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Bicycle wins Bristol commuter race

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We all know cycling is the best way to commute to work. It can be quicker than car and public transport in some cities, especially for journeys that are less than five miles.

A point exemplified in Bristol when four staff from UWE Bristol took part in a race to find out what mode of transport was the fastest and the most satisfying for the daily commute to work.

The race, which took place last Thursday morning’s rush hour, saw four competitors each choose a different mode of transport - car, cycle, bus and running.

Same starting point

The commuters all started from the same point on Gloucester Road in Bristol, approximately 3.5 miles from the main Frenchay Campus.

The cyclist won the race, making it to the campus in 17 minutes. Steve Ward, UWE Bristol’s Transport Planner, cycled to the Campus at an average speed of 12.39mph.

Colleague, Geoff Andrews was next in, having ran a 3.24 mile journey in 28 minutes at an average speed of 6.94mph. In third place was Caroline Bartle, from the Centre for Transport and Society. She travelled to work on the bus with the 4.13 mile journey taking 39 minutes.

Car trundles in

In last place was the car. UWE employee Billy Clayton’s drive to work from the same starting point as the others took 53 minutes, travelling at an average speed of 4.68mph. He arrived at work at 09:05, over half an hour after the cyclist.

Billy said: “I usually cycle to work so driving in was a bit of an eye opener. I found the journey really frustrating even though I had the radio on. The traffic was chock a block and I literally crawled into work, a journey that would normally take me 12 minutes on my bike. I wouldn’t choose to come into work again in the car; normally I arrive feeling energised after a cycle but this was quite the opposite in terms of a travel experience.”

Vicki Harris, who helped organise the race as part of the UWE’s Sustainability Week, added: “We are delighted that the cyclist and the runner came first and second as these two modes of transport produce the lowest carbon footprints of all travel modes. It’s also fantastic to have proof that the bus journey overtook the car – a testimony to the efficacy of bus lanes.”

What more proof is needed for a car driver to switch to cycling for short journeys to work!!!

See also

Cycle routes in place for Olympics

A work desk made for cycling

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