Commuting - Convincing People that I Chose to Bike to Work

The past few weeks of bike commuting have been a really fun experience. I'm really enjoying getting out and riding and the reactions of my coworkers when they learn I'm riding.

I'm loving how amazed people are that I'm riding all of TWO miles from my house to the office. It was great when a coworker asked if I knew that I lived uphill from work. I gad a couple coworkers that I had a convince that I still had a car, and furthermore no I don't need a ride home. The best responce so far has been someone assuming I got a dui and couldn't drive any more:). I have a license and a car and I chose to do this with my free will. Other than a few weird assumptions I surprised at how positive everyone has been about the idea.

I'm beginning week four and still enjoying it, even now that it has become routine.

Does anyone else have any fun responses from coworkers?

I've had to show my license to people to show them that I still have it :)

You seem to have run the gamut of typical responses- DUI assumption, constant "helpers" offering you rides, etc. Just wait until you ride in poor weather and the deer-in-the-headlights looks will surface.
I remember one guy actually asking me, "What are you trying to prove?"
Enjoy the ride and remember you don't have to explain yourself. It gets tiring.

They'll get tired of talking about it eventually - mostly. There are still a number of people who ask me if I rode today. They all know that I sold my car over a year ago.

The only thing that really bothers me is that half of the management meetings I'm in, and ALL of them with anything at all to do with business continuity, disaster recovery, etc. turn into a discussion of my bike riding. Apparently it's fun to discuss who has "just about hit me six times", etc.

I'm in about week 4 as well, riding all of THREE miles to work, and I know exactly what you mean. Luckily, I have one manager who rides a motorcycle year-round and knows what I put up with weather/traffic wise.

2 miles.......i envy you. Sortof.

I ride to work, live 2 miles away... and usually stretch it to over 5. Just for more saddle time.

I rode to work when the commute was 9 miles one-way... from -5F to +95F.

Sold my last car nearly 5 years ago, when the motor went belly-up. Never looked back.

Last winter, while I was temporarily at another location, a co-worker who claimed to be a friend started spreading 'the rumor' -- I rode because I'd gotten the DWI; she also claimed I'd told her I was an alcoholic.

Since my return, she hasn't said three words to me -- and the look of uncertainty in her eyes lets me know that she knows she's busted.

I've never had to pull out my license -- but I will if it's brought to me, and I will then tirade on the ignorant fool who was stupid enough to give that story any credence.

"For non-conformity the world whips you with it's displeasure."

Emerson

I live six miles from work, and I've been commuting 3-4 days a week since July 1st. Yes, I was asked if I got a DWI. Another coworker asked if I was a "health nut." People seem astonished that I can ride 12 miles a day and enjoy it.

It doesn't hurt that we've had a dry, cool summer and a warm fall so far.

s
The past few weeks of bike commuting have been a really fun experience. I'm really enjoying getting out and riding and the reactions of my coworkers when they learn I'm riding.

I'm loving how amazed people are that I'm riding all of TWO miles from my house to the office. It was great when a coworker asked if I knew that I lived uphill from work. I gad a couple coworkers that I had a convince that I still had a car, and furthermore no I don't need a ride home. The best responce so far has been someone assuming I got a dui and couldn't drive any more:). I have a license and a car and I chose to do this with my free will. Other than a few weird assumptions I surprised at how positive everyone has been about the idea.

I'm beginning week four and still enjoying it, even now that it has become routine.

Does anyone else have any fun responses from coworkers?


Don't worry, after a few years the responses will subside a bit, ;) I still have my employer commenting almost daily after work, "ride carefully", and I reply "I always do".

"For non-conformity the world whips you with it's displeasure."

Emerson

Perfect!

"What do you do when it rains?"

Asking someone about the DUI thing seems pretty intrusive. You should tell them you ran a bus full of nuns off the road while they were on their way to the orphanage.

I can't believe that's such a common question. Of course, now I probably jinxed myself, and someone will ask me today. I'll let you know how I answer.

...Don't worry, after a few years the responses will subside a bit, ;) I still have my employer commenting almost daily after work, "ride carefully", and I reply "I always do".

Yeah, I used to get this one alot. Not necessarily from my employer, but from co-workers. It's not an expression of genuine concern, but a subtle admonition for how stupid they think you are for bicycling to work. You threaten the status quo and CHOOSE your commuting vehicle according to your own internal voice. It shows them up everyday, though that isn't your intent at all. And they LOVE it when you don't ride, so they can make some remark about how 'you're slipping' or slacking or some other unfunny, cliche'd observance. :rolleyes: It gets old, but comes w/t territory.

