Commuting - Quality time

The more I ride my bike to work, the more I see it as, "quality time." Whereas previously, when I drove to work, commuting was a total waste of my time. Driving was something I had to do which kept me from doing the things I would have rather been doing, so I never wanted to be on the road any longer than necessary.

To be honest, I actually look for excuses to ride to work. I can get up feeling like crap and still talk myself into riding, in fact, I often have to talk myself out of riding my bike. (And you say, "Why would you want to talk yourself out of that?")

I really have to exercise self-control to prevent my life from revolving around that ride to work and that ride home. I've never felt like that about driving to work.

Could it be I've found a way to squeeze more quality time out of each day?

:D

I am with you LBM. It is one of the reasons I love to commute, and just turned down a second car. I have weighed the options, 2 weeks I would possible drive a car, over 50 weeks I ride. The cost for this isn't reasonable for me, I don't have the storage space to just lay up a car when i don't drive it. I don't want to have insurance on it for 12 months on the off chance I'll drive. Plus not having a car keeps me on the bike: not whimping out on a commute.

I realised the benefits of riding several years ago, when I broke up with the GF after 5.5 yrs. I was pretty depressed, and riding really whiped that emotion completely. Now, when I get a little off I know it's I've been off the bike a couple days.

Absolute quality time. I haven’t been able to commute for a week and a half due to other commitments. I have been grumpy and didn’t figure out why till a few days ago.
I find myself looking longingly down the streets I ride on my commute. At the end of the day I feel good and can relax with my wife and kids when I commute. When I miss a few days commuting I have to skip an evening with the family and go for a MTB night ride. Not that I mind doing that but one night ride a week does not compare with a week of commuting. I need some “me” quality time.

It's absolutely quality time. How often I've taken the long way home from work! Know anybody who's ever intentionally driven 10 miles out of the way just to spend more time in the car?

I had my third commute today and I was thinking on the way home how the miles just seem to leave all the work BS behind

On my commute home I have 1.5 miles in the city, then its out on a "country road" that skrits along the Missouri River for about 5 miles. Its a very scenic and soothing ride.

Yes, I'd call it quality time. Indeed. :)

I guess it's because I've never really known any other way of travelling to and from work, but I suppose it's a valid point. However, I generally ride to work simply because it's the most efficient way to get there. Sure, I enjoy it, but there are plenty of places I'd much rather be riding than Surfers Paradise, let me tell you.

I agree with you Chris, but you take what you can get. Believe me I don't live here in the cold and the snow cause I like to bike in it.

Love the ride in, neutral about the ride home (dark nights and too many rectums on the road who just cant stand to miss that next red light 25 ft away) Spring will be a different story.

I had my third commute today and I was thinking on the way home how the miles just seem to leave all the work BS behind


Congrats, hope you are enjoying it. :-)

3rd day of bike commuting (so 5 journeys so far) got soaked yesterday in that special kind of miserable rain that london has, but i actually found myself enjoying it, i like the commute, the time isn't dead time like it was on the bus / tube (well i read, but it was still wasted time)

can't wait for the fitness / stamina to improve and more importantly the weather to get better...

now if only there were less idiots on the road in their tin boxes.

;-)

The main reason I switched from the London Underground subway to a bike was to improve quality of life.
The fitness/money/eco friendly aspects were all secondary.

has to be said that escaping the underground alone was worth the change to the bike....

got soaked yesterday in that special kind of miserable rain that london has, but i actually found myself enjoying it,

Soon you'll be like me -- waking up every morning actively hoping for rain.