Who uses a bike for work?

I only use my CG to goto work, I don't have a car licence let alone a car.

Only time I don't use a bike for any travel is if I'm deliberately walking somewhere, want to go drinking or it's just too icy to ride safely.

[dizzyblonde]

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.

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.

TBH its not much of a change of premium price for commuting to work either.

As for the gloves off at the gate to swipe a card.....my Halvarrsons jacket has a see through pocket on the sleeve, super easy to see my clock card, and no cars have to get peed off waiting to get gloves on and off

Showing ID/passes at security is a pain so I use these or put the cards in the see through top of a tank bag.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VIPER-ARMB...#ht_1074wt_932

I only have about a mile to do each way and I use the bike unless I have to use the car - if I'm running the youngest to school for example. I'll go out in the rain unless it's actually cats & dogs and I don't mind cold but I draw the line at icy roads.

Originally Posted by matt_rehm_hext

I only use my CG to goto work, I don't have a car licence let alone a car.

Only time I don't use a bike for any travel is if I'm deliberately walking somewhere, want to go drinking or it's just too icy to ride safely.

Exactly the same for me, anything to avoid using public transport, I did it for TOO long

[TEC]

Originally Posted by Tommy H

I'm more concerned about the days when I might have to get to a site or a meeting or several times a day - potentially making it 8 changes a day(!)

As others have pointed out, make sure your insurance covers you

As for commuting, been doing it for over 10 years now, 30+ mile round trip, only time I don't go out on the bike is when the white stuff is down, good kit and dressing properly before the trip starts is all it needs

Oh gosh have to agree with hubby, we work together about 1 mile from home so it is bikes whenever possible, never both on same bike thought, his SV just wakes up and goes my Monster takes waking, nursing and then at least a 2 mile ride before she will consider going to work, and I ride Ducati why?

I do - a 70 mile round trip every day in all weathers. Like MrC I sold my car because it never got used and I'm totally reliant on 2 wheels now.

Good kit helps lots - proper waterproof gear (preferably Goretex but not really necessarily, my jacket and trousers are by Held with their own linings which are 100% waterproof) with removable thermal liners and good ventilation options for summer, decent winter gloves (I've got Ixon Pro-Apex, highly recommended) and something appropriate for summer. Base layers are a good idea in winter, as are things like heated grips and handguards (I've lobbed some old handlebar muffs on the FJR, not pretty but very effective). Keep on top of maintenance, correct tyre pressures are vital in poor conditions, and so are brakes. In winter it doesn't take long before your brake calipers start to gunge up with road dirt and salt then suffer a reduction in efficiency, so give them a good clean up now and then and keep an eye on them.

Getting kitted up/unkitted takes 5 minutes at each end, so I don't see that as a problem when the saving in time is about 40 minutes each way.

There's not been one day since last winter's snows that I haven't been able to ride in, but when the roads turn to ice I'll be borrowing the works van to commute. There's no point in risking a dropped bike or worse just to get to work

Commuting in summer is mint. Lots of girls to look at on the way in ;^) dry grippy roads. Then for the other 364 days its shi*e!!! TBH winter is horrible on a bike, this year is the exception as its more like spring than winter so far. But last year was a nightmare. even with 20 layers and heated grips i couldn't feel my fingers and took 2 hours to thaw out when arriving at work. I sold the SV last year and bought a car and now i'm just a fair weather biker!
Now that i've moved jobs i commute in the car and use the bike when weather nice.

- I can't drive
- currently a student but worked in an office for a year, with a 25-30 min commute to uni (motorway A3 25miles each way), and for work 30-50 minute commute to work (A24 dual carriageway and some build up area's, and some country roads, 30miles each way)
- when its sunny its great! when its wet its a love hate thing. traffic in chessingston area is a joke and saved some much of my time using the sv650, which made it a pleasure to use in the wet as i dont have to wait around.
- for motorway journeys it is defo not fun and defo dangerous in wet condition's as people commuting to work in the car are careless and forget in the wet longer gaps are needed and its less visible.


overall if you like riding your bike, commuting to work is great rain or shine. if your just a sunny weekend rider, commuting really isn't for you.

personally i love it