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-   -   Does Commuting Make You "Happy"? (https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/871732-does-commuting-make-you-happy.html)

krobinson103 02-08-13 03:50 AM

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That was a fun day to commute. -17c and totally frozen the whole way. Took twice as long to get anywhere but the feeling when I got there was amazing.

acidfast7 02-08-13 03:55 AM

yes

-=(8)=- 02-08-13 03:58 AM


Originally Posted by BassNotBass (Post 15249519)
I'm happy to begin with... commuting by bike is just one of the things I do because I enjoy it.

:thumb:
Hello neighbor . . .
I agree. Happy people do happy stuff.
My commute utilizes trails through Cherokee and Beargrass . . . Instead of angry angry car people I see Herons, Hawks and other assorted wildlife. Add the bike factor-- cant really think of a better way to start/finish a work day.

jrickards 02-08-13 06:32 AM

I feel better in the morning after exercise which can be bike commuting or, as I did today, walking in (4km, 2.5mi).

droy45 02-08-13 06:47 AM

It sure does. Nothing like the feeling of looking forward to a ride home at night after a days work. Its funny how for some commuters they can cruise along in the dedicated bike lane passing all the cars with ease that are grid locked and they look at the bike rider in disgust and jealous. But for me its kind of the opposite where if I drove it would take 20mins, and when I commute it takes 1 hour. All the cars are passing me and I can tell some are thinking "that poor guy on the bike, that looks awfully slow and hard to do".:roflmao2:

cycleobsidian 02-08-13 07:04 AM


Originally Posted by Mr. Hairy Legs (Post 15249679)
Yes. It makes me feel good, and young. Driving has the exact opposite effect.

Me too.

And here's a news article that says cyclists are the happiest of all commuters.

http://grist.org/news/cyclists-are-t...rce=newsletter

tarwheel 02-08-13 07:13 AM

Yes. I always feel better after I ride and start getting cranky when I can't ride due to bad weather, travel, work, etc.

Mumonkan 02-08-13 09:15 AM


Originally Posted by 1nterceptor (Post 15249551)
Yes, when it's raining I have the path to myself :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9-Kv...=ULZPXqq7j-6oU

ive never seen the greenway so dead! i wish it was like that when its nice out so i could just blast through there

acidfast7 02-08-13 09:18 AM

the Danes have been rated the happiest people alive.

coincidence? i think not!

modernjess 02-08-13 09:38 AM

Happy? Not sure, but it is contributing factor. I know without a doubt that cycling regularly is essential to my overall mental health which in turn makes being happy more achievable and consistent. So it's not all of it but it's a part of the equation.

hyhuu 02-08-13 10:15 AM

Happiness isn't attributed to one thing in life. Commuting certainly makes me happier.

anichka 02-08-13 10:31 AM

Definitely. I agree with the sentiment that driving has the opposite effect, too.

I love the "Bikeyface" comic, and the concept that people get that "bikeyface" when they are on their bikes. So true!

Steely Dan 02-08-13 10:48 AM

riding a bike makes me happy. it has become essential to my mental well-being.

so commuting by bike makes me happy. commuting by train makes me "meh".

i try to stay off the train as much as possible.

1nterceptor 02-08-13 11:19 AM


Originally Posted by Mumonkan (Post 15250889)
ive never seen the greenway so dead! i wish it was like that when its nice out so i could just blast through there

The path is also mostly empty on cold days :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJA9SXNTsd8

muu 02-08-13 11:50 AM

it's less that cycle commuting feels great, and more that driving to work sucks. Yes, the occasional buzzing truck/redneck can dampen the ride, but I find myself getting much more frustrated when I'm driving in the same lane as the other idiots out there, glued to their cellphone, driving like a drunk, etc etc.

Bluish Green 02-08-13 12:00 PM


Originally Posted by tarwheel (Post 15250563)
Yes. I always feel better after I ride and start getting cranky when I can't ride due to bad weather, travel, work, etc.

+1. Same here.

CharlieFree 02-08-13 12:27 PM

Yes! And fun! The feeling is the same as when I was a little kid.

Mark Stone 02-08-13 02:37 PM

Heck yeah it makes me happy. I have 7 employees at the restaurant I run, and the first thing they ask me every morning was whether I rode my bike to work. They know: If I ride, I'm in a great mood; if I drive, they steer clear.

Jim from Boston 02-08-13 02:38 PM

I would add “heroic’ to happy. When I’m carefully dressing in layers for my winter commute, making sure everything is in place and adjusted, I envision an astronaut preparing for a mission. When I arrive, all pumped up from the ride, and I walk down the hall swathed in my winter gear, helmet on my head, I think about the scene from the movie, “The Right Stuff.” where the astronauts stride down a corridor in their space suits to the Hallelujah Chorus.

See this movie trailer, at 2:58: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuR1p7UdI2Y

globie 02-08-13 02:40 PM

I wouldn't do it if I didn't love it.
Simple as that. Everything else -- exercise, earth stewardship, saving money -- is gravy.

Mark Stone 02-08-13 02:57 PM


Originally Posted by Jim from Boston (Post 15252137)
I would add “heroic’ to happy. When I’m carefully dressing in layers for my winter commute, making sure everything is in place and adjusted, I envision an astronaut preparing for a mission. When I arrive, all pumped up from the ride, and I walk down the hall swathed in my winter gear, helmet on my head, I think about the scene from the movie, “The Right Stuff.” where the astronauts stride down a corridor in their space suits to the Hallelujah Chorus.

The words "toy" and "play" seem to be appropriate at this time :lol: When I ride I am Captain Picard!

JoeyBike 02-08-13 07:59 PM


Originally Posted by Brian@PedalBIG (Post 15249492)
Simple question. Does commuting make you happy, and if so, why?

The actual act of commuting to work by bike sucks for me. Getting anywhere without a car makes me happy and lessens the number of days I have to go to work. So in a backhanded kinda way - commuting by bicycle makes me happy, CAReFREE, and work-lite.

MookieBlaylock 02-08-13 11:10 PM

Yes, it does! Sometimes, I think about why I started commuting to school. Is it because it saves money, it's good exercise, it's convienient, it's good for the environment, or maybe just because it's just fun? Who knows?!

While it can be a struggle some days, it is relaxing and it's a great way to get to know your city.

Mark Stone 02-09-13 08:03 AM


Originally Posted by JoeyBike (Post 15253216)
The actual act of commuting to work by bike sucks for me.

I'm extremely surprised to read this in one of your posts! Why do you say that? You're a seasoned veteran of the two-wheel world. Generally (with some exceptions) I look forward to a commute like a kid looking forward to playing with his toy lol

Getting anywhere without a car makes me happy and lessens the number of days I have to go to work. So in a backhanded kinda way - commuting by bicycle makes me happy, CAReFREE, and work-lite.
+1

Gravity Aided 02-09-13 08:19 AM

Yes. But I'm kind of chirpy anyways.


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