CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute en Sun, 31 May 2026 10:03:10 +0000 acsimpson on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346519 Tue, 16 Feb 2021 17:20:11 +0000 acsimpson 346519@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Excluding paper rounds or short seasonal jobs my first cycle commute was over Corstorphine Hill. Although I don't recall if I used that route from the very first trip or not. If you include seasonal work then I rode from Prestonpans to Lowes Fruit Farm near Dalkeith for a summer of fruit picking. wishicouldgofaster on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346472 Tue, 16 Feb 2021 00:18:16 +0000 wishicouldgofaster 346472@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I used to cycle along Queensferry Rd in rush hour - wouldn't do that now! algo on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346468 Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:58:25 +0000 algo 346468@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I had a brief job with Oxford City Council when I was 16 - between other more exciting jobs. They had set aside a week for me to deliver informational leaflets and maps to all the colleges and various other places - quite a reasonable distance away some. Turned up on my Claud Butler touring bike, and finished all the deliveries before lunch. I was then consigned to the equivalent of sorting left handed and right handed screwdrivers for the rest of the week. Always cycled to every pub job I ever had - for fairly obvious reasons. Worked the bar at one of the colleges where Sir Patrick Mayhew, Bertie Aherne and Michael Mates (Among others) were drinking. Locked the gates to where my bike was at silly O'Clock in the morning so we climbed them to get out (electronic sensor on the way out to the street) - particularly stupid with a heavy armed Police presence. Had to get my bike though. gembo on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346357 Sat, 13 Feb 2021 20:41:56 +0000 gembo 346357@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Memorable @hankchief I had a summer job selling deckchairs down Ayr Beach I cycled to each morning. Some days were quite wintry We would put the paraffin heater on and climb up to the top of the piles of deckchairs and nurse our hangovers. Though other days it was the most glorious days of summer. The weegees would take Ayr County Council deckchairs home to their slums. Bringing a bit of cheer to the back greens (please note I haVe confused eras) there was some theft of deckchairs in the late 80s but once back in the high rises I cannot see these deckchairs remaining a good idea. After our day of graft we would cycle to the pub and down about four pints. The pub was a good way from our homes but the traffic was light in those horse and carriage days. I was known as Herman in those days and had a rather nifty Dawes five speed, late nicked from the stairwell in hill head st as m6 then girlfriend who used it to cycle to the vet school believed in humanity and did not lock it. My comrade was called Booboo and he had a Raleigh shopper. He surprised us all by turning in to a bit of a toff and taking up a commission in the Royal Navy. It transpired he had been slumming it. HankChief on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346356 Sat, 13 Feb 2021 20:26:40 +0000 HankChief 346356@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @gembo. Indeed. My entire memory of work experience was the itchy suit / sweaty cycle combo. Well that and the absolute thrill of checking the long string of numbers you've just punched into a calculator against the receipt-like printout that rolled out the back and getting it spot on. Happy days :-) gembo on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346355 Sat, 13 Feb 2021 19:55:34 +0000 gembo 346355@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @hankchief, on a balmy Cotswolds summer’s day, I feel for you. Arrived at school up the Kingsknowe brae and they asked, ooh, is it raining outside. BAck was very sweaty. From that point would change into shirt after arriving. You live and learn. HankChief on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346336 Sat, 13 Feb 2021 15:38:48 +0000 HankChief 346336@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ First commute. Work experience aged 16ish on a hot June day wearing my brother's thick woollen suit & trying not to pedal much, but running late so arriving in a sweaty mess. chdot on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346326 Sat, 13 Feb 2021 13:36:15 +0000 chdot 346326@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ “ Just a year ago I was someone who resented cyclists in London. I never imagined that I could ever be one of them. Now, city cycling is one of the best parts of my life. Here’s what helped me change my mind: “ Thread - <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/SarahJ_Berry/status/1358461390302949376" rel="nofollow">https://mobile.twitter.com/SarahJ_Berry/status/1358461390302949376</a> gembo on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346311 Sat, 13 Feb 2021 09:43:35 +0000 gembo 346311@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Anyone wishing to see Cleland’s delights can do so from the slow train from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts. Best to marvel though from the observation car of the train (where they hang the bikes) rather than alight. urchaidh on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346299 Sat, 13 Feb 2021 00:24:02 +0000 urchaidh 346299@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Wishaw to Newhouse Industrial Estate, circa 1990. Would be hard to cram the myriad delights of cycling through urban Lanarkshire into one wee post, so you're just going to have to take my word for it. The