Comments on Kent's Bike Blog: Why Do You Commute By Bicycle?

For many of the reasons listed...PLUSThe look on d...

2008-06-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

For many of the reasons listed...PLUS

The look on drivers faces as I pass them during rush hour at 30 mph bunny hopping my Bike Friday tikit over expansion joints on the MOPAC bridge over Barton Creek in Austin during the morning commute.

I have been biking to work since the 1980's - have...

2008-03-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

I have been biking to work since the 1980's - have had short and long commutes, and have enjoyed each one. I went car-free last Nov., and enjoy biking even more! :)

I bike commute because it's peaceful and has no stress. It's challenging some days (high winds, heavy rains, snow/sleet/ice). But then there are great days when I have a wonderful tailwind, see the moon shining over the Potomac River at night, seeing wildlife along the way, seeing beautiful sunrises/sunsets. It's A TON better than taking the subway, where you pay for cramming on trains that are delayed and break down, hearing other people on their cell phones and other conversations, etc. On my bike, I can whistle, sing, hum, and it doesn't bother anyone. I can run errands on the way to and fro. The list is endless.... :)

Charmaine

My commute takes about a hour and a half each way....

2008-03-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

My commute takes about a hour and a half each way.

During that time I'm not my job title, I'm not a husband, I'm not a father, I'm not a grandfather.

I'm ten years old again. I've got my shiny bike and the road before me.

It's decompression. I get on the bike and I am who I am. Not what others want me to be.

Is this selfish? No, I don't think so. Most men live lives of quiet desperation. If I can ride, I do not despair.
Life is good.
gears to you....leo

If you're commuting and are setting up a bike to w...

2008-03-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

If you're commuting and are setting up a bike to work event, stop on by http://biketoworkweek.org and have it listed on the map there. If you're a commuter, have your blog listed there as well.

Here in Toronto I use my electric bicycle to commu...

2008-03-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

Here in Toronto I use my electric bicycle to commute most days.

Driving a car is not an option since there is no car parking where I live or where I work. So like most people in the city I do not have a car.

After major snow storms (February was a record breaking snow month at over two meters!) I'll take the streetcar. But within 24 hours the city will have the roads ploughed bare and I'm back on my bicycle again.

Many people in Toronto have snow tires for their bicycles, but changing tires twice a year is too much like work for me.

-Fun.-Refreshed for class/work.-Waking up early is...

2008-03-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

-Fun.

-Refreshed for class/work.

-Waking up early is better for me anyway.

-During rush hour it takes the same amount of time to get to school but I'm not stuck in traffic.

-I get to be the fat girl thats faster than someones car.

-I get tot be the fat girl that helps the other fat girls get on their bikes. (Riding with people on their first trips)

-I can't say I'm trying to lose weight but I don't feel guilty drinking yummy beers a couple times a week if I'm bike commuting.

-If I time it right I get free breakfast every month just for bike commuting.

-Fun.-Exercise/fitness.-Save $$$ on gas/auto maint...

2008-03-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

-Fun.
-Exercise/fitness.
-Save $$$ on gas/auto maintenance.
-Consume less non-renewable resources.
-Seeing my town first hand... You'd be amazed at how much more in tune with your community you can be when you aren't seeing it @ 35 MPH through a windshield.

Dear Kent,Originally, I didn't like my car commute...

2008-03-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Kent,

Originally, I didn't like my car commute, needed to get back into shape after college, and had just started a completely sedentary job. So I started commuting 25 mi/day, four days a week, no excuses, and exchanged wardrobes on the fifth. I enjoyed the challenge of the mundane, enjoyed watching my time in transit fall from an hour each way to an hour including a leisurely shower and changing clothes. Eventually that challenge got stale. But the riding really never did.

Then I moved closer to work (10mi r.t.) and rode in street clothes every day. Even better. I still had mental separation between work and home, a breath of fresh air and a glimpse of sky, and I didn't have to shower and change clothes twice, though I did need to start exercising separately.

Now I'm back out with 15mi round-trip and laziness, combined with a very nice car I share with my wife, had eaten into my commute time over the last two years. This year, I re-instituted a no-excuses policy and I'm back to riding 4+ days a week, plus any solo errands I have on the weekend.

But why?

(in no particular order)

Fun. Parking. Connection with the natural world. Safety (I've got better control over my bike in the snow). Fitness(though I don't exactly burn up the roads schlepping around town). The challenge of weather and bulky loads. The approbation of friends and family. The incredulity of strangers. The joy of bicycle maintenance. The humility wind brings.

Best,

WMdeR.

I bike to work because I love being outdoors and f...

2008-03-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

I bike to work because I love being outdoors and feeling the wind in my face. I am trying to simplify my life by living what I call the village lifestyle where the orbits of my daily commutes and errands are within 5 miles of my house. I am reducing my dependence on foreign oil. It's fun for me and it saves me money. I can join with other bike commuters that share my route for safety and comraderie.

In good weather, it's more fun than driving. I am ...

2008-03-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

In good weather, it's more fun than driving. I am lucky to have a good route -- mostly flat and low auto traffic, with an optional light-rail link in the middle. My employer pays for the light-rail pass and lets me park the bike indoors by my office. If you add in the SF Bay Area's clement weather, this is a rare combination of attractions. I am thankful to have it.

I don't ignore the health, cost, and environmental benefits, but they are secondary for me. To illustrate how weak my commitment is, I don't ride when rain is likely.

There's a million reasons, all of which are descri...

2008-02-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

There's a million reasons, all of which are described above. I wish more folks would try it - I think a lot would find they like it.

In this spirit, I'd like to encourage folks to check out the "Burn Calories, Not Carbon!" pledge sponsored by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (where I work): www.railstotrails.org/pledge

Main reasons:-Hate driving-living a sedentary life...

