Bike v Car

[gjfevans]

What with the recent weather and a some of the recent threads I got to wondering and at the risk of upsetting people (not my intention) I have just got to ask this question:
Given the choice on a freezing cold and wet day would you really be going to work on your bike in the early hours of the morning or getting into a nice warm dry car?
When the bike was my only form of transport I would tell myself that the ride to work gave me chance to think and wake up to face the day ahead. Now that I have to use the car each day I cannot envisage getting up 30 mins earlier to get all my gear on and arrive at work freezing cold and wet only to repeat the process a few hours later.
Now before I am accused of being a fair wether biker I can assure you that that is not the case, I will get the bike out most weekends dispite the weather but for pleasure not for just going to work and back.
So what do you think?

[Gadget]

The last poll option is?

[Mand]

It takes you 30 minutes to get into your bike gear....... :chuckle:

What do you wear? A suit of armour!

[gjfevans]

The last poll option is?
A mistake!! I have never made a poll before and I do not know how to edit out

[gjfevans]

It takes you 30 minutes to get into your bike gear....... :chuckle:

What do you wear? A suit of armour!
Only if you ask nicely:eyepopping:

[Bodybag]

I'm completely with you on this Mr Evans. My bike is for pleasure (although it was my only transport last year). Once Beelzebub's up and running again I'll use him every weekend and most evenings but won't be stupid enough to freeze my nuts off when there's no need. My principles come from the old adage, "Any fool can be cold!" And believe me I've been to some very cold places in my time. :mand:

[Gilps]

Last winter was quite a warm one, and dry too. I spent most of my time wishing I had a winter hack so I could keep my hand in. So I bought one in March as winter was coming to an end - a BMW F650GS. It's a great little bike but just not as exciting as the Monster to ride. So it hardly turned a wheel once the weather warmed up. I even did 5 day 600 mile round trips on the Monnie rather than the ever so practical beemer coz it was more fun. Then winter came round again. I found the water pump seals had gone on the beemer due to lack of use. This led to a warped head and an £800 bill. I got the bike back in December and have ridden it twice since.
The reality of riding in winter for me is very different to the dream. I take the car every time. Now I can admit to being a FWB I can sell the beemer and spend the money adding to my summer bike collection.

[fatbloke]

A mistake!! I have never made a poll before and I do not know how to edit out
i do and have

[gjfevans]

i do and have
I will forever be in your debt.
(Do you really not dream of heated leather?)

[scrumpster]

Why do all the polls end before I can vote :o or am I being a thicko!? I ride to work everyday or incur £200 a month parking charges :rolleyes:

[bigredduke]

I love my bike & riding it in good weather. I am lucky enough to have a tin box to go to work in and for shopping etc.

When I first started work, I coudn't afford a car and used an ancient honda 90, then a CB125 for transport, but only because I had to.

For me, there is no enjoyment whatsoever on two wheels in cold, wet weather and as a motorcycle for me these days is all about enjoyment, I don't see the point. For those of you who have to brave congestion charges and a 5mph car-drive in the cities I understand perfectly!

Some of us have bikes for pure pleasure, for some of us, they are everyday transport either through choice or necessity. Whatever the reason, one does not have more or less validity than the other.

[Mand]

Why do all the polls end before I can vote :o or am I being a thicko!?

Perhaps you need more wine chuck? :booze:

[scrumpster]

Why do all the polls end before I can vote :o or am I being a thicko!? I ride to work everyday or incur £200 a month parking charges :rolleyes:

Oh it's open again, post must have crossed!!! :rolleyes:

[scrumpster]

Perhaps you need more wine chuck? :booze:

More wine I think Mand so I'm off to open the bottle :drunk:

[sadbiker]

Sorry, as they say "been there done that", Todays snow reminded me if when the only transport I had was the bike, would use it everywhere as no choice, rain, wind and snow. For me to do less then 12k yearly on a bike was a sin.

Well a few years later, have a car liecense and a car. It has a nice roof.. heater, wipers for that thing called a windscreen(quick clear).. have to say it is quite catching in this weather. As I passed a poor sod (with pillion)on the M5 near WSM this evening with a lot of heavy spray. Yes i know what that feels like, yes that damp feeling from below - why don't waterproofs ever work. Gloves which are getting clammy, visor which keeps misting up so have to leave it open slightly......

Now I am lucking to get near 6000 a year and that is mostly pleasure riding normally abroad. Through last year ended up riding to Germany in very wet conditions, well a nice beer (or couple) sorted that out when we go there.....

So will leave you to guess my feelings know..

[Scotty]

snow + monster = bad , realy bad i wont be doing that one again if i can possibly help it

[dlloyduk]

I dont work. Can I pretend I do and answer this?
Note to oneself: "please find some form of gainfull employment so you can answer polls"

[gremlin]

Sorry but after the journey we've had the landrover wins hands down. She plodded through god know what today to bring my monster home!

