turbopro

I know it's dumb, but I am a little nervous with doing this. It's only about 2 and 1/2 miles each way, but I really want to get the good exercise and decrease my carbon foot print in this world any way I can. I know others may say thats dumb as well but hey, less carbon from anyone is better.

thdave

I save between 2/3rds and 1 gallon of gas daily. It's a great feeling. Plus, I'm in shape. That's a better feeling. Go for it! You will enjoy it and the nerves will go away.

mirage1

What are you nervous about? Is it just change--doing something different? Is it how people might react? Is it not feeling confident about how to ride around cars, or how to ride period, or what to bring with you, or how to deal with a flat? I usually find that when I'm nervous about something new, learning more about it always helps. Plus these forums are so full of information.

Good luck! Let us know when you do it.

threephi

2 1/2 miles is a really short ride. You've got nothing to worry about, it'll be a snap.

caloso

It's natural to be nervous when you try something new, but don't sweat it too much. It's just riding a bike, which you love to do (I assume). And it's just getting to work, which you have to do. All you're doing now is combining the two.

Check out the stickies for good advice and feel free to ask questions. Good luck!

turbopro

I start my commute tommorow. I guess I am nervous for the change but geez, flat tires and crazy Maryland drivers, you got me thinking for the worst! J/k. It's just the change, and the perception I get from the others in my building. I wont be saving that much gass but damn, gas is getting ridiculous.

fuerein

Thats about how far my commute is. I can walk it in about 30-40 minutes and riding only takes about 15. It is a real breeze. No problems commuting that far!

beingtxstate

Go for it man! I love the fact that you want to decrease your carbon footprint! We need more ppl like you. Be brave, and happy...2 1/2 miles will fly by trust me

BeerBiker

Geez, 2.5 miles won't even be enough to get you stinky. What are you waiting for? I would kill for a commute of 10 miles or less.

Mark

caloso

Are you going to take the same route as you would normally drive? Because in many cases you can find a much mellower route that's better suited to cycling.

Cyclon

2.5 miles will be easy for you. Look at the post of the folks who do long 20+ mi one way bike commutes.

I have a 3.1 mi one-way bike ride. It takes me 10 minutes which includes the few traffic lights I have to wait for.

-I save gas
-The ride wakes me up in the morning; gets the blood flowing
-I find I'm less stressed since I'm not stuck in car traffic; I zip by in the bike lane passing all the stuck cars
-I actually get to work faster by bike than by car

mtnwalker

Its natural to be nervous before your first commute. Most everyone here was probably nervous too when we first commuted by bike. My major hangups were #1 how to deal with the traffic, what would people think of me, extra time spent equals less time for me, etc. etc. Eventually all of these went away and I feel much better about myself and couldn't care less about what people think. Learning the laws of the streets while on a bike from the internets and these forums really helped with my number one hangup though.

mtnwalker

This is so true. I used to dread my 22 mile r/t commute. Nowadays, with my fitness getting better, the 11 miles each way feels too short and I feel just a bit sad when I know my ride is about to end. I always catch myself thinking: "I'm already here?"

turbopro

Thanks! I like to think that commuting does reduce your carbon footprint. I am taking a similar route to work, but I looked on google maps and noticed that on the installation that I work at, there are some back roads that no one takes that I probably will.

AGGRO

I ride an hour before my commute just to work out. You won't be sorry, you'll hear birds, see rabbits and stuff you never knew existed.

Coulda done without the road kill stink last night though. P UUUUUUUUUU

CliftonGK1

I was nervous before starting my commute, too. Sure, some people razz me about riding my bike to work, but they're also the same people that tell me how "You're a hell of a lot tougher than I could be" for riding through months like last November (15.3" of rain) or January (5 days where the city was crippled by snow and ice.)
You get to wake up to a bike ride instead of gridlock, you'll be healthier, and although some people might give you flak about it, more people will respect (or at least stand in awe of) you for it. Besides that, who cares what they think?

Buglady

Maybe you won't save much gas when you look at each trip by itself, but when you add it up for a month you are going to be VERY happy

I'm working on my boyfriend - he is looking at ultra-high-mileage cars because he hates the gas companies and doesn't want to give them any money, but won't ride his bike anywhere without me

caloso

Yeah, on the gasoline thing, it's not my main concern. I live 4 miles from work, my car gets 20mph, so in a week, I've saved 2 gallons. On the other hand, parking here is very expensive: a monthly pass is $175/month. $175 x 12 = a very nice new bike every year. Not that I do that, but it's nice to know I could....

Spreggy

Turbo, this is one of those quality of life things. More mother nature, better fitness, longer life, time to think, time to plan your day, so many good things. Just ride highly defensively.

Two weeks ago my truck had a half tank of gas in it. I noticed last night that it still does.

Bob J

I started doing 2 miles each way after not riding for 2 years.

If you're nervous about the route drive it a couple times, then ride it once or twice when you're off so you know how long it will take you. Then the first time you actually do it just give yourself a couple extra minutes.

I've realized that biking is the quickest way to commute. I need to leave earlier when I drive.

nakedsushi

Don't worry about being nervous. I've been commuting and riding my bike for a couple of months and I still get nervous if I think about it too much, especially before my ride home. I call it my "ohmygosh get me out of work I wanna ride my bike" jitters. Once I'm actually on the bike though, it's all "weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

supercub

Commuting by bike is SO satisfying in SO many ways. It's the best thing ever IMHO. Maybe you'll love it or maybe you won't, but if you do love it, you'll be very glad you tried it out.

jimmuter

+1 - do a practice run on the weekend when it doesn't matter so you gain confidence.

znomit

I reckon 2-3 miles is the sweet spot for commuting.
Around 10minutes each way, you get a good exercise base.
Depending on parking and traffic its often faster than driving.
If its wet you can put on full rain gear and don't have to worry about getting soaked in sweat.
If its hot out you aren't going to arrive with sweat rolling down your back.
If you get a flat tyre, you can walk the rest of the way so don't need to cart around a pump etc.

chephy

Depends on the person. Some won't bother with a bike for something this short - just walk. But it's not bad for starting out.