About
My name is Izabela. I am originally from Poland. After moving between Germany, Mexico and Australia I came to Scotland 5 years ago. Now I call it home.
I am an engineer working for a photonics company based in Livingston. I live in Edinburgh and when I was applying for this job I didn’t even think I would be able to cycle that far on a daily basis but a friend suggested trying to do it a few times a week. I didn’t have a car at that time, so after a bad experience with public transport (the bus didn’t show up) I cycled in the following day on my old second-hand mountain bike. I gave myself a goal to do that for a week. Then for a month. Then I upgraded to a hybrid bike (most expensive bike I owned at that time), so I had to continue cycling for another 3 months to cover its cost. After that I was sold and never looked back.
I have a wonderful boyfriend Tom, who makes sure there is a lovely dinner waiting for me when I get back from work in the evening.
I am keen walker (bushwalker, hilllwalker) so we tend to spend weekends and holidays on hills.
How long have you been cycle commuting?
Before moving to Edinburgh I was told about a cycling path to my future workplace, so I knew right away I would be commuting by bike. The commute was 21km each day and it gave me a good introduction to cycling in the somewhat challenging Scottish weather.
After one and a half years I got a new job significantly further away. The new place had very poor public transport connections and I didn’t have a car, so I started cycling on my second day of work. Now it’s been more than three years.
I’m generally a lazy person and I like sleeping in, so if I had other easy (i.e. own car or car sharing) options available, I definitely wouldn’t be able to motivate myself enough to get up earlier and spend 1.5h on a bike each morning.
Your Commute
Current commute is between Edinburgh and Livingston. 56km (35 miles) in total most days. Every now and then up to 90km (56 miles) when I get creative or feel like going to the Apple Pie bakery in Carnwath!
I do this most days and have maybe missed four days in the last year?
Terrain: mostly back roads through the countryside with some hills along the way.
Weather: I try to cycle in all Scottish weather, which is 5-15C most of the year with its fair share of westerly winds and rain.
What is the best thing about Cycle Commuting?
My top things about cycle commuting:
- Having a little adventure on the way to/from work;
- Seeing wonderful sunrises (as I said I like sleeping in, so I wouldn’t see them otherwise);
- Having an excuse to eat lots of cake and chocolate;
- Making ‘friends’ and exchanging ‘hellos’ and waves with other regular commuters: pedestrians, runners, cyclists and drivers.
Your bikes
My current bike is Pinnacle Arkose 3 which is a road adventure/gravel bike fitted with Marathon Plus tour tyres. Except for snowy roads in winter I can use this bike all year round.
Any top tips?
A decent rain jacket will make your journey a lot more comfortable! (speaking from experience as I got a Gore Bike jacket only last year).
Additional Info.
In 2019 I was inspired by CycleCommute.CC Iain to cycle Edinburgh-Carlisle-Edinburgh (Ride to the Sun: 320km, 200 miles). Iain has a very similar commute to mine — just in the opposite direction. I figured if he could do it, I might be able to do it as well. And I did it — and survived — on my own! After that I was encouraged to join Audax (long distance cycling association) and I have done another 300km and several 200km rides. The good thing about cycle commuting is that I don’t need to do any extra training for the long rides.
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