After commuting for a couple of weeks now I wanted to share a couple of simple findings, but first a little background…

•  I have a 9.5 mile commute, the first 5 miles of which are pretty open roads before I hit Nottingham suburbs.
• I leave at 7.45.
• I’m reasonably fit, but I try to ride at a pace that keeps me from sweating too much.

Leaving at 7.45 allows me to aim for an arrival time of 8.30 without having to keep up a busy pace, I can take the first mile or so is very gentle just spinning my legs out to warm me up and get used to the chilly mornings.

By the time I hit traffic properly and civilisation I’ve 4.5 miles left and at this point i start to encounter traffic lights.

The resultant congestion means that average car speeds drop significantly, allow me to start overtaking them again – picture a cyclist working their way back up in a race through the support car tail.

By the time I am at the city centre i am overtaking cars that passed me 8 miles previous!!!

So my times for travelling are thus…….

Cycling – 45 minutes from house to Uni entry (including locking up the bike)

Car – 25-30 minutes driving, 2 minutes to leave my drive and get on the main road, 5 minutes to park and then 15 minutes to walk from the car park to Uni (also at a cost of £8 for the day) total time…..52 minutes!

Bus – 15 minutes to walk to the stop, 30 minutes of journey time, and 10 minutes from stop to steps – total time….55minutes (and a cost of £4)

So its quicker, cheaper and healthier to cycle – not to mention the resultant upswing in endorphins that the body releases post-ride.

I find it quite fascinating that some many cars have single occupancy on the roads, keeping the roads busier, the journey more expensive, and it really isn’t needed.

So many firms have showers these days with facilities to secure bikes that it just makes so much sense.

It’s quicker, cheaper, and more fun than sitting in a box – just try it!