the commutes continued, peaking at the 84.5 miler (one way with train back) to Scarborough. Obviously thats too much for a regular job so here I am...

Still refusing to pay excess public transport fares. Not wanting to be stuck in my 3L gas guzzling shoe box every other day with lots of other angry commuters cos the cyclists are slowing them down. Trying to avoid paying the taxman in extortionate fuel taxes and refusing to fatten up the 'coughers' of the local parking firms - which, if you overstay by 25 minutes, even after using their services for four years, will still send you a bill of over £100 for the privelege (still in the process of not paying up )....

Here I am, with my broken English and bad grammar trying to gain approval for attempting an 80 miler commute (only part time by the way: so only twice per a week, with at least a days rest in between) for the next 3 (or so) years... Here's to cycling commuting: what a great sport, passtime and hobby*

*Notice how I didn't say anything about money saving as I spent about ten quid yesterday on fuel for my belly and maybe another fiver filling it up post ride

Comments, advice, suggestions and most importantly your own commuting tales most welcome...

One of the best commutes I've done was mid January 18. It had snowed most of the night and more showers were due through the day. The 6 miles to the train station were fine just some nice freshies on the one bit of singletrack and the section of cycleway. Leaving work at 4 it was dry so decided to go for a full commute home over the hills. 5 minutes after making this decision the snow came back on and didn't stop until the next morning.... The westerly wind was brutal but climbing up through the hills I was both sheltered and on a vehicle track with vehicle tracks in the snow (which was about 6" deep but drifting in heavily)

The fun began on the descent - the singletrack was well drifted (12-18") but was a hoot. After this I had 10 miles of easy path then road home. This was where the fun stopped - the wind was ferocious and the heavy snow horizontal. The paths were drifted in to 12" with the snow starting to slab up. Imagine pedaling up a continuous 25% grade into a gale on a 50lb bike..... The roads weren't much better. I got home at 8.45, total distance 30 miles......


Freshies!

Post ride selfie - I felt worse than I looked.....

What a great idea for a thread! My commute to work is only 15 miles but it is in Scotland so it's hilly and often headwindy and wet. The plus side is that it's a commute through some stunning scenery alongside lochs and some beautiful countryside.
Years ago I used to do the commute regularly come hail or shine as I was a semi-serious club roady and used it as part of my training routine until I stopped racing. One day on the ride to work in driving rain (after I'd stopped racing) I had multiple punctures for no apparent reason on the same wheel and having exhausted my supply of spare tubes and being unable to find the cause of said punctures I limped back home, phoned work to say I'd be late and showered before driving in and that was it, no more bike commuting for about 15 years!
Recently having built up a gravel bike I realised that I could ride in for night shifts via the Three Lochs Way trail/LDP using only quiet back roads and offroad tracks and trails and then ride home on the road early in the morning while there was still not much traffic so I gave it a go and ............it's absolutely brilliant. I rode the route in today (for leisure) with a friend and he commented on how lucky I am to have this route as a commute and he's totally right! I haven't done it much recently as we've had icy conditions a bit and I'm just not willing to risk it in the dark but come the Spring I'll be doing much more hopefully. Here's photographic evidence of how fortunate I am.
IMG_20190713_150400536_HDR by Jurassic690, on Flickr

Wow to both them there commutes. HTrider, that must have been a lovely feeling of dossing in the snow covered roads (sorry it seemed to have turned nasty afterwards but at least its an experience that you'll never forget and managwd to get through)...

Jurassic, I totally agree about that picture. Really really stunning is that mate. Reminds us all what a beautiful place we all live in.

The smells when riding through some the places I go past (burning wood/stove type stuff) early in the morning especially is just something to be experienced... As I'm sure everyone has their own little reminders mid commute of why its so lovely...

Bikes... committing.. not being stuck in metal boxes helplessly... saving lots of dosh (160 miles worth of commuting this week gone cost me just £5.50 in one discounted train ticket to Leeds) and the freedom as well as everything else that comes with our bikes in whatwver way (blow-yer-head off winds for those thats just finished the DamBusters event ... blooming lovely I say

Sort of wintry here today - a fair bit of snow came down but the freezing level was about 300m so this morning I was greeted with about 2" of white slush which was starting to freeze. Slithered down to the station but only bought a single. Did an oft used route up into the (Lomond) hills on the way home through wet slush and lots of mud.... Higher up it was better so on a whim headed along the ridge line that is the Bishop hill. The snow was about 3-6" but the freezing level was way above the summit so still pretty wet. The descent involved much slithering followed by more mud and finally a few back roads in sleet and rain......



