ftimw

I get tired of being called "Lance" by people that have no idea what bikes are about.

alexaschwanden

Less expensive using a car, and a bike is easier to fix, more freedom to anywhere at your own speed.

Bluish Green

Before I started, I was worried a little bit about reactions from a couple of people at work, but I have been pleasantly surprised when they talk one-on-one and tell me they wish they could do the same thing I am doing. I got a couple of jokes about being Lance, about my helmet and reference to some movie I never saw, but I think those are just small-talk by people who don't know what else to say and are trying to lighten up the office. Sometimes it feels like a Halloween costume every day when I walk in wearing my Bike Guy gear, but it hasn't been too bad overall. In my case, the weight loss has made it all sweeter anyways. I don't plan to go back.

Pobble.808

Well, basically nobody says anything, which would indicate that they don't care one way or the other, and that would be fine with me.
But I know that they do care!
Due to seniority and rank I am entitled to a coveted parking space close to the building, but I don't use it, which means that one lucky devil of lesser seniority/rank gets the privilege of laying out about $650 (and rising) per annum to park in an elite space that could have been mine.
So my colleagues are grateful for my weird predilection... but almost none will emulate it.

John R

Between my high stress job and my crazy family, the time I spend on my bike is for me, no stress, no complaining kids, no nagging girlfriend. I also save money, and I weigh the same I did in high school.

SkippyX

Offer to sell them some steroids.......and then leave them hanging while you walk away laughing.

*Not that I'm suggesting that Lance did any such thing.*

cooker

It's great that you're cycling, but two miles will soon start to seem pretty short, so if you are doing it partly for exercise, be sure to "take the long way home", and get some extra miles in. Also, think about walking to work once in a while. A two mile walk each way would be a huge health boost.

PJCB

Seeing that today will be my first day riding home from work (I'm commuting every-other for now), I think it's appropriate to post my reasoning.

I love riding. It's enjoyable and I love the challenge. I hate cars and sitting in Hartford, CT traffic trying to cross three different highways just to go 3 towns over (on Friday ComiCon and a country concert tripled the time it took to get home). I value my health, the big big reason. The office I work in is NOT condusive to healthy life choices: literally every person aside from myself and one other person are significantly overweight (30 or more extra lbs). Company lunches are catered with extra cheese and meat pizzas, giant grinders covered in mayo and cheese, regular soda and potato chips. Basically, it scared the s**t out of me. At 22 years old, I figure habits started now will be easier to maintain throughout the years and I NEVER want to end up like my coworkers. Some of them even live in town, within 3mi and still drive to work.

Driving is expensive. My girlfriend has a giant commute and sucks up gas just by going to work, so anything I can do to lower the $500/month minimum we spend on gas alone is what I'll do. I used to commute in high school almost the same distance I will be doing now, but completely forgot. Also, I love nature and being outside, and will really appreciate the time to decompress.

I'll let you know what my coworkers think!

ckaspar

"Man, you are nuts riding a bike to work that far!!" Would be my first thought of what they'll say. They'll keep like that for a while until they see you are serious then they will just get used to it like a piece of furniture in the office. I look forward to hearing how your first commute turns out.

caloso

Some will think you're suicidal, some will think you're a dirty hippy, some will think you're a wannabe Lance Armstrong. We know, however, that you're just a regular guy who figured out a better way of getting to work.

Surrealdeal

I do it for the glory. And the chicks.

troyWI

My commute calms me and helps put distance between me, my house, and work. It also is good exercise, and I hate oil companies so I get to screw them too in the process.

SkippyX

How's that working out for ya?

cooker

You calling me a wimp?

I had one fall on a day that was clear in the morning, with freezing rain in the evening, and I decided it just wasn't worth it to take the risk of falling again. When you fall on dry pavement, you fall "over" and you have time to get your foot on the ground and slow your fall. But when you fall on ice, the bike skids out from under you, and you fall straight down, and fast! So I will ride in any temperature if the pavement is clear (no wimping out due to cold), but never on ice or snow.

roubaixdude1

Drive to work...then Drive home...then work out??? NOO!

What a waste of time!

Skip the Drive and get the workout in! All while smelling new things, seeing new things, waking up without coffee, feeling great when you get to work, so excited to ride home after work, being fit, healthy, active--Feels so good!

