Southern California - Commuting by Bike in Los Angeles

OK..I'm a bike commuter in LA. :D

No...I have never gotten a DUI, I can "afford" a car, thank you very much, I am "car-lite" by choice. A friend wrote this article describing her experience as a commuter in Los Angeles. I thought it would be a refreshing addition to the awful things we read and hear about riding the roads in LA and other major cities in America.

Any other LA Commuters? Let's hear your stories, too!! :):)

http://www.cicle.org/cicle_content/pivot/entry.php?id=1513#body

I'm not as hardcore, i only bike commute 2 times a week usually. Bike-train-bike with the final bike segment being from LA Union Station to the LAC+USC MC (~2.5 miles). It's not too bad and there's no traffic to contend with in the mornings. :)

Bike commuting is awesome. It's impractical for me, though, since most of my commutes involve walking from one room into the next. ;)

Bike commuting is awesome. It's impractical for me, though, since most my my commutes involve walking from one room into the next. ;)

If you rent a studio a few miles away from your home, then you can commute by bike. :D

If you rent a studio a few miles away from your home, then you can commute by bike. :D

George, you always make so much sense! :)

If you rent a studio a few miles away from your home, then you can commute by bike. :D

Or move into a much bigger place...:D

Or ride to the store..you go to the store, right?

Or move into a much bigger place...:D

Or ride to the store..you go to the store, right?

I go to the Farmer's Market sometimes. No way will I leave my bike outside a storefront, though. Sacha doesn't leave my sight.

I go to the Farmer's Market sometimes. No way will I leave my bike outside a storefront, though. Sacha doesn't leave my sight.

Funny but alot of stores, banks will let you bring the bike right in. I think Roadfix and I discussed that on another thread once.

Or get a beater bike. Ah..the wonderful world of cheap used bikes!

I tried it for a few weeks, and it was liberating despite the chilly mornings and hot afternoons. Now I live too far from work to bike there without getting up at an ungodly time.

I'm not as hardcore, i only bike commute 2 times a week usually. Bike-train-bike with the final bike segment being from LA Union Station to the LAC+USC MC (~2.5 miles). It's not too bad and there's no traffic to contend with in the mornings. :)

Which train do you take your bike on?

Any other LA Commuters? Let's hear your stories, too!! :):)


I think it's great you commute, Alice. :) I wish I could, but I'd be taking a terrible risk trying to get through the Glendale nightly traffic back over to the bike path in GP, not to mention traffic into Sherman Oaks. I really wish LA would finish the LA River Trail path all the way through the valley to downtown. Then I think more people would and could commute without fear of being run over by an angry/cell phoning chatting/distracted motorist.

I commute 2 or 3 days a week, 13 miles each way. For the most part, drivers are very courteous and give me lots of room. Of course there are those drivers who don't and I do get a scare one in awhile. I use my commute to ride my bike. I have a difficult time finding time to ride because of my three little ones on the weekends so commuting works well for me. I feel refreshed and I get my exercise.

Which train do you take your bike on?

Metrolink between upland and union station.

I wish I could bike commute, I'd get 70 miles minimum every day.

Psydotek, how long does it take to get from Upland to Union Station in the morning?

Great article!

As a year-round commuter, I get all kinds of (ridiculous) questions about how dangerous it is, how can I stand the heat / cold / rain, am I just a glutton for punishment??? They don't get that, as the article points out, riding to work is a JOY. I don't mean to hijack your thread Alice, but I have to add my favorite new comback: When someone asks me "What do you do when it rains?" I answer, "I get wet."

Every once in a while I'll write something about commuting or riding or whatever here:
BriCycle (http://bicycle.thebluesmokeband.com/)

I wish I could bike commute, I'd get 70 miles minimum every day.

Psydotek, how long does it take to get from Upland to Union Station in the morning?

About an hour. Train leaves at 4:43AM from Upland and gets to Union Station at 5:40AM usually. Sometimes it's afew minutes late which means i really have to push to get to work since i have to be clocked in at 6:00AM (and i've gotta climb 3 flights of stairs and wait for an elevator in addition to biking).

