Andy_K 

I agree with this 100%. That's part of how I convinced myself that I should ride anyway on days when I'm running late in the morning. Given a choice between (a) arriving 15-20 minutes earlier and looking a bit more committed, and (b) arriving 15-20 minutes later and being mentally sharper the rest of the day, I'm pretty sure that the company gets more value out of the latter. Obviously they'd prefer that I show up earlier and also mentally sharp, but they never mention punctuality during my performance reviews. As a salaried worker I'm paid for my productivity, not the time I spend sitting at my desk.

noglider 

Yeah, long term health is a good motivator if you can focus on it. I'm 56 now and didn't think much about it until about four years ago. I rode for fun, and I was glad about getting the benefit I got but that wasn't what got me on the bike. Now I'm more committed to cycling and other exercise, because I figure it's likely to make a difference in my long term health. Unfortunately, many of us don't think this way until we're of a certain age.

I visited the emergency room (for something that turned out to be minor) three years ago. The medical personnel said I was in unusually good condition. I managed to get to that condition without any time carved out for exercise, just because I enjoy cycling. Now I realize I better not stop.

Andy_K 

You have a point, but I think that if I ride the bike regularly I can have both the food I enjoy and the exercise. As they say, "Everything in moderation, including moderation."

This is actually one of the things that got me started biking to work. I had at various times tried the gym routine, and I generally didn't stick with it for more than a few months at any given stretch. Then sometime in 2007 my company was pushing this health program where they'd give us a $25 gift card to meet with a health coach a few times. My health coach told me that the only way anyone succeeds with an exercise program is if they actually enjoy the exercise program.

Sitting on the couch drinking a beer (I don't like wine) vs. spending 45 minutes on a treadmill is a choice very heavily weighted toward the beer. It requires will power to choose the treadmill. Sitting on the couch drinking a beer vs. going for a bike ride is actually a pretty tough choice. Both are things I'd want to do, but I know that the beer will still be there and will taste better when I get back from the bike ride.

johnnyace 

This is key. I hate gyms, and I hate exercise for the sake of exercise. I love cycling, but not because it's good exercise; that's just a side benefit. The same goes with hiking/backpacking.

On a related note, I find it incredibly humorous that people pay good money to cycle indoors, on "bikes" that don't go anywhere.

noglider 

I don't go to a gym, either, but I would enjoy lifting weights at a gym a whole lot more than pedaling inside.

Then again, people are raving about zwift.

johnnyace 

I had to google Zwift. Hmmm, okay. It's been 30 years since I've raced, and this seems geared toward racers, so I'm indifferent. Plus, too high-tech for me. And indoors.

no motor?

Patients will ask about exercise programs at times and some get hung up on finding the perfect program and end up with analysis paralysis. I tell them find something you like to do, can do easily and can do without hurting yourself and you'll be better off than most. The ones that do those things are usually healthier and happier, especially when they learn what they can and can't do without hurting themselves.

And after 40 we all have to exercise and watch what we eat to be healthy.

Whib

I am currently in the midst of a slap-yourself-on-the-forehead, "duh" moment ... At 43 years old, I've been a runner since middle school, but I've been dealing with aches and pains, stiffness, and roller coaster motivation for the last five or six years. In January, I finally ran myself into a torn meniscus and MCL strain. Thus, by virtue of dumb luck and in need of some outdoor exercise, I found the bike: I've been riding like a thief for the last 2+ weeks with--drumroll--no pain, trading in my grimace for a grin along the way.

noglider 

Are you a doctor?

I had a full physical around the time I turned 52. My doctor said that guys my age all say one of two things:

1. I'm in good shape, but I'm concerned, so how can I stay that way?

2. I'm in bad shape. How do I get in good shape?

Of course, I said number 1, but I'm just more concerned than I used to be.

@Whib, that's really great to hear. Welcome to the sport that many of us have loved all our lives and that a different many of us discovered it later. I've loved to ride since I was four, and I got my first ten speed at age 14 and have hardly taken a break since then.

