Rogue Leader

Where I live: 7 miles to the east of Queens. Basically suburban area and I live near the water which is nice. Some streets are great and smooth and perfect for riding, some streets seem as if they are diabolically planned to taco a wheel. I ride a lot on the main 3 lane highway traffic lights, 55mph limit as many other cyclists do, I have rarely had car issues there as most of it has a big shoulder. We also have 2 MUPs local to me, one a bit boring no scenery goes to the beach, the other is a nice route through a couple parks and stuff (and much longer).

Where I work: doesn't matter cause I can't ride there. Well I can but my bike would probably get stolen about halfway through my ride... or I could take like a 9 mile detour... no thanks I'll drive.

How I ride: Mostly for training purposes, I do Triathlons. Bike rides are like a treat for me, I really enjoy being on my bike and look forward to when i can hop on and do 30 or 40 miles at a high pace. Its a fun and great workout. My parents also are only a few miles away from me so I ride to their house in the summer if I don't have anything big I need to carry to or from there. Finally I ride to the pool as well on my old Hybrid. I am not a lane taker but I feel that I take a vehicular presence on the road. I respect cars and they seem to resepct me back.

That said even though we're only 7 miles from the city, the abundance of absentminded stupidity of people in cars AND on bikes here is astoundingly higher than in the 5 boroughs of NYC.

Ska1234

Where I live :Brighton, Michigan, suburban SUV town. Not many other cyclists on the road, but seems the numbers are getting higher.

I ride a road bike. I am car free and depend on my bike to get from point A to point B, but also try and go out and ride at least 20 miles a day for the sake of training. I'd like to get into cross. Alleycats are cool.

The style of my riding depends on how I'm feeling that particular day. Some days I may want to ride fast and hard, hammer through reds and keep a constant speed, other days I will take it easy.
I always ride with traffic and signal turns when I can. I like making days out of riding 50+ miles. Want to get into touring.

Edamameguy

I'm just a weekend rider usually down the beach bike lanes

Old Town

I live at the north end of Old Town in Key West, Florida. The highest point on the island in 16 feet above high tide. Multi gears are not needed here but they are still fun. I ride a Kona mtb and a Kona hybrid mostly. But I love making up single speed utility bikes from salvaged frames I find around town. These I lend out to friends when they visit or I give them away to kids and the homeless who inhabit this place. It costs me little and means much to them.

I walk my bikes on the sidewalks down here and ride with extreme caution on this little island. It's a drinking destination and we have more than our fair share of drunks. My helmetless head is always on a swivel and I back no drivers down. No gunslinging for me. Tough guys and the fearless don't last long here. Lots of traffic accidents involving tourists on bikes and mopeds. But I'm not a tourist and have never even had a close call. I ride several times a day up to 40 miles but average 12-15.

Old Town

Hollow_Cyclist

I ride on the shoulder or on the side so that the vehicles behind me have plenty of space to pass. However some jerks are mad regardless of whether they can pass me or not and start honking or even flip me off as they gun their motors. I had one little skinny kid almost run me off the road and he was able to pass me. Either he doesnt have any patience or he is taking out his aggression on me. In retrospect I always think I should have took a picture of their license plates but at those very moments Im too busy screaming at them.

monmon

I'm just a weekend rider usually down the beach bike lanes..actually,,biking is not my hobbies but i love the feeling when i drive the bike..


..

Dephect

Where I Live: Denver, CO/Black Rock City, Nevada

How I Ride:
There is a local newspaper here for Denver called The Westword. One month they had a article about a few of the different riders and each of their names was based off their persona. I found that I matched up with The Destroyer the most. I wish I still had the issue. Pretty much The Destroyer rides on sidewalks, with absolute disregard to safety, knows all the shortcuts in the city, purposely finds obstacles to get over, tries to avoid human contact at all costs but when people get mad at him for riding on the sidewalk he is not afraid to throw up the middle finger. That kind of thing. It only takes me 5-10 minutes to get to work since its mostly downhill I fly, I currently don't have a working dual suspension MTB right now so I haven't been having fun, I have just been blazing down sidewalks and streets, I ride a pretty good mixture of the two.

