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Why don't more people cycle to work?

Wombatman

I'm surprised by how few cyclists are on the road in the morning when I'm on my way to work.

I live in Galway where the traffic is horrendously slow during rush hours, yet people aren't really seeing the bike as a solution.

I'd guess that if everyone who availed of the bike to work scheme actually biked to work we would see a dramatic increase.

It's interesting that with the upsurge cycling participation, the % of those commuting by bike has halved in the last 20 years.

http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cp6ci/p6cii/p6mtw/

I guess this has to do with population density and the greater distances people have to travel to work. One way around this is to bring it some of the way on the rack. This get one around the worst of the tailbacks.

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steamsey

Mars Bar wrote: »

What? Cycle to work and then go home to take a shower before work?

I meant shower in the morning before you cycle to work. Although I do like the sound of heading back home immediately after arriving in work

uncle-mofo

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

I'm not buying the rain argument.

It rains just as much in The Netherlands, Denmark and other Northern European countries as it does in Ireland. Dublin and the east of Ireland more sun shine than most of Northern and Western Europe. Ireland also gets less extreme weather than other Northern European counties. Weather is the least biggest obstacle.

That may be the case in the East, I moved to Galway from Waterford and the amount of rain up here compared to the East/South East in the winter months is depressing.

I leave a rain jacket in my car and need it walking from the carpark to work on average 3/5 days of the week.

This summer I've started cycling to work and the weather has been fine for the last two weeks, but I'll be investing in waterproof gear and mudguards if I keep it up.

Kaisr Sose

Probably said already, but worth saying again....Too many cars!

Chips Lovell

The other thing people don't seem to get is just how convenient it is. They view cycling to work as some sort of heavy physical exercise or a sacrifice. Whereas really (and especially during the school year) it's quicker, more enjoyable, and far less of a pain in the hoop than taking the car.

Wishbone Ash

average_runner wrote: »

Well the "near misses" thread doesn't promote a safe picture

I'm always a bit skeptical about much of what I read in that thread. I cycle 400kms per week and probably have a 'near miss' maybe once a month. I suspect that some poster's style of cycling isn't helping and they probably don't realise it.

theyoungchap

I love to drive to the gym, get the escalator up, and then hop on an exercise bike and step machine.
Flawless.

ED E

Dr. Bre

Cos the weather is awful and Dublin isn’t suited to cycling around

De Bhál

Friend of mine drives, loves it and doesn't mind sitting in traffic, says the time in the car is the only time he gets to himself all day.

schemingbohemia

Wombatman wrote: »

I'm surprised by how few cyclists are on the road in the morning when I'm on my way to work.

I live in Galway where the traffic is horrendously slow during rush hours, yet people aren't really seeing the bike as a solution.

I'd guess that if everyone who availed of the bike to work scheme actually biked to work we would see a dramatic increase.

It's interesting that with the upsurge cycling participation, the % of those commuting by bike has halved in the last 20 years.

http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cp6ci/p6cii/p6mtw/

I guess this has to do with population density and the greater distances people have to travel to work. One way around this is to bring it some of the way on the rack. This get one around the worst of the tailbacks.

Don't know if this has been mentioned but whilst the % has halved the number of people cycling is back to more than 1991 levels and not far off 1986 levels. The key difference is the significant drop in females cycling.

magicbastarder

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I'm always a bit skeptical about much of what I read in that thread. I cycle 400kms per week and probably have a 'near miss' maybe once a month. I suspect that some poster's style of cycling isn't helping and they probably don't realise it.

you are very experienced though, and may have a better sixth sense developed about the behaviour of motorists before they become an issue.

Macy0161

I do think it's a perception with the danger. However, it's enough that we've had to campaign (and are still awaiting) mpdl. I would say that is the biggest thing I hear in work.

I don't think people realise how much time and convenience they could have on the bike. In my work place I hear them moan about the traffic and buses, and I'd be walking it never mind cycling!

As to showers, I would say most days I don't need to shower after the commute - into the city centre is mainly downhill in Dublin from both north side or south side.

Finally, there's definitely the issue of distance of commutes. There's never been any real drive to do park and rides, for public transport or bikes. I looked into parking at one of the luas park and rides and cycling in, and their conditions are you must be travelling by Luas. I generally park up somewhere, as the full commute on bike wouldn't work time wise for me and my family situation (at the moment), but you're relying on finding road side parking/ local knowledge. On top of the security of the bike at destination, you have security of the car where you leave it.

seamus

It's pure laziness.

Everything else is an excuse. Talk about rain, about it being "hard", or dangerous, about having things to carry, or having to wear makeup, or not having showers, are all excuses.

The real answer is that people don't cycle because they don't want to, but because that sounds lazy they like to fool themselves into thinking that have a good excuse.

If you want to cycle, you will find a way.

In terms of getting more people cycling, the carrot-and-stick approach is the only way. The carrot is where you promote cycling, have initiatives where you get rewarded for cycling; like a national "cycle to work day" that includes events and free sh1t for people who are cycling. The stick is where you disincentivise driving; private car parking spaces should attract BIK at comparative parking rates (i.e. €3 an hour in the city centre); less space for cars in cities and towns, and so forth.

All you really have to do is break the initial resistance to cycling; demonstrate how easy it is and how all the excuses are just made up. And people will take to it.

magicbastarder

seamus wrote: »

It's pure laziness.

Everything else is an excuse. Talk about rain, about it being "hard", or dangerous, about having things to carry, or having to wear makeup, or not having showers, are all excuses.

with the greatest respect, half of the above is nonsense.
my commute is 19.5km. there's no way in hell i'd be able to subject my co-workers to me if i cycled in and didn't have a full shower. people *are* genuinely scared by what they see on the roads.

and bike theft is another aspect. i know people who simply don't have somewhere they cold lock their bike in confidence.

theyoungchap

If I could get a shower in work, I would not think twice about cycling hail/rain/shine.

