Cycling to work, school, university or just for fun is one of life’s simple pleasures. It’s an inexpensive way to get around, and staying fit is just one of the many benefits a bike offers.
But that’s not to say it doesn’t have its flaws. If you commute on a bike, you may just recognise some of these everyday problems…
The weather
In the car, the bus, or the tube, a bit of rain is, at best, a minor inconvenience. To most, it involves a quick dash from your car to the lovely, warm, dry office. On a bike, it’s a different story.
Ignoring this simple law meant,I just burnt more calories changing into my Lycra than riding my bike#schoolboyerror. #soaked #rainjacket pic.twitter.com/6uzXsiSife
— Mark Bather (@Marktebather) June 7, 2017
It’s never predictable, and you’re almost never properly attired. It can ruin your day before you’ve even had a chance to sit at your desk. And worse, it can lead to some terrible, unfair assumptions which are totally NOT true.
my bike saddle is wet and now my trousers are wet and it looks like i have wet myself😩
— D a i s y (@daisyforster) April 13, 2015
And when it does rain, it’s a little… obvious.
Wet bike ride today… always keep a change of dry clothes in the office! pic.twitter.com/8KrPvNYiRx
— Eirik Bakke (@eirikbakke) May 30, 2016
Your wardrobe
It’s all very well when you first start cycling: bags are packed at the beginning of the week, and you know exactly what shirt you’ll be wearing on Thursday. And then life gets in the way, and you find yourself with one clean t-shirt on a Sunday evening, or having used your last pair of clean trousers after a particularly-stormy ride in.
Either way, your office starts to look like a horrific combination of the London Fashion Show and Tour de France.
Biking to the office? Make sure to find a safe place for bike clothes. #30daysofbiking pic.twitter.com/6clKMZXhrX
— Ben Martin (@bendicoot) April 2, 2014
You come up with novel ways to store your clothes, or dry them out. Like taking up an entire meeting room.
My setup for drying wet cycling clothes. It requires an empty office and a fan but works like a charm! pic.twitter.com/HEKUlM9GKP
— full metal scientist (@bad__scientist) December 11, 2014
And you just become used to walking round your office without shoes on.
Wet cycle commute made 100{9b4a2c8832b2482ca7eb937f6bfa363e1f3f7cb05e1b42927da41c9eadde8c32} better by my packing dry (me-made!) slipper socks in my bag to wear around the office. 💕☺️ #cycling #lifehacks pic.twitter.com/gca9KX0Osa
— Melissa Fehr (@fehrtrade) August 9, 2017
Personal hygiene
Cycling can be… sweaty. With the best will in the world, it’s not often you get off your bike smelling of roses. Sometimes all it takes is a sunny day, an extra five minutes spent in bed, or some unnecessary sprinting, and you’ll turn up to work drenched.
Been riding my bike to work the last few weeks and arriving a hot sweaty mess every time. How do people handle this? I’m gross. 😞
— stine h. (@stinebeans) August 10, 2017
Luckily, there is a solution. Wet Wipes. We’re such big fans, we dedicated one of our A-Z of Cycling to them. And others are too.
@mirsasha the breeze on the bike will also help!!! 😀 wet wipes at work maybe… (my coworker uses those, but he bikes for 30 mins.)
— Sapphireswell (@sapphireswell) May 20, 2012
Competition
Cycling to work isn’t about beating every other cyclist on the road. Maybe you can challenge yourself, and beat your own personal best.
But it should never be a competition.
Took a full 1min off my cycle to work today simply because I wanted to beat and stay ahead of another cyclist. That’s how competitive I am
— Martin Hacker (@MartinH86) October 3, 2014
‘Bike’ lanes
Bike lanes stopped being a source of frustration for cyclists years ago. Now they are only for our amusement.
Don’t worry cyclists. London has your back with this 10m stretch of bike lane on the sidewalk pic.twitter.com/L8Lk5Eg1AV
— Andrew Kelley (@andy_kelley) July 12, 2017
They’re not really for bikes anyway. They’re just somewhere convenient to cars to park.
@ContactKingston Quite regularly see this car parked on yellow line and bike lane. Near Kwik Fit on London Road. pic.twitter.com/g2C9u9ChqK
— Steven (@stevenrugg) March 28, 2017
And on the off chance a cyclist actually gets to use one, pedestrians decide they want in on the fun too.
You must be terribly impressed with the way the pedestrian in the pic negotiated this central London bike lane, @VincentStops pic.twitter.com/dkqPL06vMX
— Loving Dalston (@LovingDalston) March 31, 2017
What cycling commuter problems do you have to add?
For more information about our services or to start your claim, call 0808 100 9995 and speak to one of our specialist solicitors. We’re here to help. You can email us or schedule a callback.
