View Full Version : Who rides a bike to work every day??
i may have a dilemma in a couple of weeks with a job opportunity which will meen travelling around 75kms to and from work, my car is an old 4x4 which i use for towing our boat and a bit of offroading, its not the best truck by far and dont really want to rely on it everyday, also it has expensive tyres on which will wear quickly on road surfaces everyday. i am thinking maybe use the bike on a day to day basis, the only thing is when you do something on a day to day basis it becomes boring, and i dont want to run the risk of becomming bored with bikes, as at the moment i only really ride during the weekend. buying a cheapo car is an option but then we would have 3 cars a bike and 2 trailers to keep up to date with wofs and rego's which just zaps the cash constantly, and there is only two of us.
so you guys that use your bike everyday, does it take the enjoyment out of biking?
another thought get rid of a trailer and buy a cheap commuter bike so atleast its different from the bike i ride at weekends.
Swoop
15th May 2007, 12:22
does it take the enjoyment out of biking?
Nope. Keeps you on your toes and you practice all sorts of stuff to keep yourself alive...
Disco Dan
15th May 2007, 12:24
when you do something on a day to day basis it becomes boring, and i dont want to run the risk of becomming bored with bikes, as at the moment i only really ride during the weekend.
so you guys that use your bike everyday, does it take the enjoyment out of biking?
:gob: :gob: :gob: :gob: :gob: :gob:
What?!
I did not think it was possible to get bored of riding!
Karma
15th May 2007, 12:25
Yes I ride everyday, and no it doesn't bore me much. Doing 110kph on the motorway is as boring on a bike as in a car, but bike is easier to zip around, and parking is a piece of piss.
ManDownUnder
15th May 2007, 12:29
I've ridden a bike to work for 4 years (when I had my first bike) and 5 or 6 years more recently on this one and it does take the day to day "immediate excitement" out of it... but a blast in the country or on the track soon gets it all back again.
Daily road riding is great for survival skills and very good for the bike too (they last longer - although that's obviously countered by the fact you put the kms on 'em quicker)
From an economic view point, riding the bike is cheaper, depreciation and fuel costs are less, and the wait time is less if there is any splitting involved.
Given the choice (and I do have one) - I'd ride the bike to work.
Grahameeboy
15th May 2007, 12:29
Despite having the ferry, I now bike to Work...just makes things more flexible.
Babelfish
15th May 2007, 12:32
Yep, I ride every day. I rode the last 1.5 yrs in Auckland city traffic every day, rain hail or shine and now I'm doing the kapiti to Wellybum run every day rain, hail or shine.
DEFINATELY never gets old as there is always a new person wanting to kill you, or a bit of road you hadn't found on previous runs. Every morning I smile when I gear up and look forward to the ensueing challenges.
It also means that if I dont get to go on a run in the weekend, I've already donw a 10 hours ride during the week.
This said, you do have to make it interesting sometimes :shifty: (kinda like relationships I guess).
ManDownUnder
15th May 2007, 12:32
Despite having the ferry, I now bike to Work...just makes things more flexible.
So you're the one riding with your legs behind your neck... that's quite a talent!
Grahameeboy
15th May 2007, 12:34
So you're the one riding with your legs behind your neck... that's quite a talent!
No I just wrap one leg around my waist.......wink wink nudge nudge, know what I mean.......it's a big foot....I mean feet to manage.....:gob:
so you guys that use your bike everyday, does it take the enjoyment out of biking?
Nope (except when you fall off). It's like getting your fix every day. I do 30km each way over Paekakariki Hill Road so that's a pretty good fix (except when you fall off)
I have other options but wouldn't consider them. Bad weather? Well as someone said, their workmates get wetter running between the car and the office. The biker has a waterproof suit right into the building :)
slinky
15th May 2007, 12:43
i may have a dilemma in a couple of weeks with a job opportunity which will meen travelling around 75kms to and from work, my car is an old 4x4 which i use for towing our boat and a bit of offroading, its not the best truck by far and dont really want to rely on it everyday, also it has expensive tyres on which will wear quickly on road surfaces everyday. i am thinking maybe use the bike on a day to day basis, the only thing is when you do something on a day to day basis it becomes boring, and i dont want to run the risk of becomming bored with bikes, as at the moment i only really ride during the weekend. buying a cheapo car is an option but then we would have 3 cars a bike and 2 trailers to keep up to date with wofs and rego's which just zaps the cash constantly, and there is only two of us.
so you guys that use your bike everyday, does it take the enjoyment out of biking?
another thought get rid of a trailer and buy a cheap commuter bike so atleast its different from the bike i ride at weekends.
i ride to work everyday.
i don't get bored.
you may get bored of riding to work, but the ride in the weekend is waaaaaaay different!!
so dw about getting bored of it.