Besides, living in Seattle, the traffic very very much so stresses me out!

roubaixdude1

The CEO and CFO are real dicks about my riding style. They always mention how "cute" my spandex are....jokingly...but hey it came to their mind. Anyways they are extremely unhealthy. I told them to check out my bank account and talk with my doctor about how cute I am.

DaveZ

QUOTE=Steely Dan;14466241]i ride to work everyday because it's good for my soul.

Best Answer Yet

BadBoy10

1. Lose weight.

2. I make a lot of money but have failed to save one dime.
Commuting more frequently and eventually relinquishing my car payments will save me a considerable amount of money considering I have clearly neither the inclination or the common sense to invest and/or save.

ChrisM2097

I commute twice a week on average. I'm a pretty big guy, so most are impressed, especially when i tell them I live over 10 miles away.

I've been doing it pretty consistently for about a year, so most people don't even pay much attention anymore, anyways.

rimimik

I am full agree with you.

1. My truck broke last September. I was still paying child support a the time (it's done now, thank goodness) and the repair was an expensive one. I started riding Houston Metro. An average day was two hours bus stop to bus stop, and that didn't take into consideration the time spent walking to the bus stop. Add another twenty minutes each way. A bad day was three hours stop to stop. I tried riding my bike to the bus stop and then putting it onto the bike rack on the front of the bus, but far too often the bus I needed would show up w/ two already in the rack, which meant another half hour wait to catch the next bus.

2. I went to the doctor, stepped onto the scale and found I had broken the 300 lb barrier. I moped about that for a couple more months.

3. I started hearing people who were about my age (47) complaining about the pills they were taking for high blood pressure, cardiac disease, high cholesterol levels and diabetes. According to my doctor my blood work numbers were good, but it was a bit spooky to hear that my brother (two years younger than me) had started taking Lipitor, or that my brother-in-law (three years older than me) had a defibrillator implanted in his chest.

4. One day I was at the bus stop after work and the bus was 45 minutes late. I thought "This is ridiculous. I could ride a bicycle home faster than I could make it taking the bus, and I'd probably lose weight. I bet it would help stave off all those health issues that I keep hearing about from others as well...."

So I started riding to work.

Well, actually, I started riding 2/3 of the way to work; to a convenient bus stop about 2/3 of the way there. I couldn't manage the whole commute to start. Now, three months later, I'm commuting the entire way (20 miles each way) daily. I feel great. At last count - about three weeks ago - I had lost twenty pounds. My heart rate is down and so is my blood pressure. When I first started riding the entire distance it took 1 hr, 50 min to do the ride, and I was just hosed out from the trip. Working was difficult, but I stuck with it. Now my average trip is around 1 hr, 30 min, and today I did it in 1 hr 26 min. My goal is to get to the point where I can do the ride in something close to one hour. I know that's going to take a while, but I figure it only took me three months to knock twenty minutes off my average time. I have much more weight to lose, and I have gotten faster as I've lost the weight. I believe ~ one hour is doable. If I can get to an hour each way I'll match what my average drive time used to be.

Houston traffic is maddening. I miss all of it when I ride since I'm moving through residential neighborhoods most of the way rather than down congested highways.

It's just a much better way to move my fat rear end from point A to point B.

Surrealdeal

I have two kids who think that it's the coolest thing in the world that their dad rides a bike to work; if they are playing in the yard when I get home it's like having my own personal TdF finish line. Plus I have a wife who can't keep her hands off me.

So to answer your question, it is working out great!

SkippyX

Sounds like it is working out well!

I don't have a TdF finish line reception, but I do have a wife that greets me w/ an enormous tub o' ice water and a kiss when I get home - no matter how sweaty I am.

So, it's working pretty well for me too.

ckaspar

Cutest thing ever. I am usually home before they get home but I may ride a little slower today just to get my due applause.

apollored

Well done on cycling to get fitter and to work faster, hope you do the hour commute pretty soon.


Here is another inspiring Cycle Commuter's story:


You'll need to scroll down to the bottom of the page to watch the video, its certainly worth it


https://www.realcycles.com/

apollored

I was trying to gain a job where a commute would take me through a Water Park Sports Centre and over a river and would be about 25 mins in total, a very relaxed and pretty stroll in really or longer if I went the whole way round.

No luck tho, oh well lol.