Dark and gloomy.....

On Mondays commute I managed to cover the 39.5 miles there. But at end of the shift I became a bit complacen. Then when I noticed the both headlights (mtbBattsLumenator and Exposure-Toro Mk5) were both showing less than 60ish % battery remaining, I used it as the perfect excuse to catch the train.

Got myself a £5.10 ticket to Church Fenton which would leave me about 22 miles remaining with a little detour from the train station to rejoin my route. I've covered this section on previous 'shortcut commutes'. Tiny country lanes with fields all round which I've never actually seen cos it's only ever been in the pitch black when I've travelled these lanes.

Riding along without a care in the world, like you do! I noticed what must've been a seagull or so I thought. Wingspan of what seemed over 1m and white. It kind of overtook me flying low and crossing over the lane. Then it happened again, totally silent but only this time it seemed to have overtaken me on my left and then disappeared. I just assumed it was a different bird but still tried to somehow shine my headlight in its direction without doing a 'Ned Overend'. Then probably less that a minute later I saw (what I assumed was the same bird) sat on the R of the lane and really checking me over inquisitively. This was the bit I realised the silent beauty was (must have been) this owl.

What an experience and I needed to know what sort of owl it was. So got home and opened my lovely 'Birds' book. This decribed barn owl (said owl was white) as having an unusually long wingspan. So there I had it... My close encounter with a barn owl. Come to think of it I do remember hearing some unusual bird calles (khree khree) out in these lanes before so maybe there's a family of em around Church Fenton.

All I can say is that you're bot able to experience such things in noisy ans molly coddled cars. I also know that I will be back in search for owly (hope I don't irritate it) and I've potentially cut down my journeys (if I used the train for said detour) from 40 to 22 miles...

Commuting by bike, ain't it luvlee ..

Always good to see a Barn Owl - got buzzed by a tawny owl on my commute home tonight plus nearly had jugged hare for tea! On Wednesday a medium sized rodent was the best I could mange to spot (rat I think) but animal encounters are a particular highlight of rural commutes for me

I've been lucky to cycle alongside hunting barn owls on a few occasions. Sometimes on early morning rides, sometimes late at night on the way home from work, when I used to cycle commute. No matter how bad the day, or the ride, cycling with a barn owl has never failed to raise my spirits and make me glad I'm alive.

Fecking annoying when they perch on the chimney and screech in the middle of the night though, acts like a trumpet, noisy buggers...

Earnie Goes Paddling

Today was an interesting one so I reckon it should go up Before I start, my excerpt of the ride report elsewhere reads like this:

I departed this morning by bike cos, bikes can overcome and ride through floods, right! Well i managed to get as far as Towton (the battle town) before seeing signs urging me away from Kikby Wharfdale and Ullerskelf way. But naturally, as you do, I ignored the signs and kept on going. In the back of the mind I had a feeling there might be 'river burst' water. Then it happened...

I saw the flood but kept riding straight into it. Wasn't more than 3 seconds before the water hit my knees and I knew it waa serious. Tried to find respite by going to the side of the road, which was obviouslt the wrong thing to do. So I managed to not fall off and foot down I resolved to walking. Trot, trot and wade, paddle, paddle.

Keep looking at my front wheel and 'if it gets beyond my brakes' I said to myself, then it might be a bit too high. Water at this point was only to my thighs but I was determined. 'My Earnie will get through this flood and onto dry ground on the other side', I told myself. But then it happened... As soon as I saw the (almost) fully submerged car just within spitting distance, the water was at my hips.

About turn... ahoy there... about turn... Emergency, emergency, abort, ABORT. Alhamdulillah I did make it back to dry ground but hadn't penetrated the flood as I'd have liked. Failure to myself and my family. Had it been YJ, he would have grabbed the bike and paddled straight across...

Anyway... The END. Shower at work was nice but almost had my toes fall off from warming em up too fast (don't do that please)...

Alhamdulillah...

So just to add to that I suppose. I won't bother sharing the pic of when I managed to get out of the 'swimming pool' with my Earnie but the following pics might do it more justice (which I only noticed afterwards when at work and exploring other route options around the flooding). Pics taken from onw of the official gov sites for the flooding and it certainly appears accurate in my case.