Toaster
15th May 2007, 12:43
I did not think it was possible to get bored of riding!
Yeah, it's almost a burning at the stake offence!! Heretical!!
Pumba
15th May 2007, 12:50
so you guys that use your bike everyday, does it take the enjoyment out of biking?
Use my bike every day to and from work rain or shine, and the reality is that this can mean im on my bike 7 days a week. I find particularly after a weekend of touring getting back on the bike on monday morning can be a real downer and I can lack a bit of motivation but once im on the bike I remember how much I do enjoy riding. The only things that take the enjoyment out of riding for me are
Binning It
Rain on the way to work ( I can live with getting wet on the way home)
Hail
i ride to work every day, i dont get bored, but I do get sick of my boss going "did you see there were some bikies killed on the road at the weekend"
Toaster
15th May 2007, 12:53
Yes I ride everyday, and no it doesn't bore me much. Doing 110kph on the motorway is as boring on a bike as in a car, but bike is easier to zip around, and parking is a piece of piss.
Agreed, riding to work is a heck of a lot more fun than sitting in the car. Swerve, weave, duck, rev, stoppie.....
magicfairy
15th May 2007, 12:54
Most fun I have all day - riding to work
well cant help but notice in the short space of time all the people who ride to work have posted here already, hmmm, shouldnt you be, well, erm working??
i have an excuse, i am between jobs, :mellow:
magicfairy
15th May 2007, 13:08
Lunch hour
Northpoint
15th May 2007, 13:13
Agreed, riding to work is a heck of a lot more fun than sitting in the car. Swerve, weave, duck, rev, stoppie.....
I have to agree - riding the bike to work is my favourite part of the day...
vifferman
15th May 2007, 13:28
so you guys that use your bike everyday, does it take the enjoyment out of biking?
To some extent, yes.
I very rarely if ever ride in the weekends as a result. I'd like to buy a scooter or commuter bike because I know that would fix the mundanity, but I'm not allowed.
Plus ALL the crashes I've ever had have been while commuting around the city.
SPman
15th May 2007, 13:30
i ride to work every day, i dont get bored, but I do get sick of my boss going "did you see there were some bikies killed on the road at the weekend"
To which you reply - "yep - but not as many as the car drivers!"
vifferman
15th May 2007, 13:31
I have to agree - riding the bike to work is my favourite part of the day...
Yeah, same here.
Wehn I first started riding in D'Auckland (over 7 years ago), I liked the fact that the morning ride made me wide awake, alert, ready to go, etc etc. whereas commuting by car or bus was a snoozefest. However, eventually commuting became too routine.
In my new job, I was breaking the monotony by commuting sometimes with my son, but his driving does my head in, as does sitting in traffic.
The Pastor
15th May 2007, 13:32
Is this a troll, asking if biking gets boring on a bikers website?
Kflasher
15th May 2007, 13:33
Dude great way to start the day, I once lived in Rotorua and worked in Tauranga, nice 45min ride via the Tauranga Direct Road. Winter can be a bitch but you'll get over it... my 2 cents.
To which you reply - "yep - but not as many as the car drivers!"
usual reply is, "musta been hit by cars, ehh"
nah- my boss is ok, he just thinks I am nuts for some reason :innocent:
does anyone know the stats on golf course deaths?
i used to ride to work in chch and aucks
now i WISH i could ride to work but i have a company car dagnabbit!! (although the car is handy if i need to cart any crap around or when it's REALLY hosing down)
gijoe1313
15th May 2007, 13:51
The only time things get boring is when I'm not riding the bike! :weep: I ride whenever, whereever I can and if I have to use the car, I swap back to my bike ASAP! :yes:
To some extent, yes.
I very rarely if ever ride in the weekends as a result. I'd like to buy a scooter or commuter bike because I know that would fix the mundanity, but I'm not allowed.
Plus ALL the crashes I've ever had have been while commuting around the city.
i have got a feeling that is how i would feel, if i ride the same bike over and over all week, few years back i had my cb250 for work and cbr 600 for the weekends, i didnt really think about what i was riding in the week just looked forward to the weekend.
aderino4
15th May 2007, 13:57
i used to only have a bike back in the university days.
Had to use it for everything: class, shopping, doing laundry at laundromat, travelling back and forth Hamilton-Auckland every weekend etc.