[Fodder]

Used to ride all year round as it was my only means of transport, now my bikes are for pleasure. I guess I now commute on my bike probably 80% of the time but it is nice to have a choice in the morning. Oh and the weekly grocery shop used to be a pain in the arse, especially if a quantity of beer was purchased. :look:

[Gim]

Had 5 years with bikes as my only means of transport (and that was when we had REAL snow,ice and hailstones) :chuckle: (cant find a "when I was a lad" smilie) so now its fair weather fun only for me.....plus as I live and work on a farm I class my commute as making it from the bed to the kitchen in the morning :biggrin:

[claicerrig]

Well i use the bike all the year round :D as a rule but this week i sacrificed 2 wheels for 4 :o :o









I got a Quad instead :D :D :D

[Melnie Mouse]

I ride to work and back every day on my bike, and i must say even though i do suffer with my hands in the cold i still prefer it. I do draw the line if it is snowing though, altho i ride in ice and frost and all year round I hate snow, whether car or bike, I actually find driving a car boring and doesn't make me think as much like riding a bike does. - so i can fully understand why car drivers have the amount of accidents they do, half of them are still asleep, on mobile phones, changing the cd etc.

One thing i notice though i get my gear on which takes only 5 mins if it's my winter kit having got the bike out already and waiting for me, by time i've cleaned my teeth and ready to go it's not time consuming, and by time i'm getting cold, i've arrived at work. If i go in the car, by time i get to work the car is only just warm, so can't be doing it any good. I commute 15 miles each way to work depending on traffic it's usually quicker on the bike even though i do the scenic route by bike, and boring motorway by car.

So the poll. I didn't know what to vote for as the question was the answer to me, but that wasn't an option....

[Darry]

Don't have a car, or a licence to drive one.. so its the bike all the time, even in the snow.

[Nonnie]

I have a large car seat, a big red bag containing 2 teddy bears, posters, certificates, reflective discs, leaflets, pamphlets and rule books, highway codes and 3 large metal road signs for my work and I can't do it on a bike. It's fine in the Winter isn't it but come the Summer, I will wish I could fit it all on. It would be cool to turn up to a cycling proficiency course on my bike, would maybe give the kids something to strive for!

[Darry]

I have a large car seat, a big red bag containing 2 teddy bears, posters, certificates, reflective discs, leaflets, pamphlets and rule books, highway codes and 3 large metal road signs for my work and I can't do it on a bike. It's fine in the Winter isn't it but come the Summer, I will wish I could fit it all on. It would be cool to turn up to a cycling proficiency course on my bike, would maybe give the kids something to strive for!

There's only one reason for needing a large seat Nonnie! :D

[Melnie Mouse]

I have a large car seat, a big red bag containing 2 teddy bears, posters, certificates, reflective discs, leaflets, pamphlets and rule books, highway codes and 3 large metal road signs for my work and I can't do it on a bike. It's fine in the Winter isn't it but come the Summer, I will wish I could fit it all on. It would be cool to turn up to a cycling proficiency course on my bike, would maybe give the kids something to strive for!

what a shame, you can't put on panniers top box and tank bag for it all in summer can you? or leave some of it stored somewhere? or buy a metal shed and keep it there every night to where you work?

[benson]

I haven't owned a car for about 10 years now, the last one was a VW beetle called Bert and it was a peach - fun to drive because you never knew what would fall off next, and it made me smile. I missed it at first but to be honest the bikes are all I want right now. That might change but not at the moment, and living in London there' no real need for a car because although the transport might not be world class it generally works and i can get to work without the bike when the snow falls or the ice is particularly nasty. The cold is only that - cold, and with gloves and goretex and really good kit mostly it's bearable. I have ridden the mosnter all year but the GS650 comes out when it's good to have things that heat up like grips and pants :shocked: but I couldn't envisage being without the bike - not because I don't have a car but because I really don't actually want one!

[gremlin]

I can't do cold and wet, I seize up so it's car or landy in winter. Yesterday in the snow I shivered every time I saw a biker. I just want to give them a hug and a hot drink!!

[Bodybag]

Will I get a big hug and a hot drink if ever we meet? :mand:

[SazzaG]

I spent a lot of last summer using the monster for work because I couldn't park a car easily at the office, but could put the bike in our underground car park. However, as it was during the heatwave, isn't wasn't actually much fun - still boiling even while scooting down the dual carriageway.

In August, I bought a convertible and found it was much more fun in that kind of weather. That combined with our office relocating to a place with a massive private carpark meant that I haven't ridden the monster to work since getting the car. I always found that the time I saved by riding (probably 5-10 minutes) was lost by the changing clothes at either end.

As for riding in the winter - I spent most of today scooting around on my CRF in the rain, which was OK as I wasn't going to work. Leaving soggy clothes at work, then changing back into them at the end of the day - I'm not convinced it's worth it. What's the point in getting cold and wet if I don't need to? (unless it's off roading!)

I am going to use the monster more this summer for commuting, but only on the really nice days (and not when it's 30 degrees!).

[Guzzirider]

I am not averse to either driving or riding in bad conditions but today I walked 12 miles in the snow and really enjoyed myself!

[gremlin]

Bodybag you're more than welcome!! I'm bit of a huggy sort of person.

[Nonnie]

what a shame, you can't put on panniers top box and tank bag for it all in summer can you? or leave some of it stored somewhere? or buy a metal shed and keep it there every night to where you work?

I go to different schools every time and need my stuff on me generally. Only one of the presentations requires only paperwork to be taken with me so I could bike for those ones.

And Darry, I don't need a large car seat, my teddy bear Bethany does OK?

Hey I've just thought it would look funny if I strapped the car seat to the bike and then sat in that!

[gary tompkins]

I live 3 miles from the office + have a works van (free fuel) so it's a no brainer TBH. Didn't vote as the options were a bit lacking?