Cycling to work daily??

[OtterxWolf]

I have just been offered a job at flamingo Land in Yorkshire, I don't drive and due to the location I'm probably gonna have to cycle in.
It's about 40 minutes and 8 miles, is it feasible for me to be able to do that both ways 5 days a week.
It's pretty flat most of the way and I really want this job. It's mainly roads and and country lane/cycle path.
Also any recommendations ton the type of bike best suited for this??

[tvrfan007]

Providing the roads are cycle friendly, or you have the confidence to use them ... of course.

Your fitness will ramp up, and you'll enjoy the me time before you get to work or home.

40 minutes is only an average of 12 mph, you should be able to better that in a month or two. You'd be best off with a hybrid, but you need to consider if there's changing rooms etc at work.

I can ride my road bike to work as we have shower blocks and lockers so I can leave supplies there. You'll need to consider clothing for all occasions, and a sensible saddle bag of spares like a tube and levers.

Consider an e bike if you're concerned it's too much, or if you're not bothered about getting fit.

Edited by tvrfan007 on Saturday 20th March 17:33

[joshleb]

Look at getting puncture resistant tyres, might be heavier but a bit more guarantee you'll make it to work!

What's your budget for a bike? We can give some tips for what to look for.

[Wilmslowboy]

Yep should be ok - most days but what about in winter when it will be dark both ways and the one in three days it rains in Yorkshire.

Best bike would be a hybrid, such as

https://www.stows.co.uk/bikes/hybrid-bikes/2021-gi...


Avoid anything with knobbly tyres and suspension.

[_Hoppers]

I do about 85-100 miles a week but for a work commute I’d be tempted to get an electric bike. I’m a bit of a sweaty bd so being able to cycle to work (with a bag for everything I need for the day) without having to get a shower at the other end would be a positive for me.

I reckon you could easily knock 10mins off that travel time too (even without electric assist)

[sociopath]

Used to ride into london everyday, about 12 miles, all weathers except for snow and ice, you're not cold for long on a bike.

Showers are essential if you sweat, people who think they aren't are generally the ones that get talked about when they leave the office

[OtterxWolf]

I would say up to 300 pounds maybe.
Would you recommend definitely having a shower when I get to work?? I don't know what the facilities are their but I'll be working as a zookeeper. Sadly I do sweat quite a bit so is there any tips and tricks of what I can do with no shower facilities??

[_Hoppers]

OtterxWolf said:

Sadly I do sweat quite a bit so is there any tips and tricks of what I can do with no shower facilities??

Panniers to carry your clothes/lunchbox etc (instead of a rucksack preventing airflow around your back), cycle naked

[sociopath]

OtterxWolf said:

I would say up to 300 pounds maybe.
Would you recommend definitely having a shower when I get to work?? I don't know what the facilities are their but I'll be working as a zookeeper. Sadly I do sweat quite a bit so is there any tips and tricks of what I can do with no shower facilities??

If you're going to be a zookeeper (great job by the way, I'd love that), then I guess the smell of human sweat would be the least of your worries. If you get desperate in summer a quick sluice in a sink works wonders.

[OtterxWolf]

sociopath said:

If you're going to be a zookeeper (great job by the way, I'd love that), then I guess the smell of human sweat would be the least of your worries. If you get desperate in summer a quick sluice in a sink works wonders.

I was thinking I could always have a quick wash with wet wipes as another solution 😂😂😂

What do I need in terms of puncture repair kits etc??

[gangzoom]

OtterxWolf said:

I would say up to 300 pounds maybe.
Would you recommend definitely having a shower when I get to work?? I don't know what the facilities are their but I'll be working as a zookeeper. Sadly I do sweat quite a bit so is there any tips and tricks of what I can do with no shower facilities??

That route looks perfectly for cycling, I do 8-10 miles each way on similar route - though I do have to face about 1 mile of major trunk road that runs into Leicester (A47), the rest is fab though like your potential commute. I've done my first full 12 months of commuting on the bike, I estimate I did 2/3 of the commute on the bike in the last 12 months - if its torrential rain/snow/I need to do school pick up I take the car, the latter is the main reason I end up taking the car. .

The British country side really is beautiful in morning sun light, or early morning frost, its a fantastic way to start a working day.

The issue for you will be the budget and bike, £300 doesn't buy you much these days, and I can tell you commuting day in day out for 15-20 miles a day soon tires your legs. I had to drive in on Friday, as I worked last weekend and by the time it got to Thursday I just wanted to take it easy, and thats with me doing my commute on an eBike for 50% of the time last week.

You will also need different cloths for the seasons, and decent lights (not needed much now though).