sights, smells and sounds of quaint North Lanarkshire villages such as Cleland and Newarthill transcend mere words. The now wonderfully named Caledonian Proteins was a rendering plant out back of Cleland. I'd often be passed by one of their wagons, hooves sticking out the top and a smell that literally made we retch and my eyes water. gembo on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346296 Fri, 12 Feb 2021 21:16:27 +0000 gembo 346296@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I should update that the Ultitrec on the 1km stretch of the WoL path from Waulkmill Loan to Currie has not completely disintegrated though this is its hardest winter. Went in I think April 2018 but there was a bad spell of weather at that time too. Still my favourite bit of the route as the path was also drained on either side so is never muddy really. There is a bit where a stream comes across that was not there before, the stream I mean. Before it at Nether Currie, the new village built on the flood plain has encroached on the path. Not nicking it as such just crowding. McDonald Road office is Russian flats. Objectors produced the best objection papers ever, photoshop of naked man looking into school playground etc. there is a thread here somewhere. Swung the vote in bravura performance only for the developers to revert to the Scottish govt, the builder’s friend. chdot on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-346295 Fri, 12 Feb 2021 20:54:06 +0000 chdot 346295@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Thread bump. There may be some people who want to tell a tale. Even if not, there are some great stories on the previous page to remind us of some of our ‘early days’ we might have forgotten. chdot on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207&page=2#post-194546 Sun, 02 Aug 2015 09:48:41 +0000 chdot 194546@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "I do remember posting about a first ride on here" <a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158647" rel="nofollow">http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158647</a> Beano on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194544 Sun, 02 Aug 2015 06:49:29 +0000 Beano 194544@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @baldcyclist - feel your pain. My second little one is approaching 6 months and 'beginning-ish' to start sleeping through the night. As I start getting more sleep at night I find the motivation is coming back. I can see your problem though, a work day + 44 mile round-trip + a bedtime routine starting at 6:30ish just doesn't work; not enough hours. I'm not counting my paperboy days but I guess I got confidence then which I didn't lose. Started my first commute just over a year ago; June 2014. I'd done research, read almost every word of the 'A90' thread on CCE too. Borrowed a bike from my brother and asked a mate who I know cycles from fife to edin to chum me. I do remember posting about a first ride on here (CCE) and so many people said they'd chum me so I was grateful for all the offers (just felt nervous so opted for the early-leaving mate). Next I picked a cracker of a day (could have been a Friday too lol) and met him at Ferrytoll P&R. Haven't looked back. Still not managing 5 days a week but I don't care. It's nice to have a break and it tends to be that I now 'choose' my rest day around the rubbish weather. I'm going to share the new website link on my Facebook and try to get one of my friends to start cycling; even just the once. I also remember my first 'geared-up' commute. Bought all my C2W gear (inc. bike with clipless pedals) but brought it all home in the car; too nervous to start from edinburgh. After falling LOADS around my estate (onto grass) trying to get the hang of the pedals I woke one morning and thought 'this is the day'. Started off, headed out the estate, bumped down a kerb and the pannier fell off...great start...thought 'I'll just stop and pop that back on'...forgot I was clipped in and hit the deck. I just laughed it off and got back on the bike. There were a few low-speed falls in those days but thankfully I haven't had one in a while. :-) lorlane on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194537 Sat, 01 Aug 2015 18:47:10 +0000 lorlane 194537@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I cycled to work for the first time in August 2012 so I am approaching my 3rd anniversary! I vaguely remember having a hand-me-down strika and then a grifter but cycling was something I did round about our street and park with friends rather than as a means of getting anywhere. So, that was primary school. Next time I got on a bike I was 19 and it was a mountain bike (muddy fox) that I borrowed from a friend for the weekend to do some cycling with then-boyfriend. Cut to three years ago and after many conversations with a colleague who cycles to work I finally decided I'd give it a go. I had a bike to hand (50 miles a way, at my parents house) which I bought while teaching my daughter to ride - I thought we could go on cycles together. However I went out on it ONCE, on the road near my parents house, as I used to in my childhood and was completely unprepared for the traffic. There were no cycle lanes and I was practically driven off the road by a double decker (Drymen Road in Bearsden - it's no better now). So that bike gathered dust for many years. My colleague described all sorts of off-road options and quiet streets etc. and finally - three years after we first discussed it - I plucked up the courage. I had brought the bike through to Edinburgh, bought a helmet, waterproof jacket, lights and pump (no puncture repair kit though!) and my route (along the canal) was planned to a T (spokes maps). I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed the scenery, the sounds of