How much bike-time to be carfree?

[Roody]

I kept track the past 14 weeks. I was on my bikes an average of 99 minutes a day. (I'm going for 100 now!) The least was 0 minutes (four times, while my bike was in the shop), and the most was 310 minutes. I can't imagine spending more than 5 hours in a car!

About how much time do you spend riding? How much is commuting and other business, and how much is "just for fun" or for exercize? Do you wish you rode more or less?

[demo9orgon]

I average about 70 minutes a day. My work commute is 15 miles.
My shopping ride is 6 miles. I shop once a week for a family of four.
I don't ride for "Fun". It's too much like a warzone to be enjoyable.
I wish people drove less.

[LY2KW]

I typically spend 160 minutes per day's commute. Depending on weather I choose one of the scienic routes to work (a rough estimate would be 50km/120min) and go straith back 18km/40min. October turned out exceptionally dry and nice bike-wise, happened to make 2300km+ within October, mainly commuting and some light touring, shopping, visiting places.

The longest I spent on a saddle happened to me in June. I visited some heritage places in Southern Lithuania, some well hidden in deep forests antient hill-forts, etc. I had about 140km/14hrs when I found I was late for the last train home. Luckilly I had a nice tail wind on the ride home. By the end of the day my odometer read 220km and my butt was a bit sore after 17 hour ride.

[Machka]

My average minutes per day on the bicycle over the past seven years has been 84 minutes per day with my low being 0 (recovery days and the three months I was off with my burn accident and the month off with my Achilles tendon injury), and the high being 1440 minutes (24 hours). That's approx. the equivalent to just a bit over 10,000 kms a year.

My riding is a variety of commuting, randonneuring, touring, and recreational stuff.

My car time over the past 7 years has averaged out to about 10 or 15 minutes a day ... that's including when I rent a car, have taken a taxi, have caught a ride with a friend, or lately, have been driving again.

[filtersweep]

I've spent 15 hours on my bike in a week- commuting and doing errands.

I estimate that I spend close to 20 hours/week working just to pay car-related expenses... in addition to at least 10 hours/week commuting by car. It almost ends up being a wash, except that I'm in great shape, and save time/money on health club dues.

[Roody]

My average minutes per day on the bicycle over the past seven years has been 84 minutes per day with my low being 0 (recovery days and the three months I was off with my burn accident and the month off with my Achilles tendon injury), and the high being 1440 minutes (24 hours). That's approx. the equivalent to just a bit over 10,000 kms a year.

My riding is a variety of commuting, randonneuring, touring, and recreational stuff.

My car time over the past 7 years has averaged out to about 10 or 15 minutes a day ... that's including when I rent a car, have taken a taxi, have caught a ride with a friend, or lately, have been driving again.I figured Machka would have the highest average, and I think also the most accurate records or statistics. So far I think filtersweep spends most time on the bike, but also a lot of time driving. Should we subtract driving time from cycling time? It sounds like LY2KW in Lithuania has the longest commute. Lithuania is such a small country, I bet he rides across the entire nation every day! :)

[Machka]

I figured Machka would have the highest average, and I think also the most accurate records or statistics. So far I think filtersweep spends most time on the bike, but also a lot of time driving. Should we subtract driving time from cycling time? It sounds like LY2KW in Lithuania has the longest commute. Lithuania is such a small country, I bet he rides across the entire nation every day! :)

Well, you do have to keep in mind that during the winter my outdoor averages drop quite a bit. So during the summer I spend quite a bit more time than the 84 minutes I mentioned.

These are my monthly totals for the past 6 years. They start on year 2000, and include this year, which isn't finished yet

