Commuting - why do you commute on a bike?

Our of curiousity, I'ld be interested to know the main reasons why you commute by bike (e.g. it's practical, it's cheap, public transport suck where I live, I need exercise, I don't want to use vehivles that emit toxic fumes, etc. etc,).

I commute to work on most days, because I love to ride my bike. It's also economical and great exercise for me--not to mention that you get a great view of the sky on your way to work! Some people think I'm strange that I ride my bike to work sometimes, but other people think it's great.

PapeteeBooh,

I used to try to walk as much as possible to get exercise. Then one day, I remembered the old Schwinn hanging up in the garage, and thought, "Hey, I used to love riding when I was younger." So I started riding to the bus stop, about 3 miles away, for exercise (and a fun adventure). Now, I cycle the whole 28 miles round trip. I guess it's just fun.

Plus, my blood pressure went down from 140/90 to 130/80, heart rate from 80 to 56, weight from 170 lbs. to 145 lbs., waist from 37 inches to 32 inches. I feel fantastic in my new body.

I also noticed that I start to feel really wonderful as I start to pedal. The longer I pedal, the better I feel, until by the time my hour-long ride is over, I feel on top of the world! Not only that, but I continue to feel that way all day long.

Pete

I continue to commute because I love to be on a bicycle. I started commuting because I really needed the exercise. I work behind a computer all day, and the only chance I had to get any kind of exercise was during the softball season. It was mid-season before I could play very well due to being out of shape. Since I live so close to where I work I had no excuse to not ride my bike, and that is what got me started. Now I can get 30 miles a week worth of really good exercise, and I don't have to take time away from my family to do it. I can say in shape all year long regardless of the seasonal sport I choose to play.

Let's see, it saves me money and time. Most importantly, because I am addicted to cycling and need to get my daily fix.

Chris

- I like to bicycle
- I like being outside. You don't get the sights, smells, sounds, temperature changes, etc., etc., in a car.
- The morning commute is a good wake-up.
- In the winter, when it's difficult to ride after work, it helps maintain conditioning I've already achieved. In fact, I've found that it's a pretty good way to improve conditioning for distance riding.
- It saves money. It allowed us to remain a one car family.
- It's better for the planet than driving.
- It shows others that there is an alternative to driving.

What's not to like?

It's a way to get in some extra kilometers, especially when time is limited during off work hours, keeps me in shape, we have a competition going at work to pile on k's by any self propelled means. It' fun, it gets me on the bike which is what I like to do. Someday I want the boss to drive up to work and see no cars in the lot, he'll have a fit until he finds out we all rode in! :thumbup:

It seems more natural to me. Why do I need a heavy, expensive, smelly car to take me to work? Why do I need to use 1/2 gallon of fossil fuel each day to get there? I sit on my @@@ all day, muscles atrophying. Why do so when I'm actually moving? Used to be, most people walked, or, at least, rode a horse to get around. I've finally realized that I had bought into the subtle notion that using an automobile was an evolutionary step - "We used to walk or ride bikes because we didn't have cars."

In a nutshell, in order of increasing motivational importance to me:

*Cost to my wallet
*Cost to the world
*Cost to my body

Jonathan

Originally posted by PapeteeBooh
Our of curiousity, I'ld be interested to know the main reasons why you commute by bike

I'd like to add one more reason. Today, I had to run some errands before cycling home. On the way home, I
hit a serious traffic jam, which is typical for later in the evening. Was I delayed?

I never had to stop. Usually, if I pass any cars in traffic, they pass me again soon. But when traffic gets bad like tonight, well, I just kept a-passin' 'em and a-passin' 'em.
Once I passed them, they never saw me again. I was definitely much faster than anyone driving (to be fair, they weren't really driving, but I would call it, "idling").

It made me SO glad I wasn't driving one of those things.
And they pay HOW much for one (car)? Psshh! Today I paid $3.20 for a new shifter cable and put it in myself in a few minutes, in the parking lot. Could I have fixed a transmission like that? For $3.20? Mmmm-mmm!

I thank GOD ABOVE for my bicycle, old faithful!

:thumbup:

All of the above!

Cycling is the only way to truly experience the world. You see some unusual sights in the neighborhood. The benefits far outweigh the negatives ( I can't think of any negative reasons for cycling). The benfits include 1. healthy body 2. healthy mind 3. less expensive 4. better than a cup of coffee 5. relieves stress...





Gas, the price of beans

Practising good time management.

