Who uses a bike for work?

[mister c]

I sold my car because it was doing about 1500 miles a year. The bike is used every day, 35 mile round trip to work & have also met a girl that lives 15 miles away, so use it to commute there too.
I love riding, it's my drug fix, if you like, so I don't mind the cold too much. I do, however refuse to ride in snow. I am in the comfortable position that I work for a car & van hire company, so can knick a vehicle whenever I need 1, but, up to now, this year I havent needed to.

I used to use my gixxer to ride to work every day for 3 years. was fine and didnt bother me, until I was going out for leisure and then it took a while for me to get into it.

Then when I was using the car I vowed to never have a bike as my only form of transport. But credit crunch ect has meant her car is going up for sale and she will be using mine and I will be using the sv.

Its not as bad this time round as its abit more of a run out and when I do get to work I can put it in the workshop next to another lads R1 I know there is allways some one keeping an eye on it even if I have to go out in the van. Plus having a steam cleaner always set up to blast the salt of is handy.

[steveg]

Don't have access to car to get to work so its a bike everyday

Distances change depends what I'm up to , normally only 200 miles a week , but can be 500 miles per week

Only time I don't ride is in snow , trouble is when there is no snow & then 100 miles away from home its starts snowing , this is the only time I wish I was in a car ...

The bike makes journey times consistant where in a car the M6 etc can be a lottery , also parking a bike is a lot easier / cheaper

Big top box is a must & good gortex gear

If I do commute 500 miles a week , it does take the edge of weekend riding

Cheers Steveg

[dizzyblonde]

I used to use the bikes for work, up at 4.30 am through winter in the freezing cold, playing slaloms with speed bumps when the road was frozen solid. I never had a car, so didn't have much choice.
I don't work now, but Pete uses the bikes more often than not, as its cheaper than our car. Although not at the mo, as the ZZR needs a service, and after last weeks shennigans, I'm not too keen on Suzy being used as a winter hack. Shes not seen weather so wet and crappy in years, and I haven't spent a bomb on her rebuild for her to rot!

The M62 over to Oldham is apparently rather an experience, getting up to the highest motorway point in the UK on an SV, is a bit hair raising at times! Pegs not too bothered about how cold it is, as he has a full Rukka kit, and don't feel it

I don't drive so bike is the only option, tis a good thing I enjoy it! People always ask me about changing in and out of kit, doesn't it annoy you etc. but to be honest, it's a few minutes of my time a day, it means my commute to work is only 20 minutes (as opposed to an hour on public transport) and I actually look forward to getting back on the bike at the end of the day, whatever the weather. Yeah it's not overly pleasant when your kit is soaked from a ride but now I've managed to buy myself actual waterproof kit it makes the whole experience much more enjoyable knowing I'm nice and dry underneath.

never had the option of a car so its always been the bike and it doesent bother me in the slightest and i do and 80 mile round trip 3 days a week.

[NTECUK]

I specifically chose a SV so I could use it for the work run.
It's quicker, by 1/2. uses 1/2the petrol and 4x the grin factor.
But do suffer from detour syndrome on sunny day ride home .

Only use the mini or Juke if I need tools at home or its icey.

[timwilky]

I only use the bike for work in the summer months as there is nowhere to get changed, store/dry kit. I make a point of parking in my reserved bay in front of the CCTV just to P off the idiots who think bikes should be parked out of sight.

Ensure your insurance includes commuting. But normally it is only to a single place of work. If you need to travel between sites you really should have business use.

My biggest problem when commuting is having to use my pass to open the gates, stop, gloves off, fish out wallet, extract card, insert in, type in number, extract card, back in wallet, put wallet away, gloves back on and ride up to the office. It is not unknown for our security officer to ask you to also remove your helmet so he can check you ID as well.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by timwilky

Ensure your insurance includes commuting. But normally it is only to a single place of work. If you need to travel between sites you really should have business use.

+1. Easily forgotten. I have commuting on my bike policy in case I feel like spending more on fuel (have a fuel card for the car so it's perversely cheaper to use the car) but as I carry a laptop all the time and commute outside of the rush hour mainly I normally use the car. Sure I could detour home on nice days but it's so damn crowded between Wycombe and Bracknell and the options for crossing the river are all rammed with cars so I don't win much anyway.

Originally Posted by timwilky

My biggest problem when commuting is having to use my pass to open the gates, stop, gloves off, fish out wallet, extract card, insert in, type in number, extract card, back in wallet, put wallet away, gloves back on and ride up to the office. It is not unknown for our security officer to ask you to also remove your helmet so he can check you ID as well.

Had a similar problem when I used to commute on the bike. By the time I'd get the card to open the gate there would be a car behind me waiting to get in. And the gits would just go round me tripping the gate to close again before I could move forward... Then your card won't open the gate a second time because the systen says you're already inside!!!!

[MisterTommyH]

Originally Posted by timwilky

Ensure your insurance includes commuting. But normally it is only to a single place of work. If you need to travel between sites you really should have business use.

Class 1 business doesn't make too much difference to the policy. I might give it a trial run in the next couple of weeks see if i can stomach it in what's supposed to be the 'worse' weather then make a decision after that. If nothing else I'll save on car fuel. Suppose the real decision cut-off point is March when the tax and MOT are due.