At one point I printed cards w/my vitals and cholesterol numbers on them and would give them to people who queried re why I cycle-commuted. A bit over the top, perhaps, but the constant barrage of questions/remarks stopped, finally. One gets a rep as a bit of a misanthope, but it's better than having to have one's lunch constantly interrupted by superfluous remarks or ominous warnings about impending rainstorms. :notamused: They're jealous, pure and simple.

If you ride long enough they will be more astonished that you didn't ride no matter what the weather. Keep up the good work and like nashcommguy said, it kinda comes with the territory.

I have been asked a few times weather or not I lost my license but the one that really gets to me is when people ask me if I am riding to work because money has gotten too tight to drive. This summer I bought a new Trek 1.5 road bike and decided to ride it to work a couple of times and while I was on my bike leaving work someone asked me if times were tough enough that I had to ride a bike to work. Really? was all I could say. I was riding a new bike that I just spent over $1000 on and the only thing they could ask me is if I was too broke to afford gas for my truck.

I stopped caring what other people thought after the first day of riding to work.

The past few weeks of bike commuting have been a really fun experience. I'm really enjoying getting out and riding and the reactions of my coworkers when they learn I'm riding.

I'm loving how amazed people are that I'm riding all of TWO miles from my house to the office...
I'm beginning week four and still enjoying it, even now that it has become routine.

Does anyone else have any fun responses from coworkers?

I've been riding 14 miles to work for over 25 years, and a usual greeting is "nice day for a ride" in pleasant weather, or "You didn't ride today, did you?" in foul weather. The latter comment actually serves as an incentive to ride to maintain my status as a "nut case." :D

At dress-up social functions outside the work place, I'm invaraibly asked "Did you ride your bike here?" All the comments are in good fun and it's a nice reputation to have. In fact I'm usually introduced as a "guy who rides his bike here from Kenmore Square all year round." I'm not fond though, of comments such as "You're a better man than I am," or even a couple of times, "You're a saint." :o

I have been asked a few times weather or not I lost my license but the one that really gets to me is when people ask me if I am riding to work because money has gotten too tight to drive. This summer I bought a new Trek 1.5 road bike and decided to ride it to work a couple of times and while I was on my bike leaving work someone asked me if times were tough enough that I had to ride a bike to work. Really? was all I could say. I was riding a new bike that I just spent over $1000 on and the only thing they could ask me is if I was too broke to afford gas for my truck.

People that don't ride bikes have no idea what a real bike costs. For all they know, your Trek was some Wally world price.

Back in the '80s I was in a car crash on a Trek that cost me close to $900, the insurance company adjuster of the motorist that hit me was incredulous that a "mere bicycle" could cost that much.

I stopped caring what other people thought after the first day of riding to work.

This

I'm not interested in convincing anyone about what I do. But to temper the strange comments I get when people start talking about it, I like to quickly say that this is my weight control program. That quickly diverts the attention from me to the fatso who's questioning my sanity.

:D

Ask them if they can give you some money for gas, so you don't have to ride anymore.

Good for you - i work for a guitar mfg. and have been commuting 6 mile each way for about 6 month s- oddly I am the only one out of a staff of 50 - Most think it's pretty cool and they keep me in their thoughts as the tstorms invent themselves at the end of the day here in Tampa Florida -

For various reasons I take the car (2008 accord ex - nice) and act thrilled that this 'vehicle' has a clear shield that protects me from the wind, tons of power and climate control - Grin -

Enjoy your Commuting LandESB - and do know this form is lousy with good commuters with GREAT tips .. I humbly read it daily - cause DAMN - I am in Tampa bay - never cold and always flat - I am in awe of folks that ride at sub-zero temps in ice and snow, up and down huge hills - amazing.

Does anyone else have any fun responses from coworkers?

Not really. There are five of us who bike to work, out of a company of about 25. I don't even know what a "fun response" would look like. "Wow, you rode your bike, that's great! Here's a brand new Baileyworks bag!" Something like that? That would be fun, all right.

A fat kid at work exclaimed to me, "Matt! You rode your bike? Why?". I replied, "'Cause I wanted to!" End of discussion:)

I work with cyclists... I used to get way more flack when I drove a car on rare occasions.

