mike

I wonder if lower gas prices have put the kabosh on the bicycle commuting boom.

For awhile, we saw a dramatic increase in bicycle commutership.

Right now, we are in the middle of the biggest blizzard month in history, so it is hard to determine what effect there is here.

It SEEMS that the fuel price hike shocks earlier this year have had lasting conservation effects. Our family, for example, made a switch to fuel efficient automobiles and made lifestyle changes. We use less gasoline now even though the price of gas has dropped. I just have this forboding feeling that these cheaper fuel prices are temporary and I need to stay in the conservative mode to stay prepared for the next assault on my wallet.

My family still rides bicycles for shopping and I even have the wife bicycling to the video store.

What are you seeing?

tim24k

Gas jumped .08 cents a gal. Yesterday. I believe fuel will soon be back to $5.00 and be $8.00 a gal. in three years or less. I hope I’m wrong.

spinninwheels

granted we haven't seen prices like this in quite a while, but you're right - it is only temporary. Hopefully it will spur people into thinking outside of a petroleum-based paradigm, and more people will discover the wonders of the bicycle.

lil brown bat

I hate polls that give a few slanted options to represent a complex reality. Consider:

1)It's winter. A lot of people don't ride in winter.
2)The drop in gas (and to a lesser extent, other fuel) prices isn't taking place in a vacuum, but in the context of costs rising and services and benefits shrinking in every other area of the household budget. That being the case, a drop in gas prices doesn't mean that people suddenly have extra money to spend; it means, rather, that they have an area of the budget that costs them a little less, and that partly compensates for loss of wages, loss of benefits and rising prices elsewhere. In other words, the "gain" is quickly absorbed and vanishes without a trace.
3) People don't change their transportation habits overnight, nor do they invest in big-ticket items on a whim.

evblazer

I know 1 person who started commuting because of gas prices. That one person no longer rides and has no plans to ride again except if gas prices go to $4 or above again.

In my valid survey with a sample of 1 with a +/-200% error I believe that lower gas prices kaboshed the bicycle boom.

Sigurdd50

I saw an up tick in bike commuters over the summer/fall, and I'm seeing more riders this winter despite the nasty weather. I think some people are hip to the green and cost saving of bike commuting -- despite gas prices

modernjess

There are more well equipped winter commuters now than I've ever seen. Of course that's just my anecdotal personal experience. Every day a see a few other really committed winter riders. In the past couple years I could go weeks without seeing anyone.

CCrew

There are more commuters out there still I believe. Given a combination of the weather and the economy though I don't think anyones rushing to a LBS to buy new bikes, but I'll reserve judgement for the spring.

-R

I-Like-To-Bike

I stopped considering the OP immediately after reading the totally unsupported declaration about what WE saw about an alleged bicycle commuting boom:
"For awhile, we saw a dramatic increase in bicycle commutership."

CastIron

I think the hard winter is taking a greater toll on commuters than gas price reductions.

dynodonn 

I'm seeing the same scenerio here locally, and I'm no longer the odd man out in the winter time. The number of bicycle commuters is down compared to summertime, but that's to be expected.

Bekologist

across the counter at the bike shop a lot of never-bike-commuted were coming in, griping about gas prices and getting outfitted for bike-commuting.

some of those people, when the begin to discover the joys of riding to work (half of americans commute less than 6 miles to work!) will likely stick with it.

Those that were driven to bike soley by the economics are probably back in the driver's seat.

mcfc57

Wow, we seem to have a couple of statistics majors in here. Are you really expecting a poll question on here to be scientifically correct? Is it not enough to pose a question (that shockingly doesn't include every single possible angle) and ask for discussion?

This response is intended to be read light-heartedly. Merry Christmas!

ItsJustMe

IMO this is the wrong time of the year to ask. Before 2008, I don't think I saw more than 3 other commuting cyclists total. In 2008 I sometimes saw 2 or 3 a day on good days, and probably 50 over the course of the summer. Clearly a crazy increase.

I haven't seen any now since October, but that's not unusual given the weather. Only crazy people (and me ) are out in this weather.

nahh

I'm still seeing more commuters despite the weather and gas prices being cheaper. A lot of people have latched onto the "green" idea because now it's cool. I live in a college town, so most of the biking population leaves for the 3 best commuting months, so you actually get an increase in Fall/Winter/Spring.

As long as it's trendy, people will ride. As long as it's cheaper transport than a car, people will ride. As long as it's fun, people will ride. People will ride.

slcbob

Bike commuting is down but not out. Winter and cheap gas have taken a bit of the wind out of some sails, but those who did now realize they can do again, and some have the fever.

A little ebb and flow is natural. But mean sea level for bike commuters is higher. Rejoice.

Tabor

I hope you are right.

EDIT- Gas is always cheaper in the winter, and more people commute by bicycle in the summer. I can't blame them.

fletchh

I am commuting to work by bike this year for the first time, regardless of gas prices. I like how I feel when I get to work and when I get home, and I can not go more than a day without riding.
Car will come in handy for some trips, but I like it when it sits for 4 or 5 days in a row.

Fantasminha

I started commuting last spring (March) because of the rising gas prices. Gas is back down now but I still cycle for the rush. I think if people stopped when gas prices went back down, they weren't going to do it for the long term anyway. They would get "used to" $5/gal + and get back in their cars. Maybe they would trade their SUV for a Civic.

I heard that the refineries (I understand they control the supply side in the US, not the wells where the drilling is done) purposely take units offline for maintenance in the summer time when demand is higher to artifically drive the price up.

BikeManDan

I run a small one man shop, do repairs and budget sales. I've seen the floor drop out on me since the gas price collapse. Wet/cold weather, people worrying about "economic downturn" and gas prices.
I would like to see a huge gas tax increase, gas is far too cheap and its abundantly clear that people drive more when it is cheap, drive less when it is not. Its as easy as that

CCrew

Look at it from the bright side. in two years or so there will be a bunch of nice used bikes for sale.

2008: Mad rush to save $ so people buy/ride bikes
2009: Spring brings cheap gas, and those that rode in 2008 leave the bikes sit
2010: Yard sales/Craigslist/eBay see an uptick of bikes with the "barely used" moniker since they've been sitting

and at my current 450mi/month I'll be in the market for spare parts if nothing else!

huhenio

The hilarious part is that I have seen more people commuting in the only snowy day with record low oil prices more than anything else.

robtown

I got a coworker hooked on biking to work 2-4 times a week. After giving him some gear he's continued to ride in the cold. Like me, savings from fuel are low on the list. He just spent several hundred on some LED and HID lighting systems.
At the same time his cholesterol levels have dropped over 50 points and his outlook on life has improved. These benefits are hard to quantify.

Fantasminha

I'm with you BikeManDan. $8+/gal would be fine for me.
Not saying that nobody needs a large displacement vehicle, but a LOT more people have one than actually need one.

Supertick

I am retired and on a fixed income. I budget $20.00 per month for gas and have stuck to it for the past 8 months or so. I do my grocery shopping by bike and go and pay my bills by bike. Rain or shine I ride my bike. My car gets driven one or two days per week if that.

We have a lot of people in my area who commute to work by bike. There are a few less riding now because of the rain and snow but I still see lot's of people on bikes in this area. When the gas prices go up again there will be more people biking.