View Poll Results: How much does bike commuting factor into your moving decisions?
Voters: 48. You may not vote on this poll
How much does bike commuting factor into your moving decisions?
10-25-17, 01:08 PM
#26
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property B hands down. 8 miles? c'mon man! 
10-25-17, 01:18 PM
#27
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
it's not the distance. it's the time.
when i was a footloose bachelor, i did 15 miles one-way 5 days a week no sweat. but i was a bachelor then and all of my free time really was actually free for me to spend however i pleased.
now as a dad, i feel like i never get nearly as much time to spend with my kids as i would like. an extra 20 minutes a day on the bike each workday adds up to over an hour and half each week that could have been spent with my family.
i probably do tend to overthink small things like this compared to the average person, yet i only have this one mind that i can live inside. but yeah, if it gets us in the house we prefer, then it's probably worth it.
when i was a footloose bachelor, i did 15 miles one-way 5 days a week no sweat. but i was a bachelor then and all of my free time really was actually free for me to spend however i pleased.
now as a dad, i feel like i never get nearly as much time to spend with my kids as i would like. an extra 20 minutes a day on the bike each workday adds up to over an hour and half each week that could have been spent with my family.
i probably do tend to overthink small things like this compared to the average person, yet i only have this one mind that i can live inside. but yeah, if it gets us in the house we prefer, then it's probably worth it.
10-25-17, 01:30 PM
#28
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absolutely. mine are in their 20s now. bike commuting was time for me. everything else in my life revolved around my kids. you can't take care of anyone, until you take care of yourself ;-)
10-25-17, 02:07 PM
#29
Senior Member
Keep in mind that sooner than you think, your kids will be in school and able to take care of themselves much more. The 20 minutes a day you find hard to spare now will not be an issue in a couple years. Soon after that your kids will turn into teenagers and make clear that you should really take your time bike commuting. In other words, think long term.
10-25-17, 02:17 PM
#30
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
Keep in mind that sooner than you think, your kids will be in school and able to take care of themselves much more. The 20 minutes a day you find hard to spare now will not be an issue in a couple years. Soon after that your kids will turn into teenagers and make clear that you should really take your time bike commuting. In other words, think long term.
10-25-17, 02:27 PM
#31
Banned
I'm faculty (54 in my school) and directly interact with about 1200 university students in the school. This time of year, it's relentless, as they say in British English. Simply a march forward for survival.
Pay is good (top 5-10% in the UK) but it is quite tough.
https://www.timeshighereducation.com...er-professions
10-25-17, 05:25 PM
#32
Junior Member
b!
You said you like the house better, and you're going to get a better deal on it. I know how you are feeling with young kids but 1.5 hours a week/20 min a day is really not going to make a difference. Since it's your only time to ride, live it up!
You said you like the house better, and you're going to get a better deal on it. I know how you are feeling with young kids but 1.5 hours a week/20 min a day is really not going to make a difference. Since it's your only time to ride, live it up!
10-25-17, 07:25 PM
#33
aka Tom Reingold
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It's easy to take on too much responsibility when you have kids. It's a good idea to negotiate with your wife about when you will be available to do which things and vice versa. You deserve alone time, and so does she, and you both deserve time together without the kids, too. Raising my kids, I didn't always put aside enough time for cycling, but I was very firm about my time singing, which involved weekly rehearsals (of several hours) and a few concerts a year. My ex-wife never questioned that because I was so firm about it.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
10-26-17, 10:58 AM
#34
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
after playing with google maps, i found what i think is a pretty decent city street route from property B to my office that is a little more direct (and hence shorter) than the obvious, but a little out of the way, MUP route that google maps first directed me to (6.9 miles vs. 8.2 miles). there's also a pretty good "split the difference" 7.6 mile route that uses the MUP at the beginning (to get around some rather trafficky intersections; MUP is grade separated at that point), but then cuts off onto city streets a bit earlier when the MUP starts veering more out of the way to my office.
for whatever reason 6.9 miles psychologically seems like not that much of an increase over my current 5.0 mile daily route.
i really have been overthinking this.
change is scary, i guess.
i had a great date night with my wife last night where we had a nice hours long talk about all of this over dinner. we're both now leaning heavily towards B. we're gonna go see it again this weekend and proabably put in an offer if it passes the second walk through.
for whatever reason 6.9 miles psychologically seems like not that much of an increase over my current 5.0 mile daily route.
i really have been overthinking this.
change is scary, i guess.
i had a great date night with my wife last night where we had a nice hours long talk about all of this over dinner. we're both now leaning heavily towards B. we're gonna go see it again this weekend and proabably put in an offer if it passes the second walk through.
Last edited by Steely Dan; 10-26-17 at 11:20 AM.
10-26-17, 11:19 AM
#35
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10-26-17, 11:40 AM
#36
Banned
I'm Retired , but getting a house on the Lee side of the hill, from winter storms, in the older part of town
cut down my exposure to the county sheriff patrols at night, looking for victims in search of car drivers with a drink too many.
and 4 miles.. from the other side of the town , built on and over a peninsula.. rode around, at near sea level ..
cut down my exposure to the county sheriff patrols at night, looking for victims in search of car drivers with a drink too many.
and 4 miles.. from the other side of the town , built on and over a peninsula.. rode around, at near sea level ..