Now it's more a case of people commenting on my daughters who commute 14 km a day which they see as incredible... my little 9 year old says "it's nothing" and it isn't.

I did meet another parent who commuted 10 km a day with her son and while doing this pulls her 2 year old daughter in the kid trailer.

A fat kid at work exclaimed to me, "Matt! You rode your bike? Why?". I replied, "'Cause I wanted to!" End of discussion:)

My reply would be more like "becuase if I didn't I might end up a fat ass like you" and walk a way visibly shaking at the thought of it.

......At one point I printed cards w/my vitals and cholesterol numbers on them and would give them to people who queried re why I cycle-commuted. A bit over the top, perhaps, but the constant barrage of questions/remarks stopped, finally. One gets a rep as a bit of a misanthope, but it's better than having to have one's lunch constantly interrupted by superfluous remarks or ominous warnings about impending rainstorms......

Speaking of co-workers and rainstorms, I arrived at work on my bike after a really stormy commute only to discover that my co-workers, who showed up at work, had made bets that I would be driving to work that morning.
I sure "rained" on their parade.:lol:

I just tell them that riding makes food/beer taste a lot better.

I've really only had positive, supportive remarks and questions asked out of genuine curiosity with one exception. Everyone assumes I'm doing it just to lose weight (I'm a clyde). I try to explain it's a nice benefit of the commute to have an hour of exercise built into my day by default, and yes I've lost weight, but that I do it because it's fun, it's twice as fast as my commute used to be on metro, doesn't pollute, doesn't burn gas, etc., etc. I don't think they always get it. Oh well, I do.

I've honestly never been asked any of these questions, and never been offered a ride, except by a guy that passed me in a pickup as I went down a heavily snow covered gravel road out in the middle of my commute (through farm fields).

I guess my response would be "convince me that I care what they think about why I'm riding".

"For non-conformity the world whips you with it's displeasure."

Emerson

Good quote. I assume Emerson wrote "its" not "it's" though.

I stopped caring what other people thought after the first day of riding to work.

While I'm with ya on this, it still doesn't stop people from being curious and asking questions.

I get the whole range of inquiries, and try to keep my responses polite, honest and to the point.

If you're highly valued at work, nobody will question how you got there.

At a certain point in one's career, biking to work merely adds "character." When I was a bike commuting student, I was "crazy," but now I'm "eccentric" if anything.

Majority of people here bike to work and/or take transit. Whenever someone gets a new bike everyone gets excited :lol:. Some extended family thinks I'm nuts, but I have an uncle who's a marathoner and a couple of trackie siblings and cousins, so physical exercise isn't viewed with suspicion. Whenever I meet incredulity, I say I'm too cheap to go to a gym and flash my toned calves at 'em.

I'm a little surprised you get that sort of question in Walnut Creek.

Anyway, for me those sorts of questions really dropped off since I was promoted to section head.

I had them at first too, but they quickly die off once people realize you don't care what they think about my transportation choices. The usual suspects now seem more concerned that I didn't ride to work by bike because they are so used to seeing me come and go that way.

My PO thinks I won't have as many violent "road rage" issues on a bike. Don't think it's working though, had to take a pump to this * * * * who kept asking questions.

We have arount 5 bike commuters out of 200 people in my building. I have never had anyone say anything negative to me about cycling to work. Most people in my building are electrical, computer, or software engineers. I have had people ask me about the route I ride, or express that they would like to try bike commuting but they don't feel safe on the roads leading to our office.

More often people make comments about how much I eat when we are in line to use the microwave in the breakroom at lunchtime. I'm 6'2" 180lbs and eat way more than the overweight folks do.

When my team goes out for a group lunch and I biked that day I always have to ask for a ride with someone - this usually ends up with jokes about how many people I can carry on the rack on my bike :)

I have had coworkers offer to give me a ride home a few times when we were having bad weather. I did do this one time when there were forest fires in the eastern part of the state, the ride in the morning wasn't bad but by afternoon there was a lot of K-Rap in the air and I didn't feel it would be too healthy breathing all that on the ride home.

EDIT: I also get playful comments about my day glo lime green jerseys

I enjoy bragging that I bike 18.6 miles to work. They think I'm a nut case. "Fitness nut" is what I usually hear. Then yeah, I get the "are you still riding your bike to work?" question every couple of weeks. Oh, when it's raining, there are all the offers of "you need a ride?" I just explain that the purpose of putting fenders on my bike was so it's comfortable to ride in the rain. "You don't mind getting wet?" was another supid question. Then I explain that after 18.6 miles riding in Tampa, FL when it's 96 degrees out, I'm just as wet as if it rained, and the rain feels WAY better.

