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-   -   Commuter Demographic - just curious (https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/467515-commuter-demographic-just-curious.html)

Wino Ryder 09-20-08 10:42 AM

Guy, 52, married for 31 years. Been commuting every day, year round since Sept. '03. Do everything by bike these days (even to see the doc) and live almost car-free by choice. Wife, however, see's it differently, but she also rides. :D

JoeyBike 09-20-08 11:27 AM

Male. 50.

Car free 19 years.

Live in mild climate where commuting is possible all year.

Allen 09-20-08 11:36 AM

Male, low 40's.
Car lite.
Georgia, so the weather is good for commuting most of the year (haven't found too cold yet, but 101º+ is too hot for me).

one_beatnik 09-20-08 11:53 AM

52y/o male. Married, 3 kids one still at home. Ride 24 mile RT pretty much daily (6 days per week), but will admit to being a bit of a weenie in the sub 30 degree weather, especially in the fall. 34 is much colder in the fall than in the spring!! Didn't start riding bike at all until nearly 40 years old. LOVE IT!

hornytoad 09-20-08 12:09 PM

dude (male variety)

40

20k r/t, year-round; during summers, i commute in early mornings (due to desert heat) and research/study/read/longboard on campus all day until evening classes. it seems an ideal sitch = downhill/prevailing headwind there & uphill/tailwind return

biggaloot 09-20-08 12:33 PM

Male, 41. 14 mile r/t, which I do daily, except in lightning. I only started in June, but I plan on riding through the winter, which brings the opportunity to buy more gear!

de-bug 09-20-08 12:38 PM

35 female, married, two kids. Only 5 miles RT, but I take my not-so little 3 y.o. in a trailer and drop him off at daycare, so all told I'm towing more than half my weight. I'm looking forward to putting him on a trail-a-bike next summer...

I've been doing this for over a year now. I only drive into work if it's pouring buckets when it's time to leave, icy, or under 20 F.

kache_98 09-20-08 01:01 PM

28 male, single, no kids, from San Juan, PR. First year commuting, 5 times per week, 15mi RT. I do everything except visiting out of town relatives on my bike. Turns out it takes the same or less time to do everything in the metro area compared to using a car (heavy traffic).

death m3tal 09-20-08 01:32 PM

31 Male, married, 1 kid. I'v only just begun to bike commute, so I don't know what my normal schedule will look like. It also looks like I will be changing office locations (same organization), which will put me about 10 miles further away from home, so a commute there will be close to 45 miles RT. I am not sure if I want to make that trip on a routine basis, but I'll give it a shot at least once. My ideal situation would be to live approx 15 miles from work along an old railroad - converted into bike path. I'd kill for that scencario. I ride the roads, but I don't really like being in the lanes with cars. Hopefully that will pass soon though.

Infodiva 09-20-08 01:35 PM

41, female, 6.2 miles round trip. I'll commute by bike as long as there is no snow or ice in the road. I don't mind cold, but I don't feel comfortable with the possibility of slipping on ice. Then I'll take the bus.

death m3tal 09-20-08 01:46 PM


Originally Posted by rugerben (Post 7507879)
24m. Law school student hailing from the great state of CT. The New Haven area if it matters.

I've been bike commuting since March '07, although I didn't commute last winter. Now I am geared up to run all winter long here, so this is going to be my first winter season of commuting. I'm very excited.

Hmmm, Yale?

striegel 09-20-08 02:57 PM

Male, 49, married with 3 children. I started commuting in December, 2007, after installing my first set of studded snow tires. So I'm a year-round commuter by choice. When I'm working in town, I ride a bit over 10 miles in each direction.

CommuterRun 09-20-08 03:02 PM

45 yr. old, male, married, two kids, retired military, conservative.

Work: Golf course maintenance.

To/from work, depending on which way I feel like going, in miles: 7+, 9+, 12+, 16.

Ride year 'round, but will make other arrangements for lightning.

born_to_ride 09-20-08 03:20 PM


Originally Posted by ClintP (Post 7503171)
27, male and I started this May. My commute is 5.5 miles one way. I don't ride in the rain and I hope to continue into the winter.

I am also a software developer and I need to find a decent sized pannier bag that will fit my laptop. When I took this job, I said I wanted the largest screen size availible sine they offered, but that doesn't help me now since I am having trouble finding a pannier large enough for it...

Clint, I cart my laptop back and forth in these and have been happy so far. Forget the "pod" they sell as a side item cause your laptop def. won't fit, but I use a sleeve from another backpack that works great. Let me know if you decide on 'em; I can give you early warning on a few minor issues with them. I love 'em for the work commute.

