swinding

Hi,

I will be moving to Sydders in 2 weeks and to get fit I would love to cycle to work. I will probably be living in Eastern Surburbs and I will be working in St. Leonards. Everyone I have aired the idea of cycling to work to, have looked horrified and tried to deter me due to the traffic. (And I am used to cycling in London.)

But is it really that bad? Any cyclists outthere that can give an idea of how dangerous it is? Are they all maaaad drivers?

wanderingwombat

A temporary visitor to the planet are you?

WW

iPom

My BIL cycles to work and lives in Sydney. You'll soon work out the short cuts, the park routes etc. It's no more dangerous than cycling in London. In fact, ime of a year cycling through Sydney to work and back, it's safer.... City drivers are city drivers the world over sadly.

Jockstar

Thats a good distance to cycle to work. The traffic isn't that bad here. But the Eastern suburbs to the North Shore? Get a car or live closer to St Leonards. But that being said i see people cycling around Sydney all the time. I'm all for it. But the distance?

swinding

Thanks all

I guess we should reconsider where to live ) As I can't see my self cycling toooooo far everyday...

northerner

Also remember that you will be sweating like a bastard by the time you get to work for a good chunk of the year.

Mind you, I can think of worst things to do than cycle over the harbour bridge every day...

Live in Balmain and get the ferry with me every day - far more civilised!!

Graham

Edit - and another thing (not trying to put you off cycling or anything!) but I've found Sydney to be a bloody hilly city - it's all steep sandstone straight out of the harbour and something I'd forgotten from our previous trips...

sprite_green

Used to cycle from Bronte/Waverley to Elizabeth St/Central Station every day. Quite a few years ago, but can confirm that its bloody hilly, you're bloody hot when you get to work, and the drivers are the bloody same the worldover.

Having said that, it was a fantastic way to see the City, if you leave early enough the traffic wasn't too bad, and I was lucky enough to have a shower in my office building.

As someone else said, there are routes through the city where you can avoid the worst of it. I used to go via Queen's Park (?) and Centennial Park. Then freewheel down the hill (Albion St possibly?) into Surry Hills.

Lovely way to start the day, but used to occasionally leave the bike if the weather was too hot/were going for beers after work.

iPom

Come run it with me in the next City to Surf.

northerner

You ARE joking aren't you??!!

I've a date with a LOL!!

Graham

iPom

Maybe.

Centurion

Join a gym near your workplace so you can shower once you get there. Frankly you'll be sweating and pretty horrible otherwise. I used to do that and was excellent as I could hit some weights or swim quickly before the day started.

Swerv-o

Many people I work with cycle to Balmain every day. Infact, i think that Duncan comes all the way from Paramatta by pedals.

Sydney is really hilly though, and I would make sure that you have somewhere to shower and change when you get there, else you'll smell really ripe by midday.

Also, it will get you in great shape for the annual Gong cycle, where lunatics cycle from Sydney to Wollongong one Sunday afternoon in spring.

S

youngy73

i used to cycle from coogee into the cbd every day for ten months. only got squashed once by a bus in centenial park. apart from that didnt have any dramas

IvanM

Take out very good life insurance. I used to cycle in central Manchester and Surrey. I would not touch the roads here with a cycle. It seems like all the cyclists goto centennial park for relative safety.

Lord Pom Percy

l would'nt do it unless you want to end up as a piece of road kill on the side of the road.