Who has the best commute?

Jerky- I know your route to Helmsley all too well- I dated a very pretty girl in Helmsley for a while when I lived in South Yorks.
I have a great commute- you can't beat Northumberland- its either 10 mins of fast, deserted flowing twisty B roads in the Alfa or a run on the bike that covers fast woodland downhill, Single track, 3 river crossings, 2 ruined castles, 1 stately home, an ancient drove road, a norman church, a WW2 airfield, a roman camp and road- all in the space of 4 miles! Lovely scenery too.
 
from Hayfield up Mount Famine, cross the road at peep O'Day, up Chinley Churn to the new allotments, down the back then down into Chinley.

Or sett valley trail to New Mills, join the canal to Buxworth basin, then the old tramway to Chinley.

Or if I want some road miles straight down the main road to Chinley via one of the tougher Peak District roadie hills, or if I want more miles main road to New Mills, A6 to Chapel-en-le-Frith then the back way to Chinley.

Or then....
 
I walk 5 mins to the station; say good morning to the guy in the 'paper shop; sit on a train for 25 minutes reading the paper; my coffee and sticky bun are ready when I walk into the coffee shop; 2 minutes more and I'm at my desk checking RetroBike!

Perfect!
 
8 minutes through the centre of Nottingham- and if I'm feeling up for it a slightly longer way home which incorporates a hill!

Up at 4am this morning so the main points of interest were people on there way home from a night on the tiles...
 
I used to commute from Pudsey to Leeds by way of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal towpath. It was 8-9 miles and a really nice ride. I used to see kingfishers, herons, all kinds of wiildlife, and witnessed the changing of the seasons in the woods.

Then I moved to Sheffield, and commuted a couple of miles from Attercliffe to Hallam Uni, again along the canal, but this time far more industrial (if you've seen the opening scene of The Full monty, you'll know what I mean).

That was OK, but when I moved to Norton Lees, on the Southern fringes of the city, I discovered that the woods behind our house contain a network of hilly woodland singletrack, which take me almost into the heart of Sheffield (England's greenest city). So now, given time, I can tackle rooty, twisty singletrack, steep drops, stream crossings and fast downhills, before emerging into the morning traffic. On my way home, I leave the queuing cars behind, and wind my way back up through the woods, making my route as long or short as I feel like, sometimes (in winter) stopping off to sit under the trees in the dark and listen to the tawny owls as they herald the night.
 
90-120 minute car journey across Northants, Bucks and Bedfordshire.....it sucks big time.......sanity only vaguely preserved by 120gig hard drive, DVD player and lots of choons in me motor :?

I watch other car drivers behave like assholes and occasionally see a suicide jockey on a recumbant....you guys Ooop North win.... :roll:
 
I get up and cross the landing and Im at work, if I fancy a long trip in I go to the kitchen or the bathroom. Some days I get up at 5 and drive 3 hours to get to the office.
 
I live in Exeter and work in Torbay so when I get the chance and don't need the car I cycle to St Davids station and get the train along the coast through Dawlish and Teignmouth, it's pretty spectacular :) The trains are quite bike friendly too
 
Back
Top