That's cool, I've thought about trying the train/bike commute and your experience is inspiring.:)

I used to.

About 10 miles + bus ride (bike on the bus' rack) each way.

As a year-round commuter, I get all kinds of (ridiculous) questions about how dangerous it is, how can I stand the heat / cold / rain, am I just a glutton for punishment??? They don't get that, as the article points out, riding to work is a JOY. I don't mean to hijack your thread Alice, but I have to add my favorite new comback: When someone asks me "What do you do when it rains?" I answer, "I get wet."



Brian, just curious why you say ridiculous? I know for myself, I am concerned about the danger of commuting in traffic - especially when it rains (and not because I could get wet). Visibility to motorists is decreased in the rain not to mention wet streets and more debris. I agree that it would be a joy to ride to work, IF I could find a safe route where I'm not in fear of heavy traffic. :( My point is, a lot of that concern is justifiable, and what we really need as cyclists are roads/bike paths/bike lanes that accommodate us even during the busiest times of the day (traffic wise) and that are well-maintained. I know...I can wish away, huh? :o

12 miles each way, right through the heart of the valley!!! three to four days a week. only ever had a few close calls/run ins....from what i can tell most people who have trouble commuting(with cars, buses, peds, etc...), cause most of their own problems(just my two cents...).

12 miles each way, right through the heart of the valley!!! three to four days a week. only ever had a few close calls/run ins....from what i can tell most people who have trouble commuting(with cars, buses, peds, etc...), cause most of their own problems(just my two cents...).

Do you commute into Glendale, Bill?

nope....studio city.....ive come down through glendale to studio city from pasadena before, not too bad...but i kinda cheated and cut throught the foothills...

and the cause their own problems crack is in reference to light runners and that their ilk...

Brian, just curious why you say ridiculous? I know for myself, I am concerned about the danger of commuting in traffic - especially when it rains (and not because I could get wet). Visibility to motorists is decreased in the rain not to mention wet streets and more debris. I agree that it would be a joy to ride to work, IF I could find a safe route where I'm not in fear of heavy traffic. :( My point is, a lot of that concern is justifiable, and what we really need as cyclists are roads/bike paths/bike lanes that accommodate us even during the busiest times of the day (traffic wise) and that are well-maintained. I know...I can wish away, huh? :o

Well it all depends on the nature of the complaint (hence the parenthetical remark).

For example, if someone asks me about temperature, the answers seem obvious -- in the heat I take measures to hydrate and keep cool, in the cold I take measures to keep warm, and in the rain, I take measures to keep dry. These seem to me to be ridiculous questions.

If someone comments that "drivers are crazy!!" then I'll agree, and gently point out that it's not my being on a bike that makes them crazy -- they're just as crazy and dangerous to other drivers. Usually this will elicit a follow-up along the lines of, "well if you get hit on a bike...." Undeniably, if you get hit by a car on a bike, you're going to be in a world of hurt. That's what makes you conservative / defensive as a biker. Similarly, if I'm driving a small car on the 10 in what always seems to be a convoy of semis, I watch out! The nature / size of your vehicle dictates your level of caution.

I also like to point out that there are trade offs when you choose the "safety" of the car over the bicycle. For example, in the car, you can't *hear* what's behind you. And odd as it sounds, you can't *smell* the other vehicles. After enough riding in heavy traffic, I pretty much know exactly what kind of vehicle is behind me and how far back they are by sound alone. The deprivation of these senses in the car makes me nervous, quite frankly.

Furthermore, the bicycle is more agile, if you will. If I see danger, I can get the heck out of the way quick! In a car, that's not always possible; it's what I call "sitting duck syndrome" -- the freaked-out feeling I get in traffic.

Again, none of this is to deny that if someone in a car hits you on a bike, you're going to get hurt. It is to emphasize that there are trade offs and risks in any form of transportation. It's how we mitigate that risk that makes us "safe".

Anyway, to your point about facilities, I agree that we need better facilities both for safety's sake and to get more people to ride! Not all of the concerns about riding are ridiculous, of course. My big wish is that we could educate people about how to mitigate the risks of bicycling, just as people mitigate the risks of driving, and that we could ensure proper facilities for cyclists. Our day is coming though.....

and the cause their own problems crack is in reference to light runners and that their ilk...