The main reason I use my eBike most of the time is so I can get to work without sweating, but my road bike is just nicer to ride so sometimes I mix it up. Having a decent bike really does make a difference to the commute - a £300 bike will sadly get very tiring if used daily, and I suspect you will be going to back to the car very quickly.

[joshleb]

Have a look on facebook marketplace or Ebay for bikes. Should be able to find something that meets the criteria for that price for your needs.

Most important thing would be sizing, parts can be upgraded if necessary in the future. How tall are you?

[Sheets Tabuer]

I work with a guy that cycles in about 15 miles and he uses wet wipes, never noticed him smelling.

Are you already cycling because if not you'll probably not be bending down a lot the first week and you'll be wondering what the hell you've taken on for the first week or two but you'll soon love it and what a time of year to start cycling.

Does work have a cycle to work scheme?

[rriggs]

I used to cycle 37 minutes each way to work. Slightly downhill to work and slightly uphill home (on average). It wasn’t a problem. I used to skip it if it was really wet in the mornings but other than that it was every day. Like others have said you get better and better (and consistent hence the 37 mins timing) and the time to unwind if you need it after work is useful sometimes too.

Most of my route was an ex-railway so a fairly good surface but the biggest pain was punctures. If you are cycling that much you will get a fair few. I used Gunk in my tyres which helped a bit but gave up on it as it didn’t stop them enough. I had a small pump, tools, gloves and inner tubes in my bag and got real slick at it it

Unfortunately I had to move house and can’t cycle any more (twice as far and bike unfriendly roads)

[ahas]

joshleb said:

Have a look on facebook marketplace or Ebay for bikes. Should be able to find something that meets the criteria for that price for your needs.

Most important thing would be sizing, parts can be upgraded if necessary in the future. How tall are you?

This, buy second hand. Look for something well maintained and straight.
You can usually tell by description / type of seller.
Some sellers are on a cycle to work scheme so have a pretty nice bike which they're selling as they've got a new one on the scheme. Those bikes are only couple yrs old.

I bought my Boardman hybrid for £300. Was 3 months old and the chap even give me the receipt for the remaining warranty from Halfrauds.

Loads of bike mot schemes where you can get your bike serviced pretty cheap. Actually are those £50 vouchers still knocking around by the government?

Not ridden for a year as I've been wfh!

[J4CKO]

8 miles is a piece of piss, I did it for ten years and enjoyed it, miss it.

Decent lights, a selection of clothing and dont ride when its icy are my tips.

[darkyoung1000]

You won’t struggle with that distance I’m sure - after a little while you may even choose to add a few miles (in the summer at least).
Nice roads too!
I commuted about 10 miles each way on an older steel framed road bike. Nice and comfortable with enough gears for what you need. I also went with the philosophy of having dry clothes to get into at the end and not worry about how wet I got if it was raining, and got changed in the toilets for years (flannel wash in the sink) until we changed offices to one with showers!
As people have said, judge by the seller on any second hand bike - the most important thing is getting me with the right sized frame for you, otherwise you may just end up uncomfortable. It could be worth asking your local bike shop if they have any second hand bikes in, as sometimes they take part exchange (Cycle Street in York does).

Good luck and enjoy!

[mikewilliams79]

Can you afford a cheap car for when it's lashing down/snow ....it's really not fun in 0c or pissing rain IMO.

[Evanivitch]

OtterxWolf said:

I would say up to 300 pounds maybe.
Would you recommend definitely having a shower when I get to work?? I don't know what the facilities are their but I'll be working as a zookeeper. Sadly I do sweat quite a bit so is there any tips and tricks of what I can do with no shower facilities??

£300 is pretty tight.

Do you have a helmet?
Front and rear lights? (even if there's street lighting you still legally need them, and it makes sense)
You'll benefit from a pair of padded shorts for comfort.
A backpack? (something that is at least comfortable, even if it's a bin bag waterproofing inside)
Basic tool kit, pump and inner tubes.
A waterproof jacket?
Set of mud guards?
Bike lock or is there somewhere secure on site?

I'd consider those fairly minimum. On top of that I'd be looking at waterproof socks, cycling leggings or trousers.

If anything, I'd be asking around friends and family to see if there's a spare bike in the shed somewhere. Invest that £300 in the above, and then use a few pay cheques to get your own bike for circa £500.

[dontlookdown]

Yes that's a great bike commute. 8 miles is easy, once you've done it a few times you'll wonder what you were worried about.

Make sure you are visible. Any bike will do to start with although rack mounts are a good idea as panniers are better for commuting than a rucksack. But a bike with a slightly less upright riding position than a hybrid would probably be best in the longer run.

Good luck, cycle commuting is great you won't regret it.

PS I had a summer job at Flamingo Land about 100 yrs ago. In the theme park not the zoo. There were some real, err, 'characters' on the staff. So good luck with that too;)