Commuting Question

[Gavster]

If you're thinking of spending money on this but don't want to hammer the Up, then buy a £1500 Smart car or some other station car with cheap insurance where you can start it up and mash the throttle from cold without worry.

[JonMad]

10 mins each way isn't that short a journey, and you'll get some heat into the car if you're going down a 70mph road in it.
I bought a folding ebike* and have cycled to work on it (there you go, HMRC - tick) but I wouldn't be doing it down any fast roads and only when the weather in not too hot, and not too cold, and you're not in a rush, and there's somewhere to put it at your desk not somewhere it might be nicked, and, and,...
I've used it more often when dropping a car off to be serviced at my regular garage, to cycle the 4-5 miles home.
The e scooter for £2.5k looks tempting but would probably result in death or maiming.
I wouldn't buy a £500 car to use instead of the Up (sorry!) - it'd cost a chunk more than that to run it.

tl/dr; use the Up, get an e-bike for giggles if you want to but don't expect to use it all the time.

*edity: MiRIDER - it's awesome.

[JonMad]

Funnily enough I just found this, which is that Seat Mo e-scooter (Seat just rebadged it) https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/features/ ... volkswagen

[Rich B]

Yesssssss, I'm saving £3.17 today....

[mik]

Yesssssss, I'm saving £3.17 today....

[Jobbo]

Mik, there's no suggestion that Matty would go through a flooded underpass again. Don't be mean.

[Gavster]

Forgot to say that cycling on a NSL road is also the most depressing type of cycling. There's no way you'll ever want to do it except on the most glorious spring/summer days. Even then it's horrid getting grit blown into your face when a lorry goes past at +40mph

[Swervin_Mervin]

Colleague does this fairly regularly - much of his route being along the segregated shared use path that runs along the A555 (Man Airport to Poynton) which is a mix of 50mph and NSL. But he's well into his cycling. You'll need a change of clothes at the office.

[Rich B]

Colleague does this fairly regularly - much of his route being along the segregated shared use path that runs along the A555 (Man Airport to Poynton) which is a mix of 50mph and NSL. But he's well into his cycling. You'll need a change of clothes at the office.

I don't see much of an issue with riding to work, but riding to a station to then get on a train would be awful when the weather is anything but perfect. Then taking a bike on a train at rush hour would be a nightmare (or the alternative being getting it stolen from the station).

For a 4 mile journey, the car just makes more sense.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Colleague does this fairly regularly - much of his route being along the segregated shared use path that runs along the A555 (Man Airport to Poynton) which is a mix of 50mph and NSL. But he's well into his cycling. You'll need a change of clothes at the office.

I don't see much of an issue with riding to work, but riding to a station to then get on a train would be awful when the weather is anything but perfect. Then taking a bike on a train at rush hour would be a nightmare (or the alternative being getting it stolen from the station).

For a 4 mile journey, the car just makes more sense.

I don't disagree. added to that, around here some of the train/tram services won't allow bikes on, which I've never understood.

[Barry]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-detai ... n=at_bikes

I offer 1.1

@Barry - have you tried an EV scooter/moped?

I've not tried the smaller stuff yet, only the big bike Zeros. They should work well, within the moped performance expectations, but it's a narrow window of where they'll work well IMO. Around town and charging at home every night, fine. Outside of that they'll become a drag I suspect.

And you'll need license/insurance/helmets etc

[IanF]

Yeah, an Up has got to be easy to park and you’ll smell much fresher for your new colleagues

[Gavster]

I don’t understand why he’d need a change of clothes for a 20 min ride unless he’s doing intervals or a time trial. Just ride slowly and there’s no sweat to deal with unless the station is on top of Alpe d’Huez

[Carlos]

The Seat Mo isn't a moped or £5k!

[Rich B]

I don’t understand why he’d need a change of clothes for a 20 min ride unless he’s doing intervals or a time trial. Just ride slowly and there’s no sweat to deal with unless the station is on top of Alpe d’Huez

yeah, it never rains in this country.

[Gavster]

Nobody carries a change of clothes every day just in case it rains

[Beany]

Yeah but it's pretty hard to hold an umbrella when you're cycling down the A406.

[Mito Man]

Stop overthinking it. Cycle naked and put on your clothes once you get to work.

[Matty]

It sounds like the best option is just to keep the Up then. As mentioned, it's not really pampering, it's more that it might end up being an expensive station-runner, but still, cheaper than an e-Bike *and* and Up.

First stage interview tell's me new job would cover all commuting costs - trains, parking (in BHam or at station) but not fuel (understandably) so that's also a win. Not that I'd consider driving to BHam regardless!

I know it well - never taken a train from there mind you! Seems popular and parking is indeed an issue. You’re also outside the cheap ticket zone.

I’m not sure where exactly you live but have you considered Albrighton/Cosford? My old secretary used to commute from Stafford but drove across the chase to a station she preferred - I’ll ask her which she used to use.

Edit: while I did mean Cosford, Codsall is probably a much closer alternative.

Further edit: it was Penkridge which my old secretary used - she says it’s a good line.

Cosford is too far - Bilbrook is my next closest, but no parking there. Codsall is further than Penkridge for me, so Penk seems like the best solution

[Jobbo]

Matt, not sure if you know where my other office is - I’m there at least once a week.