Meet the #R5k members who don’t let winter stand in their way
R5K fans pile on the miles by commuting all year by bike
Countless #R5K members are laughing in the face of winter by continuing to shun four wheels and commute to work on two every single day of the year. Simon Berriman, 46, who rides into central London from Hatfield whatever the weather aboard his BMW R1250GSA says that taking the bike is good for his mood, as well as saving loads of travelling time.
He said: “I have quite a stressful job but I can get on the bike and unwind and get home almost stress-free. If you go on the train, you’re still looking at your phone and answering emails and you get home just as stressed as when you left the office. “I can jump on the bike and be home between 15 and 20 minutes earlier than on the train and, with the rising cost of season tickets, it’s also a lot cheaper,” he added. “Riding every day is one of my favourite things. I just love being on the bike constantly!”
Away from the urban sprawl, insurance worker, Ian Phillips, 44, commutes between 12 and 20 miles every day from his home near Weston-super-Mare, after selling his car in 2018 to purchase a Triumph Speed Triple RS.
Having covered around 6000 miles already this year, Ian told MCN: “I enjoy being on two wheels so much that it wasn’t really a sacrifice. It takes me between 20 minutes and halfan-hour each way, but in a car, that would easily be an hour with all the waiting around for traffic to clear.
“Sure it can be chilly in the winter and the rain can be a pain sometimes, but I don’t mind it and actually feel safer when I’m riding the bike to work,” he added.
“When I’m on two wheels, I feel more refreshed and less frustrated. When you’re stuck in the car for an hour, you’re just constantly worrying about whether you’re going to be on time for work.”
‘On the bike I can unwind and feel stress free’ R5K MEMBER SIMON BERRIMAN