chefisaac

As I rode home from work today (got off a little early), I was reflecting on what I love about commuting to and from work. I have commuted maybe a dozen times so far and each time I do it is a little different. Here is what I love about commuting. Not particular order. Feel free to add to it.

- I love the learning that comes from riding. Both learning how to ride in traffic and also handling what to wear for what temperatures and weather conditions.
- I love it outside. I love the scenery.
- I love not being boxed into a car
- I love not having my cell phone handy. As I rode home this afternoon, I saw a guy pulled into a parking lot in his car and was on a call. I am thankful that my cell phone is in my panniers.
- I love the challenge. When people say "you did not ride in this morning" or the "wow, you rode in this morning".
- I love the exercise that riding offers
- I love the money saved from gas. Gas is now 3.29. It was up over 10 cents from a week ago.
-I love getting into my truck and still finding I have a near full tank
- I love seeing other people commute
- I love..... all of it!

(and I love racking up the miles and logging them when I get in!)

a1penguin

I love my rides home late at night with no traffic. I too have enjoyed figuring out the winter clothing thing..... even though my winter is nothing like yours.

SlimRider

The Urban Commute

I've always loved the urban commute. The moment to moment and second to second change of events and excitement. There's the terrain changes. There's the traffic changes. There's the neighborhood changes. There's the change in sound, mood, and atmosphere. One moment, you're listening to gear changes, chain, and sprockets. The next second, it's the wind, the birds, a horn, voices, or puddles splashing.

As you ride along, you continue to get in sync with the traffic and the feel of time at that very instant. The nerves are all sharpened. You see things you wouldn't ordinarily notice. Your sense of sight is suddenly heightened. Your sense of hearing is instantaneously augmented. You're in complete survival mode and what I call, my Zen state. Everything is moment to moment and second to second. Then finally, you come within some "safe", comfortable, and nearby distance from your destination. You finally begin to pipe down, nerves are calming, breath is steadying, and though you are still in a very alert state of mind, somehow your feeling is that, it was all surreal...

- Slim

wwiding

I love the stress reduction that commuting offers. I like choosing different routes and seeing other people biking.
I like working on my own commuter bike, to be closer to my chosen form of transportation in a way that most auto-mobile drivers aren't.
And, I'm actually starting to enjoy listening to one specific coworker constantly giving "his" reasons for why I don't drive. I learned today that I'm scared of cars, if it weren't for that coworker telling me this I'd be living my life in ignorance

The Chemist

I love not having to crowd into the Metro with 7 million other people every day.
I love how riding in in the morning wakes me up, and how riding home in the evening relaxes me after a hard day of work.
I love the views of the city I get (bridges, buildings, ships on the river, etc) that I don't get on the Metro.

tarwheel 

I love getting a good workout while commuting, time that would normally be wasted.
I love the way I feel all day when I ride, all mellowed out and stress relieved.
I love being able to eat more food during the day without worrying about the extra calories.
I love my bikes, the way they look, the way they ride and fit me.
I love not having to buy gas for my truck every week, sometimes going 6 weeks or more between fill ups.
I love being in such great shape from commuting that longer weekend rides and tours are a breeze.

DiabloScott

There's a bridge on the bike path I use, that goes over one of the busier streets I'd have to take if I drove. I love going over the bridge and looking down my nose at the hundreds of autos that are backed up at the intersection.

locolobo13 

All of the above.

I feel better in the mornings if I ride than if I don't.

DVC45

I feel better all day, even when I am work (and that's saying a lot), when I bike commute.

gerv 

The OP sums it up pretty good. For me, the fresh air is so exhilarating. I think human beings are by nature outdoor animals. I never feel as comfortable at my desk all day.

ultimattfrisbee

Chef, you said it all (almost).

I love the feeling when I get to the top of the biggest hill on my commute and know that, once again, it didn't stop me.
I love realizing that places I used to think of as "go there in a car" places are places I can reach on my own steam.
I love the sound my chain makes as it slides through my derailleur.
I love that my students think I'm some kind of superman because I ride my bike to school, and that they always tell me, I saw you on your bike, Mr. Weiss, and you were flyin'!
I love that I'm setting a good example for my kids about being adventurous, active and self-reliant.
I love every time a driver waves me through an intersection or gives me a thumbs up. Sharing the road can work and it's fun.
I love checking the weather and laying out my gear the night before.
I love the sound the studs in my tires make when they cut into a patch of ice I didn't see and keep me from hitting the pavement.
I love getting on the scale and realizing that I'm lighter than I was when I was a junior in high school.
I love that I could go on and on about what I love about commuting...

christophish

Ultimattfrisbee, you sound familiar (re: alot like me).

