baron von trail 

I have to agree with the findings discussed in this article. During the months that I drive to work--usually that's from December through March--my weight climbs. When I bike, my weight drops--sometimes, it drops a lot.

So, for me this is a no-brainer.

Your Commute Could Be Sabotaging Your Health

Beachgrad05

I have to walk at every opportunity while at work. I recently got a new job and my commute is 50 min to over an hour. Traffic in So Cal is no joke. My current commute is 25 miles to training office and my normal commute will be 30 miles. Neither are all that amenable to commuting by bike. I'm going to start bringing my bike to work and ride area by office before heading home once back at the normal assigned office b

TrojanHorse

I commute to my spare bedroom and yes, that's fattening. You'd think that would free up an hour to ride but somehow it doesn't really work that way. On the days I DO drive to my office (60 miles in socal... ugh) that's three hours of my life I'll never get back.

baron von trail 

A lot of us have that problem. We [Americans, in general] all live too far from work.

I started commuting again in 2012, after about a 3 year hiatus, even though I live over 20 miles from work. But, it's better than the 35 miles away I lived during those years I did not commute.

As was mentioned to me by a friend who lives in another part of the country, we have some really nice bike trials here in SW Ohio. THey make long commutes reasonable and keep them safe. 20-plus rides during rush hour would not be possible without those trails.

Beachgrad05

I am paying for the 25 years I worked no more than 6.5 miles from my office. At one point I rollerbladed to work. (I was young at the time).

indyfabz

More hospitable weather=more outdoor activity=more calories burned=weight loss. I never would have believe that without a study.

customsound79

My weight loss actually kicked off when I started riding my motorcycle to work every day. 100 miles a day on a bike vs a Suburban with gas at $3.75 a gal anyone? Well, it sure put a damper on my habit of hitting the drive thru every morning.

dr_lha

I live 1 mile from work and drive every day. Ask me why!

OK I'll tell you. My work has a strict rule against having bikes in offices. Apparently I should chain my $2500 road bike to a insecure (I can lift it off the ground one handed) piece of galvanized metal (which likes to scratch paint on touch) on a patch of mud outside my office instead.

So I drive to work, keep my bike in my car, so I can ride at lunchtimes.

Craptacular8

I live 40 miles from my nearest office as well, so I keep a bike at work, and commute at lunch, since I always eat out. I got a late start last year, and spent a lot of weeks on the road, but still got in quite a few miles "commuting" in this fashion.

indiana_jane

My commute is making me fat. Every day I bike to work, and then think I can eat whatever I want, heh.

corrado33

Getting daily exercise causes people to be skinnier? NO WAY! Amazing science there. #1 , Nobel prize worthy.

baron von trail 

who would have thunk it?

americanrecluse

My commute IS making me fat! Riding my bike leads to hunger, which leads to eating, and there's a small smug feeling like "it's okay if I have this yogurt - I rode my bike!"

baron von trail 

Some fool brought into work this morning a box of donuts...and, not just the little ones, but the 1000 calorie sugar patties that would kill a horse. I rode too. So, I am staring at those babies and thinking, "I earned that."

So far, I have resisted. I doubt I can all day though.

deapee

At the very basic level:

If you take in more calories than you expend, you gain weight.
If you take in less calories than you expend, you lose weight.

It's been that way forever.

deapee

See, I have trust issues especially with people's handling, transportation, and potential sabotage of communal food items, so eating things at work has never been a problem for me.

bmthom.gis

Geeze, I would get a Craigslist special or just walk! That's a crummy policy.

dr_lha

Yep, and believe it or not I was told that my work was "bike friendly". The problem is that my rides from work are my main rides, and are typically 20-40 miles, sometimes more. I don't want to ride a "Craigslist special" for those.

americanrecluse

RESIST! You can do it! They get less pretty as the day goes on.

Tundra_Man 

I would think the wear and tear on a car for a 1 mile commute would quickly pay for a cheap junker bicycle to ride to work. Even a 2nd hand Wal-Mart bike would probably be fine for a commute that short (wait... did I just say that?)

dr_lha

I refer the honourable gentleman to the reply I gave some moments ago.

Leebo

Any other options available? Boiler room, storage area, secure parking lot chain link fence thing. A separate bike storage area? Keep your car at the office, bike home and bike back to work, lock bike in car? Ant other bikers at your work? Folding bike? I know one guy who bought a beat up van and left it parked at the work. Welded a large pipe to lock bikes up to the floor. Used by 6 people each with their own key.

baron von trail 

I made it, didn't even touch one. Odd thing though. There were a few stragglers left in the box when I left at 4:30. They looked exactly like they did at 8AM. I'm sure they were crusty, but the fact that they didn't appear to age at all is a bit spooky.

blue192

Only 3.75$ a gallon? Up here in the great white north aka Canada we pay twice that amount. Actually come to think of it I enjoy watching Canadians complain about gas prices while I ride my bike.