This was the first point where there was a notice of 'Road Closed' as I turned right whilst travelling in a North Easterly direction generally.


Then as Raw Lane became New Rd (or whatever it is) the flood hit me... Or I hit the flood. Naturally I continued riding and aimed for the banking like a numpty and thats when I almost fell off so submerged my legs. On hindsight I'm lucky I came off here I was only quarter of the way up the thighs yet (when standing). I tried to get through and I reckon I waded at least about 100m or more in total before it was 'mayday... mayday...'. I think I surely must have gotten as far as the middle of the flood at hand...


I thank The Lord that I turned back where I did as if I'd gottent through I'd have been in possibly worse floods with no way out except wading back. I was at the middle left of that screen and the route usually takes me via Ulleskelf straight to York!

Anyway, thankfully made it but getting a shower at work wasn't too smart a move as I didn't keep it cold enough and got some worryingly tingly feelings in my toes/feet. Preride, I guess I was inspired by Ians Rovienami effort and BenConnely going out during the floods (mad people). Glad I did it and I guess my 'near future' commutes will have to be reroutes!...

Like Ben said though, glad I got out there with the bike!...

Todays commute started at 0330 though I should have departed by 0300. 84.6 miles to cover and needed to be at Scarborough hospital for my life basic/intermediate ('immediate' actually) life support study day. I've had this planned for a few weeks and many different methods of 'making it work' had gone through my head. But the fact that hotels are now over £60 and closer to £100, meant I just needed to do it 'raw'.

Driving wasn't really an option, as I refuse to pay for parking and sitting in a car for almost 2 hours isn't exactly exciting or sensible (in my/your books). Eid was over and I prepared the bike. Takes some preparing doesn't it.

Half frame bag on and bottle cage-moving adaptors applied during the day. Rear tyre pumped solid as that's what the mtb pump would allow as the road pump was broken. Route loaded, 'the day I saw a Kestrel' as I'd last ridden this commute a few years ago when Bob kindly pointed out that it was probably a Buzzard and not a kestrel I'd seen on the final leg. Then came the jitters...

Stomach went all funny (the night before the ride) and so I asked the missus if she'd warm me up some of the chickpeas curry at 10 o clock at night. Then whilst she wasn't looking I also gobbled a couple of weetabix and some ready-brek... with sugar!

Alarm set for 0245, if I was gonna be on time by a mile or two. Then another set for 0327 if I was gonna maybe ride most of it and cheat with the trains. Finally another at 0516 which would mean I caught my morning prayers just in time and then like a lazy beggar went by car or train!

Looks like I awoke at 0200 which probably the nerves and then again when the alarm went off. I didn't wanna do it... how stupid I thought and went to the loo and counted up my hours. Barely 4 hours of sleep under my belt so I planned on just hitting the bed again. But Alhamdulillah (all praise God) - sorry, don't be offended... you know who you are - after washing my face I seemed to spring up to life. Morning prayers said and departed just before 0330. 0325 to be precise according to what I know now from my Strava data.

If you're atill with me, then you're doing well as it all sounds so boring and tedious when put in writing. But I was excited as anything. 4 Turkish Delights and a tube of cliff energy blocks. A spicy chicken sarnie wrap for lunch and a 750ml bottle of dilute Vimto juice. Another 750ml bottle of water along with a few blocks of 85% dark chocolate. A couple of choc-chip Belvita bars and my down jacket. I ate them all - except the down jacket but I probably would have if I could have - but had to ration then final couple of Clif energy blocks and half the water got spent washing myself and the hands as I quickly tried to make a quick getaway from a farmers field whilst he mowed his other over the road!

Now this report was suposed to be a seperate thread titled, 'the pros and cons of an 84.6 mile commute'. But aside from feeling groggy, sickly and down the night before, I couldn't think of any actual cons. I walked for around 0.4 miles at the 33 mile mark as thw feet were frozen with my summer shoes and thing merino socks. But it definitely wasn't a 'con'.

The 'pros'... well, I did some proper 'zero emission' commuting. Not like them 30k stupid electric cars that they'll have us believe are good for the whales and elephants and global warming. No, mine is the steel bike (for life, inshaAllah - sorry again) and it's probably in its third or 4th hands with me. Hopefully our commutes will inpsire the others and get more bikes on roads for work!