anaharsh

1. Sitting on the bike, make sure you know where the brakes are and how to operate them.
2. You have to learn to balance the bike. Find a person who can hold your bike behind you and try to steady it as you pedal.
3. After practicing for a couple minutes, the person can release his or her hands while you try to keep your balance.
4. When you are ready, ride alone. But first lower the seat until you can sit on it and put both feet flat on the ground.
5. When you are confident you can put your feet on the pedals and coast for a few feet, try not putting your feet down to train your sense of balance. Do this for 30-45 minutes or so, until you have a good feel and some confidence about steering the bike.
6. As you gain experience, raise the seat up so that only your toes can touch the ground while you are seated. This is the more appropriate height for your seat.
7. Finally, you have to practice.
8. Once you can balance, pedal, start, and stop, you're a bicycle rider. Congratulations!

cervelo48

I had a bike when I was a kid but it never grew on me. When I was 22 I wanted to do an Ironman tritahlon, so I bought a time trial bicycle that year. I trained on it for that season, and finished the Ironman triathlon. Afterwards, I couldn't make myself give up cycling - I just enjoyed it too much. I took off all the fancy parts and converted it to a single speed which I ride nearly everyday as a commuter and an escape mechanism.

My commute to school is 15km each way [30km total]. I ride day, night, rain, cold, hot, whatever. I have a car, but hate driving it. The roads were I live are a mix of people who care about not hitting you, and people who wouldn't care if it was their mother riding. Generally, I take into consideration where I am going, the time of day, different types of roads, and the sidewalk when I commute. If I am doing a long distance training/fun ride, I will go ride out of the city.

I have two locks, a chain lock and a u lock - each weights about 10lbs. I might have these locks left to my normal destination(s), or keep one for special trips.

I love cycling, and I love my bicycle.

DArthurBrown

Where I Live: Corvallis, Oregon, population 50000 during the school year, about 30000 during the summer. Corvallis is situated in a great place in the State of Oregon for eclectic outdoor folks. We have Marys Peak just to our southwest, which is a 4000 ft climb with grades up to 13%. The highest, most rugged part of the Coast Range is also nearby, allowing for many pleasant Saturdays of losing yourself on a bike on remote, paved roads in the mountains. The Willamette Valley and nearby bike paths offer flatter parts for the less intense rider, or a nice change of pace for those that went up the mountain the day before. The Cascades are about an hour or two away, and provide great touring opportunities. There are mountain bike trails everywhere, but the closest set is in McDonald-Dunn Research Forest, just northwest of town. Both mountain biking and road biking are extremely popular in the area.

Where I Work: Oregon State University. My commute is short--laughably short by serious commuters' standards.

How I Ride: Last year I did about 5000 road miles and about 500 MTB miles. 95% of my rides are solo rides over 30 miles a piece. I have a Mercier Corvus Steel that has been a gem for sport-touring. It lets me keep up with the fast guys and gives me a very comfortable ride to boot. In general, it's hard for me to pass up a hard, sustained climb, and I'm always pushing myself to get up Marys Peak faster and faster.

candafilm

Where I live:

I live in Boise, ID. The city is fairly safe for bicyclists. They are beginning to take some great steps to increase safety and awareness for cyclists. Right now I am an evening rider, working on building my endurance to become a commuter. I would eventually like to ride to work but it is around 10 miles so it might take me a bit (although I'm sure 10 miles is nothing to most of you haha).

deputyjones

Wow, been away from BF for a long time and glad to see my old thread is still here and getting replies. Great to read them. Thanks everyone for sharing.