If I drive to work, i cant find enough time left in the day to ride 1-2 hours every day.
Commuting i'm just exchanging my car driving time with my daily exercise time. Now When i get home from work, im already done :)

I love to ride bikes...
I hate to drive, and even ride in cars, there is a feeling that I feel, of bieng completly out of controll of my fellow 4wheeld cell mates.
I love keeping my body in amazing shape, and as I get older, I see my friends getting fatter, and more lazy while I'm not.

I need more mileage so I can hammer those young punks on the group rides :D

I'm too lazy to drive. Also, it's fun and exercise.

Paul

Ah, the magic of online forums: the five-year long conversation.

I commute because I feel much more mentally healthy when I get regular exercise.

As was mentioned above regarding the sky, I have a much better sense of place when I ride. I have the feeling of having gone somewhere and been at points between, instead of only an origin and a destination.

I like to have as little negative environmental impact as I can manage.

I like the way my legs look and feel.

Riding is fun.

It has become a part of my identity at work (I know not the best reason) and I hope to be an example to people who need a lifestyle change, some of whom are likely to die from lack of sufficient exercise.

Its my way of "stickin it to the man"

I commute to work every days, because I love to ride my bike.

I need more mileage so I can hammer those young punks on the group rides :D

Ill race ya anyday doggus.
Young punk will smoke ya :-p

I hadn't been on a bike much since college, beyond occasional short rides around neighborhood streets. I moved closer to my work and wanted to do something different than the single-occupancy car commute, because the non-sustainability of that was weighing more and more on my mind, especially since 9-11. The bus route was not convenient (to say the least), so I thought I'd try biking. Gradually, being a bike commuter become more and more a part of my identity, and I started using it for more and more things. At this point, I'm definitely an advocate, and in December got rid of my personal car. (We still have one family car, but I almost never use it except out with them.) Not having a car is actually very liberating -- so much less fuss and bother!

I like the way my legs look and feel.
My wife loves the way my legs look and feel. :D

Makes me happy

To get to my work, why else?

Suspended license

Lose weight

I hadn't been on a bike much since college, beyond occasional short rides around neighborhood streets. I moved closer to my work and wanted to do something different than the single-occupancy car commute, because the non-sustainability of that was weighing more and more on my mind, especially since 9-11. The bus route was not convenient (to say the least), so I thought I'd try biking. Gradually, being a bike commuter become more and more a part of my identity, and I started using it for more and more things. At this point, I'm definitely an advocate, and in December got rid of my personal car. (We still have one family car, but I almost never use it except out with them.) Not having a car is actually very liberating -- so much less fuss and bother!

You're in the Portland area, right? When I was up there on my tour last summer, my touring buddy and I got caught behind a bus. It was belching huge amounts of black diesel smoke into the air every time it accelerated. Gross! I think that buses and other public transportation are great, but it's nice to avoid using oil whenever possible. Buses still pollute!

In addition to saving the environment, I also like saving myself some money and being healthy! Also, I love love love bicycles and cycling, so more time riding is always a good thing.

I "commute" (it's maybe a 3 or 4 mile roundtrip) to classes because I need the exercise, and I'm not big on using the school's gym -- I tried the stationary bikes, once, after biking for a while, and got bored because the scenery never changed, and frustrated because I couldn't feel the breeze or the way the changes in a road!

I also use my bike because it's often faster and more reliable than the school's shuttle bus service -- same goes for going to get groceries by bike. It's faster & more convenient than the public transit, which out here in the 'burbs only comes once every hour or so. I don't have to worry about remembering schedules or catching a bus, or not catching and then waiting another hour in the cold or rain with 3 bags of groceries.

I've noticed going by bike wakes me up -- I'm more alert for my classes, and in a vastly better mood.

Because I can I suppose. Some people are just a waste of two legs. Besides, yelling "on your left" from a car just seems silly. And I am always 11 years old when I ride my bike.

Time management, fun, health. I was driving 25 min to use the gym for 1 hr three days per week. Now I ride 45 min each way 3 days per week and do a few min of stretching in the gym.

if you have to ask-- you don't understand...

train safe-

First, work is a little over a mile away. The weather here in Miami is great all year round (ok, July, August and Sept. are brutally humid).

Second, I can't see putting the wear and tear on my car. Short trip driving where the engine never gets to operating temperature is the worst thing for your car.

Finally, I get to work quicker on a bike because if I drive, it takes me up to 10 minutes circling in the parking garage to find a space.

Lots of reasons.
- It's fun
- It saves money
- I hate riding the bus
- It is good exercise
- Fresh air
- Relaxing - I ride by the ocean in the morning, it is so peaceful and enjoyable. I forget all the stress of life.

I like wearing spandex.

Seriously, it's the exercise and fun factor.

