rajman

Just wondering how many people out there have cycling as the fastest commuting option. If you've done the head to head comparison of the modalities post away.

Disclaimer - I'm on leave this year, so I'm going on the data with my permanent job - a very short commute.

swwhite

This concept has been mentioned before. If I want to get to work as fast as possible, I drive, on the freeway, 7+ miles, and it takes 15 minutes. If I bike, under the absolute best conditions, a 6.3-mile route, I could do it in 30 minutes, but usually it is 35-40.

BUT, if I want to get the recommended 60 minutes of exercise every day, I can spend 30 minutes driving to and from work and 60 minutes jogging for a total of 90 minutes, or I can just ride my bike to and from work for a total of 60-80 minutes.

I really don't have time to drive to work.

newbojeff

^^^ Agreed.

However, with construction on the last part of my ride into Boston lately, I may actually be saving time by riding in a head-to-head comparison.

ghettocruiser

I voted bike over car to boost the cause, but in reality its about the same most of the year, mostly because I have a close-by freeway option and a reverse commute when I drive.

In rain or snow the bike is usually quite a bit faster. But on cold, sunny winter days the bike is real, real slow compared to driving.

One of these days I should ride the bus... or see if there even is one.

kemmer

Car is fastest, rail is second bike is third. The train is only a few minutes faster so riding the bike makes sense. Alot of times I bike one way, train the other. I find I'm too lazy to ride home some days so I leave the bike at the office and ride the train home. I probably wouldn't ever take the train, but I like to read. It works out pretty well, because I get to spend an hour exercising in the morning and 45 minutes reading on the way home (or vise versa).

Bolo Grubb

Excellent point

dalmore

I don't know that I can really say. Traffic here for my commute by car is extremely variable. It can take anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour and and a half one way. Mornings usually take about 45 minutes and afternoons usually take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Bike is far more predictable at 1 hour and 5 to 15 minutes. My longest car commute was 3 hours. That's for a 16 mile drive.

CliftonGK1

Driving is the fastest by far. Traffic is backed up the opposite direction (going to Redmond) so I have no problems. It takes me 10 minutes to get to work by car, and about 30-40 by bike. It would take 2.5 to 3 hours on foot, and I'm not sure about the bus.
I have the most fun on my bike, and it means I don't spend extra time at the gym on some cardio machine.

Scorer75

Car is fastest.

My commute is from 17-22 miles.

By car it's 30-45 minutes.

By Bike it's 55-70 minutes.

But as swwhite said, then I would need ot go to the gym for an hour. By bike it's home, shower, dinner, free time to do as I please (or as the wife instructs).

I don't think commuting is a time issue, to me it's more of a lifestyle statement.

mister

I said other. It really depends on when I go in. If I drive when there's traffic, it can easily take 40 minutes or more, but if there's no traffic it takes 15-20 minuutes. By bike the commute is ~30 minutes give or take a few minutes. The car may be the fastest at times, but the bike is the most consistant by a long shot.

pinkrobe

Bike 4 teh win!

I routinely beat people in cars who are heading to my building. It helps a lot that there's a big DH on my way in, but I've actually caught people going home as well. If the commute were much longer, I'd have trouble.

Old_Fart

I refuse to drive a car in rush hour traffic and am lucky enough to have a job that lets me keep to that.

By car my commute is ~13 miles and takes me about 25 - 30 minutes as long as there's not an event in one of the stadiums I have to drive past. My bike route is ~19 miles and takes me about 80 minutes as long as I don't have to wait for one of the two draw-bridges to cycle.

A bus commute isn't a very good option for me as it takes a minimum of 90 minutes if I make the downtown connection. It can easily be 2 hours if a bus is late and the connection is missed. If I'm going to take that much time out of my day, I'm going to at least get some excercise and not be subject to strangers' body odors.

