Commuting - How much do you enjoy your commute?

Last night my hard drive crashed, my lawn sprinkler system is hosed, and my Fuji road bike ghost shifts so often, it does it even when I'm stopped at a light. This is when I thank the cycling gods that I have two more bikes, and each morning and evening I look forward to my commute even if it is raining. Cycling makes a bad day better, that's how much I like my commute. How about you? I understand most of us choose to commute, but is it something you look very forward to each day?

I woke up this morning tired and cranky. Im all better now after a nice ride to work. Everybody I know thinks Im crazy for riding a bike to work. I feel the opposite riding is my sanity.

I look forward to it but dread it at the same time, primarily because of the heat. I think I'll enjoy it more when it finally cools down -- in October or November or December . . . :)

<snip> How about you? I understand most of us choose to commute, but is it something you look very forward to each day?
I'm an adrenaline and endorphin addict... gotta get my daily fix or I'll go nuts.

I commute because I love biking. If I have to skip a day because I have to drive to a site, meetings, etc., I don't feel right for the entire day.

Now that I've gotten past the initial rough spots, aches and pains, etc. I'm enjoying the commute. Some days int he heat and humidity I'm less enthusiatic, but in general I like it. More noticeably I miss it when I don't ride.

I commute because I love biking. If I have to skip a day because I have to drive to a site, meetings, etc., I don't feel right for the entire day.

Truth. Thanks for putting into words the sentiment I was trying to express.

I'm quite new to commuting, but I love it so far. The other day I was very surpriced to feel bummed when I realised that I had to drive home from work.

Yesterday I was also very surpriced. I was waiting in the cassier line at a grocery store, just about to bike home from work. Now normally I get all stressed and anxious in those slow lines (I hate crowds), but yesterday I felt just fine! It was like I were able to relax just because I knew I would be biking home, uphill with 30 mph headwind (with the grocery bags hanging on my stearing tube, banging against the wheels... :rolleyes: )

So you more experienced ones: Will I enjoy this even more if I start tweaking (read: spending on) my equipment?

I know I look forward to city traffic on my way home. Fighting to get onto the subway, getting caught behind people on the stairs to the subway platform, the smells of the stations... yuck! Biking home is much more enjoyable!

I really enjoy my commute.. I find it's my personal time. I can think, come up with ideas just spend time in my own head. I also find that when I used to take the bus, I was too tired to do anything when I got home, but after commuting, I have loads of energy.. it's like my two times of the day that I enjoy the most!

Yeah, biking is a lot of work, but my options are Bus, or Bike (Since I don't have a car) and the people on the bus all smell like salami, so the choice is simple.

<snip> So you more experienced ones: Will I enjoy this even more if I start tweaking (read: spending on) my equipment?
It depends. In my opinion (I'm a die-hard minimalist), eventually you could reach a 'point of
diminishing returns', when you start stressing out about all the 'gear' you put (and money
spent) on your bike, rather than enjoying the care-free moments that you describe.

Like I've always said, 'less stuff, less stress'.
Upgrade slowly over time, don't be excessive or obsessive about it. :D

It depends. In my opinion (I'm a die-hard minimalist), eventually you could reach a 'point of
diminishing returns', when you start stressing out about all the 'gear' you put (and money
spent) on your bike, rather than enjoying the care-free moments that you describe.

Like I've always said, 'less stuff, less stress'.
Upgrade slowly over time, don't be excessive or obsessive about it. :D


My girlfriend has a nice road bike & a nice mountian bike. But her favorite bike is the 1969 Schwinn Typhoon. 1 speed, basket on the front, coaster brake.

My commute takes me through some crappy & dangerous neighborhoods, but it still beats driving!

I really enjoy my commute.. I find it's my personal time. I can think, come up with ideas just spend time in my own head. I also find that when I used to take the bus, I was too tired to do anything when I got home, but after commuting, I have loads of energy.. it's like my two times of the day that I enjoy the most!

