How many of you actually use your bikes this time of year?

[GFK]

Was 2C here yesterday and I did nearly 40 miles on the bike. I'm not mental (really) - just had places to go and no car. Don't think I've ever been so cold in me life. All that post-snowstorm sludge on the roads has made a right mess of me bike as well.

Do you all get a knackered old car to drive about in and get you thru the winter?

[Bendy]

[hopoffbaby]

i personally ride my bike every day no matter what the weathers doing. i have to Because i don't have a car licence

[PsychoHippy]

I can honestly say that I am a year round rider - 45 miles to work (and the same back again) with no car only leaves me one choice.
It's not to bad if you dress for it, and get some heated grips!
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[Kickstart]

Hi

Use the bike almost all year round. Haven't ridden a bike since Christmas Eve though (rode to work and back). Will be back on the bike going to work on Monday.

All the best

Keith
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[zaknafien]

Bike all the time as it's all I have a licence for.
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[stevo as b4]

Erm, i dont use my bike for getting to work atm, but am probably moving house in the next few months, and so if i end up living no more than 2-3mile away ill be cycling to work, or further than that then id start using my bike, (oldest one of course!) People will think im completely mad, but i have a car now, and i probably use it once or twice a week max, its alot cheaper to run that way!

[headlamp]

Yup, everyday for getting to work - it would take me 90 minutes in the car around the North Circular Rd. in London, but on the bike about half an hour. As long as you have warm, waterproof protective clothing it's usually alright, as long as there are no unforeseen blizzards and they 'forget' to grit the roads, like last year!

[Ian (GPX)]

The bike, in fact I just got in from a 70 mile trip.

As for a car in London in any weather, you got to be mad, stuck in all that traffic during the summer or winter is not good !

I was out yesterday along the A23 (Croydon) and I have never seen it so choked up with cars and lorries in all the time I have lived here. The traffic was tail to tail all the way back to Streatham Common, and in the other direction it was all the way back to Purley, and all because people wanted to get to Ikea or B&Q, and they have only one access road to both places !

Another thing with a car, it costs too much to run, alone the road tax is more than I'd wanna pay, the £30.00 tax on my current bike is better, and as for fuel, I'd use more fuel in a car than I do my bike, as for the insurance, thats got to be a joke at anytime of the year at over £500 TPTF, the bike is under £200 TPTF.

Then there is this stupid London Congestion Charge @ £5.00 per day, but a bike it's free (for now).

Now they are thinking of expanding it to all area's up to the M25, thats a joke, more companies will move out side of the M25 (should that be outside the UK ?).

[Bendy]

My car costs half what my bike does to insure. Fuel consumption's about the same, and over the past months I've actually got to work quicker by car than on the bike due to the fact that I don't have to spend time unchaining it from a lampost before I can go anywhere. So a car in London isn't always *that* mad.

[PsychoHippy]

[Bendy]

About 5 miles at quarter to ten in the morning, coming home at six.

[The BeefMeister]

I used to use my bike all year around. Only problem with using the AR50 in the rain was that it would cut out. Probably because it got flooded with water! Bloody air cooled, open engined 50's. Only used it once when it was snowin but not on the road.
The RS50 was no problem at all in the rain, again never attempted going on the road in the snow.
Basically If I needed to go somewhere the bike was my only form of transport. Sod using buses, too expensive.

Field bikes I had used to get used in all weather conditions. A KX80 in the snow was good fun I have to admit.

All depends on If I have other transport available. For example, my personal taxi driver, my mum.
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"Put your hands up motherstickers, this is a f*ck up!"

[carvell]

I have ridden my 125 every day since I got it, I ride it in all weathers 7 days a week, and that will probably be the case until I get off my arse and book a car test!

Riding at this time of year isn't really very fun, what with all the lovely black ice at 7am. Still, I've got quite good at recovering from slides etc., so it's all good for learning about how not to fall off on diesel in the summer!
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[Mrs_Hippy]

Well we don't have a car just bikes so if I need to go anywhere anytime it is by car but I have to say that I might be less likely to go out spontaneously or unless I have to as it gets colder!!

[R1stu]

I use my bike all year round and every day! Unless of course I use one of these little beasts!
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[The BeefMeister]

Oh the good ol' plastic pig! They race them at Yarmouth Stadium on the firework nights. A right good laugh watching them roll when they go into a corner.

I saw one on the road once and it turned down this road which wasn't really much of a turn but nearly rolled it. The driver was fairly old I think.

Is it true you can drive one of them at 16? I would've had one for sheer comedy value.
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"Put your hands up motherstickers, this is a f*ck up!"

[stevo as b4]

I read once in a ride magazine test that in reasonable traffic conditions (really depends on where you are) that comparing going to work by car and bike, isnt always a clear win for the bike. If you have to add the time taken to put all your gear on, open garage, remove security devices etc, and then do the same thing at work, it can easily eat into the time saving you make by getting through the traffic more quickely. Of course especially in good weather the bike is more fun, but if you were working long days and until late in the evening, some people would argue that the car is a better option, as would you want to ride your bike home when your really tired/stressed, etc? Im not saying that its ideal to drive a car tired either, but i know id likely prefer it if i was in that situation. Hey Bendy, if your car costs you less to run than the bike fair play. i wouldnt even think about commuting to and from work in my car, as fuel consumption,tax,insurance (for now) and replacing tyres eventually all cost alot more than they do for my bike! Just to get to and from work, using a bike would save me quite a bit!

[BLacKPooLLaD]

Use my bike all year round, go out for a quick thrash around at night time only if its not raining and icey .

Luke
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[Robby]

Car for winter, bike for summer.

Car doesn't work out hugely more expensive to run either. Its much heavier on fuel, because its fucked, but servicing is cheap and tyres last for ever.

[John]

I like to use my bike whenever i'm bored, only thing is most of the time i'm bored because it isn't actually working.

I hate riding in pouring rain when it gets very cool, hands get just a little cold.

[MarJay]

In this kind of weather I will use my bike for necessity when I don't have anyone else to transport. If I have to take someone else then I try to borrow a car. I generally go to work by bike anyway though, because I go on my own and I can't borrow either of my parents cars during the day.

In teh summer I use my bike a lot more though and ride for fun rather than necessity.
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[Ant]

Car!! My bikes just my toy, alough i still take it out in the cold/damp! it's just ice and heavy rain that stops me!
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[Mrs_Hippy]

For my short trip to work getting to work on the bike is not clearly faster - unless there is a real snarl up on the roads.

For popping down to the shops or to Sainsburys a mate in a car could be there and back before I am even shopping.

For the hippys much longer commute the bike is probably a clear winner, especially if he goes in at normal commuting time and not silly shiftworkers time.

I also remember a motorway commuter saying that on some days (depending on accidents, contraflows, etc) he could be home over an hour before a car and on a Saturday morning it takes us 10 - 15 minutes to get into the centre of bath from here and 30 mins to 1 hour in a car.

So the bike isn't always faster but still flows more easily

[Laura]