10-26-17, 12:50 PM
#37
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In the past, I've mostly found houses within about 5 miles of school or work, although one had a big hill in the middle of that commute. But now I'm riding a bunch more, and 8 miles just doesn't seem too bad 
Actually, that is SHORT. 
You mention a MUP at house 2. That actually sounds nice. If it is mostly straight through, it may even save you a few minutes riding. If access is good, it might also be nice for other family members.
Why don't you go to both houses, and do a practice commute, just to see how it is.
Actually, that is SHORT. You mention a MUP at house 2. That actually sounds nice. If it is mostly straight through, it may even save you a few minutes riding. If access is good, it might also be nice for other family members.
Why don't you go to both houses, and do a practice commute, just to see how it is.
10-26-17, 02:14 PM
#38
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I think I know the area and MUP you mention, and the crossings could make that more annoying/complicated. But if you've got all those options then choice B sounds even better.
10-26-17, 02:57 PM
#39
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
the part in the city, from lawrence up to devon (2.0 miles) has grade separated underpasses at all of the canal bridges, so that's an easy non-stop 2.0 mile ride, but starting at devon, the trail is no longer grade separated from the cross streets as it parallels mccormick blvd (a super-busy major arterial) and there would be roughly 6 nasty intersections with obnoxiously long traffic light cycles i'd have to get through for the 3.5 miles from devon up to church st. in evanston.
that's why i think a hybrid route of using the trail for the first 2 miles where it's grade separated and then hoping off onto city streets to continue northward might be the best balance of time and distance.
Last edited by Steely Dan; 10-26-17 at 03:02 PM.
10-26-17, 03:36 PM
#40
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We walked the trail up by McCormick and I figured that with all the waiting for the lights to change that traffic would build up there just like it does on the roads. The art by the trails is kind of cool, and it looked like it could be a nice path to commute on if the cross streets weren't a problem.
10-26-17, 04:05 PM
#41
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I marked the poll as #1 priority. Last time I moved (last time I ever move?) we moved our family of two parents and 3 growing boys from a 4-bedroom detached house with a yard, to a smaller 3-bedroom townhouse (you think you're getting crowded?). The #1 reason was commute distance; my work, and the kids' private school which we love, are pretty close to each other, and about 25mi away from our old house. Now I bike-commute basically always, and the wife&kids are not in the car all day driving back and forth to school.
For you I would go B all the way. I'd gladly trade a little distance to be able to commute on a MUP instead of the road (but maybe that's just me). In fact I've got my eye on a comparable condo that is less than 1mi from the school, and right next to a park with an extensive trail system. Step 1 would be sell&buy to move into that other condo complex, Step 2 find a different job with a company that I could get to via those trails!
For you I would go B all the way. I'd gladly trade a little distance to be able to commute on a MUP instead of the road (but maybe that's just me). In fact I've got my eye on a comparable condo that is less than 1mi from the school, and right next to a park with an extensive trail system. Step 1 would be sell&buy to move into that other condo complex, Step 2 find a different job with a company that I could get to via those trails!
10-27-17, 06:50 AM
#42
Senior Member
For us being able to safely, comfortably, and efficiently ride bicycles for some of our local transportation was a high priority. In our case though we ranked local trips to the grocery, pharmacy, and restaurants more important than commuting to work.
So, for our primary residence in the US, we were quite happy to find a place with segregated protected bikeways that allow us to comfortably ride to all of the above places.
So, for our primary residence in the US, we were quite happy to find a place with segregated protected bikeways that allow us to comfortably ride to all of the above places.
10-27-17, 08:26 AM
#43
aka Tom Reingold
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Look at it this way. If you weren't a cyclist but a racketball player, it would still be reasonable for you to play ball once or twice a week even after kids. Keep it up.
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New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
10-27-17, 06:25 PM
#44
GATC
OMG totally go for B. As others have said, the kids will be in school soon and then will be self-sufficient shockingly soon (that is where I find myself now with a 13 and 16 yr old seemingly moments after selecting preschools according to bike route proximity*). Extra 6 miles per work day before the kids get into school, really not much time to take away from the household experience (unless you literally can't leave work to get them before their preschool starts charging by the minute for parental tardiness).
*similarly, trailers and trailabikes were way overthought for the amount of use they got before being outgrown
*similarly, trailers and trailabikes were way overthought for the amount of use they got before being outgrown
10-27-17, 10:01 PM
#45
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my wife and i are looking to move our family into a larger home (our current 2 bed/1 bath condo is starting to feel a little tight for our family of 2 adults and 2 toddlers).
we have found two prospective properties that will both suit our needs space-wise, but they're in two different locations. they are very similarly priced, with generally similar features, and both in great neighborhoods.
property A is only a few blocks away from our current home, my bike commute would be virtually the same as it is now.
property B is located several miles away in a different neighborhood and would add about ~3 miles to my current 5 mile one-way commute. it would also likely change the route from a mainly city side-street route to a mainly MUP one.