2008-02-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

Main reasons:

-Hate driving
-living a sedentary life leaves me exhausted
-I get to eat more!
-gotta get my cycling miles in (I set a goal of 4,200 miles this year)
-faster than driving (my work is only 1.2 miles away)
-save money
-planning to do some Randonneuring rides this year so all the miles I put on keeps me saddle conditioned

Why do I commute {year-round, with a toddler, in C...

2008-02-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

Why do I commute {year-round, with a toddler, in Chicago)?

Funny, we just got interviewed by one of the local TV stations asking the same thing, and they did a great job bringing out all the points that everybody mentioned here.

But it occurred to me later that it's the most comfortable way to get our daughter to her daycare and back every day! She spends less time out in the wind when it's cold, more breeze when it's hot, door-to-door (or, more accurately, inside-to-door) when it's raining. And soon she'll be big enough for a kid-back!

Kent confused me at first. I started telling why ...

2008-02-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

Kent confused me at first. I started telling why I did commute on the 'don't commute' page...

I'm sure I have nothing new to elucidate here; others tend to be far more eloquent than I. I like to commute b/c it's healthy. It's 'green'. It's the right thing to do for me and for everyone else whose air I'm not polluting. It's fun. When I don't I feel guilty and when I do I rarely have a bad ride, mundane sometimes, but rarely bad. I wish I could be a 90% guy like many in the bloggoland, but I'm not, not yet.

I started 4 years ago commuting by bike twice a we...

2008-02-28T17:56:00.000-08:00

I started 4 years ago commuting by bike twice a week, initially because I thought it would be fun. Over the years, I've bumped it up to 5 days a week. As a result, I only have to refuel my car once every 3-4 weeks, compared to every week when I drove the car to work. The other thing is that having to fight traffic in a car sucks! I'm not stressed out over traffic when I bike in, especially when half my commute is on a paved trail. I have to admit though, that I probably wouldn't bike in to work if there wasn't a place to shower.

Basically I ride: - because I'm an angry driver - ...

2008-02-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

Basically I ride:
- because I'm an angry driver
- because riding relaxes me
- because cars suck
- because I took a new job for the good (12mi R/T) bike commute.
- because I love my wife and children and I want to live with them as long as I can.
- because I love my planet and want to leave some of it to my children.

But mostly I do it because I enjoy it. Is that so wrong?

I really don't like driving anymore. It stresses m...

2008-02-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

I really don't like driving anymore. It stresses me out. Biking is so much more relaxing for me.

andI am too lazy to join a gymcommuting gets me on...

2008-02-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

and

I am too lazy to join a gym

commuting gets me on the bike

I extend my rides home

the bike is my prozac

I commute by bicycle because only an idiot or an a...

2008-02-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

I commute by bicycle because only an idiot or an asshole would drive the three miles into work

it would take longer to drive and get parking than to bike

even walking is a more rational option

I began commuting as a way to avoid a three year t...

2008-02-26T23:04:00.000-08:00

I began commuting as a way to avoid a three year traffic jam that split my city in half. I continue because of the air, because of what I have a chance to see and because of the rhythm. I'm a lesser person when I can't ride.

Riding my bike and not having a car is like gettin...

2008-02-26T17:40:00.000-08:00

Riding my bike and not having a car is like getting a $5,000 - $10,000/year raise for having fun. Plus, when I arrive at work I'm awake and alert - that's another $$$/year I don't have to pay $tarbuck$

I do it 'cause I like it. Beside that, I'm cheap.

2008-02-26T13:13:00.001-08:00

I do it 'cause I like it. Beside that, I'm cheap.

I don't commute to work. Instead I do utility biki...

2008-02-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

I don't commute to work. Instead I do utility biking for groceries, library books, and just about anything else.

Why? Well... I can't walk 10 miles fast enough to get anything done at the other end. Often, the bus doesn't go where I want to go, when I want to go. Plus, the bus is about twice as slow as my bike for short trips. Biking and walking are fun for me if I want to go places. Driving isn't.

The bike also lets me carry more than I can on my own, and my bike isn't even rigged for serious cargo. It won't let me carry as much as a car will, but usually a car's cargo capacity is wasted anyway. It's not like I need a vehicle that will carry 300lbs of cargo... 50lbs does just fine most weeks.

a) I love the rideI live in the suburban fringe of...

2008-02-26T06:11:00.000-08:00

a) I love the ride
I live in the suburban fringe of Tokyo and ride to school on small backroads and riverside trails through an intersting and bizarre mix of agricultural lands, coppice woodlands, and resedential plots. I love the morning sunshine even in the winter and the considerate drivers. Also enjoy plotting and trying new routes and learning more about the place I live.
b) I need the fresh air and exercise.
c) It saves money.
Travelling to school by bus/train runs upwards of 8$ roundtrip and I hate being trapped in a bus (especially when I have to stand and lean my head to the side the whole way because the ceiling is six inches too low)
d) I love my bike
I'm constantly amazed by the efficiency and beauty of the bicycle. Sometimes when riding, it occurs to me that I am actually powering this thing by myself and I'm amazed with the speed and effeciency, especially as I swoop down the big hills.
e) Just trying to do my small part.

It's more fun in any weather. While folks are cuss...

2008-02-26T03:28:00.000-08:00

It's more fun in any weather. While folks are cussing and scraping I'm having a good time and feel great once arriving at work. "When DO you drive your car", one asks? Ditto for when do I buy gas? One of the best things is making eye contact and meeting others on my ride, waving to the metro drivers and talking with other commuters. A great way to start the day and unwind and stay healthy. Biking is life....and a great way to feel alive both physically and socially.