hey Corsaire,

I like to because...

Started commuting years ago, cause it seemed logical, both for my health and I felt great in the mornings - I'd go in about 5:00 am. I mean every day, in spite of weather. We didn't have showers; didn't matter thought cause I worked alone most of the time and since I was married, I wasn't trying to impress the girls.

While attending school an added incentive was no parking hassles. Later, when I started racing seriously, work was a jump off point for training rides.

sun

at first it was because I wanted to get rid of a junker car, and 1]motorcycles are too dangerous and 2]electric bikes are too boring

Now, it is because I love it. It is the right thing to do. I am saving 1]the environment 2]money 3]myself from diabetes and obesity and stress 4] and protecting my ability to eat what I want to.

AND IT IS FUN. I know you said that, but I just have to say it again.

Agreed. I even started a website about cutting back on oil use (see sig). The forum rules on advertising probably prevent me from saying anything more about this, except the caveat that it's not quite ready for a lot of public use yet and so I haven't officially "launched" it, but you're welcome to look it over and give me feedback.

An alternative to single-occupancy car commuting had been something I'd wanted to do even before 9/11, but that, and moving closer to my office shortly afterwards, was the catalyst that pushed me to try bike commuting. Frankly, if the public transportation was decent for my route, I'd probably do that more, but it's not. (From one suburb to another, 5 miles, 10 mins by car or 20 by bike, would involve two city busses with a change downtown, for over an hour of bus time!) I used to live about 16 miles away, out in the country where the rural roads are mostly shoulderless and on which cars travel at 50+ mph. This is one aspect of rural living that makes it problematic for bike commuting, as has been discussed elsewhere on these forums. Most of my co-workers are in this situtation.

The fitness is a good plus, and I know that my cardiovascular fitness has improved since I started. Oddly, I have actually developed high blood pressure, which is the opposite of what should happen, but it runs in my family and I'm approaching 40, so my doctor feels it's just a coincidence.

We have also decided to cut back to one car, since mine also now sits in the driveway most of the time. Getting to be not worth the registration, insurance, and maintenance for using it once every other week or so. As soon as the snow melts a little more!

I'm just starting to commute with my bike this year, I'm just waiting for delivery of the bike, and for some warmer weather. I have a few reasons, many of which I told to my wife so that she'd let me buy a new bike for commuting:

1) Work is only 4km away. What's the point in taking a car for this short distance?
2) When I was riding my bike to school (several years ago) I felt great. I don't feel so great anymore. I want to feel good again. I want to lose a few pounds, build strength and endurance and just get more exercise.
3) I complain a lot about all these cars (esp. SUVs) crowding the roads, idling, polluting, etc. I decided not to be such a hypocrite anymore.

OK, so those are the big 3. I'm also looking forward to making 'holier-than-thou' comments about my bike commuting, but I'll try not to be a snob about it. ;)

i refuse to buy a car, insurance, and gas!

For me it's about training, but also stress reduction and freedom. In a city like LA or Seattle going anywhere is all about parking and traffic. On most days it is faster and way less stressful to get around the city by bike. It ruins my day if I have to drive to work or to the gym. Our second car is a beater Jetta, and I have 3 bikes that I maintain so the saving money argument might be a bit tenuous. But if I only drive that car once a week it will certainly last a lot longer which will save me money in the long run.

One year my car sat in front of my house for six months and didn't move. Then on a day that I was to pick up my son at school, I took it to work. A drunk came up the street that day and wiped out the two cars that were always parked just in front of mine. The neighbors thought I had planned it.

I owned that '65 Corvair for another 10 years after that.

sun

EDIT: I forgot to add

4) Gas is more expensive now than I can remember in my 22 years on this planet. I doubt it will go down much.

The reasons for my commuting, though I am unable currently (will be starting full time again soon), are plentiful:

1. Save the earth
2. Save money
3. Thighs of steel (should never be overlooked).
4. With young chidren at home, the only time I have for a workout.
5. Most importantly, the feeling at work. Not only do I feel great, exhilarated actually, at work for the first few hours, but the rest of the day I look forward with childlike anticipation to the ride home, as opposed to the dread and gloom of thinking of the auto commute through ornery traffic, bottlenecks and exhaust fumes. A bike path through golden fall foliage, or along the surging spring creeks, makes a day at the office a little more bearable.