Yeah, biking is a lot of work, but my options are Bus, or Bike (Since I don't have a car) and the people on the bus all smell like salami, so the choice is simple.

exactly - i turn my cell phone off and use it as my "personal time" sometimes i take the bus to work and ride home if i stayed out late the night before, but more often i'll start biking to where i get the bus, then turn to my bike route thinking "i'll catch it to take up the big hill", then end up biking all the way to work.

i agree with the energy. i explain to lots of people at work how good cardio changes your metabolism, so a good afternoon bike ride gets rid of that "afternoon slump" (often created by a huge greasy lunch)

What never says fits. The other day, about a 1/2 mile into my afternoon commute, in 110 F heat, I put a screw into my tire. Spent 10-15 minutes fixing it in the sun, grumbling to myself. Got home, and my asked how my ride was. "Great," I said, and it was.

Somedays, I get bored with my ride, but mostly, it feels right and good.

My route is boring. All streets, lots of bumpy road, lots of hills, and little shade or vegetation. It's the most direct route though, which is important when you have to get up before 6am to get to work by 7.

I enjoy my commute. I get to work refreshed and ready to get to work, once I've stopped dripping sweat. ;)
Last night I especially enjoyed the commute home. I had to stop at the bank inside the supermarket. Got lots of "looks" from the folks waiting in line. :D

Biking in to work, or walking or roller blading for that matter, is a radical act. It places us a little closer to world around us instead of enclosed in a bubble of glass, plastic and steel. I've had ****ty commutes in rain, ice and severe thunderstorms and even those (after the shock wore off and the bike was clean) felt a lot better than shuffling to work in a car. One could say that driving in to work is easier, but it's really not; you just got accustomed to the inconveniences and buried them.


Edit: And my commute is only OK; about a 5 on the 1-10 scale assuming traffic, motorist sensibilities, scenery, ease of terrain, and distance.

[QUOTE=sethw] Fighting to get onto the subway, getting caught behind people on the stairs to the subway platform, the smells of the stations... yuck! QUOTE]

i just wish i didnt have to take the train in order to ride, but 35 miles and nasty hills is a little too much for me. i love the 17.5 miles after i get off the train though, even in 105F temps

Yeah, biking is a lot of work, but my options are Bus, or Bike (Since I don't have a car) and the people on the bus all smell like salami, so the choice is simple.

:D

I find it difficult getting up at 5AM in order to drive to the commuter lot, and ride my bike from there. The days I commute it's two 14 mile rides. If I sleep in, I ride a 22-28 mile ride in the evening. I really enjoy both, but only after 10 minutes or so of riding.

1. I like to play in traffic.
2. I HATE HATE HATE the metro.
3. I love to eat.

My commute is absolutely necessary for my day to be complete! Otherwise, I'd be bored, pi$$ed off, and fat!

I love my commute. No sitting in traffic, I get to laugh at the people sitting in lines who happily pay 90 cents a litre for gas, plus awesome exercise. For the life of me I cannot understand why more people don't ride to work.

My commute is too short, but I ride all over the city, and even in the country, to make it a decent length.

Riding in my work boots and a backpack on isn't the greatest, but I still enjoy it. I look forward to it at the end of the workday.

My commute is the only thing keeping me going to work each day. I like spending my time doing something I enjoy, instead of waiting to get somewhere. Today I played pass and be passed for several miles with a couple of guys in an old pickup truck. My commute didn't really take any more time than if I'd been driving.

I second the comment about not feeling right if I have to drive. One little perk I hadn't thought of before I started bike commuting was that a bike is a great way to get out for lunch. It's hardly slower than a car in noontime traffic, and you don't have to worry about parking. It's also nice for a little mid-afternoon pleasure ride. I have a little trail near my current office, and (don't tell Serge) I've gotten in the habit of (slowly) taking the sidewalk to get to it and (don't tell my boss) not wearing my helmet, so I can feel the breeze in my hair! :)

I rather commute on my bike then ride the bus. it's now faster too.
the only tiem I don't commute is when I am so sick I can't hardly even make it to work (very sick) or my bike isn ot working (I will spend all the money I have to help prevent that )

The comments made about not feeling right driving in are dead on. I am a reformed party animal, and on those late nights with the drinking and the smoking, the next day's drive in with immaculate weather just reminds me why I no longer do that habitually.