the issue is that my wife and i both like property B better, but i'm struggling with whether or not i like it better enough to offset the longer commute i would have. i know a 3 mile one-way increase doesn't sound like much, but that's roughly 20-25 minutes of additional commute time per day, and time is something that i just don't seem to have enough of these days. is it worth sacrificing that time each and every day to get the property we prefer? i don't know what to do.
my wife works from home so she has no daily commute.
what about you guys? how much do you prioritize bike commuting potential when moving to a new home?
we have found two prospective properties that will both suit our needs space-wise, but they're in two different locations. they are very similarly priced, with generally similar features, and both in great neighborhoods.
property A is only a few blocks away from our current home, my bike commute would be virtually the same as it is now.
property B is located several miles away in a different neighborhood and would add about ~3 miles to my current 5 mile one-way commute. it would also likely change the route from a mainly city side-street route to a mainly MUP one.
the issue is that my wife and i both like property B better, but i'm struggling with whether or not i like it better enough to offset the longer commute i would have. i know a 3 mile one-way increase doesn't sound like much, but that's roughly 20-25 minutes of additional commute time per day, and time is something that i just don't seem to have enough of these days. is it worth sacrificing that time each and every day to get the property we prefer? i don't know what to do.
my wife works from home so she has no daily commute.
what about you guys? how much do you prioritize bike commuting potential when moving to a new home?
1. Since you live in a cold weather state, those extra miles will mean more wear and tear on the body.
2. Those MUPs are clean during the summer but that might not be the case when it snows.
Try to find out if there's public transit in case the MUPs don't get plowed.
10-30-17, 09:47 AM
#46
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
so we put in an offer on property B and after a little negotiation we have a deal! slightly longer commute here i come!
living in a dense city neighborhood, i'll have plenty of transit options.
the home is a short 1 block walk away from an el stop on the brown line, which i can take to transfer to an express train line that heads straight to where my office is located.
alternatively, i can take a bus (or ride my folding bike or a bike share bike) ~1 mile to a metra commuter rail station that gets me to my office in 10 minutes.
i'll also have plenty of city street routes i can ride if the MUP isn't plowed/salted. the city of chicago is pretty damn maniacal about plowing and salting through streets.
the home is a short 1 block walk away from an el stop on the brown line, which i can take to transfer to an express train line that heads straight to where my office is located.
alternatively, i can take a bus (or ride my folding bike or a bike share bike) ~1 mile to a metra commuter rail station that gets me to my office in 10 minutes.
i'll also have plenty of city street routes i can ride if the MUP isn't plowed/salted. the city of chicago is pretty damn maniacal about plowing and salting through streets.
10-30-17, 10:14 AM
#48
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
we've got a 3 year old daughter and a 1 year old son who will be headed off to school soon. digging deeper into the school issue, property A put us in a pretty good CPS elementary school zone, but property B puts us into one of the best CPS elementary school zones in the city, AND we liked property B better AND we got a pretty good deal on it (very motivated sellers currently going through a divorce), so property B all became a bit of a no-brainer.
we'll no longer be able to conveniently walk to the beach like we can form our current neighborhood, but the beach will now just be a short 3 mile bike ride away! for a better school, that's an easy trade-off.
Last edited by Steely Dan; 10-30-17 at 10:31 AM.
02-19-18, 11:05 AM
#49
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
so we moved into property B three weeks ago, and after a while of sorting out our new lives in our new home, today was my first bike commute on the new route.
google maps said the 8.1 mile route would take 45 minutes, but i did it in 40, which i felt really good about considering i've been off the bike for damn near a month now. perhaps once i'm back in proper riding shape i can shave another couple of minutes off of that.
and the traffic lights for the cross streets that i was really worried about on the MUP route were actually timed really well. i didn't get caught at any red lights, though i did slow down at points when i could see a red light from an 1/8 of a mile away or so, and then would hit it when the light changed to green. the long vistas to see the cycle of the traffic lights will actually be really helpful to help pace my riding to keep red light wait times to a minimum.
and finally, we really love our new home! i think we'll be happier here than we would have been in property A back in our old neighborhood. i'm so glad i didn't let a slightly longer bike commute stand in the way of us getting the home we really wanted.
google maps said the 8.1 mile route would take 45 minutes, but i did it in 40, which i felt really good about considering i've been off the bike for damn near a month now. perhaps once i'm back in proper riding shape i can shave another couple of minutes off of that.
and the traffic lights for the cross streets that i was really worried about on the MUP route were actually timed really well. i didn't get caught at any red lights, though i did slow down at points when i could see a red light from an 1/8 of a mile away or so, and then would hit it when the light changed to green. the long vistas to see the cycle of the traffic lights will actually be really helpful to help pace my riding to keep red light wait times to a minimum.
and finally, we really love our new home! i think we'll be happier here than we would have been in property A back in our old neighborhood. i'm so glad i didn't let a slightly longer bike commute stand in the way of us getting the home we really wanted.
Last edited by Steely Dan; 02-19-18 at 11:28 AM.
02-19-18, 12:11 PM
#50
Senior Member
The MUP being closer would rule my decision. Easier for yourself and your family to get to for weekend rides.