A London man has put a new spin on a commuting race that pitches different ways of travel against each other – by timing his journey to work by bike and by jogging, and producing a video that seeks to find out which is quicker.
Max Joseph, who uploaded the footage to YouTube, said: “I live about 5.5km from where I work and sometimes commute on bike and sometimes by running.
“It sounds like a no brainer that the cycle would be quicker, but rush hour traffic makes it an interesting race.”
It’s a close run thing – the length of the commute from the Hoxton/Haggerston borders to Soho may have something to do with that, as does the fact that he doesn’t hammer it along the Regent’s Canal towpath on the bike, and also stops at red lights.
There’s some nice graphics in the video, which includes some wry observations on the commute and the odd swear word (in case you’re at work) – watch it here.
9 thoughts on “Video – Commuter race with a twist as Londoner times his running vs cycling journey to work”
He’s good, this guy. Not
He’s good, this guy. Not only fit but a natural commentator. has he auditioned for Clarkson’s old job.
Very well put together. At
Very well put together. At that last traffic light before arriving to work, he could have just dismounted from the bike and just walked it around the corner and resumed cycling.
giskard wrote:
Why? The lights are red and you wait like other traffic.
Leodis wrote:
It depends on the junction and how long the lights stay red, but if the lights have just turned red then dismounting and walking past the red light saves valuable time, which in the case of a “race” between cyclist and runner, is very relevant.
Give this guy a job, I’d
Give this guy a job, I’d happily see him doing some video tests of commuting equipment
Nice video. I particularly
Nice video. I particularly like the observation that commutingcyclists never talk to each other… so true. I think it’s because it’s London and also that you wouldn’t dream of making conversation on the Tube or bus.
As mentioned though – it’s only close because of the distance and the route. On my 15 mile commute running would be far, far slower but it’s 50-50 between the bike and the Tube. If Mo Farah ran it, he’d have to be at pretty much race speed to get even close. The stop-start and getting caught at lights is what makes the bike lose but it’s interesting that it’s even close. It’s like a Top Gear race in that sense.
Very good video. What
Very good video. What stands out to me from it is that red lights should be treated as yields by cyclists. It works well in Paris.
This is a great video. Thanks
This is a great video. Thanks to Max for highlighting that towpaths are narrow spaces and very busy during commuter hours. It’s good to see him using an alternative route adjacent to the canal when he wanted to pick up a bit of speed – it’s something we’re trying to promote a lot at the moment, so thanks for highlighting how it can be done. I appreciate that this isn’t the sole purpose of the video, but it’s just nice to see!
Just in case anyone is interested in finding out more about plans for improving routes for cyclists on London’s canals, there is more info here.
Dick Vincent / National Towpath Ranger / Canal & River Trust
Like it – a good idea and
Like it – a good idea and very neatly executed.
Couple of quick observations…
I ride 5km in about 13 minutes (including stopping for lights etc) and it’s not too much work. I run 5km in about 22 minutes (without stopping) and it’s really hard work.
– On a bike I wouldn’t be breaking a sweat. I commute on my bike in my work clothes. Running not only takes a bit longer but I would *definitely* need a shower afterwards. Not such a big deal timewise perhaps because I’d shower at one end of the journey or the other. Just means you need showers at work and a bit more planning.
– As others have pointed out, the main delay for the cyclist is traffic lights, which are only necessary because of the motorised traffic. It’s often pointed out that the average speed of cycling in the Netherlands is surprisingly high across town, despite the heavy bikes and leisurely cycling style. Cycling is prioritised, with a lot less giving way. Red lights as yields is one option, but often in the Netherlands the cycle infra is completely separate (for instance where we would wait at lights while cars come out of a turning on the right). The Dutch would sail past on their own carriageway with no thought that they were “jumping a red”.