Christ Church Meadow across River Thames.
Despite commuting by bike for 10 years into the centre of town, I can’t believe that I’m still finding improved ways to commute into work. When I first started commuting, I just cycled on the obvious bus route,which I would take if I was driving a car. Over time I’ve found better ways. The best improvements are those that avoid difficult junctions and congested bus routes. These new routes tend to involve scenic bike paths which avoid the crowded roads. It is a little slower, but worth the improved quality of the ride. My main criteria for finding a good route is:
- Safety.
- Quiet roads – Less Stress. It is more stressful when you are fighting through a narrow road, with innumerable buses.
- A Clear run. Like all cyclists, I dislike having to break all the time for red lights, buses e.t.c. Therefore, it’s great to find routes that don’t involve a set of crossings / bus stops / red lights every 50 metres.
- Speed. On commuting rides I’m not too bothered about speed. I’d rather have a stress free ride on a slow cycle path. But, when I’m training I want roads where you can cycle fast without worrying about sudden breaking. Sometimes when training, I will end up A roads, even dual carriageways because I want to find an uninterrupted road to cycle on.
- Scenic. Parts of Oxford are very beautiful. It is great to cycle past these everyday and enjoy the changing seasons.
View from Cycle Path to work
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