BoldMoves

I ride in philly in the streets on an old mountain bike from the 90's. It's in good shape though. I just wear my clothes i have on and a helmet... nothing really special.

awormiscoming

Where I live: Phoenix, Arizona, within central Phoenix.
Where I work: 7 miles or so from home at the moment. A commute without much stress at all.
How I ride: I ride by constantly pushing my own limits, trying to maximize efficiency, and by having fun while I do it. I ride freely.

jimsanderson3

thanks for the post

road_tiger

I just started out with this whole biking thing and Ive been maping rides to ensure I complete the miles Ive set for the day.. and let me tell you these cars do not pay attention.. I know I've been guilty of it too but I am way more aware of bike riders and bike lanes than ever before! yesterday on my ride i was crossing the street at a light that cars are making the left on a straight green and after crossing in front of this lady on the other side of the street and her watching me cross te first half before her turn she decides to speed up and nearly hits me.. i mean come on.. riding on the streets is deffinetly a learning experience so far... tips welcomed!

10 Wheels

I don't look at the drivers or pay attention to turn signals..
Keep your eyes on the front wheels. The car goes where the wheels go.
If the wheels are turning, be alert.

SunnyFlorida

Strangely enough I see more cyclists on the sidewalk than on the streets where I live. It doesn't matter if they're on a clunker like me or a spiffy new bike. It's not unusual then for me to share the sidewalk with exercise walkers, bikers and even people on mobility scooters.

I live in a suburb in Florida where the sidewalks are not crowded with pedesterians with good reason. It is freakin hot here. On a bike, going a short distance, it is tolerable - until you get caught in a sudden shower. Then you're hot and soaking wet.

Phil85207

It's interesting to see how and where everyone rides.
I live in north east Mesa AZ. and am a road bicyclist. I ride and race for fun only. Mainly longer rides the shortest I do is 50 miles. It's my time alone and I love just being on the bike. We are retired and travel in the summer. I have biked in most of the states, and if I had to pick my favorite area it would have to be in the Lake Placid area of the Adirondack Mountains. I did the Ironman bike route there many times, and have been all over that area. I like to do charity events for MS and local races, but mostly just like to ride my felt. I did 7100+miles last year (2300 in the Adirondacks) but won't come close to that many miles this year. I had some surgery and have been off the bike for over 3 months now, but hopefully in a week or two It will be great to be my bike again.
Be happy - Be safe - HAPPY RIDDING.

danec99

I live in Walnut Creek, CA. Pretty dense car traffic, but it is also a bicycle destination. Walnut Creek is no fun to ride thru (or drive thru for that matter.) But Mt. Diablo, Danville Blvd and all the surrounding hills are major bike destinations.

I am 33 miles from work, so bike commuting is out. But I am doing it on the 13th, Bike to work day.

I ride road and mtb. I love riding, it is freedom. I ride solo, and when on club rides I choose rides where the lemming method is not used. I ride for health and piece of mind. For long rides, or rides where I do not have a destination, I ride my high end road bike. If I am up into the foothills of Mt. Diablo or some other off-road location I am on a mtb. If I am running an errand, doing things - parking my bike somewhere, I ride an older rigid fork MTB with slicks. I am also building up a cross bike for much the same purpose.

Once you wear bicycling specific clothing there is no going back, I cannot imagine riding in street clothes. If I am riding to ride, I wear Lycra pants and my road speedplay shoes, for mtb or errands I wear light shorts over bike pants and more normal looking shoes with spd pedals. I always wear a helmet now. I ride with an ipod unless I am on my main road bike. I never trust my ears when riding - always look. I stop at signs and lights that I need to stop at, and I stop based on the traffic. I never 100% blow through a stop. I am not into city riding, luckily we have miles of quality road here that is relativity car free. I like 60-80 mile road rides. I also enjoy the fire trails and singletrack in the area - the SF Bay Area is a great place to bike.

kevingoorijan

How do I ride? I ride constantly. I ride everyday from home to work. I use my bike as means of transport. I ride about 10 miles back and forth.

bagsbeau

So Many Roads

I am carless; my bike is my only personal transport (although I can ride a bus or borrow a car if the need arises).