wildlife, the fresh air and a thoroughly relaxed journey. I arrived at work feeling invigorated. I had planned to test the water and think about doing it once or twice a week, but haven't look back really. It is possible to get around pretty well on the cycle routes, and I try to use my bike for as many journeys as I can. Part of the fun is finding new ways to get to places and I'm now becoming more competent in looking after my bike too. Cyclingmollie on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194490 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 21:53:34 +0000 Cyclingmollie 194490@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ That's a great story sallyhinch. I too had use of a couple of Arthur's bike type bikes. They were so different to the bikes I have now and I wish I had managed to keep one of them. sallyhinch on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194460 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:41:44 +0000 sallyhinch 194460@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ First regular commute was replacing the bus between Ealing Broadway and Kew. When we bought our house, it came with a locked shed full of stuff which the son of the original owner didn't want to have to deal with after his dad had died. Alongside the manual lawnmower and a box of ancient tools was an old three speed bike (this was in the 90s when such things were considered junk) which we called 'Arthur's bike' (Arthur being the name of the previous owner). After much persuasion the man in the market who repaired bikes gave it the once over (he told me it was a death trap and such bikes were obsolete and couldn't be repaired any more). I then lugged it on the train to Ealing - we lived in Maidenhead - and locked it up at the station on the grounds that nobody would want to steal such an ancient bike. I worked out that all I needed to do was ride the bike to work and back twice a week to make it worth while not buying a weekly bus pass, and I thought I could manage that. The first day, I beat the bus by about 20 minutes, despite using a route that went three sides of a rectangle to avoid a busy road. After that one day I never used the bus again unless I had something on in the evening and needed to make a one way trip - and I deeply resented every minute spent standing at the bus stop, when I could have been on my way on Arthur's bike. It was a revelation to me that I could set off from work and know to the minute what time I would arrive at the train station. One day, the chain broke as I arrived at work, and because it was a hub gear, nobody could work out how to repair it. Arthur's bike sat in the bike shed at work until we managed to get it home in the car (an enormous palaver) and when we were leaving to go abroad, I wheeled it down to the dump as part of the general clearout. Even so, I had never gone back to the bus, but got another bike. I hope somebody rescued Arthur's bike rather than allowing it to go to landfill - I wish I'd known a bit more about bikes and hadn't believed the man in the market and had found someone who could fix it. It was enormously comfortable to ride and I'm sure it could have been a really splendid machine in the hands of someone less ignorant than I was then. paddyirish on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194457 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:20:44 +0000 paddyirish 194457@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I don't remember much about my first full commute, but I really remember my 2nd. It was a howling gale, I was unfit and it took me 13 mins to cross the bridge. I didn't see anyone else on a bike that day. After reaching work, I felt euphoric- it had taken an hour and 10 mins, but I knew if I could do it on such a bad day, the good days would be easier. They were and that day felt like a real watershed. As my commute was ~14 miles, I often took the bike back on the train. As chdot said it is important not to feel you have to cycle every day, but also not even both ways on the same day until your fitness builds up. Ways to do this include taking the bike one way on train/tram or if there is secure cycle parking, leaving the bike at work overnight. You could achieve a lot by cycling in on Monday, home on Tuesday, in on Thursday and home on Friday. You get time to rest/adjust and Wednesday can be the day you bring in a weeks worth of clothes. paddyirish on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194454 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:11:24 +0000 paddyirish 194454@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @baldcyclist tough times with little ones - trying to get a day's work, there and back commute and still having time to see them while they are awake (and you are not sweating and tired after your day). It isn't easy to fit that and jobs at home and time for the other half as well into 24 hrs, especially if sleep is disturbed. Something has to give and for me, at the time, cycling was a luxury, so I let it slip when the kids were very young, especially over the winter. The 30 mins a day saved by bike/training was too precious... Hope you rediscover the love of the bike soon. Even a wee pootle on the Pashley with no end target is better than nowt. "only 2000 miles" - sounds like a good effort by anyone else's standards-I've done about 2300 and am chuffed with myself- a major step up from last year when I did just over 2500 all year. threefromleith on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194429 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 13:10:45 +0000 threefromleith 194429@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My first commute to work was back in 2006. I'd quit smoking in Jan 2004, and had slowly but surely put on weight over the next two years. I