JANUARY
2000 … 0.0
2001 … 0.0
2002 … 0.0
2003 … 247.6
2004 … 31.0
2005 … 241.8
FEBRUARY
2000 … 47.8
2001 … 0.0
2002 … 72.0
2003 … 162.5
2004 … 336.5
2005 … 511.2
MARCH
2000 … 158.4
2001 … 0.0
2002 … 63.9
2003 … 313.1
2004 … 442.9
2005 … 653.0
APRIL
2000 … 728.0
2001 … 470.0
2002 … 63.9
2003 … 968.4
2004 … 1206.9
2005 … 1048.2
MAY
2000 … 1044.3
2001 … 1305.6
2002 … 1269.9
2003 … 1327.9
2004 … 1720.0
2005 … 1542.4
JUNE
2000 … 1160.8
2001 … 1438.7
2002 … 1745.9
2003 … 2136.5
2004 … 1250.9
2005 … 1212.7
JULY
2000 … 1781.7
2001 … 1984.6
2002 … 2547.3
2003 … 1403.9
2004 … 1955.2
2005 … 1219.0
AUGUST
2000 … 2206.8
2001 … 2194.3
2002 … 459.9
2003 … 2402.2
2004 … 1950.6
2005 … 1086.7
SEPTEMBER
2000 … 1006.8
2001 … 986.0
2002 … 201.9
2003 … 938.7
2004 … 521.3
2005 … 1774.4
OCTOBER
2000 … 692.8
2001 … 567.4
2002 … 489.5
2003 … 1044.8
2004 … 2652.5
2005 … 298.8
NOVEMBER
2000 … 82.9
2001 … 13.4
2002 … 665.0
2003 … 506.4
2004 … 1330.5
2005 … 0.0
DECEMBER
2000 … 0.0
2001 … 0.0
2002 … 346.0
2003 … 273.6
2004 … 1190.0
2005 … 0.0

TOTAL
2000 … 8910.2
2001 … 8960.0
2002 … 7925.1
2003 … 11725.5
2004 … 14588.4
2005 … 9588.2

[CagerTools]

demo9orgon, You live in Tucson too? I know what you mean, about being a warzone. But I live near the Uni, and there is a cool place to bike, if you go up Mountain to the canal... have u checked that out?

[kurremkarm]

Here's the thing, I'm carfree i'm not an "avid bike rider." You know how people say, wow he's an avid bicyclist, or stuff like that. No. It is my car.

So you know, 10 mins to work, 10 mins back, 10 mins to the store, maybe 30 mins screwing around. Maybe an hour a day but not everyday.

You know, like you would use your car.

[Eatadonut]

I spend about 2 hours a day on my commuter. it's a 3-mile commute, but I cruise around town between classes. Average speed - probably about 5mph.

[natelutkjohn]

I seem to average about 2 1/2 to 3 hours a day on the bicycle but then again I also make excuses to ride. My commute is 36 miles round trip, but then I always make plans to go home first before I do my daily grocery shopping, etc. I guess I just really love to eat and drink a lot so I have to bike a lot in order to keep up my other less then super healthy habits ;)

[Heyduke]

I'm with nateluktjohn!

Work: 45 minutes each way.
Beer: 15 minutes each way.
Food: 20 minutes each way.
LBS: 5 minutes each way.

[Roody]

I have a good location. Work is 15 minutes, stores are 10, good friends are 5 to 15. I have to do a lot of recreational and training rides to get in enough bike time.

[Satyr]

I have moved around around a good deal in the past four years. Most I averaged was 165 to 195 minutes a weekday for the commute to and from work. Variance in time is due largely in part to how I was feeling that day. Each way involved significant, lengthy climbs though more on the return trip than the morning one. I was also involved in field research at the time, so if we had a particularly grueling hike to the stream site, this would mean a longer time.

Now I think my commute is only about 40 minutes total each weekday. A bit disappointing.

I think that I do not cycle near as much for fun as I would like. I think this is because I have a hard time divorcing productivity from any activity. Ergo, I try to make my commutes fun (this mostly means going a bit faster than is warranted, or pretending I am on horseback chasing someone through the woods or something silly).

I do try to get a nice tour in though on occasion.

In closing, I have to reccomend to everyone that they try for awhile a commute that takes 2 to 3 hours total. It sort of removes most doubts about the utility of a bike cycle. A very empowering feeling, and each day is a veritable adventure.

[pedex]

About 22-25hrs a week average, usually monday thru friday, I tend to not ride much on weekends and do most of my domestic errands when working during the weekdays. My basic transportation trips dont usually have me going very far, groceries, downtown, and friends are mostly within about 3 miles in any direction, I usually get way farther away just working and making deliveries. I dont do a whole lot of "rec" riding, it happens on occasion, mostly its work or just transportation. I went thru a phase last year and early this spring where I went nuts and added a bunch of training miles trying for my own personal hour record but that was a temporary thing, I get plenty of riding in for my needs.