Commuting - What motivates you to commute by bicycle?

1. I like being the "crazy" guy who rides a bike to work. Even the crazy people at work think I am crazy.
2. Women dig it (not that it matters anymore -- I'm married. But it's nice to know you still can make 'em look!).
3. My wife and kids think I'm a hero for it.
4. It saves me money (five years consecutive perfect attendance gets me two extra weeks pay every year, money saved on gas + maintenance, etc....).

Plus with forums like this I feel like I'm part of a special club.

Good point. Good post.

I've always biked. It's a lifestyle thing for me. It makes ordinary commuting fun and exceptional commuting an adventure. Keeps me in some sort of shape, costs little, is very low-impact and doesn't require tons of paperwork and taxes. And I can do my own maintenance and tweaks - when I try that on a car, the gearbox falls out. And if I do hit anyone, they bounce. Can't kill people on my bike. Oh, and the bats, they're fab.

1 It's the only way posible that I can get any regular excercise. Hats off to all the runners, fitness cyclists, and the like, but I could never stick with any exercise program.

2 Saves $10 a day (mostly parking). That's over $2000 per year.

3 Limits wear and tear on my car, especially salt damage.

4 Less hassle than driving.

5 If there's a snowstorm while at work, it might take hours to drive home through the resulting gridlock. No worries if I ride.

6 Adventure and a sense of accomplishment.

Paul

I'm relatively new to cycling in general. Sure, most of us rode bikes as kids, but I'm enjoying the rediscovery of the freedom and accomplishment that I feel at the end of a commute. On the subject of being "car-less" (as opposed to "careless"?) I have for the past several years relied almost entirely on a motorcycle for transportation. I did everything: commuting, shopping, errands, pleasure riding, etc. As others have pointed out, there's something kind of thrilling about being the "crazy guy" who rides in all kinds of weather. People would ask, "You rode in THAT weather?" Now that I arrive at work on a bicycle, I get the same reaction except that I arrive refreshed and energized from my physical effort. This is much better.

So, to answer the question, my motivations seem to be: exercise, stress reduction and, in a small part, environmentalism.

-Allen

What motivates me to commute by bike? That unsightly accumulation of fat around my middle when I don't! :o


Plus saving on gas -- wow, down to $1.55 this week! :rolleyes:

bikes are more practical.

I've had a couple of chances to buy a cheap reliable car for $1k. It'd be the second car for my wife and I. Most recently this week. I thought about it, and thought that there is a 100% chance of it being a waste of money. I'd either buy it and drive it less than 6 times per year. Or I'd buy it and drive to places that I should be riding. Either way it's a waste of money, I'll pass.

My circumstances have changed a little in the four years since I posted in this thread initially. Right now I do it because it's simply the best option. I can judge to the very minute at what time I will arrive at work, and arrive home on any given day, and can plan my time around it. It saves me a fortune, which I can spend on other things.

I am not about to spend $5-10,000 per annum on a car just to sit in traffic every day. The bus? Forget it. Might be OK on the days it actually shows up, but that's far from guaranteed around here. To be honest I don't derive a great deal of enjoyment from my commute, a 25km round trip, totally flat urban ride just doesn't excite me that much. Useful as a recovery ride after a century, but not a lot else. Basically, there are other places I'd rather be riding if I had the choice. It's just a better transport option than any of the alternatives.

Simple - its THE fastest way !

OK I do cheat by combining folding bikes and trains - this is THE fastest way to commute 25 miles to and thro London, door to door, I've tried all methods, (yes including fast motorbikes - slower as you have to get the riding gear on and off). And this way is fastest, not too sweaty and (with a folder) gives the option of taking a cab if it gets too wet. Si

My motivations are all my character defects:

I'm too cheap to pay for parking, too impatient to wait for the bus, and too vain to let myself get fat.

It makes me feel exceptional.