It was good and certainly fun except on rainy days, when you have to carry a big ass desktop on your back or meeting up with a bunch of friends and you're the only one carrying a backpack full of riding gear and helmet on your hand (e.g. going to movies)....
Then I learnt how to drive a car and ended up selling the bike.
A couple of years later (present time); I'm back on 95% bike time again. The reason being I'm older and I have a shiny bike.
Nowadays the only time I used the car is for picking up a bunch of friends, buying pizza, or grocery shopping. :sunny:
SPman
15th May 2007, 14:04
I ride in occasionally, when I havent got a book to read on the train. 220k round trip - train - 4 hrs a day, bike - 3hrs a day, or less in school hols.
The missus let me take the FZ1 in today (coz its got heated grips and fingers get more than cold, when the temp drops below 4 degrees)
Is this a troll ...
Pot. Kettle. Black.
Back to the main thread: Go the bike to work route. You'll improve your riding dramatically, enjoy it more than your cage, and it will not take the edge of weekend riding because, with any luck, it won't be lanesplitting through the rain.
Nasty
15th May 2007, 14:54
Use the bike daily ... to and from Wellington .. round trip of 50+ kms ... love it .. I have improved my riding skills vastly .. and have become more confident than being a weekend rider only.
i have got a feeling that is how i would feel, if i ride the same bike over and over all week, few years back i had my cb250 for work and cbr 600 for the weekends, i didnt really think about what i was riding in the week just looked forward to the weekend.
Hi Wil, I bought a SRX400 for commuting. Small, light and uses the XT400 single motor so easy to maintain and fairly robust. I'm commuting in Auckland so more than enough hp for that purpose. That way I keep the Bandit for weekends and touring. Swapping in either direction is fun as the bikes are so different. Of course there's also the other bike, but it's a...umm...project, or at least that's my excuse!
Pumba
15th May 2007, 17:05
stoppie.....
:gob: I would pay to see that preformed on your bike in traffic
apteryx_haasti
15th May 2007, 17:09
Another one who rides to work every day. My round trip is 50 kms and I love it.
I never get bored of riding and I really appreciate that I don't have to wait for a bus and can get home much faster than in a cage (ahem)...
I ride in almost any weather - I think I've taken the bus once in the last 6 or 8 months...
Sigh, ah my bike... I love you so...
BarBender
15th May 2007, 17:18
so you guys that use your bike everyday, does it take the enjoyment out of biking?
No. Tis a great way to start and finish the day... and its enjoyment in large comes from far exceeding the 4 wheel alternative.
rainman
15th May 2007, 17:56
Yup, I ride to work every day (OK I sometimes bus if it's sheeting down or if I'm going out drinking in the evening), about 40k round trip, nope never boring, yup you do pile on the k's. You do need the right bike for it tho. Don't think I'd commute every day on a Harley, for instance.
In short: Go for it.
Toaster
15th May 2007, 18:15
:gob: I would pay to see that preformed on your bike in traffic
Somehow I think I'd be paying for it too!!!
Toaster
15th May 2007, 18:19
I grin just at the thought of riding.
If ya moving its great fun, if ya stopped it looks cool. If ya engine ain't running - do it on ya bike with a hottie.
I cycle every day from work (with a few rare exceptsions.... such as today, when I ran back instead), still heaps of fun.
rok-the-boat
15th May 2007, 19:04
I ride every day. The most important thing is to stay dry and warm. You will never get bored, and will probably not return to your car either.
klingon
15th May 2007, 19:32
so you guys that use your bike everyday, does it take the enjoyment out of biking?
another thought get rid of a trailer and buy a cheap commuter bike so atleast its different from the bike i ride at weekends.
I commuted to work every day from January 8 to May 7. Then I met a blonde in a BMW at a stop sign. I stopped, she didn't. Every day without my bike feels like a week and I'm doing everything I can to get back on it.
In those 4 months there wasn't a single day when I felt bored with the idea of riding my bike. I arrived at work awake and alert (having taken several types of evasive action on the way there). The worst bit is on a sunny day, knowing your bike's parked down there in the basement and you're sitting at your desk... so near and yet so far away!
I would suggest getting a different bike as a commuter. You want different things from your two bikes, so you should get one suited to the job. Just don't get a Volty because I've cornered the market in parts :yes:
NighthawkNZ
15th May 2007, 19:40
Who rides a bike to work every day??
I would but by the time I get riding get on, taken cover off bike... looked for key... warmed the bike up... I could have walked to work... so I walk every day...
zadok
15th May 2007, 19:46
I ride to work every time. It's the highlight of the day.:yeah: :ride:
Used to drive to school until they started to charge people for parking.
