Nice - price motorists off the roads

[WiseOwl182]

8 minutes ago, tzijlstra said:

No need to convince you, only need to convince 5% of Sheffield's population to drop emissions by a significant percentage and to improve public health.

 

Annoying, isn't it?

Not at all annoying. Go for it, and good luck, as I'll have 5% less congestion alongside me, making my car even more appealing than it already is.

 

Annoying, isn't it?

[tzijlstra]

21 minutes ago, WiseOwl182 said:

Not at all annoying. Go for it, and good luck, as I'll have 5% less congestion alongside me, making my car even more appealing than it already is.

 

Annoying, isn't it?

No, not particularly.

[ads36]

It's 9 miles to work, and another 9 back.

 

It's always 45 minutes by bike, its often over an hour by car.

[Longcol]

45 minutes ago, ads36 said:

It's 9 miles to work, and another 9 back.

 

It's always 45 minutes by bike, its often over an hour by car.

Your route must be particularly congested - the average speed in Sheffield is over 13mph until within a mile of the centre when it is still over 10mph.

 

https://www.aph.com/community/holidays/commute-getting-slower-average-speeds-uks-major-cities-revealed-2017/

[tzijlstra]

7 hours ago, Longcol said:

Your route must be particularly congested - the average speed in Sheffield is over 13mph until within a mile of the centre when it is still over 10mph.

 

https://www.aph.com/community/holidays/commute-getting-slower-average-speeds-uks-major-cities-revealed-2017/

The fun thing about average speeds is that they are average. If I set off half an hour later, my commute of fifteen miles becomes an hour and a half slog of stop/start traffic. I bet a lot of people are heading to work early to avoid that.

[ads36]

Fwiw. South sheffield, to Rotherham, ish.

 

if i start driving at 8am, I'll arrive after 9.

 

(the first 4-5 miles are the worst, taking 40-50 minutes)

 

If I cycle, I can leave later, and still arrive in time for a shower!

[Cyclone]

12 hours ago, WiseOwl182 said:

It's not "drivel", a very high proportion of cyclists ignore red lights.

 

Cycling isn't quicker unless you have a short journey within the central 2 mile radius of the city during rush hour. Any other journey is quicker in the car. And it's such less effort, much more comfortable. You won't convince me.

It is drivel.

A minority of all road users ignore red lights, that includes car drivers, but you don't harp on about them do you because you are one.

 

I'm more than 2 miles away and cycling is the quickest way for me to get to work.

I agree though that most journeys would be slower by bike, but not most commutes, depending on the exact details commutes to/from the city centre could be quicker up to probably 5 or 6 miles.  My commute is about 3 miles and I've timed it many times, cycle is easily the fastest.

Even in an evening, outside rush hour, the car journey only edges it by a couple of minutes at most.

 

Such less effort.  Yes, not exercising is much less effort.  You can probably spend your evenings expending little effort as well, sat on the sofa, eating take away.  You'll probably die considerably earlier than someone who exercises regularly, annoying isn't it.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Cyclone

[WalkleyIan]

Some thoughts

 

My commute to the AMP is 7.2 miles.  I try to ride it whenever possible.  

 

On any given day I accept I might be able to drive it marginally quicker than I can ride it, but that's never guaranteed.  If I want to be at work at 8 am for the first bunch of apprentices  I'll still leave my self 45 minutes to drive it as I can't predict where the hold ups will be. Some days it is Dereck Dooley that can take 15 mins to clear. Other days the M1 queue goes back past the Catcliffe AMP turn. It's so unpredictable.  If I leave myself 30 mins it gets a bit too close for comfort, especially if you factor in finding a place to park and walking from the car park (add 10 minutes to driving time)

 

It even worse for those going in the other direction in the morning. The inbound queue normally stretches past ASDA at Handsworth after 8.15. You are looking at 5 miles of slow-moving traffic plus all the nasty stuff you are breathing in 

 

I know that if I ride my bike Ill get out there in 40-minutes and I'm a mid-50s asthmatic with a beer gut, so no Chris Froome although I may have just as much Salmeterol in my system as he does. My absolute best time is just sub 35 minutes 

 

Similarly for the commute home. On a good day and assuming minimal congestion at Park Square end and a clear run on to Penistone Road, I could drive home in 30 mins.  I've recently had one day take over 2 hours to drive back and another one over an hour. On the bike, it is harder work than going out as it a fair pull back up the hill but I know it'll to be  48 - 50 mins. 

 

The beauty of the bike is you can give your arrival time almost to the nearest minute. In the summer I come back along the 5 weirs. Its further at over 8miles but not many people get to see kingfishers and deer on their car commute 
 
In 2019  I've been loaned an e-bike to trial the AMP run by the University and this has opened up a whole new set of opportunities.

 

I'm getting to work in just over 32 mins with the power assist only on for a few hills and to give a kick away from the lights. That's marginally quicker than my best road bike time but I'm riding it in my work clothes and able to carry a substantial load.

Its the way back where I'm really killing it. I'm on a  sub-40-minute ride back.

 

But a good e-bike can cost the best part of 2K. I can get a second-hand car for that surely.

 

I look at my car cost. I did 2700 miles on my bike last year. approximately 2500 were utility miles, commuting, shops, pub etc. Runs I might have done in a car.   Now granted my Subaru is a thirsty beast and it doesn't really like town running or stop-start queues. Lucky to better 20mpg average (it'll do 42mpg on a long run but that not relevant). So that's over 700 quid a year in fuel I've saved by cycling. I've reached that low-risk age so my insurance is only 140 quid, but Iis in a higher rate VED  so that is over 250 quid.

Repairs, I had a clutch a dual mass flywheel replaced 2 years ago. 1500 quid or scrap the car. 

 

Tyres, all weather, 400 quid. The last MOT it got through OK but £250 the year before. 

 

I'm not bothering to include depreciation. I sold my last Legacy for almost as much as it cost on eBay. 

 

So why even bother keeping that car?  Well, that's the question. If there was some decent transport to the AMP site such as a tram from the city centre it would be gone tomorrow.  

As it stands on a really icy day I know the roads are gritted but the cycle paths aren't so Ill drive. I'm almost hanging onto it just for the 3 or 4 days each winter I can say it'll get out in the snow. 

 

Trouble is If  I dump the car the drag racing team I crew for will need a new tow car.

 

[Cyclone]

My other half started working at the AMRC recently.  That's 7.5 miles from home.  There's absolutely no chance that she'll cycle that.  She's not a confident cyclist and would prefer to never be in traffic, so the idea of cycling that far in heavy traffic, absolutely out of the question.

If she felt safer, well, she might try it at least.  I can't say if she'd stick with it, but maybe with an electric assist she would.

Fortunately the car commute for her is a reliable 25 - 35 minutes, arriving at 8 and setting off home at 4.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Cyclone

[WiseOwl182]

8 hours ago, Cyclone said:

It is drivel.

A minority of all road users ignore red lights, that includes car drivers, but you don't harp on about them do you because you are one.

 

 

The proportion of cyclists to ignore red lights is many times higher than car drivers. The main reason being there is virtually no way to police them, they know they'll not get caught.