Bottom line is that it does take me quite a bit longer to ride to work but I will always get to work and get home in a much better mood than days that I drive. It's ALWAYS worth an hour out of my day to get home with a smile on my face.

tuolumne

I voted other. The quickest way to get to work is to throw my car in the trunk, drive to a park-n-ride lot, and bike the last 4 miles to work. Saves 5 minutes in the morning and closer to 10 coming home.

JOHN J

Car by far the fastest.

Car: 25- 30mins

Bus: 40 mins+- plus a 15-20 min walk to office from stop (same route as car but a good handfull of stops)

Bike: 1hour or 1 hour 20 min dep on route.

"John"

oboeguy

In NYC, I can generally get somewhere faster by bike riding than by taking the subway.

walterk46

Assuming that we're talking rush hour commutes, my fastest option is Metra rail, car and bike take about ten minutes more, CTA elevated rail is slower than car or bike (more than an hour to get downtown), and busses are the absolutely slowest way to get around.

markhr

both cycling and metro/tube/underground are the same speed if you factor in the lock up/wash up at each end

taxi/cab is by far the fastest if the traffic is good - rush hour traffic (6am to 8pm - lol) means that every second trip takes twice as long as the alternates though

ekimeno

In London, for me its either a half an hour bike ride, 45 minute tube ride and walk or a 1 hour bus ride and walk. I use the bike about 95% of the time.

SDRider

Cage is the quickest but not by much. I can usually get to work in 20-30 minutes when driving my cage where it takes me 40-45 minutes by bike. I'd much rather bike though. When traffic is horrible, as it is sometimes, it can take me 40 minutes to drive home.

I actually hope for huge traffic jams when I ride to and from work. It's fun passing hundreds of caged drivers just sitting there waiting, growing fatter and older.

Roody

The car (about 10 minutes to work) is out because ... cars suck. In many head to head races, my bike beats the bus. Add the fact that I have to leave 30 minutes early by bus, and arrive at work 30 mionutes early, the 15-20 minute bike ride is even better. Also, the bus doesn't even run when I get out of work. I would have to wait about 7 hours for the next morning bus!

Novakane 

Technically, four wheels might take less time but I don't own a car so it makes it a moot point. If I take the bus, best I can do is an hour to work - if everything is on time. In realty it usually takes 15 to 30 minutes longer than that.

Cycling gets me to work in 30 minutes to an hour depending on how scenic of a route I take.

DataJunkie

Car: 30 minutes to 90 minutes depending on traffic
Bus: 60 to 90 minutes
Bike: 1 hr 45 minutes +\- a few

notfred

The fastest option for my commute would be by motorcycle. I don't have a motorcycle, so the fastest option that I can actually use is to commute by car.

Motorcycle: 20 minutes
Car: 20 minutes plus time spent looking for a parking spot and potential sitting in traffic.
Bike: An hour or more
Bike + Bus: 50 minutes
Bus: Over an hour, definitely.

wneumann

By far my car is the fastest option.

My commute is 13.5 miles by bike, and 13-17 depending on the route I take in my car. Pretty much any of the driving routes take me 30-35 minutes (25 if a miracle occurs and I hit all the lights). Just yesterday, I set a personal record for the bike commute, getting there in 57 minutes (the first sub-hour commute ever). Now, I'm still fairly new to cycling, and my climbing leaves a lot to be desired (though I have to cross a valley to get to work and back, so I'm getting plenty of practice), but I doubt I'll ever be able to shave 30 minutes off of that time...

In addition, it takes longer to get out of the house with the bike. I need to pack my panniers or messenger bag depending on which bike I'm riding. I need to decide if I'm taking my vest or not based on the morning forecast. I need to strap on helmet, gloves, etc. I need to make sure I've got my sunglasses for eye protection. I need to be sure my laptop is secure if I'm taking it with me. I need to be sure to eat breakfast before I leave so I don't run out of juice on the climb in. I need to be sure to bring water just in case I get thirsty, and so on.

I can, however, get across town faster than even the express bus.

johnnycoke

Car: 10-15min
Bike: 30 min
Bus: 1hr