was looking for a way to get fit again when work began offering the 'Bike to Work' scheme as part of our flexible benefits package. A check of a pal's Spokes map revealed that I could ride to work almost entirely on off-road paths, so a bike was duly ordered. It arrived during a week's holiday over Easter that year, which gave me time to get used to it and to try out *most* of the route. (I can't remember now why I didn't ride all the way in, other than possible laziness). On the day of the fist commute, I set off at 6am as I'd no idea how long the full ride would take me (especially given that I'd not ridden the full route and thought I might get lost!) An hour later I was at my desk, having arrived, showered and changed. My original plan was to cycle-commute two days a week, but as my fitness improved I upped it to 4 days a week, with the Monday being used to bring in a week's clothes and towels by bus. The following April, I cancelled my annual bus-pass as it was almost never used. In 2008 I got a road bike on the work scheme, and I've never looked back! Baldcyclist on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194426 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 12:54:54 +0000 Baldcyclist 194426@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @Chdot -not lost interest, just time. And I have been cycling 5 or so miles every day to / from train station / work. Just not done that in last 2 weeks as pashleys chain is broke. When that is fixed I will be cycling every day again. But 5 miles a day does not make for enough training to cope with the 44 mile day, those days are now hard, and I still seem to have 44 miles of hunger in me every day. Chug on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194422 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 12:35:50 +0000 Chug 194422@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My first bike commute to work was when I moved house, from a walking commute to one where it was either bike or bus. When I first moved to Edinburgh I drove to work - a combination of top-floor-flat living, easy and free work parking and not knowing the city in the slightest - especially the paths, cut-throughs and snicketways that make cycling such a pleasure. I then got a new job within walking distance of my home and all was well with the world. I began to realise what I had been missing by driving to work for three years. I felt much better and was generally happier; leaving work-stress at work was much easier with a 20 minute stroll at the end of the day. This knowledge meant that when we moved further out into the 'burbs, I was determined to keep an active commute, and not become a bus passenger. Thus I took to the bike. We had moved house in November, so I wimped out through the winter and resolved to begin in March - which was a really smart move as by the time the winter came I was hooked. I rolled out the bike I had last really used at uni some 12 years previously and added my old rack and panniers. I now knew the area I was cycling through, and so with the help of google map (I didn't know about cyclestreets then) picked a quiet route and did a test run on a Sunday afternoon. It took me 27 minutes. The following day I did it for real, leaving myself a good amount of time for riding and showering. By the end of the summer, I had my commute time down to 17 minutes and I realised that this was something I was going to keep up, so I treated myself to a new (reasonably priced) bike in the EBC sale. I also discovered CCE, but as a reader rather than a poster for a number of years. CCE has kept me informed about routes, roadworks, crazy stunts that drivers pull, and things going on the city. I would recommend reading a few threads to anyone wanting to start commuting. I, like Algo, am now "irritatingly evangelical" about the benefits of active commuting. I wouldn't go back to driving if you paid me. Cyclingmollie on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194416 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 11:35:58 +0000 Cyclingmollie 194416@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I remember mine because I bought a bike from a work colleague and rode it home. New bike! City riding was new to me. It felt then and still feels thrilling and very frustrating. algo on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194395 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 10:06:10 +0000 algo 194395@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I cycled every day to school quite a long way, but gave it up pretty much entirely in my twenties. My early commutes were too reckless to recount probably as I was a teenager treating the road as a playground - something I regret now. The first commute I had as a proper adult when I got back on the bike was between Easter Road and Heriot-Watt. I took the Calder Road Greenways, and the overwhelming memory I had was a sense of well-being on returning home - exhausted and embarrassingly sweaty mainly, but it made me feel that I could really enjoy my evening having done something which felt worthwhile… the unpleasant feeling you have from a day spent being sedentary had gone - I am now irritatingly evangelical about the benefits of active travel - in particular commuting to work. chdot on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194384 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:21:40 +0000 chdot 194384@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @Baldcyclist sorry you have 'lost interest'. It's obviously temporary otherwise you'd have given up bothering with CCE. At least you know it doesn't have to be every day - or the whole way. chdot on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194383 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:18:02 +0000 chdot 194383@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Thanks all for those. Some great 'stories'. Some quotes added here - <a href="http://www.cyclefridays.