For many hard core Hypermilers such as myself, either using public transport or a push bike just isn’t viable. The public transport links to my corner of sunny Lincolnshire mean I will have to walk 2 miles just to find my nearest bus stop, not forgetting it will take in excess of an hour to actually get there.
As for biking, I’ve already ventured the whole distance using my trusty Merlin Malt 2 mountain bike however it’s both a little far and a even more dangerous than I would like. Most of the route is bathed in single track roads with countless blind corners, great for a mornings rally driving but not when you are riding helplessly with 2 wheels.
My solution to this has been a hypermilers take on the Park and Ride. Instead of using a bus for a portion of my journey I am able to leave my Car in a village just over 5 miles from my place of work, effectively halving my commute (or doubling my MPG!). The ride in from there is much more pleasant and the roads are bike friendly. This makes the trip much safer and more enjoyable, meaning I opt for the Park and Ride much more often.
This year I’ve only attempted this a couple of times due to the weather and also the dark nights. Now the clocks have changed, I really have no excuse… other than being lazy! Last year I saved in excess of 300 miles on my bike, thats a saving of nearly £50!
The park and ride is a great way of cutting your miles and also trimming a bit off that spare winter tyre.
We’d love to hear how you have been trimming the miles off your commute in these hard times of fuel panic and soaring fuel prices. Get in touch via the comments section or our contact form and let us know.