Oh, and for the main thread, 40 year old all weather male, except for lightning, I try to avoid that. 21 mile RT.

nowheels 09-20-08 04:37 PM

3 season commutter, male 50ish been commutting when it makes sense and my job and life allow. Head geek at the navy yard.

Heathenix 09-20-08 05:43 PM

Wow - a lot of responses so far! By my quick count there are 109 Male commuters and 18 female commuters in this thread (guess I was right about being in the minority there) and the ages run right from early 20's to late 50's. Doesn't look like there's any such thing as a "typical commuter" but I pretty much knew that already...
:commute: :commute: :commute:

uke 09-20-08 05:46 PM

Male, early 20s, in grad school. Bike five days a week, take the car when I need to arrive dry (sweat/rain) or carry stuff that won't fit in the backpack. Will ride year round.

paulwwalters 09-20-08 06:27 PM

18, male, all but snow and ice.

haningp 09-20-08 06:48 PM

56, male. Starting commuting in June, 1-2 days per week so far. 44 mile round trip so I don't now how much more I'll be doing this year when I start running out of enough daylight to make the trip.

nashcommguy 09-20-08 09:14 PM


Originally Posted by Heathenix (Post 7502897)
Every now and then (usually while slogging up what feels like a vertical hill during a torrential downpour) I wonder about my sanity and that fact that I think year-round commuting is a really great idea even though I'm pushing 40. Of course by the time I get to the top of the hill I've come to my senses and I know that if I have my way I'll still be commuting 20 years from now.

So I'm curious. What's the average demographic of people who have embraced bicycle commuting?

I'll start - I'm 39, female (which I kind of suspect puts me in the minority right there) and a year-round, all-weather commuter.

Started cycle-commuting in the winter of 1987 in Chicago @ age 35. Have been doing it ever since. There are those with whom I work that question my sanity, also. After sitting in line for 45 mins to pay $4.50 per gallon for a tank of gas these same people are questioning MY sanity. :rolleyes: Proud owner of 4 'commute ready' steeds of varying types. While I prefer to NOT climb hills in a torrential downpour and DON'T think it's particularly joyous experience(:D) I DO agree that year-round commuting is a great idea. Being 56 I'm unofficially 'pushing' 60 and will be, Lord willing cycle-commuting for the next 30-40 years.

There's an 18% grade hill on my commute route home. I take it on w/a 46x16 singlespeed and it's my goal to 'take' it w/o switchbacks by the end of the year. It's .4 mi and I can do about 75% of it straight on in the saddle. Setting challanges for one's self within the framework of one's commute keeps it interesting. Also, keeps things in perspective as I know no matter how stressful things can be at work they're nothing compared to taking on that hill 4-6 times per week.

A great satisfaction is that lately one by one I'm being approached by co-workers(not the ones who question my sanity:p) w/questions re cycle-commuting. Gear, rain, lighting, safety, rain, bikes, winter, RAIN, flats, flats, flats, dogs, JAMs, danger, stamina, diet, etc. I try to keep my answers simple. As a complete bike-geek I could easily bore them into disinterest in my excitement about the subject.:love:

BTW, I'm a male.

RogerB 09-22-08 10:54 AM

42, Male, married, 4 kids, live in a midwestern suburb.

We get more ice than snow, here, and for most of spring and summer, we don't get rain without lightning. So, having retained some sense of self-preservation, I'm not "all-weather" and don't really aspire to be. I do hope to keep riding all year, though, weather permitting. Maybe not this year. I just started (re-started) commuting in June 08, and I'm slowly building up equipment.

D Boz 09-22-08 12:01 PM

39M 10 miles RT beginning spring 2007
With cheapo bikes (poorly maintained) andn lovin it.
Last winter I carpooled alot but will try to less this winter.

Allycat24 09-22-08 12:10 PM

I'm 49, female, mostly fair weather commuter. I bike commute 3 seasons, and take public transportation in the winter. I have lights on my bike, but I just don't feel very visible at night, plus since most of my commute is on the MUP, it is very dark and while I'm not afraid of people or animals (deer, mostly), I just like to see where I'm going. I'm also would like to add that I got my husband hooked on bike commuting and now he outrides me.

RiverScout 09-22-08 12:21 PM

36 male, 5mi a.m. 8.5mi p.m. (due to heavy traffic/ alternate route.) I started in March of this year and plan to go 3-4 days per week durring winter. We'll see when it gets here. I have a different mental state after riding vs. non-riding days, it's cheap therapy for me!:thumb:

tate65 09-22-08 12:23 PM

43 almost 44 Male of a very mixed ancestry if that matters that try to ride 3x a week 42 mile RT what ever the weather


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