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.cyclefridays.wordpress.com</a> Baldcyclist on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194374 Thu, 30 Jul 2015 21:02:27 +0000 Baldcyclist 194374@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My first work commute was in July 1991. The day after being banned from driving, silly ar@e bought a car at 17 before getting a license, and of course the temptation was too much. I left the courthouse in Linlithgow, and got the train through to Edinburgh and bought a Raleigh Pioneer out one of the pawn shops on Leith walk, cycled home on it to Livingston, and then cycled to work on it the next day, and many other days on it. My 'second' first commute was after a 7 or 8 year hiatus after having to deal with mum and dad. I'd topped 15 1/2 stone by then, was a heavy smoker, and couldn't walk too the train station without breaking into a sweat. I thought I would break myself in gently by driving to the P&R at Ingliston, 7.5 miles I thought would be a breeze. I literally had to stop at the bus stop at the roundabout in Chorstorphine, it nearly killed me! I was sore for a week after that 7.5 mile journey. I need to have my 'third' first commute about now. After having the wee man my heart hasn't been in it, only done about 2000 miles so far this year. Not cycled in a fortnight, can't really be ars@d with it. Somehow seems hard every time I sit on a bike now, oh, the weights going up again.... newtoit on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194373 Thu, 30 Jul 2015 21:01:55 +0000 newtoit 194373@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Well... I used to cycle to school when I was a teenager and had sports before/after school so the bus wasn't any use. Then cycled a little bit to uni. My first work commute was a year ago, pretty much to the day! I had made sure to set out all I needed the day before, and had checked out the bike store at work to see that there was somewhere to put my bike. I'd done endless research on how best to get there, and got advice from here. Obviously just ended up following the "quiet" route from Cyclestreets. I didn't have much trouble with traffic, being generally unflappable and having spent oodles of time googling "primary position" etc. On arriving at work 15 mins ahead of my expectations I soon realised that I had in fact left my pass in my coat pocket at home, and security wouldn't let me into the office from the garage so I had to walk up the car ramp and sign in at the main entrance - oops! I then found at lunch time that I had also forgotten my wallet! So - advice from this. Pack the night before and make sure you have everything. Leave some clothes at work the day before to minimise the load. Plan your route, but don't be inflexible - you're on a bike, you can go just about anywhere! Remember it doesn't have to be every day - I am still fair weather only... Most of all enjoy yourself and do what suits you. No need to race if you don't want. Wear what you want - lycra isn't a must. And spread the word to your colleagues so they all know the fun you're having whilst also getting fit and getting to work! Mandopicker101 on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194372 Thu, 30 Jul 2015 20:24:58 +0000 Mandopicker101 194372@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My first commute followed my birthday around 10 years ago, when my then girlfriend (now Mrs Mandopicker) gave me the larger of her two bikes. Politely I thanked her, wondering why was I being given a bike. This was a Trek hybrid, a guys model, that went by the unofficial moniker of 'Eric'. Now Eric was a bit of a beast - heavy, chunky, but deeply characterful. Eric had been nicked during his previous life in and around York University, but Mrs Mandopicker tracked him down and confronted the new 'owner' and got him back. Having been brought to us in bits, Eric underwent reanimation after intensive (and expensive) surgery at the Bicycle Works. At the time I was travelling from Morningside to Salisbury Place, not exactly far or arduous, but the first couple of rides were excruciating as a decidedly unfit me ground my way there and back. I walked like John Wayne. My wife still remarks that I was deeply (deeply) unappreciative (at first) of the gift, but given the investment in new parts, I stuck with it. I resolved that I would not quit. Gradually, over the weeks, it got easier. I figured out faster ways there and back, figured out that leaving a lock at work meant I didn't have to carry one with me and replaced heftier tyres for something slightly sprightlier. Inevitably I got fitter and grew to rather like the idea of getting to work faster than ever before. Visiting EBC by chance, I stumbled on their sale and left laden with bike stuff. I was officially hooked. 'Eric' would take me on a tour and then my first Pedal For Scotland (a freak accident meant the rear mech died 300m from the line, so I hefted it cyclocross style and staggered over the line). Eventually the costs of repairing Eric reached a point where it just wasn't economic. Eric 'retired' to the Bicycle Station and, I hope, is now someone's useful bike. As a postscript, the bike I replaced Eric with lasted three years. A heavy crash left it in several bits of expensive scrap. Lightweight alu frames might be nifty to ride, but I bet Eric would've survived... chdot on "Do you remember your FIRST cycle commute" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15207#post-194370 Thu, 30 Jul 2015 18:15:34 +0000 chdot 194370@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "Is the soft launch at Peter's Yard?" Not as such. Check before you leave for PY.