1, 2, 3, 7 and 8, provided that I'm qualified as a "roadie."

Biking to work is a great exercise for me. It is 10 miles one way with some steep hills. I'm also living car-light. And I love to be different.

@mgw4jc, I want to ride it where I like...

Yes! I do drive to work sometimes, usually because of outside constraints, but when I do I always end up asking myself this question.

My co-workers often puzzle over why I would bike to work when it's raining. I tell them, it's still better than being in a car. In fact, I find that bad weather increases my dislike of driving significantly more than it decreases my enjoyment of biking. This morning it was in the low 60's with a slight drizzle, and that was downright pleasant.

Good point. The poll also doesn't have an option for public transit. When I don't commute by bike, I take the bus. No way in HELL am I driving in.

Too antisocial to take public transport; too cheap to pay for parking; too lazy to walk.

That's a great answer!


Andy_K-After living in the PNW(Port Angeles, with a rainforest for my backyard-literally), I'm not scared of rain.

Antisocial or pro-solitude?

While I like riding my bike, during the nice weather months I may ride up to 12-14 hours per week. My motivation to do so, besides getting to work which has easier alternatives, is for the health benefits. In my busy life it is a sacrifice, but not without those benefits, to expend that much time. I would do very little riding if it was just because I liked to ride.

You forgot my number one choice:

[x] It is fun.

Because f@$& you, that's why.

But seriously, because I'd rather not be stuck in a car, because my bad knee makes walking not as fun, because or public transit sucks.... Drove to work for the first time after a couple weeks straight cycling, and I just couldn't shake the cobwebs out all day, I was getting irritable, etc...

No ride today?

Here you go. That would be a poll for me.

I can't use my bicycle. I live too far in too hilly of an area from work (20 miles average 9 mph.) I don't have 4+ hours per day to be commuting to work.

It is 105-115° with extreme humidity at work, far worse than Florida of which I visited in 2010 when they had record breaking heat and humidity, and am exhausted by the end of 8-10 hours of working in that. All I want is ice cold air blowing directly on me for my drive home before I get to my non-air conditioned house. (The Florida trip, it was like being at work but having fun riding rides at Disneyworld for me as I'm use to that kind of heat from work, but I thought my wife and kids were going to die from it that week, LOL)

If I moved closer to work so I could bike to work, my house payment would more than double, my taxes would more than triple, and I would have a quarter of the property I have if I was lucky. My wife wouldn't bike to work, she had trouble today taking her first bike ride in 30 years with me, so I would still have the expense of a car on top of a lot of expense in a house.

i ditched my car and moved to OlyWA from SoFla. this town is awesome for biking. i bike because i want to and because i need exercise. i've become a keyboard sort of worker, so nothing that requires muscles. i almost selected "too cheap for car", but i'll buy whatever car i want for cash if i ever want a car again. schtinkin' cars. pain in the butt with all the maintenance, dealers, etc. gahh.

Great job! Move here from Florida... that's about as far as you can go within the continental U.S.

'twas a diametric opposition sort of bounce. feels good!

edit - oh, and as a jealous friend noted, "it must feel good to be out of a third world country." (that won't cause any flames, will it? )

That'd be my #1 too

Also, heath and traffic avoidance.

D'oh! How could I have missed this one! Freeway burnout is something I have had for years.

Except that some times I will actually take a bus and walk (about a mile from bus stop to work) on days when I feel a little recovery is called for. About once every other week. As far as being antisocial, I have made some buddies on that bus, (a commuter train shuttle) while a few others give off the vibe of contempt for the kit.

I checked #2 and #3 , but should also add:
- I'm too cheap to have a car (not necessarily too poor)
- I like spending time outside
- Driving sucks
- It's a good way to justify owning lots of bikes, one for each season...

You forgot "I'm just an endorphin junkie!"

I originally bike commuted because there was no bus service for me on Sundays or holidays, which were days I had to work. I got really tired of the time wasted waiting for the bus and being late so I just rode all the time. After getting a car I bike commute to save on gas and replacing parts.

Number 3, numer 3, and number 3. Riding a bike is just so much more fun than driving.

I started commuting by bike for reason number 1, in a youthful act of environmentalist penance for having worked in the petroleum industry for a couple of years after high school. I hadn't ridden a bike in years, since I, like almost all Americans of my generation, ditched the bike as soon as I got a car. I was surprised and delighted to find that, instead of being an act of sufferance, cycling was simply fun!

My co-workers will sometimes express admiration for the fact that I ride my bike to work every day, wishing that they could bike to work because they "know it's better for the environment/their health". And while it is good for both of these things, and that does make me feel all warm and fuzzy when I bother to think about it, that's not what gets me out of bed 30 minutes early to make time for riding. It's not what makes me ride in the rain, the cold, the snow, and the ice.

I ride because I've never, ever been bored while riding a bike.

Lol! I'm glad I'm not the only one.

I'm a court appointed cyclist!

Now THAT was really hilarious!

I chose 2, 3, 4, 1. Could have checked 7 but that is more of a condition I don't mind rather than a reason.
A broken down truck (long since replaced) got me started. Now the benefits, and the fun, keep me going. I LOVE it that I can't remember the last time I put $10.00 worth of gas in my vehicle.

Many if not most of the reasons stated above. Would add that playing "tourist" that is, just observing surroundings, birds, peoples landscaped yards, ect- makes it even more pleasant.

Can i have another "why not" option