PanoramicPixel

I've tried to do progressive calisthenics and weight lifting. But after a few months I just get tired of sets and reps. I use biking as a practical form of exercise to get around. And it's fun for me. Looking to add rowing to my plans. I found I prefer activities versus workouts. I still want to keep light workouts to target muscle groups so I don't wind up with imbalances.

no motor?

I'm a DC, Doctor of Chiropractic.

That realization that things are happening to them instead of the other guy is a rude awakening for all of us. And after seeing so many people who didn't take care of themselves when they were younger I'm motivated to avoid becoming one of them.

Andy_K 

Do you remember these BTA T-shirts?

johnnyace 

^ Hahaha, that's awesome!

noglider 

Speaking of workouts, I do a bit of walking throughout the city, too. It's such a densely populated place that driving short errands is more trouble than anything, so we shop for groceries on foot. Some people use carts, but like many others, my wife and I just buy as much as we can carry in a trip which is rarely more than a half mile. I like my bags to be heavy, and I walk really hard. Also when I take the subway, I might have a heavy bag or two, and I walk up the stairs really hard, two at a time. It uses a burst of energy which doesn't last long but I suspect does some good. We moved back to the city four years ago, and since then I've lost a lot of weight. When I see someone who hasn't seen me in a while, they seem a little shocked to see me. I'm down to my college weight and size. One downside is that just about all of my clothes are much too big on me now.

RubeRad

+1

I find it incredibly humorous that people pay good money to go to a gym!

noglider 

It's worth it to some people if the fee is what stands between fitness and non-fitness. So far, I'm OK without a gym. There's a free one at my workplace, and I keep meaning to try it.

DunderXIII

Gyms are for different things too. Bike don't cover the whole spectrum of physical activity :-) They're just the most fun.

caloso

There are things you can do at a gym that address fitness issues that a bike won't. Upper body strength, for example. And there are things you can do at a gym that will improve your bike fitness too, such as flexibility, core strength, and lower body explosive strength.

ptempel

Only thing I miss at the gym was the spin class I used to take during the winter time. The weather is usually crappy outside and the stationary bikes at the local YMCA had dual SPD/toeclip style pedals. But that was when the wife and I were dual income and no children. Now its single income and one child. So no more YMCA membership. But the cyclecommuting does do the job and it does indeed get me to work!

Tundra_Man 

I'm a bit late to the party, but what keeps me motivated is setting a consecutive commute goal.

First, it was to see if I could go a whole month without driving to work. Once I hit that goal, then I set a goal for 50 days. After that it was 100, but on day 98 we had a monster snow storm that stopped me, so I had to start over.

The next time around I successfully hit 100 days, so I went for 150. Once again, a snow storm intervened on day 146.

Determined to hit 150, I started over. After I broke that personal record I just kept upping my goal by 50 days. I'm currently on day 316 and counting.

And by now it's so much a habit that I really don't seriously think about the possibility of driving to work.

Tombaatar

1. Driving makes me angry. Not road rage, bird flipping angry, but angry enough to loath it. Being in a big city im sure has a lot to do with that.
2. I have lost ten pounds since September last year when I started bike commuting daily.
3. Got a new bike that is a joy to ride.

Harhir

Same here. I love cycling. I am an outdoors person and I also hate exercise for the sake of exercise. I know I have to do it to get my weight down but commuting by bike is just fun and it just does not feel like "forced" exercise. I also try to use my bike as much as I can for running any kind of errands. And one can enjoy nature much better. The sounds, sights and smell one hardly experiences inside a car.

RubeRad

If you want to count your commutes within a community, consider this:

https://www.bikejournal.com/thread.asp?ThreadID={592B4DBE-4F26-4FD6-8035-C7DD4059DDFC**&numPost=1

Korina

I find the local Trail Stewards is good for upper body work; shoveling wet gravel (or wheelbarrowing it up and down hill for that matter) for three hours is no joke. Pity it's only once a month.

Korina

I use "no rain, no excuses" as motivation, and it mostly works. An easy, flat, 7.5 miles helps; the constant headwind doesn't. I'm getting used to it.