Why do some people decide to hop on a bike one day, while others never do? I'm most interested in your MAJOR reasons; I know there are hundreds of little reasons why it's awesome. But what put you in the saddle that first time, or for the first time in a long time, and turned you into the dedicated bike commuter you are today? Maybe this information can help us to convince more people to give cycling a try.

Bonus question: why did you stick with it, or give up, as the case may be.

For me, I stuck with it because I discovered how much more fun it is than driving, and because I learned that I can go a LOOOOONG way on a bike... not just stay in my neighbourhood like I did when I was young. My bike can take me across town, or even between cities. It seems obvious to me now, but it was a revelation at the time.

not sure if there's actually a poll here but...

i started commuting to get in more training time.

I was training for a triathlon and discovered that if I had my bike with me at the end of the day, I was much less likely to blow off my bike workout.

When the race was over, I just kept riding it to work.

I used to run a lot, and started cycling with a buddy just for fun and exercise. I got addicted and now don't run but maybe once every week or two. I just find cycling more enjoyable.

I see it as an activity I can continue with my wife as I age as well. I just like it mostly . The exercise is great too.

My reason was two-fold. Neither had anything to do with protecting the environment. 1. I like being outdoors but had an often stressful indoor job. 2. When I got to work, I felt more relaxed and physically fit; when I got home I was in a better mood.

Moved for a new job and sold my car. didnt want to ask my girlfriend for the keys everyday so I started to ride my single speed.... later I bought a geared bike. fairly new to this all but loving it.

When I was in college, my work and campus were only a few miles away. Seemed ridiculous to drive. And campus parking sucked.

I got a parking ticket once, and decided I would never bring a car down town again.

to get to work

The main reason I started was that there was existing bicycle infrastructure with bike lanes and felt safe and thought it would be fun. Then I realized it was faster than the bus and driving.

Didn't have a reliable car. Girl friend was a cyclist. I just started cycling more and more, and it was easy to just avoid getting a car. It became habitual.

As I am sure is the case with many people here, my desire to bike commute results from more than one of the reasons you have listed. But I ended up picking the "I like it when people think I'm brave/strong/weird" category, though not primarily because I care what other people think of me. When I reflect on my decision to bike commute, that answer seemed to fit best with the real reason.

I like to challenge myself both physically and logistically, and bike commuting in my situation definitely does that. I also tend to operate a little outside of the mainstream, though I suppose most bike commuters do. And I like being outside (physically outside, not in a car). I guess you could say that I like it when "I" see myself as brave/strong/weird. Because I would do it even if no one ever saw me or knew that I did it.

I know how corny this may sound, but my initial motivation was environmentalism. I was thinking about buying a Prius, and as I was researching it I came across a solar panel for the roof that the manufacturer claimed would let you drive up to 10 miles without using the gas engine. I was already taking public transportation most of the way to work and it was a relatively flat 2 mile drive to the train station, so I was sitting their dreaming of a vehicle that would let me make my whole commute without the use of fossil fuel. Then I had a vision of Grandpa Pickles saying, "We had a thing like that in my day...we called it a bike."


I had ridden an old department store bike to work a few times when I was in my twenties, but when I moved to Portland, it was stolen before I even became aware of the city's bike culture (it's amazing the things you don't notice while driving a car). So I was the one person in the world without an old dusty bike in the garage, but as I contemplated a $300 bike versus a $25000 car, the choice became obvious.

Anyway, I was 37 and terribly out of shape. The first day out I didn't even make it halfway to the train station, but I stuck with it and within a month I was riding the full 11 miles each way to work, skipping the public transportation part altogether.

The reasons I stuck with it, near as I can tell are:

1. I'm an endorphin junky -- ADD and biking go together like beer and pretzels
2. I really, really hate driving -- every time circumstances force me to drive my commute it makes me nuts
3. The improvement in my health and fitness are nothing short of miraculous

Andy_K, awesome answer. I get a little irritated when I see all the funding, tax rebates, and hype about hybrid or electric cars, etc, while so many people turn a blind eye to the good 'ol bicycle. Good for you! I also find that I'm not a big fan of driving these days... I'm either wishing I was on a bike, ticked off at other motorists (sometimes that happens on a bike, too, but not nearly as much), cold because I'm not moving, worried I'm going to run over a squirrel/someone's cat/someone's kid, or a combination of the above.