I cycled for years, half way across the city at times, and you'd get 5-10 wet days a year MAX when cycling to/from work.

Wishbone Ash

magicbastarder wrote: »

...my commute is 19.5km. there's no way in hell i'd be able to subject my co-workers to me if i cycled in and didn't have a full shower....

My commute is also 19.5kms (but I usually do at least 20) and I've never had showering facilities in work (...and I work in an almost all female environment!).

Ray Bloody Purchase

theyoungchap wrote: »

If I could get a shower in work, I would not think twice about cycling hail/rain/shine.

I cycled for years, half way across the city at times, and you'd get 5-10 wet days a year MAX when cycling to/from work.

That's for sure. In the last eight months i could count on one hand the amount of times i've gotten seriously soaked.

It might be a different story down in Galway though. It's a lot bloody wetter down there.

[Deleted User]

No way in hell I'd ride even 2km to a job unless there was a shower waiting at the other end especially this time of year. I'm fairly fit but sweat buckets and baby wipes and a spray wouldn't cut it

Rain never bothered me either especially if it was heading home was a non issue.

That feeling of skipping a line of 20 cars crawling along if that and getting home in 20 minutes as opposed to standing waiting on a bus to sit in the same traffic for nearly an hour never got old when I was in Dublin

Wishbone Ash

theyoungchap wrote: »

.. and you'd get 5-10 wet days a year MAX when cycling to/from work.

This.

I was just thinking that I could count on 2 hands the amount of times I get wet cycling to/from work in a year.

kerplun k

Plain and simple, All other reasons come secondary to the fact that it's simply too dangerous.
In the last month I start cycling again after my first attempt a year ago left me terrified. I actually take a longer route now that’s 80% cycle lanes, but I have no counter argument for when people tell me they don’t cycle due to safety concerns.

Chips Lovell

13km commute each way. I have a shower most mornings after getting into work. However, if I'm going for a run at lunchtime, I'd wait to shower after that. I'd never shower on getting home unless I'd been training or racing after work. Unless I was lamping it, I'd never get very sweaty from commuting.

elusiveguy

I used to cycle.

In the same day, I got hit by a taxi who ran a yield and had a taxi driver and his passengers stay side by side with me on the Quays screaming at me because I took primary position to go around an open door and didn't move in fast enough. That was the last straw for me.

There were just too many near misses, uncomfortable moments and too much anger and anxiety

theyoungchap

kerplun k wrote: »

Plain and simple, All other reasons come secondary to the fact that it's simply too dangerous.
In the last month I start cycling again after my first attempt a year ago left me terrified. I actually take a longer route now that’s 80% cycle lanes, but I have no counter argument for when people tell me they don’t cycle due to safety concerns.

All you need to do is take your time, obey all the traffic lights (don't be an dickhead running lights), let a car turning left turn (there is only 1 winner and your bit of steel and body won't be it), and you will be absolutely fine. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED and keep your wits about you.

It is nowhere near as dangerous as people think it is.

Of course there are dangers, but sure living and breathing is dangerous.

It does of course depend where you are cycling, not with somebody else's life would I cycle the quays.
To be fair to Dublin motorist's, most are pretty decent to cyclists, there are a55holes both in cars and on bikes. But lets not turn the thread into a cycle v car debate....been done to death.

I'd feel less safe if I was cycling around a local rural town where cyclists are not the norm and you've got 80 year olds getting in and out of cars without looking.

loyatemu

I cycled in today, 30km and fairly warm/sunny. I had a shower when I got in but I probably could have got away without one. I was only really sweaty on my back because I had a backpack. Most people are commuting much shorter (and probably flatter) routes, so i don't think the shower thing is as big a deal as people make out. The main thing is to be appropriately dressed on the bike and have a change of clothes available.

The game changer would be better and more continuous cycling routes into the city - I believe Galway is particularly bad in this regard, but Dublin's not great either, except for a couple of obvious exceptions like the Grand Canal and the Clontarf Rd. On my route there's an excellent cyclepath through Blackrock but then it gets progressively worse through Booterstown, Merrion and Ballsbridge where you find yourself battling for space with buses and coaches. Disheartening to hear of Dublin councillors voting down proposals for the quietway last night.

Pelvis

People's bodies are different. Just because you don't sweat much doesn't mean other people don't. I used to cycle 10km to work and I would be absolutely dripping with sweat.

The 10km ride back was mainly downhill and I'd still be dripping with sweat.

Tenzor07

Used to do a 40k round trip commute, was all showered up before leaving home and then when returning home.. A towel and baby wipe is good enough unless you have some medical condition which causes you to over produce skin bacteria...

theyoungchap

Rule #1 of office etiquette - never say "I don't smell at all" - if you are cycling a long distance, ask the fellah next to you if he ever notices.
I have sat beside some wretched individuals who didn't realise they stank. More than 1 of which was a cyclist. It is not an easy thing to broach with a co-worker.

Wishbone Ash

theyoungchap wrote: »

...I have sat beside some wretched individuals who didn't realise they stank. More than 1 of which was a cyclist....

He may have stank anyway regardless of cycling. I've worked with people who stank and none of them were regular exercisers.

theyoungchap

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

He may have stank anyway regardless of cycling. I've worked with people who stank and none of them were regular exercisers.

Yeah, worked with them as well! Ugh.

Tenzor07

Though having said the above... I used to commute wearing cycling gear, shorts, jersey, jacket etc. which would have had anti-bacterial properties...

Though cycling in regular clothes would certainly hold the odor unless you brought spare clothing to the office and changed there..