I own a jeep but i choose not to drive it because 1. Gas is ridiculous and a 16mpg jeep is not economical 2. I can get anywhere i need to just as fast on a bike if not faster so why kill the environment when i can enjoy the open air without being trapped in a cage 3. I just love to ride

Simply because it's the fastest way to get to work. And most fun.

I commute by bike:

1. The freedom I feel riding is a direct contrast to being jammed in the subway with several million people where the AC rarely works on the trains (Beijing) -- prefer to be smelly and sweaty on my own in the open air.

2. Exercise -- means I don't have to schedule extra time in to exercise

3. Maintains sanity

4. a) Explore new places on the way home and see crazy things almost daily (Beijing)
b) Beautiful scenery -- along the rivers in Taipei

5. I have no car.

6. Usually faster than public transit

7. Saves money

I commute because I need to get to work. I use a bike for it because it's fun and I like riding bikes. It's also a lot more reliable and less frustrating than mass transit. Everything else is secondary.

LOL. I often don't want to walk a few blocks to get lunch and people would say: "So you ride several miles to work but you don't want to walk a few blocks???" Yeah, walking is boring, so last century

And yeah, I don't like to be surrounded so closely by people on a crowded subway.

someone with a bmw m3 once told me that commuting by bike was inefficient...i waved to him on my bike while i saw him at the pumps

Because riding bikes is cool (i.e., I like it cool, far out, enjoyable, etc.) and having a destination gives my ride more purpose.

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Now if we could only get those that drive exclusively to do so we'd all be better off

a. To stop middle age spread
b. To flip my finger at people flying occupied aircraft into occupied buildings.
c. To say "tee-hee, suckers" at Friday night traffic.
d. To maintain "Mommy is badazz" reputation with my teenagers.

As far as whole "green" thing goes - pffffttttt! Due to my professional training I am saving Mother Earth at my desk 9 to 5, five days a week.

I commute to work by bike because I love riding my bike. My best part of the day is riding. All the other benefits I get from riding to work are just bonuses.

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I commute because I enjoy riding and the commute is long enough ( 25 mile round trip) to keep me in shape.
All the other stuff is a bonus, like someone else aready mentioned.

I commute by bike to get to work and back.

I'm 45 and have for the most always commuted to work. I started working at 15. Up until 2010 I've also always owned a car, but in 2010 I went through 4 cars and spent over $4,000 in car repairs so now I only own a bike. I know - don't ask!

p.s. I don't miss the car.

I commute for several reasons

Cost, I got tired of forking over insane amounts of money for a car

Joy, I enjoy riding my bike, I always have... and I find I am a happier person by commuting by bike instead of being locked in San Jose gridlock

Health, I had quit smoking a month prior to commuting full time... I have lost several inches around the waist since

Experience, I have found that by bike... everything looks different... and all in a positive way

For the same reason the chicken crosses the road.

I haven't started bike commuting yet, but I plan to soon, because:

1. Love riding the bike
2. Help me lose weight and get in shape (already down 15 lbs this year from running!)
3. Save money on gas.

I drive an Acura Integra GS-R that I've had since 2001. It's been my only car since then, and I love driving it. But it does require premium fuel, and prices are insane compared to the ~$1.50 or less of 93 octane when I bought it in 2001.

I HOPE I'll be able to say that commuting by bike is fun, but I just don't know yet, since the only roads available will be 2-lane roads with no shoulder and most people driving pretty fast. Also there are LOTS of hills. It'll be about 26-27 miles round trip depending on the route. Also due to my wife's morning and evening schedules, I know I'll only be able to commute on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and even those days I may have to cut my office hours a bit short (arrive a little after 8 on Wed/Fri, may have to leave at 4:30 on Monday). So we'll see how it goes.

At this point I'm not too thrilled with a couple of the roads I have to ride on to get there and back.

Sci_femme, I'm intrigued. What do you do? What is your professional training?

I like to ride my bike.
I like the exercise/endorphins.
It helps my bad knees - I've had much fewer knee issues since I've been riding regularly.
I like not using my car and not having to drive in traffic.
I like the scenery.
I like talking to/meeting other commuters/cyclists.
I like tracking my rides and seeing my ride data.
I like spending my money on my bikes/gear instead of the car, parking, petrol, etc.
I like the feeling of freedom you get.
I like taking a different way home every day.

ChemE by training, did some research in my misspent youth, work in environmental testing lab now.

I have commuted for a lot of different reasons over the years. I started in the 80's on a Schwinn Varsity because I needed to do something different That led to my first real bike, a Cannondale Criterium in 90 I think (It cost $1000, $600 more than the car I was driving).I can still remember the feeling of speed I felt the first time I rode. Wow. I can also remember the look on my friend Steve's face when I clip-clopped into his police station in Brooklyn dressed in lycra tights, a tight colorful bike shirt, bike shoes, and a bike helmet, and bloody from having just been hit by a an old lady in a Buick. All that gear was still pretty exotic back then and we hadn't seen each other in a while so the look on his face was probably the same look anyone would give to a friend they remembered as normal showing up looking crazy, a sort of questioning condescension. Like he's thinking "Jeez, Ken used to be normal, I wonder what happened?" I realized then and there that I wouldn't ever be able to explain to him why I commute, but anyone who rides already knows. I've been able to identify some of my own reasons in every post on this thread. Mostly I ride my bike because it's the place I feel the most normal. Go figure?

Pretty much the same as everyone else.

-I love to ride my bike.
-I own a car, but feel pretty ridiculous when I use it to get around town, which is only about 5 square miles.
-I'm cheap.
-I get to do something I love while being a) cheap b) green and c)getting some exercise

This.

My commute takes me past the Pentagon Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall. People travel from all over the world to see what I see on my commute. Why waste it on the metro? Also, my wife and I can bike the same route into work; if we metro, we take different metro lines. :-( Oh, and it's 10 minutes faster than the metro.

(P.S. Hello, everyone. I've had an account for a while but I'm finally posting.)

Also, a car in Washington during rush hour is about as practical and speedy as a kayak in the Sahara. On second thought, I take that back -- the Sahara kayak is a much better idea, because you can at least find a spot to park it.

Mostly the same here, same age bracket.

Riding a bike is fun.

I have a computer/desk job and it gets me some exercise each day. I also walk or run for 1/2 hr a day on my break at work.

It's silly to pay for gas for my car just to get to work and downtown.

Yesterday I spent $40 in gas to get to Moab and back for the day (took road bikes and rode in Arches NP). I'd rather spend gas money on something like that than just getting to work.

I live in a city with so associated with cycling that it was a Jeopardy! question.