Since the early 1960s have commuted to school, university, work and various places by bike for one reason, only one-
it is not listed above.
Because... I LIKE TO !
Some of the elements listed above may be incidental side benefits.
Bike commute because I like to.

Two reasons:
1) I always thought a single occupant in a 3000 pound behemoth car was ludicrous. A 35 pound bicycle seemed a better solution.
2) I love riding bicycles. I started riding (again) at age 52 and I was in love with it before I finished the first mile.

For me it was that my office site moved and was suddenly only 7 miles from home. So I tried it.

My office is moving to a new location 16 miles from home; I hope I can continue to ride.

I really don't care about the mankind that much any more. As species, we are doomed by greed, hatred and stupidity anyway. Not much I can do here.

Some of my main reasons were in the poll: it's faster and I do this for health reasons. But not only it's faster, it's more reliable and predictable. Mass transit can take 50 minutes or 2 hours. My bike commute is pretty much the same most of the time, gets 5- 10 minutes longer in bad weather, maybe 15 mins in Winter, but it's predictable: I know up to 5 minutes when I will be at work. I get a flat maybe once a year. With mass transit in NYC it's a gamble.

Yes, I do enjoy being different from the street crowds, I don't want to be another caffeinated zombie and it makes my day when people think I'm crazy. Except, today I was the only person in the office that had dry clothes on I also dislike the NYC subways in general. I don't like be squeezed in crowds, I don't like to wait for delayed trains, I don't like to get stuck on crowded trains. I'd rather be wet and sweaty on a bike.

But, I think, above all I really like to ride (yeah, that should be added as an option to the poll!) and I like the feeling of freedom and being in control that it comes with riding a bike. I'm no longer on the mercy of the MTA (NYC Transit), I'm not encaged in a metal box underground that I don't have control over. I can stop when and where I want, I can detour at will, I can get off an walk, no traffic or congestion can prevent me from moving. I can run errands in Manhattan in fraction of the time. Bicycle is the most nimble, independent and reliable method of transportation.

Adam

Always prided myself in taking the road less traveled.

The other day I biked eight miles in a freezing rain. My fingers, ears, and nose were numb from the cold and my pants were soaked from the rain and filthy from the spray. I could barely see the road in front of me because of the rain drops soaking my face and hitting my glasses. Peddling against the wind made it feel like I was on the wrong end of a steep uphill the entire way home. As miserable as the ride was, when I got off the bike it occurred to me that I had fun during the ride and despite being frozen, ended up feeling pretty good. I started commuting by bicycle because of necessity, I continue because a bicycle ride, even at its worse, is better then riding in a car. How many times have you ever heard any one bragging about their good car ride home?

Yeah man, what he said. All the other things came slightly later, the enjoyment, relaxation, environmental issues, etc.

Lots of upside, little downside, and it's just fun!

I started commuting by bike because I wanted to. Did it off and on for years (usually summer months). Within the last year and a half I've maybe driven to work a total of 14 days. That's my totally fantastic answer.

I started commuting because I am better than other people. No seriously, while in Iraq convoying outside the wire it dawned on me that I never got the really cool bike I wanted as a kid.

I totally agree about the fun thing... that's what keeps me coming back for more, too, and as far as I know, riding a bike has always been fun for me. I wish these polls would let you make more than 10 possible responses. I didn't include fun in the poll because I figured that 'fun' probably wasn't the reason most of us STARTED commuting by bike; it was probably something more tangible that got us out of the car and into the saddle.... like a parking ticket, an unreliable bus, or an easier commute to a new work location. I bet fun is on just about everyone's list of reasons they keep going, though.

I've enjoyed seeing everyone's answers, and maybe I can use them to help convince some of my co-workers to start riding to work. I figure if that's what got us going, it might get them going, too. They'll hopefully fun the fun in their own way, but I'm not sure anyone can tell you how much fun it is; you have to experience it.

I was suprised health and environment were so strong... I though 'to save money' would be #1 for sure. That's kind of nice. I'm also a little sad that support from government and employers wasn't the push some of us needed. In countries and cities where there's real support for cyling, it has a huge mode share. I think that says a lot about how much support most of us get in our communities and workplaces.