The wildlife was amazing though I only saw the one owl. I did see about 5 hares, one of which didn't realise that I couldn't chase him in the farmers field and then ran atraight across me path as the road bent right. Up close and personal I got with a teenage deer and then saw a couple of baby ones. Seen about 10 baby horses and this olive coloured robin type bird. Lots of various types of finches and some beautiful trees. Seen the sun come up from the horizon as it looked blazing and stopped off at the milk vending machine (though, once again I didn't purchaee any due to cargo capacity issues).

That half hour I set off late by... well, I got into the study day by exactly half hour late too but thankfully thwy let me stay and later they realised I'd cycled in. Burnt just short of 2500 calories and managed to get my moving time and total time to within 15 minutes of each other. Thanks for reading and here's the pics


One bottlw borrowed from my daughter and the other from my mate Zubair. I'd almost forgotten what it feels like to eat and drink on a ride. Ain't that (Custom Merit - thanks again Jon) bag gorgeous.


So beautiful when you know that the 1.5 hours of night riding is coming to an end. I think this was taken at 0459...


If thwre was just one scene that summarised the ride, it was this lovely tree. Just really made my day and soon will be fully fledged and green I suppose.


Ain't that sun gorgoeus.


This is the bit where my feet were frozen solid and painful. So I walked over Cawood bridge and kept on going until life had returned to em... Thanks again Jon (Lazarus).


I said to myself on departure that I'll only take the one pic at midpoint. I always take a midpoint pic! Tgis was shot at 42.3 exactly... Took some remembering.


Elvington village IIRC.


The hills of North Yorkshire. So beautiful in real life!

Then after the training day I went down to Scarborough beachside and did my afternoon prayers here. Always imagined Scarborough to be a bit bland and 'chavvy'... but how ever so gorgeous it is...





THE END (for now)

cant beat commuting. long commutes are hardcore.

ton wrote: ↑Fri May 06, 2022 9:37 am cant beat commuting. long commutes are hardcore.

Thanks Ton. You're one of my mentors btw and still remember when you described me your commuting history (impressively longer and deeper than mine but that's to be expected as your smarter and wiser). Have you a date on when you're going to Cairgnorms and did your cardiologist givw the go ahead?? If we have a group (like 1 other at least so there is three pf us) and it's just the outer loop you plan then I might just join ya

Good effort there Shaff So did you cycle home too?

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Fri May 06, 2022 6:35 pm Good effort there Shaff So did you cycle home too?

thanks Phil. No, that might have been overdoing it.. maybe one day

When it was 5 days in the office, if you can remember back to pre-pandemic, i used to have a lovely 25 mile each way commute on a friday. too big for me to do every day, as I couldn't really spare the time and i got to finish at lunchtime that day, so i was back home at the normal time. A great big lump in the middle that is the South Downs, and some spectacular cloud inversions looking over Storrington.

One of the few things I liked about work..

Right then. My card for a certain city arrived so I can now use the cities cycle lockups with CCTV and the works. I just needs to take my lock etc etc. That's still road though so, though far, a bit boring.

I thought I'd share this potential commute I've drawn up to Sheffield. Main difference being is that it's with the mtb and it's just past being a figment of the imagination. Popping on here in case anyone wants to kick me in the face to bring me back to reality. It'll/it'd be to a community shift so I can just park in the clients back garden (already asked.. but that was for the road bike) and obviously I'd only attempt it if a half day came up.

Feel free to ridicule or suggest a more direct path/line that can still be called 'mtb'...

https://www.outdooractive.com/en/r/2425 ... al-content

A keen sighted eagles eye view of it... Proper ugly and scary

If you really want to MTB it (in 3m high letters with flashing lights), go over Cut Gate. Otherwise, the TPT would be a much more practical option.

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 3:13 pm If you really want to MTB it (in 3m high letters with flashing lights), go over Cut Gate. Otherwise, the TPT would be a much more practical option.

Cut gate as a commute... No way. Did I include that. Yes, TPT it should be Thanks for talking some sense

I agree, TPT from penistone through Wharncliffe woods and then road through Hillsborough (watching out for the tram lines!) would be much more sane!

Although I do quite like the original plan as it pretty much passes my doorstep - between the S of Sheffield and oo of Fulwood...

PaulE wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 8:42 pm I agree, TPT from penistone through Wharncliffe woods and then road through Hillsborough (watching out for the tram lines!) would be much more sane!

Although I do quite like the original plan as it pretty much passes my doorstep - between the S of Sheffield and oo of Fulwood...

Might do it as a recce but in commuting mode. Try not to do myaelf in