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When we asked our readers to tell us about their daily cycle commute in the spirit of Cycle to Work Day, we were inundated with heartwarming stories. We heard from over 500 people via the comments section and GuardianWitness, and it was inspiring to read so many stories of the transformational effects a daily cycle had had on our readers’ lives. The full thread is worth a read, and we had many accounts in this spirit:
Here are 10 of the most envy-inducing, notable, odd, or entertaining themes to emerge from your cycle commute stories.
1) Some of your commutes are rather long
I’m never complaining about my nine-mile commute again. For those with a round trip of 30 miles or more, I salute you.
Just got to work in Teddington after my ride from Clapton in Hackney. It's an 18-mile ride that takes me through the skyscrapers of the city, over London Bridge with views of Tower Bridge and St Pauls, around the concrete madness of Elephant and Castle, through Vauxhall with glimpses of the Houses of Parliament, along the terrible sections of cycle superhighway through battersea, up and over West Hill into Richmond Park with the deer and bracken, and finally, finally, over the shimmering Thames at Teddington Lock to work.
I am a very happy camper. Cyclist. I am a very happy cyclist.
Live in Birmingham, work in Coventry, near as dammit 21 miles as the crow flies. I've worked there for 17 years and always taken the car, because, well, because there's nothing else, is there? (It's suburb to suburb, not centre to centre).
Today I cycled to work - it took me just over two hours as I'm a bimbler and I went cross country. I've only been cycling for five months after a 30-year break, so allow me to be a little pleased with myself.
Any dramas? The pedestrian wandering out in front of me in Coventry City Centre without looking, and the grim shower facility at work (mind you, I know many people don't even get this, so I shouldn't complain).
Right. Now for some cake.
2) Others sound less taxing
That wasn’t a pun about road tax, by the way.
“I’ve a short three-mile hop from Cregagh Road to centre of Belfast,” writes psychle, “and I much prefer this to sitting in traffic. It’s quicker and healthier. Cycling in work clothes only, but change of shoes sometimes necessary. I expect many drivers are making the same short commute and would love to encourage them to try two wheels.”
FFC800 can beat that: “I cycle the half mile to work every day, and it’s glorious to be able to get up and 10 minutes later be in the office, with a bike there so I can go out at lunch.”
3) You love cycling through through parks ...
From a personal perpective, I could nip through Tooting Common on my south London commute, but it’s slightly too much of a detour to make it worthwhile. But perhaps I should change my mind: those of you who have the chance to catch a stretch of greenery on your journey unsurprisingly speak very highlight of it. dazzaa: “Lucky for me I get to go via Richmond hill into the amazing Richmond park and via Barnes. I do end up doing a few miles extra but it’s worth it.”
Herd of deer in Richmond Park
A slightly blurry phone photo of a herd of deer in Richmond Park, taken on my daily commute route.
4) Alongside rivers and canals...
One reader wrote of his daily commute along the River Lea in north-east London, in bucolic terms: “I normally shout a cheery ‘good morning’ to anyone I pass (mothers with pushchairs, hipsters on their barges, Hasidic jews, runners, canoeists, fellow cyclists of all shapes and sizes). If I need any extra energy for tired legs, I stop and pick some blackberries which grow wild along the side of the towpath. London in the rush hour – what’s not to like?”
From the Wirral to Liverpool along the Mersey
Some Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine employees have this view during their cycling commute into work
5) In the countryside ...
Lekeg: “I’m lucky as I work for the Welsh government in a new office so we have great shower and changing room facilities. Also lucky that I don’t have to cycle through any urban areas - rural roads that are fairly quiet though with that you do have traffic going past at a decent speed which can be un-nerving occasionally but I’d take that over cycling through a city all the time”
Holy grail commute to work
My commute is from Roslin (the home of the Holy Grail according to Dan Brown and the Da Vinci Code) to the Bush Estate. When its dry I take a track through the nature reserve - when its wet I take the road since it gets too boggy. Tis lovely.
6) ... and even along the coast
This is all putting Streatham High Street into perspective.
“Ten miles from Whitstable to Faversham in Kent, a high tide with white water breaking on the crest of blue waves and a low golden morning mist hanging over the salt marhes of seasalter,” jealousy-induces paulofmedway.
“[Then] a quick zip around the harbour with the little fishing boats bobbing up and down in the bellowing easterly winds and the fresh smell of nets drying on the quayside.”
Misty commute to work
My usual commute is 35mins at a moderate pace, from Bournemouth to Poole, mostly along the stunning sea front. Slightly misty today with scattered dog walkers and occasional joggers.
7) Indeed, some of you have ridiculously dramatic commutes
It should be noted that the person below cycles over the Forth road bridge, not the rail bridge pictured. Now that really would be dramatic.
Cycling to Edinburgh: Forth Bridge from Dalmeny Estate
One particularly lovely morning on my commute, I stopped and took this. It's about halfway through my beautiful and varied 16 mile commute from Fife, over the Forth Road Bridge, to Edinburgh city centre. This was taken from the Dalmeny Estate, where deer are regularly spotted.
Sunset ride home in Saigon
Lucy and I have recently moved to Vietnam. We stopped off here for a stunning sunset over the Saigon skyline.
8) Some of you commute abroad but wouldn’t do it in the UK
While this is an optimistic piece, we still heard from plenty who won’t cycle regularly in Britain until proper Dutch-style infrastructure is put in place. Hazel Bostock said: “I’m a British student living in Copenhagen, and at the moment I cycle for 30 minutes in to town for uni or otherwise everyday. Its the most relaxing and fun part of my day, it wakes me up and keeps me fit, however when I return home I still can’t see myself cycling to uni or work. Even where I live in the countryside in the UK people get knocked off their bikes all the time and it’s just not safe!”
“Classic London, adds braddus. “Going along one of the few cycle lanes in my area and the street cleaners have blocked it off... during rush hour... on cycle to work day. I can happily say that next week I move to Copenhagen where (I understand) I won’t have to put up with nearly as much while on my bike.”
9) Importantly, there are still cycling vicars
I'm a Vicar in a small Lancashire town. I cycle as much as possible because:
its healthy
its cheap
its environmentally friendly
for short journeys its quicker
I'm rubbish at parking
I can stop and have a chat with people
Only drawback is Lancashire weather
Guardian staff
I can't describe how much it pleases me to hear from a cycling vicar on this post.
10) Sometimes you get stuck behind Boris Johnson’s rear end
The cycling mayor’s actual record on cycling may be mixed – we’re still waiting for that cycle revolution you promised, Boris - but credit the man for cycling to work himself. Our reader spotted him on his bike near his home in Islington earlier this week, and got this lovely view in the process.
Commuting with Boris
Ok - I'll be honest. This was actually a day before Cycle to Work day. But it is 100% Boris Johnson, presumably on his morning commute from Islington (where this pic was taken) to City Hall. I stormed past him on my way, but couldn't resist a quick photo - and, as you can see, I got a tad more than I bargained for.
;
Commuting for me is a 6 mile blast on a mountain bike along the River Avon cycle path which has some fun wooded sections with hills, dips and switch-backs. All along accompanied by the fast flowing river and the sound of birds.
A hot shower and a strong cup of coffee when I get to work and the day is mine to own.
I've lost a load of weight, and cycling daily has motivated my to increase my general overall fitness, I've never been in better shape.
Cannot recommend it highly enough!