Reluctant commuter Liam cycles 11 miles into work in Buckinghamshire and can't over-stress the importance of preparing his work clothes the night before.
Name: Liam Barnard
Workplace: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Tell us about your commuting rig: Just a plain old Carrera road bike.
What’s your commute like? Mainly flat, but a couple of small hills in the first 5 miles
How many days a week do you commute by bike? Two
What do you enjoy the most about bike commuting? Just generally cycling.
What’s your least favourite thing about commuting by bike? When I actually have to ride the bike, I prefer to go out when I like, not when I’m forced to.
What are your main reasons to commute by bike? Mainly to be fit, however I’d love to one day compete.
"I’m a member. It supports my commuting by giving me the confidence that if I have a breakdown I can always get help."
How British Cycling membership supports Liam's bike commuting.
Have you got any funny or interesting bike commuting stories or experiences to share? I was once forced into taking my bike to work, and at work there are not any showers, just a small toilet. I woke up and looked outside to a barely cloudy sky and thought that in the small 11 mile journey, waterproofs could be left at home.
So I packed the usual essentials, work clothes and other clothing and set off without waterproofs. Now about six miles through the journey there was a huge downpour of rain. Luckily, I thought to myself I have packed a towel so I can still be dry.
Anyway, I arrived at work 10 minutes early so I could go and get dried and changed so I done the usual, jumped into the toilet, had a quick wash and dry. So, all enthusiastic after my brilliant cycle in (I secretly love rain riding) I went to get dressed… But to my sheer horror, I had not packed any pants, I sat in the work toilet thinking to myself “What can I do”.
I was sat around for about ten minutes before I plucked up the courage to put my jeans on (making sure the flies are definitely done up) and scampered over to Tesco which luckily opposite my work is a big store and brought myself some pants and then continued like normal after my small blip.
What’s your killer commuting tip? Bring pants? Be happy and be confident, a positive attitude helps to make the ride more fun!
Are you a British Cycling Member? If so how does your British Cycling membership support your bike commuting? Yes, I’m a member. It supports my commuting by giving me the confidence that if I have a break down I can always get help. The tips in the insight zone are quite handy too.
Send us your Commuter Profile!
We want to know about your commuting experiences; how far you go, why you choose to ride, your killer tips and your commuter grumbles. Download, complete and email back your commuter profile to editor@britishcycling.org.uk and tell your story. Feel free to include a photograph/photographs of you and your trusty commuting bike!
Download Commuter Profile Form (Word Document)
