Getting from the car to work

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

stuckinthemud

Established Member
Joined
17 Jun 2019
Messages
776
Reaction score
491
Location
Caerphilly
I am about to lose parking outside my workplace as the council “improves” access for cyclists, meaning I will have to park at least a half mile away. I need a way to travel from my car to work. I could walk or jog, but these have limited appeal. I was thinking of folding bike, but these are not cheap, so building a wood frame bike or even a recumbent is a possibility. An e-scooter is not, my better half will veto anything motorised…Any thoughts? Oh, probably should mention that I like this job
 
A purposeful walking pace is 3mph give or take, so half a mile is 10 minutes. Add a bit for road crossing etc. but from turning off your car engine to actually starting work should be under 15 minutes. You need a warm coat for cold days and a waterproof coat for wet days, plus decent shoes but can wear normal work attire.

A bike saves on journey time, your 10 minute walk might be 3 or 4 minutes cycle to cover the distance. But, get bike out of car, unfold if its a folder, put on crash hat plus whatever else you need to wear, arrive at work and put bike somewhere, often in a shed or basement, lock it to something. remove your bike kit. I bet it will take longer, plus you need to buy a bike and bits of kit and maintain things.

Cycling is good for longer trips. but the faff at each end means that walking is probably the best way to do it if it's under a mile. Plus if you are walking you can easily pop into a shop en route should you need to without any bike thieving worries. Plus walking can be companionable if occasionally you run into a colleague on the same journey.

Maybe try it for a bit before you invest in an alternative.
 
What Richard said.

Unless you are in real bad physical condition, a brisk half mile walk twice each day will do you good.

In 12 months you could be twelve pounds lighter.
 
At that distance its a pleasant stroll and a great deal safer than being on a bike in traffic. When the weather is bad you would get just as wet on a bike as walking. Also with walking you should not feel the urge to dress up in lycra.
Regards
John
 
An e-scooter is not, my better half will veto anything motorised…Any thoughts?
If I really didn't want to walk, for that sort of distance I'd just get an adult-size folding kick scooter - they're cheap, several times faster than walking, legal to use, quick to fold/unfold, easy to store beside/under a desk, no need for helmet etc.

Only downside is you might look a bit of a **** when using it... ;)
 
Brompton - 20 seconds to unfold, get on it and pedal ( no special clothing required ) 20 seconds to fold it and then stick it under your desk (if you have such a thing).

Mine has paid for itself twice over and is worth more now than what I paid for it four years ago.
 
You have all the required compoents built in to be able to walk without any additional encumbrance or faffing about, that is seriously not far, I walk 5 miles everyday when I get home from work because I don't get enough excercise at work, and I have had a hip replacement and still manage. When I cycle I do 30 miles not worth getting the bike out for less. I expect Jacob is the same assuming he has returned to fitness after his hip op. If you wear headphones get bone conduction type so still aware of the real world out to get you at every turn.
 
Fair comments and interesting viewpoints. Perhaps I should add that I spend the bulk of my day on my feet, and with walking the dog every evening am already clocking up a fair few miles. Additionally, though the car-based part of the trip is only half an hour, adding the same on again is a pita. Hadn’t heard of Carrera , will check them out. A colleague rides a Brompton, astonishing piece of kit but way out of my pay scale.
 
Last edited:
Roof-rack mounted pull-cord activated trebuchet?

There are many things we don't know which might affect your choice - facilities where you work (even a brompton can be dripping wet), traffic and pedestrian density, terrain, surface quality. I had thought of a folding kick scooter as mentioned above, light, cheap, and Ive seen a few people using them from the local P&R site into a nearby hospital (staff, not patients), but its ideal terrain - flat smooth and uncongested. Try that on Oxford Street or uphill in Leeds and its another matter.
 
One steep incline, no pedestrians, moderate traffic, some storage available in work. Biggest issue is need to fit across the back seat of a small hatchback I live 10.5 miles from work but there is a mountain in between where cars need third gear in places
 

Latest posts

Back
Top