to think that commuting to work by bike is not that weird.

[mymoonandstars]

I ride to work. Its only 6 miles a day and I only do it if there is absolutely no chance of rain so about 3 or 4 times a week. I work in an office and its not a strenuous ride so yes, I am likely to be in a dress.

I get stares from about half of the people I pass, I get comments from about a quarter. Just boys at bus stops or large groups of girls (which I find ridiculous given that they are sitting stationary, waiting for a stuffy stinky bus that's going to take twice as long as my ride... anyway)

My colleagues are the same. "Got the bike today? Chuckle chuckle splurt splurt" or "Cycling tonight, you nutter?"

AIBU to think cycling is not really a hugely eccentric way to travel?

I cycle to work. Many of my colleagues do. I pass tons of others doing similarly. No one thinks it's weird? I wear normal clothes as it's only half an hour.

YANBU. Its shocking just how many people there are out there who cannot move under their own power.

I often cycle to and from Clitheroe to Preston ( about 19 miles)
Niot one comment from passersby, or workers.

Well only stuff like 'hope you get back before the rain' or ' nice riding weather' nothing bad.
I use my hybrid ( faster than my mountain bike and less likely to get punctures than my Kona) and wear baggies.

Oh and I'm female.

I cycle every day. I Love cycling. Anyone who thinks its weird are weird themselves!

I never get comments. Just friendly hellos from other cyclists.

I cycle to school with my DC OP and it's 2 miles there, 2 back and then the same at hometime and I agree about all the stupid comments! Other parents say "Riding again! Aren't you tired??" and "Ooh you're keen!"

It's annoying and I feel somehow judged.

Oh, I suppose the other parents do say that. They're just being friendly though and making conversation.

I work in a city and live in the sticks. I see people cycling to and from work in both areas. Lots of people with bikes on my morning train too, who cycle at either end of their journey.

All the companies I've worked for have cycle racks, showers, lockers and usually drying rooms too.

Where on earth do you live that you are getting weird looks?

Where do you live? I'm in London, almost everyone I know cycles to work..

YANBU, you are NOT weird, or I would be too and that's impossible

I work in an office, so I decided 12 years ago to give up the car and cycle or walk everywhere: to work, shops and gym.
Reaction of colleagues and friends is positive, although they blink a bit when they see me setting off in the pouring rain.


I'd already chosen an ideal place to live though, so I had short, cycle-friendly routes to everywhere I wanted to go.

. My 4 km to work cranks up my brain and the return journey lets me unwind.
. The 4 km to / from the gym is my warmup / cool-down time
. Cycling to/from shops stops me buying too much stuff.

it would be where I live and work. I've towed plenty cars out the mud with the tractor but never towed a cyclist

We live up north and DH has a Brompton. The town we live in doesn't have many cyclists and he says he gets lots of comments from teenagers, half positive and half negative. The town he works in (he has a train journey there) is a university town and so there are lots of students on bikes so no problem there.

We have a Brompton......great for the train. Been heckled on it too -

To DH, in Leeds: "oy mate, what are doing on that F£*(ing clown bike? You look like a proper wanker!"

To me, in Oxford "Love your Brompton! Is it three or six speed? Absolute classic!"

I have ridden it once in London. Down the Euston Road. I am amazed I'm still alive..............

I used to cycle to work (about 4 miles), often in what I wore to work, like you OP.

Never had any grief tho. My bike (it's v old but quite fancy in its way) used to get chatted up a lot tho

Wish I could still cycle but I live 12 miles from work which is a bit much for a daily commute I reckon.

Re the lycra...I'm always being overtaken by men on flashy bikes in head to toe lycra....winds me up. I'm there on my shitty bike with a lumpen 6 year old on a tagalong and I'm thinking..."If I had YOUR bike and no passenger I'd SMASH you!"

No chance of that mind you since it would take me about two hours to get anywhere with my 6 year old on her own bike.

I cycled to work in London, I loved it. From Islington to Southwark so it was pretty much downhill most of the way (on the way there) & I didn't work up a sweat, I just wore my usual dress and heels.

pro tip: a wrap dress while cycling is a bad idea (unless you want the whole of Farringdon Road to get a good look at your knickers as your dress flaps like a cape behind you )

If I was in London I would defs cycle! I don't think it's weird but in my part of northern suburbia it's a bit dangerous imo as routes to the city centre are more like dual carriageway etc

bigchoc you must get home delivery tho? How do you do the Big Shop on a bike??

bigchoc you must get home delivery tho? How do you do the Big Shop on a bike??

Lots of cyclists who cycle to work go the long way, I do. I usually double the direct route and do 30 miles a day. When explaining it to colleagues, I say I go the long way, because I can !!

As for comments, very few. Other than the odd nutter in a car that threattens to run me over !

Cycling to work is not weird. Though it does depend on the culture of the company. My current employer has a lot of rugger bugger types quite fit and active staff members and it's not unusual to see otherwise very serious suit-wearing people wandering around in lurid sportswear. It suits me fine as I often run the 4.5 miles to the station in the morning and appreciate working somewhere people don't think this is bonkers

YANBU at all. I cycle most days, it's four miles and takes me just over 20 minutes on the bike. By tube the journey takes 40-45 minutes so even factoring in the quick shower I have when I get to work it's faster by bike. Loads of people here cycle - we have a secure underground carpark under the building, and the number of cycle racks increases all the time as the demand increases.

In London I think having somewhere properly secure to keep the bike is major factor in whether or not people will cycle to work.

Yanbu at all. Great way to fit some exercise into the working day in a productive fashion and get to feel smug about helping reduce emissions. My husband cycles to work (no Lycra but a god awful flouro jacket) and I don't think he gets much snipping. Also his boss is a bit cyclist and has been encouraging the team to take it up. I think he is very brave - I wouldn't risk the main roads into Leeds myself, bike lane or no!

I do think there is some regional variation. Leeds is not that cycle friendly (ironic given we've got the grand depart!). I have been heckled when out for a leisurely cycle for having a basket on my bike by some pesky 11/12 year olds... And the vitriol behind a small handful of roads in the city centre being shut for the sky ride was awful.

Not weird at all. It's how I get to work (and have for the last 11 years). Lots of my colleagues cycle too. I'm surprised at the comments you've got - that must be shit. (I don't know whether I'm lucky in having never got them, or you're unlucky. I haven't had that problem anywhere, either cycle friendly - Oxford, Cambridge, or very much not cycle friendly - London, Leeds.)