British Cycling member George's innocent commutes to work on a cheap hybrid bike have turned into a full blown obsession, with three bikes and counting in his stable including this handsome singlespeed.
Name: George Frewer
Workplace: UKFast, Internet Hosting Company, Manchester City Centre
Tell us about your commuting rig: Recently stopped commuting on my full carbon Specialized road bike. Have replaced it will a custom pink Mango single speed – back to low cost simplicity! Still getting used to riding a single speed so haven’t taken the plunge and flip the back wheel to turn it into a fixie yet.
What’s your commute like? Six miles each way on the road into Manchester City Centre. Largely flat, hardly any cycle lanes and not too many pesky traffic lights!
How many days a week do you commute by bike? Three to four.
What do you enjoy the most about bike commuting? Feeling awake and alive when I sit down at my desk. Also, knowing that I have got to work faster than I would have done by car or on public transport.
What’s your least favourite thing about commuting by bike? Having to plan in advance and make sure I’ve got the right clothes and gear at the office to stop my having to roll my suit up!!
What are your main reasons to commute by bike? It all started as a fitness thing, and it has moved on to doing it because I love it.
"Commuting by bike was just the start for me. Whilst I didn’t know it at the time, my decision to start riding to work on a cheapish hybrid has turned into an obsession."
George has been bitten by the bug
Have you got any funny or interesting bike commuting stories or experiences to share? Commuting by bike was just the start for me. Whilst I didn’t know it at the time, my decision to start riding to work on a cheapish hybrid has turned into an obsession – I now have three bikes (road, mountain and fixie) and cycling is the best hobby I have ever had. In May I cycled over 400 miles from Manchester to London and I completed the inaugural RideLondon-Surrey 100 at the beginning of August.
What’s your killer commuting tip? Invest in having a track pump at work as well as at home – on a short commute, it is rare for a puncture to strike when you’re actually riding. However, there are loads of occasions when I have got back to my back at the end of the day and have a fully flat tyre. Being able to use the track pump to inflate the replacement is so much better than my mini pump I carry around.
Also, if you are commuting to get fit, use Strava (or similar) to record your commuting times. Work hard and try to beat them. I have reduced my time by 30% by doing exactly this.
Are you a British Cycling Member? If so how does your British Cycling membership support your bike commuting? Yes. Knowing that British Cycling are there campaigning to make the roads safer is great. It’s also nice that I can see the home of British Cycling (the velodrome) from my desk on the 28th floor of City Tower!
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)