I originally started commuting to save money and then I discovered that I loved riding the bike. I feel so much better when I ride to work as opposed to driving.

When I shifted to Japan I realized I didn't need a car. If, because of family commitments or sheer distance I can't use the bike, I can rely on public transport. Kyoto drivers are very bike friendly.
Steve.

I love riding.
I'm a chronic misanthrope when it comes to public transport.

I see this thread was resurrected from March 2001, but I'll add my two cents. :)

Why do I commute on a bike?
1. The gas tank on car #2 is almost empty. (Wifey drives car #1)
2. Gas is almost $3.00 per gallon in Atlanta. Who cares. :)
3. It's as fast as (sometimes faster than) driving.
4. I like wearing lycra. :)
5. Gotta show off the leg muscles :eek:
6. Gotta show off my tattoos. http://users.pandora.be/eforum/emoticons4u/happy/059.gif
7. It's the only exercise I get during the week. I sit at a computer all day. :(
8. I can't have brownies for dessert if I drive.
9. I feel superior to motorists!!
10. Bicycling is lots of fun!!

More or less in order:

It's fun.
It's 20# less CO2 emitted per day I ride (6000 pounds less CO2 since I started!).
It's the only way I get regular exercise, so I'm in better shape at 42 than I was at 18.
It's good for my mental health.
I'm generally more healthy; when the rest of the family has a cold, I get a little sniffly and tired for about 8 hours and I'm done.
It's a good way to be different. If you're the same as everyone else, what are you here for?
Probably, someday it'll mean I'm active and happy rather than a drooling stroke victim in a home somewhere.

Because I'm hooked.

:)

•saves me two dollars each way
•faster round trip than the subway is one way
•better use of time than sitting in a train underground
•get to see part of the city i normally don't
•slower but more practical, green and cheaper than car
•balances out my love of rich sauces and cake, more or less

Because I'm hooked.

:)
That sums it up for me.

Al

I feel more self-sufficient and capable.

I like exercise, but my attention span gives up on pointless exercise. In college, I lifted weights unitl I exploded, but had no need for super strong muscles. At one time, I got into running, but stopped once I reasoned that nothing was chasing me and I had no where to get to. Cycling and paddling (the kind you do in a kayak or canoe ;)) are two activities that are inheirently enjoyable to me.

Commuting is cycling with a purpose. I would also paddle to work if it were possible.

Off the top of my head, in no particular order...
Two workouts a day.
Two rides around the lake each day.
Two visits to the park each day.
Two 40mph descents each day.
Two more times each day that my six year-old doesn't think of his dad is an old man.

i don't live too far from work/school but its nice to be able to get anywhere i need to go quickly. i used to walk everywhere but it made doing errands a longer task, whereas now i can do a lot more with time to spare. the public trans is pretty extensive here but not very quick, so i can usually get across town faster on my bike compared to the T. the added excersize and increased motivation to ride more recreationally is a plus as well. also the weather is usually nice here for about a month, thats always cool, haha.

Need the excersise and stress relief......

Too cheap to pay for parking.
Too lazy to walk.
Too impatient to wait for the bus.
Too vain to get fat.

I love riding my bike, it gives me a little activity in an otherwise sedentary work day, and I save around 500$ between April and December by biking instead of taking the bus.

Of course, some of that money goes to tune-ups and new gear!

3.5 miles is too short to drive and the bus sucks.

At first there were several reasons including, but not limited to, environment, getting rid of those extra pounds, cheesing off the legions of fat truck drivers that I work with (thanks to a non bicycle related injury I'm kind of a fat truck driver again, but I'm working it off pretty fast)...but now it's mostly economy.

15 mile commute to work, gas costs more than 3 clams per gallon. Plus, it puts a lot of mileage on my car which kills it's value.

I just recently figured out how much my car costs in terms of payments (3 years to go!), insurance, tolls, gas, and maintanence...and it's close to 10K per year. I so wish I could get rid of it...maybe someday I will. Couple things have to change first...simply isn't practical right yet.

Our of curiousity, I'ld be interested to know the main reasons why you commute by bike.

1. For the exercise
2. It appeals to my "green" side

I just recently figured out how much my car costs in terms of payments (3 years to go!), insurance, tolls, gas, and maintanence...and it's close to 10K per year. I so wish I could get rid of it...maybe someday I will. Couple things have to change first...simply isn't practical right yet.

Sounds about right but if you are not commuting to work gas is probably a small part of the cost. One reason it is so hard to get people out of their cars is once they are already paying 10k a year to keep the car, the additional costs of commuting in it are often less than taking public transport.