Neil_B

Or a difficult commute. Mine is 17 miles one way, with the return trip at night. Oh, and there's hills, and a hiking trail I need to take for a couple of hundred yards.

donnamb 

All it seems to take is a moment's non-mindfulness... I think when you do know how to cross tracks safely, the likelihood of going down increases as you become familiar with the route.

LittleBigMan

For me, bike commuting is an obsession. For me to imagine going too many days without riding to work is just as crazy as for most people to imagine riding a bike to work on "Bike to Work Day."

But it's pretty clear that the cards are stacked against even the most dedicated bike commuter. And yet for those of us who are addicted to bike commuting, we end up proving that where there is a will, there is a way.

I don't plan on convincing the world that bike commuting is the way for everyone. I just hope that when they see me, it destroys their false ideas that bike commuting is not practical.

They might never do it themselves, but they can never say it's not possible, even from long distances, because they have seen me do it for many years.

(Pretty soon, when my hair starts turning the color of my non-existant beard, the excuse of age will also be removed from their minds.)

nick95673

I honestly think people say they wont out of fear just to mask the fact they are lazy.

Neil_B

While on the subject, last year on the local Freecycle lists I subscribe to there was one bicycle listed - a Trek that looked like it was through a trash compactor. This year not a week goes by that someone doesn't list a bike or bike parts, or posts a "wanted" message.

alhedges

I don't think that's right, really. I think that ignorance is the real reason. Most people haven't ridden a bike since they were kid and don't really have any idea how they should start commuting.

Popeyecahn

Having gotten back into riding more actively, I'm just not ready physically. It's 13.5 mi one way and loaded with hills and dangerous traffic zones. But what will really keep me from doing more than 2 days a week is the logistics of it. The wife works 3 nights a week and I occasionally have to run out to other locations in the afternoons and then there's our 7 y.o. Like a previous poster I wish I could afford a house closer to work, but I work in a very expensive part of town and I'm just barely middle class...

Riverrat2

As some of you might have read in the introduction forum, I'm relatively new (again) to biking. I just got back into it early this summer because I enjoy traveling the country side, and only recently have given some consideration to commuting to work. Depending on the route, it would be either 8 or 12 miles. Not bad at all, particularly if I'm booking along on a road bike at 17-18 mph. Unfortunately, I currently work the 3pm-11:30 pm shift. My route would also take me through some not-so-nice neighborhoods.

Personally, I'm not too concerned with either problem. At 18 mph, I don't imagine too many problems managing to keep up with me (assuming they even see me); nor am I too concerned with biking at night. My wife is deathly afraid I'm going to die, even on a bike trail. It's a source of contention with her, but there are worse things to fight over I guess. :-D

As gas continues to climb in price, my wife's resistance diminishes. One day, I'll just do it and see what happens.

First though, need a new bike. :-D

devildogmech

+1^

My wife likes to use that argument with me.... I just ride anyways.... What's she gonna do? Leave me because I'm trying to save money (since we are so broke this payday, i was only able to put 1/2 tank in each car for the duration....) Being a broke college student SUCKS! Having a wife, three kids and a mortgage means I have to do what I have to do to keep things together.... That's my excuse anyways

BBnet3000

i cant believe that public transportation is so low in that pie chart, being that i am from Long Island, where a hell of a lot of people commute into New York City. i read something recently that said that 57% of people who commute into New York take public transit. (though i think this included people who drive in and park in one place and then take the subway somewhere else, for instance)

still, theres 350 million people in this country and i can see why it would be so low....

devildogmech

Because outside of the six or eight major urban centers in this country, public transit is an ablsolute JOKE! I'm only 25 miles outside of Chicago (NW IN) and couldn't take public transit into the city from my city. The problem, is a NIMBY attitude. Those of us living in the nice suburbs (Highland, Munster, Schererville ect) dont want those from the not so nice suburbs (Gary, E. Chicago, Hammond, Griffith ect) to come to our shopping centers on the bus! Highland threw a fit, when the Gary transit system started running one bus a week (on sundays) out to our large shopping district....

crocodilefundy

I haven't really seen more people riding in the streets of philly but i have seen a lot more bikes locked up. down town anything that is remotely fixed to the ground has a bike locked to it during the day. and the parking garage i park in just doubled their bike rack space because the two that had were totally full most days.

devildogmech

Thats cool!

alanbikehouston

I've said it before...Americans are sheep...perhaps the most sheeplike humans in the history of the species. An American adult, age 40, 50, or 60 is not going to ride a bicycle to work until 90% of OTHER adults ride a bicycle to work.

The 1 % of so of adults who do ride a bike to work are regarded with suspicion: did they lose their car because of too many DWI convictions? Did their drug habit or gambling habit cause them to lose their car? Are they a communist or an Al Gore supporter? (Which are the same thing in the eyes of the majority of white middle class men).

Popeyecahn

Yup! Other than the trolley and the Coaster here in San Diego (which are limited in access) the buses are a total joke, always have been since I began living here in the late 70's. I moved from Mpls and the buses then were fantastic. Couldn't tell you about now though...

devildogmech

I grew up in Fallbrook (No. SD Co) and we used to be able to catch the bus at the corner, and ride all the way to the border! That ended in the late 80's.....

Popeyecahn

Very cool. When I drove an old Saab, the only place that worked on it was in Encinitas, the bus/Coaster ride from La Mesa took about 3 hrs. I did that only once and then sold the car soon thereafter...

BA Commuter

Not true... there are 4-5 of us at my company who ride to work on a regular basis and not one of us are under 40.

However, I used to get the DUI stare and I thought he has a car look. It is awesome to see the city waking up at 13-15mph!

rando

I'm trying to remember what I was worried about 3-4 years ago when I started...
safety concerns
distance
how to carry stuff
getting a flat
being all sweaty at work

but once you start doing it you realize all those fears are mostly unfounded.

To be honest, I'm not sure I would have tried it if I was 10-15 miles from work. It would have seemed too far. NOW, I would do it anyway.

LittleBigMan

It's really funny...people at work have seen me bike commute for years and years. But I sometimes even wonder if they give it a moment's thought. Is motorized transportation the only possibility they even consider?

That's why I recently said I felt sorry for them, because they are missing out on
so much! I can't begin to talk about all the benefits. What price can you put on:

1) Enjoyment
2) Physical fitness
3) Cost savings (ok, you can put a price on that)
4) Saving oil
5) Not polluting
6) More freedom from the rat race
7) etc....

donnamb 

7a) Paying off all consumer debt.
7b) Making a significant dent in one's student loans.

crocodilefundy

in some cases, most cities, cycling is a much faster mode of transportation.

lhester

I'm not lazy and it scares me to death. On some of these roads around here, it's a suicide mission to ride a bike. I am trying to get some attention made to possibly connecting the neighborhoods with bike paths to help people with commuting or running errands around town. There's no way people are going to seriously consider commuting till they feel safer on the road, and a big steel cage beats air any day when it comes to making someone feel safe when there is already a fear there.

making

I at first thought i would not be able to commute till I got my kids raised becasue it seemed so dangerous. I rode a little more and a little more now I commute thur downtown Indy 3-5 days a week. It is dangerous. But not THAT dangerous. It really can be done.

lhester

But for the average Joe...the response is HELL NO!! And not because of laziness...but just pure fear. They won't even consider it. There have been times when I have even come close to hitting a cyclist and it scares me to death wondering how many close calls there are for me when I am out there riding. I feel I am paying attention..but I know for a fact most people are not...AT ALL! Take the bikes off the main roads and I'd bet more people would commute.