I also love the responses I get from my students when they see me with my bike and enjoy hearing "Hi Mr. Iversen!" as I ride along my commute.

I love the odd looks as well as the looks of admiration/secret envy from my colleagues as I push my bike into the school (especially in winter)

I love the sounds and sights you just can't get in a car

I love the way I feel all day when I've ridden to work

I love always thinking about the next time I get to ride my bike

I love the money I save on gas

I love doing my part to help the planet

I love to ride my bike... Period

Jim from Boston

As a long time year-round avid bicycle commuter, I really enjoyed the above posts. I have no immediate thoughts to add, but now have additional joys of cycle commuting to ponder and reconsider. Many of those suggested above are ones I have contemplated previously:

Two of my major motivations for riding riding in wet and/or cold weather are to meet the challenges of being safe and comfortable; and to know when I arrive, I’ll invariably be asked, “You didn’t ride your bike today, did you?”

I log my miles and other data in an Excell spreadsheet and watch the graphs climb. Data entry is a strong motivator.

A strategy to keep from getting bored on my usual routes is to keep my head up and try to observe new things. I’ve noticed that I often see novel sights on my well-traveled routes when I’m in a car and my gaze is elevated above the road.

I’m very comfortable in traffic on my bike and it’s a normal feeling of exhilaration. I do some times feel surreal when I’m at work in my “learned profession” at a suburban location where everyone drives a nice car. I’m not scorned by my colleagues and staff, but sometimes I do feel “different,” maybe counter-cultural, but its not a bad feeling.

Not specific to cycling, though is I do like to listen to talk shows when I ride, and “Jim from Boston” was chosen as my BF user name because that is how I'm announced when I (rarely) call in. One of my favorite stations has occasional anti-bicycling rants and when I call or E-mail, I tweak them by describing myself as their Number One Fan among Boston’s Bicycle Commuters.

chefisaac

I love laying out my clothes the night before too, checking the weather (but dont like to watch the news.... I swear the weather guy plays tricks in my head and thats not good) and I love packing my panniers.

ultimattfrisbee

Great thread, Chef. I definitely love the, "You didn't ride today, did you?" I also like cleaning my bike off after a dirty commute and lubing the driveshaft. Keeping that simple machine in good condition can be laborious, but I like being able to do it and it costs a lot less than my mechanic charges me to do the same thing for my car.

I'm not much of a mechanic now, but I'm learning more all the time. I like that.

Vodalus

This.

clawhammer72

I love finding a new route through the heart of my city that is 90% tree lined horse trail with no cars around.
I love getting to ride it from the school where I teach to the other school across town for a district training, while my colleagues are stuck driving their cars and trying to find parking.

....and +1 to the whole getting-to-eat-more-and-not-worrying-about-it thing. Yeah.....: )

jputnam

I love the chance to get outdoors, every day, regardless of the weather, and remember that I'm really alive.

I love seeing this, instead of concentrating on the tail lights of the car in front of me


Winter Sunset, I-90 Bicycle Trail, Lake Washington by joshua_putnam, on Flickr

chefisaac

great pic!

fholt

Great pic indeed, and even before that caption I figured that was Seattle.

What I like best about commuting is how much more awake I am after an hour ride in early, than a 30 minute drive in, typically an hour later. I arrive at 7 when I ride, to minimize traffic, and around 8 when I drive. I'm much fresher at 7 than I am at 8 - even though I sleep an hour longer on the driving days.

david58

I love the fact that I get to do something FUN on the way to work and on the way home from work.

spare_wheel

i love taking the lane.
i love passing motorists.
i love beating my best time.
i love taking turns at 40 mph.
i love feeling my muscles burn.
i love never putting my feet on pavement.
i love making newbies gasp when i find a gap.
i love being told to slow down by a fredly grouch.
i love leaving motorists in the dust when the light turns.

EKW in DC

I love that my commutes at among the highlights of my day, and not something to dread.
I love that I get exercise just by going to work.
I love making it to work in just over half an hour, when metro used to take me an hour door to door.
I love that even budgeting myself money for bike commuting items and equipment, my commute is cheaper than it would be otherwise.
I love seeing the sun set on the Potomac as I ride home.

There are others, but I gotta stop somewhere. :-)

c3hamby

I also like riding at night for the same reason. I find it hard to do commuting this time of year though, even though it's only 30-40 at night and I have the right clothes for it.

Closed Office

I just get that about twice a winter, on the coldest day, and maybe the stormiest day. My answer last time was: "It was either that or give the bus company a buck!" (and that will never happen)