Now ride rain or shine. Probably costs me about the same.
Oil+petrol+sparkplugs add up.
Oakie
15th May 2007, 19:55
I felt like shit at work yesterday with flu. So much so that my boss felt sorry for me and offered to drive me home at 3pm. Sounded good for about half a second until I realised that meant I wouldn't get to ride the bike home that night or back to work the next day. Love my daily rides to and from work.
Using your bike every day won't make you bored. It'll make riding an even bigger part of your life and as others have said, it'll make you a better rider.
Catweazle
15th May 2007, 20:14
Buy and setup a bike dedicated for riding to work in all weather and use your existing bike for weekends and pleasure. I did 90kms each way for five years in Sydney pushing my CB750 up to 260,000 kms. A bike is never as boring as a car because you don't get stuck in traffic. But you need the right setup for bad weather - good gear, a full screen. Heated grips for winter are good too. If you are doing a bit of city riding you will find it a dirty experience. Diesel from trucks and other polution will stick on your clothes, make your bike filthy and turn the collars of your shirts black.
it interesting to hear all the comments and i am surprised there are not many negetives, i always get butterflies in my stomach before i ride at the weekends, and always seem to ride shit for the first hour or so, i suppose riding all week would raise confidence and stop that first hour of rusty riding, which is a good thing:yes:
Steam
15th May 2007, 20:43
I ride to work TWICE every day. Cos I work split shifts. I ride a different bike to each shift, gotta keep them both happy.
It's fun, there are nice corners on the way, I am just sad it's not longer.
But I arrive at work either sweating with heat, or freezing, or rained on.
mikey62
15th May 2007, 21:05
Mon-Thur ride the bike. Drinks on Fri so don't ride then. Enjoy the mornings the best as cage drivers tend to be better behaved. Also at 6:30 in the morning there are less cars and truck on the road. I find it sure wakes you up as well. When I used to drive I find I could hardly remember the trip but riding you need to be more alert. Also, the cold on your face in the mornings is refreshing.
I commute pretty much everyday - If anything it makes me more keen to get out and ride for recreation as my appetite is only whet on a daily basis!
NinjaBoy
15th May 2007, 21:18
[QUOTE=Catweazle;1056579]Buy and setup a bike dedicated for riding to work in all weather and use your existing bike for weekends and pleasure. /QUOTE]
Umm and arr'ed about two bikes but decided that two bikes and a car was too much $$ in rego/insurance.
So I ride the ZX to work almost everyday, piles on the kms but hey I get to buy a new one every couple of years !
Also don't assume it will save money either.. yeah you save on petrol but that's all used up with the extra servicing and tyres. While the commute to work isn't less stressful it is less fustrating ( that is, you don't get stuck in a long queue watching bikes lane split to the front !)
Burger
15th May 2007, 22:39
I agree. I love riding to work every day. I would go bonkers in a car...
Winters here too so a great time to start! Winters are when you almost feel like packing it in because it's so cold, and summer is always far too hot under all that gear.
But you never do pack it in :msn-wink:
Is this a troll, asking if biking gets boring on a bikers website?
Repost! Ahhh, I enjoyed that ...
I've never had a car so have ridden my bike to various jobs for 30+ years and no you won't get bored.Some days the ride to and from work is all that keeps me(relatively)sane.Couple of good points made by others though that are relavent.No it's not cheap,commuting is hard on chains,brakes e.t.c.plus you'll be riding in all weathers,running my bike is probably no cheaper than running a small car in this country(bearing in mind high compulsory insurance costs and we pay top whack for everything here).Type of bike is important as well,that's why i ride an all-rounder,plenty of go for leisure rides but dosn't cripple me riding through dense traffic,work-mate of mine is selling his R6 because slow riding at rush hours all but breaks his back.Riding in traffic and bad weather will sharpen up your riding skills,you'll get used to being hyper-observant and learn more about clutch and throttle control using slippery or wet roads than you'll ever do playing with your bike on dry weekends.With your bike and your gear the important thing for regular riding is comfort,not looking cool,if your not comfortable,soaked or even just cold you'll be distracted and that's never good.
My journey to work covers 7 miles of one of the main commuter routes.Takes me 20 minutes at peak traffic time coming home,in a car I could stick a minimum of 10 minutes on that,probably more but that's filtering at every chance so not sure what the situation is in N.Z. on that one.
You'll only get bored riding your bike to work if you were going to get bored riding it anyway.
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