I am going to start commuting next week to get exercise, lose (more) weight, and keep my sanity. And, in SoCal, to save a TON of money on gas. I'm also getting jealous of the landscapers outside! Plus, dammit, I love to ride.

I am reminded of this story:

A Zen Teacher saw five of his students return from the market, riding their bicycles. When they had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"

The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the student, saying, "You are a smart boy. When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over, as I do."

The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path." The teacher commended the student, "Your eyes are open and you see the world."

The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant, 'nam myoho renge kyo'." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."

The fourth student answered, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all beings."
The teacher was pleased and said, "You are riding on the golden path of non-harming."

The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle."

The teacher went and sat at the feet of the fifth student, and said, "I am your disciple."

Bikes ROCK!! :D

I ride my bicycle because global warming sucks. I also get where I'm going faster than the cars.

I ride because it's point A to point B transportation that:

is fun, as is already understood, as opposed to driving which is boring.

is good exercise. I feel better in general and because of this I've also noticed an increase in my productivity at work. I also haven't had as many colds this winter and the ones I have caught are not as severe and clear up faster.

at this time of year and with the direction I ride, I can watch the sunrise on my way to work.

is a great stress reliever.

saves me money. Since I've started riding again I've cut the amount of fuel I buy for the Land Cruiser by over 75%. I don't particularly buy into any of the enviromental "end times" negative attitude.

Additional miles/exercise, save gas money, pollute less, good for the soul, pisses-off motorists who are too busy stuffing Egg McMuffin in their pie-holes to actually pay attention to driving.

I enjoy the sense of moral superiority it brings. Plus all the practical reasons everyone else has.

i like to ride. most of the time. but i ride all of the time because no more car. is better this way. johnb you will be happy with out it. maybe you can trade it in for a mango?

ok. we can make hypotheses and test them experimentally, or we can just vote. who wants voting?
voting it is!

Actually, it's not. The idea that humans have anything to do with global warming is just Eco-Lib fantasy.

Canadian scientists, Stephen McIntyre and Ross McKitrick have debunked the mathmatical error made by geoscientist Michael Mann and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts.

http://www.uoguelph.ca/%7Ermckitri/r...te.fall04.html

global warming and pollution are two different things. pollution makes people sick. some die.

Yes, now this I agree with. :beer:

Yeah okay, but all of that global warming stuff aside, if you're riding your bike to work, that's one less car spewing pollutants into the air during every morning and evening rush hour. Period.

Edit: Ah! I didn't see the above post. Never mind... :o

I chose the last option... it's either that, or bumming rides or catching the bus.

I also do it for my health. It's the only excersize I get! If it weren't for my bike, I wouldn't move around much.

I take my bike over public transportation. Trimet really isn't that bad, but the fact that I have to transfer onto 3 busses, not to mention it takes about 1hr 15min to get to work and 1hr 30min to get home. My workplace is about 9 miles away from home, and I usually commute five days a week. It takes me about 35-40 minutes each way, depending on traffic.

I've noticed that my attitude is different when I'm commuting to and from work. I seem to be a little more uptight compared to when I bike around on the weekends. I've also concluded that the fact that my job makes me feel kinda s***ty doesn't help, either. Ugh... anybody know of job openings in PDX? I will (pretty much am, too) work for peanuts.

I know what you mean by the bus being slow. I used to commute from Beaverton to downtown Portland, about a 10 mile commute. One day I broke a spoke and was forced to take the bus the rest of the way into town. What was a 20 minute trip on my bike (from where I broke down) turned into probably about 40 minutes on the bus.

I did an atmospheric science degree at the UoGuelph. The study that you state refers to supposed inaccuracies in a study of tree-rings in bristlecone pines. The climate change theory is not adressed in the URL you provide. And anyone contesting a positive correlation between global temperature and atmospheric CO2 levels was in a tiny minority at the UoG. Tiny enough I never heard of them.

The only correlation I have noticed is scientists who contest the climate change theory tend to get their funding from the petroleum industry. But that's just an observation.

And for the record, you "debunk" a theory based on errors. You dont 'debunk' errors... you just identify them.

Life's too hectic to have time for the Gym, so a 50km round commute 2-3 times a week provides the exercise I've been missing for years. Using secondary roads/cycle lanes it takes no longer than driving to work & is a real stress buster. Saving $$ in petrol helps justify bike parts & upgrades..