:lol: I know you were thinking "Oh, lord, let me not get M.E. started." :p I'm actually not debating you or Brian...just presenting a side that if it were even a somewhat perfect world, we cyclists could commute without issue. But as it is (so not anywhere near perfect), I just get nervous thinking about the motorists and the anger out there. Last night on my way home a guy damn near side-swiped me by swinging around into the left turn lane and then forcing his way in front of me. How dare I drive 40 mph in the left lane on a street where the speed limit is 35mph, even though I was in the left lane to turn LEFT just a block up at a stoplight? It's freaks like that who cause accidents and don't look where they are going. What if a cyclist had been in that lane trying to turn left safely across traffic? It's scary out there. :(

i cant deny its scary...ive had my share of close calls for sure! the greatest thing i ever did was constantly edit my route in until i found one that kept me off the busier streets(as much as possible at least!). ive found that as long as i avoid freeway on/off ramps, life is good. i think those areas are where drivers get the nuttiest.

I work at home, so no commute, but I do run a lot of errands on my bike. I find it's actually faster on my bike going the five miles from my house in Silverlake to my yoga studio in Hollywood, for example. I also have the added benefit of being warmed up when I get there. But the traffic in Hollywood can get pretty scary, so I don't do it all the time. If there were more bike lanes/paths, I'd do it a lot more.

:lol: I know you were thinking "Oh, lord, let me not get M.E. started." :p I'm actually not debating you or Brian...just presenting a side that if it were even a somewhat perfect world, we cyclists could commute without issue. But as it is (so not anywhere near perfect), I just get nervous thinking about the motorists and the anger out there. Last night on my way home a guy damn near side-swiped me by swinging around into the left turn lane and then forcing his way in front of me. How dare I drive 40 mph in the left lane on a street where the speed limit is 35mph, even though I was in the left lane to turn LEFT just a block up at a stoplight? It's freaks like that who cause accidents and don't look where they are going. What if a cyclist had been in that lane trying to turn left safely across traffic? It's scary out there. :(

It is scary. My point is that it's just as scary in a car, but too many drivers don't recognize this. I get really defensive about it anyway :) I know.

That said, there are roads around here that I refuse to ride on because there are too many semis or the outside lanes are too narrow or whatever....

Oh you know what else: I try never to leave work between 4:45 and 5. Holy crap, the afternoon drivers are out of their minds!! Traffic is much more "relaxed" in the mornings. But don't get me started on my pop behaviorism of the automobile....

brian's right..timing can be everything!! i come in around 7am and go home around 0730 pm....most of the angry guys are loooong gone by the time i hit the road!

Oh, trust me - I'd leave at 5am to arrive at my office in time to shower in the mornings, but leaving after 7:30pm gets me home too late for my liking, plus I do NOT want to be on the bike path by myself (as a woman) after dark. It's just lose-lose for me commuting, unfortunately.

i hear ya....really i do....wish we had showers here that didnt cost 40 dollars a month. baby wipes and short hair for this kid!!!!

Speaking of how angry some drivers can get: often my afternoon ride will end with a sprint up the main drag through town (Magnolia Ave. for the locals). I usually keep it between 20-24 through downtown. With all the traffic control, I beat most of the cars. This one time, a kid in a boy-racer car was just livid that I kept catching up and beating him through the traffic lights. He actually swerved at me. Teehee. He missed.

Usually the drivers look a little perplexed that a bike is passing them.

Scootcore, I think you're working too many hours :)

not lately i havent been!!!!! and thats a normal week! lord help me when we get super busy and i get up to 80 or 90 hours a week!

Great article!

As a year-round commuter, I get all kinds of (ridiculous) questions about how dangerous it is, how can I stand the heat / cold / rain, am I just a glutton for punishment??? They don't get that, as the article points out, riding to work is a JOY. I don't mean to hijack your thread Alice, but I have to add my favorite new comback: When someone asks me "What do you do when it rains?" I answer, "I get wet."