I live in Butler, PA, a small county seat in a valley with rural all around it and Pittsburgh about 40 miles south.

I ride a '96 Gary Fisher Aquila, a rigid-fork MTB, still mostly stock but with fat road slick tires, cheap plastic fenders, and a replacement rear wheel that I need to replace again*. Cargo goes in an Arkel Big Handlebar Bag, strapped to the back rack, or in old cheap Trek panniers.
I have blinky lights and a 20-year-old orange safety flag.

I'm going to stop right here and say some words about the orange safety flag. It is the geekiest thing in the world. It won't get you women or free beer. However, it works. I don't know why, but the difference in driver attitude toward me when I have the flag on vs when it's at home is night and day. With the flag, drivers slow down for me, change lanes to give me room, wait at intersections to let me pass, etc. It's awesome. I don't know why. Maybe it truly makes me more visible, but I don't think that's it. I think it makes the bike seem larger, and therefore more worthy of respect, in the eyes of motorists. It's taller. It leans out into traffic more. I think it also lets the motorists know that I'm more interested in safety than how cool I look, and that gets some respect. I dunno. This could be a whole thread. But the flag works.

Okay, my ride: My commute takes me 4.5 miles each way through city streets, a road that's been closed to motor vehicles, a 200' climb, and a 4-lane road past WalMart and Target with no shoulders.

The city streets are nice and moderately trafficked. I usually can take the lane and avoid doors and no one minds. I slow at stop signs and if anyone else is around, I stop and wait my turn.

The city streets lead to a road through park land that has recently been gated. This is a nice ride in an undeveloped stream valley on what is now the widest MUP I've ever seen. Then the road becomes open to all, turns, and goes up the side of the valley. A partly shady climb that defeated me when I first started commuting, but now is no problem. I could easily granny this hill, but I like to be challenged by it, so I let it be a workout.

At the top of the hill, I turn onto the main road. Here, it's two lanes and a nice shoulder as it continues to climb gently. I ride in the shoulder and often am still catching my breath from the big hill.

The hill tops at a light by Walgreens. The road becomes four lane at the light. There's a "go straight" lane and a "straight or Right turn" lane that eats up the shoulder. I take the "Straight or right" lane, but on the left so a right-turn car can get by me but anyone going straight knows I'm in front and moves to the other lane.

After that light, I keep the lane. There is no shoulder here, so at a minimum I need to ride that white line. I find that if I do that, cars think they can squeeze past me. Moving two feet left into the lane causes cars to give me more room, usually completely changing lanes to avoid me.

There are several red lights through this stretch, and I stop for them.

I need to make a left to get work on this road, but it's at an intersection where most people are making a right or the same left as me. Very few go straight. I pull more left into the lane to let the rightys get into their lane, then when it's clear, signal left and pull into the left lane (now left-turn only). Wait at the light and pedal into work.

That's my commute.

My riding in a nutshell. Be visible. Be predictable. Be respectful.




*The rear wheel was the best I could find on short notice when the original stock wheel tacoed, mostly due to its 14-year age. It's a typical newer not-enough-spokes wheel unsuited to commuting. Need to find or build a 36H wheel.

Old_Bat

Hi, I live in a small quiet village in Sweden. I ride my bike for everything everyday. Which includes school, store, work, and everything else which requires a vehicle. I am a mother of three small children so I also transport them. I had my automobile license but I came to Sweden it became non-valid after one year. I chose to ride vs drive. Even when I lived in America I also rode my bike strictly vs driving so really my drivers license was pointless then as well. Living in Scandinavia the winter commute is quite hard on a bike. The snow is very deep and quite hard to get a bike through but I winter bike anyway.

I just now realized that on the internet there is a entire bike community. That people all over the world were coming together to share in their love and knowledge of bikes. I am really quite pleased in regards to this fantastic phenomenon.

kandyredcoi

recreational/fitness rider and i ride a mix of road/street and path/trail ways.

on the street i obviously try to hit the roads with bike lanes on them and one that is less traveled