I really like mine. I'm new at it, and only can ride 2 or 3 times a week, but I enjoy it alot. By the time I get to work I'm much more awake and alert. On the way home I usually take the long way and get a good work out as well.

The weather, terrain and roads here majorly suck for cycling. I mostly dread the commute, but I hate it five times as much if I'm not doing it on the bike. Biking makes it a little bit fun, though still frustrating, and it's one of the few times I ever get outside and get some exercise during the sea level portion of my life.

I'm enjoying the commute. I took the bus to the gym the other day and I felt locked in and it was so dull. I biked there today and it made me feel fantastic! A real good feeling that will probably last till I'm done my shift at 23:00.

The weather, terrain and roads here majorly suck for cycling. I mostly dread the commute, but I hate it five times as much if I'm not doing it on the bike. Biking makes it a little bit fun, though still frustrating, and it's one of the few times I ever get outside and get some exercise during the sea level portion of my life.
Dreading bike commuting in Hawaii. That really is depressing.
:(

Dreading bike commuting in Hawaii. That really is depressing.
:(

Well, it's usually a choice between a rain-soak or a sweat-soak, or often both in a 10 minute span, and the roads are narrow on rolling slopes. My poor chain is always covered in road grime, and I arrive majorly sweaty and smelling, which is the part I dread. Bicycling is best done on dry, wide, semi-flat, tree-lined avenues at between 45F-55F. :) It's still the highlight of my day, mind you, but it could be so much better... ;)

Well, it's usually a choice between a rain-soak or a sweat-soak, or often both in a 10 minute span, and the roads are narrow on rolling slopes. My poor chain is always covered in road grime, and I arrive majorly sweaty and smelling, which is the part I dread. Bicycling is best done on dry, wide, semi-flat, tree-lined avenues at between 45F-55F. :) It's still the highlight of my day, mind you, but it could be so much better... ;)
I've also seen it mentioned (by you?) that Hawaiian drivers aren't the most cyclist-friendly in the world either. Despite all that, I can't blame you for still doing it. If I don't get my 30 miles in now, I feel incomplete or something. It's like a crack addict without his rock :p

I've also seen it mentioned (by you?) that Hawaiian drivers aren't the most cyclist-friendly in the world either.

Well, I wouldn't say the mix of drivers here seems too different here than other places I've been. I've only had the same kinds of minor hooting and honking from teenage turds that you'll find anywhere. My experience is strictly limited to Hilo, which is one of the few places I've ever tried to ride in traffic on narrow roads. The only thing that I really worry about is that I'm just about the only cyclist in this part of town, so a lot of drivers probably don't watch for a bicycle on some of these black shoulderless roads. When you don't see ANY other bikes on the same roads, it can make you rather paranoid. Speaking of which, the latest wave of rain just passed, so it's time to try to beat the next wave on the way back home. My office window overlooks the bay, so I can see the rain coming up the hill to get me. :D

Perhaps it was Honolulu that I've heard someone mention as being less bike-friendly overall than normal... However, I will agree that overly-narrow roads make biking decidedly less pleasant than normal

I wouldn't say I enjoy commuting by bicycle, but after three years of it I can say that I find driving less enjoyable. The distance is too far to walk and the bus service is almost non-existent, so there I am.

I use various tricks to keep my motivation up. I tell myself I am waging guerilla warfare against terrorists by cutting their supply lines one gallon at a time. For a while I would put a dollar coin into a jar on every day I rode, representing the money I saved on gas. I would watch the jar fill, and dump it out and count it now and then. I greet the squirrels that I pass, knowing that I am not endangering their lives with my car. I stop to pet the neighbor's dog if she is tied up in the front yard.

My favorite motivational tricks are in the area of gear and gadgets. My goal is to be able to ride under any conditions, so I am always looking for things to help reach it. I made my own super headlight from a 20-watt halogen spotlight in a PVC housing, so I can ride at night. I have enough rain gear so I can ride in a downpour and remain dry. I can ride in cold down to zero degrees, and try to look at cold weather as a chance to set a personal temperature record. I am hoping to get a winter commuter on-line so I can ride in a snowstorm.

I guess what it boils down to is that, as much as I might enjoy bicycle commuting, I like bragging that I do it. But the result is a good thing, so if that's what it takes...