Every once in a while I'll write something about commuting or riding or whatever here:
BriCycle (http://bicycle.thebluesmokeband.com/)

You're not hijacking the thread...That's the point of the it exactly. :) I'm lovin' it on the bike, even on the mean streets of LA...despite all the negativity out there about it...and I know that there must be other commuters here who feel the same way. Trying to draw people out of the woodwork...;)

I work at home, so no commute, but I do run a lot of errands on my bike. I find it's actually faster on my bike going the five miles from my house in Silverlake to my yoga studio in Hollywood, for example. I also have the added benefit of being warmed up when I get there.

Doing errands on my bike makes it so much more fun! Commuting doesn't have to mean "do you ride your bike to work" 'cause there are plenty of chances to go short distances on a bike instead of taking a car. Like to the Taco truck :D

...the library...the coffee shop...the video store...to a buddies house, etc...:)

Been commuting for a little over a year now. I'm one of the few in the movie industry who does and it's only because of my cushy payroll accounting hours that I'm able to (8:30-7ish). I live in Valley Village (aka North Hollywood) and am currently working on a show at Sony in Culver City, which is about 14-16 miles each way depending on the route. I like to commute 4 times a week but lately it's been 3 days. For a while I was commuting every day but found that by the weekend I didn't feel like riding just for recreation and the other bikes were getting lonely :(
I'm on a bright orange Salsa if anyone's looking, I almost always give at least a head nod and try to wave.

I commute to work by bike almost all the time. With the few occasions when I have to drive. In the car, I'd be stuck behind all the traffic. With a bike in the bike lane I bypass a great deal of the traffic.

In Downtown LA is a chanllege. I commute now once or twice a week in Pasadena. well, sometime that is not much better.

I use it as my mid week workout or else i just don't have too much to ride and then gets drop like a sand bag on weekends.

Save gas, stay in shape, and keep the world green!

During the time of year when the days are longer, I'll ride the 14 miles each way from Agoura to the West Valley where I work about once a week. I have no interest in riding in the dark so I skip it as the days shorten up. I might have only 1 or 2 commutes left in this year.

The drawback is the in the summer the temps are well over 100 degrees when I leave for home at 4:30. And there is always a headwind going home, when I'm tired and have to drag my butt over the hills!

Sheldon

I do a 20 mile RT commute year-round. I average about 4 1/2 days a week, been doing it for years.

Fenders for the wet months, lights for the dark, it's not rocket science.

My first post in the Regional Forum :)

I've been commuting for ~2weeks now. bike - train - train - bike (Ktown area - Santa Fe Springs) total ride distance is ~8mi one way.

It's been cool. I'm able to leave home at roughly the same time as i do if i were to drive (have an extra dropoff stop when i drive).

Traffic can get a little sketchy at times, but so far so good.

My first post in the Regional Forum :)



Welcome. :)

I'm a three day per week commuter. I usually skip winter commuting (mainly because I don't like riding at night), but this year I may try and ride year round.

Los Angeles is a bad place to walk, bike or drive. Don't do it unless you have no car and absolutely no choice.

I enjoyed commuting by bike. I left early enough that there was no traffic. In the evenings, it was always tougher, especially in the dark. I'd usually hit Griffith Park before and/or after for an extra 20 - 30 miles. The new job doesn't have showers like the old one did, so I've still got to figure that part out.

Well, I'm moving to a new place that's 1 mile away, so I guess I DID figure it out.

Los Angeles is a bad place to walk, bike or drive. Don't do it unless you have no car and absolutely no choice.+1
I agree! I agree!

Los Angeles is a bad place to walk, bike or drive. Don't do it unless you have no car and absolutely no choice.

Last time I drove in Los Angeles, a car hit me. (If I was on a bike I could have avoided the collision ;) )

If I didn't have to haul things into work every morning I'd be commuting by bike into Hollywood.

Get a really big bike?

Get a really big bike?...or even bigger panniers...:D

Los Angeles is a bad place to walk, bike or drive. Don't do it unless you have no car and absolutely no choice.

Must we run everywhere? :p

*you forgot breathe...:D