Welcome to the world of bicycle commuting. It will transform your perception of reality: you will soon come to the realization we cyclists are not the "nuts" - it is the rest of society that is nuts. Think of how much we could reduce healthcare costs if everyone who was phyically able rode a bike to work - it would make the current efforts to overhaul healthcare completely moot. We would suddenly have a glut of doctors with no patients. Dialysis machines would be overstocked and the manufactures would have to give them away. Think of the reduction in carbon emissions, oil prices, road building and maintenance - the list goes on and on.

"You may say, that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

Good quote. I assume Emerson wrote "its" not "it's" though.
Oops, a good example of why we're familiar with Emerson but not Mitch. :)

Behind our backs, they all talk about how we've racked up too many DUIs and now we're forced to ride a bike.

I try to avoid questions about how much I ride or in what weather I ride. Generates too much "crazy talk". I'll let on with my closest co-workers, if they ask, but otherwise I'll lie fib and say "I just ride to the train station then take the train home from there". For some reason, that seems to assuage their concerns for me and I can ride home in peace.

Welcome to the world of bicycle commuting. It will transform your perception of reality: you will soon come to the realization we cyclists are not the "nuts" - it is the rest of society that is nuts.

...and if you're like 80% of the posters here, you will soon have a superiority/inferiority complex too.

(in reality, those who disdain others as mundane/sheep/ordinary/conformist/whatever are usually embarrassingly blind to all the ways that other people are unique and interesting. Just because they're not "different" in your way doesn't make them dull-normals.)

My commute ranges from 13 to 23 miles round trip. So I know what you mean by co-workers asking questions, the assumptions, etc. But if I lived 2 miles or less from work I'd walk. The reason I would is the lenght of time it would take me to get ready to commute. It would take me lnoger to prepare to ride, then actually do the ride. This is based on if I ONLY rode to/from work and did no other riding during the work week. If I extended my ride in either before or after work then I would ride. I don't know how long it takes you to prepare to ride before you're actually on the bike and riding, but hey if you want to ride and only ride the 4 miles round trip, more power to you.

(in reality, those who disdain others as mundane/sheep/ordinary/conformist/whatever are usually embarrassingly blind to all the ways that other people are unique and interesting. Just because they're not "different" in your way doesn't make them dull-normals.)

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/sheeple.png

I usually say, "I'm doing this on purpose. I promise."

I don't catch much crap from my co-workers. I catch more from people out in the wild. :)

That being said, I've had a commute of less than 4 miles before. It was wonderful, I could bike home for lunch! You don't get that option with walking. :)

I'm fairly sure that most cow-irkers know I'm not DUI fodder. Given that I drive the company 5 ton an' all.
I just tell them that riding makes food/beer taste a lot better.+1 This is why I ride, I have no will power where food and drink is concerned. I gave up the car when I got old and the metabolism slowed down, I started turning into a slug.
If you're highly valued at work, nobody will question how you got there.
+100 I am so highly regarded that I think the boss wishes some others would ride in. ( Doesn't seem to be reflected in my paycheck though. )
My PO thinks I won't have as many violent "road rage" issues on a bike. Don't think it's working though, had to take a pump to this * * * * who kept asking questions.Works for me, I've turned down the company van to drive home on occasion, ( Sometimes I take it ) because I am so sick of driving and can't face any more, no matter how tired, how crappy the weather.

If you're highly valued at work, nobody will question how you got there.

At a certain point in one's career, biking to work merely adds "character." When I was a bike commuting student, I was "crazy," but now I'm "eccentric" if anything.

Not necessarily. My boss is concerned because I'm highly valued. If I weren't she wouldn't care if I died tomorrow.

I know what you're getting at, but there are different reasons that people catch flack.

Speaking of co-workers and rainstorms, I arrived at work on my bike after a really stormy commute only to discover that my co-workers, who showed up at work, had made bets that I would be driving to work that morning.
I sure "rained" on their parade.:lol:

My boss at my last job used to have me answer the phone on snowy days... it was quite amusing when all the people driving would call in late or not coming at all because the weather was too bad and -I- answered. :roflmao2: