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Reply To: [unofficial weekender] It's beer o'clock

August 11, 2023 at 6:18 pm #1832550

blinky465

17028xp

One of the best things I ever did was swap a drive-commute for a bike ride.

Maybe its’ because Brighton isn’t exactly set up for driving anyway (it takes about 30 minutes to drive into town, 50 minutes if I go by bus, anywhere between 15 minutes and 4 hours by train) but it consistently takes just 25 minutes by bike.

Instead of leaving at 8.30am to get to the co-working office for 9am, I’d set out before eight, make it a leisurely ride, and stop for coffee and a chat along the way. If you’re going to get wet (whether it’s raining or you’re just an out-of-shape overweight heavy-sweater like I was) just take a change of shirt with you.

Honestly, it turned the commute from a chore into something to look forward to.
You spend just as much as you would on petrol, but on nice things like coffee and cake (and the occasional breakfast). Yep, it means you spend a bit more of your day travelling – but it’s not the only thing you’re doing; it’s not the dead-eyed drive to/from that place that keeps you away from your family – it’s like getting extra leisure time back in your day! (and it’s really lovely when friends/family unexpectedly meet you at a cafe or bar on the way home.)
Bike-bum wears off after about three weeks.