Author Topic: "Do you recognize that you are fortunate to have the bike commute option?"  (Read 30982 times)

realityinabox

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This is the title of a thread on a bike commuter forum I visit.  A few people had the audacity to point out that they purposefully setup their lives in order to be able to commute by bike and others are calling them smug for doing so.  Can't even...




I'm a red panda

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There are some areas where it is extraordinarily expensive to live close enough to work to bike.

But for most people, they have structured their life in such a way to eliminate the possibility.

realityinabox

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There are some areas where it is extraordinarily expensive to live close enough to work to bike.

But for most people, they have structured their life in such a way to eliminate the possibility.

And working is one of those places is, by and large, a choice that they make.  If you have the ability to get a job in Manhattan or SF, or somewhere else that COL is extreme, then you surely can get a job somewhere closer to home.

Bob W

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I'm one of the unfortunate ones.  I would love to live in a place where a gentle commute to work in a very safe environment was possible.    I did actually live in a small town where this worked pretty well at one time,  but you know, life moves on. 

The Accidental Mustachian

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Ha! I had this from someone at work years ago. He was a bit embarrassed when he discovered i rode 24 miles each way and went through his town on my way! Most people vastly underestimate how far they could comfortably cycle to work. Up to 10 miles, easily.

realityinabox

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I'm one of the unfortunate ones.  I would love to live in a place where a gentle commute to work in a very safe environment was possible.    I did actually live in a small town where this worked pretty well at one time,  but you know, life moves on.

How long is your commute now? 

Rage

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I think this "fortunate" thing applies to much of life.  First you're fortunate to get good grades, then you're fortunate to go to college (even if you pay for it yourself), then you're fortunate to get a good job - fortunate to commute by bike - fortunate to get pay raises and promotions, fortunate to be able to save most of your money, fortunate to retire early, fortunate to have your health.

This probably sounds like I'm crapping on everyone who is not fortunate, but I do understand that not all roadblocks in life are of our own making.  And even when the roadblocks are only in their heads, these cases of not realizing that the ruby slippers could have gotten you home all along are especially tragic.  How awful to eventually realize (or maybe worse, never realize) that you could have accomplished so much more in life if you had realized good fortune was mostly just hard work and common sense.

frugalnacho

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Ha! I had this from someone at work years ago. He was a bit embarrassed when he discovered i rode 24 miles each way and went through his town on my way! Most people vastly underestimate how far they could comfortably cycle to work. Up to 10 miles, easily.

Jesus christ, 48 miles round trip per day?  How long did that take, like 4 hours per day?  I'm all for being a bad ass and pushing yourself to the extreme, but at that point I would either move or find another job rather than spend 4 hours per day on a bike.

patrickza

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Ha! I had this from someone at work years ago. He was a bit embarrassed when he discovered i rode 24 miles each way and went through his town on my way! Most people vastly underestimate how far they could comfortably cycle to work. Up to 10 miles, easily.

Jesus christ, 48 miles round trip per day?  How long did that take, like 4 hours per day?  I'm all for being a bad ass and pushing yourself to the extreme, but at that point I would either move or find another job rather than spend 4 hours per day on a bike.

Agreed. I have an electric and I consider my 16 mile 45 minute commute pretty borderline. I think I would can it at about 20 miles. Unless of course you have a great city to cycle in (I don't) with proper cycle paths or safe areas to avoid traffic.

Cpa Cat

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Ha! I had this from someone at work years ago. He was a bit embarrassed when he discovered i rode 24 miles each way and went through his town on my way! Most people vastly underestimate how far they could comfortably cycle to work. Up to 10 miles, easily.

Geez. When I went back for my Master's Degree, I decided to bike to the university. It's about 5 miles each way.

I had to stop routinely to walk up hills. By the time I got to school, I was a sweaty, exhausted mess. I figured - ok, I'm just out of shape, I just need to keep at it. And pack a change of clothes, because I was a hot mess when I arrived at class. I kept at it for about two months - it never got significantly easier, and in fact, it got harder as the weather got hotter!

Then one day, it hit about 90F on the way home. I actually thought I was going to die. When I got home, I laid on the floor for about ten minutes, unable to move. I eventually crawled into a cold shower, only to see that my face was a shade of red that I had never seen before. If I had turned up to work that way, someone would have called an ambulance.

I didn't immediately give up biking. I started biking only in the mornings and taking the bus home. But after a couple of weeks, it was too hot in the mornings too.

I never considered a bike commute again. I'm afraid I vastly OVERestimated how easy it would be to bike. I'm not overweight, I exercise routinely, I don't have any physical disabilities - and five miles was hard. And gross. It's great that it's easy for some people. I really admire people who can make it work. But I never suggest it as a way to save money - because I know that I was inches from being passed out by the side of the road from heat exhaustion after 4.5 miles.

MoneyCat

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I wish I could ride my bicycle to work, which would be about 9.5 miles each way.  Unfortunately, New Jersey is a very developed state and many roads here are not accessible to bicycles.  However, I do ride my bicycle everywhere I go in town and I've become pretty well known to locals as "the guy who rides his bike everywhere".  Hopefully, it will start a trend.

GuitarStv

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Ha! I had this from someone at work years ago. He was a bit embarrassed when he discovered i rode 24 miles each way and went through his town on my way! Most people vastly underestimate how far they could comfortably cycle to work. Up to 10 miles, easily.

Geez. When I went back for my Master's Degree, I decided to bike to the university. It's about 5 miles each way.

I had to stop routinely to walk up hills. By the time I got to school, I was a sweaty, exhausted mess. I figured - ok, I'm just out of shape, I just need to keep at it. And pack a change of clothes, because I was a hot mess when I arrived at class. I kept at it for about two months - it never got significantly easier, and in fact, it got harder as the weather got hotter!

Then one day, it hit about 90F on the way home. I actually thought I was going to die. When I got home, I laid on the floor for about ten minutes, unable to move. I eventually crawled into a cold shower, only to see that my face was a shade of red that I had never seen before. If I had turned up to work that way, someone would have called an ambulance.

I didn't immediately give up biking. I started biking only in the mornings and taking the bus home. But after a couple of weeks, it was too hot in the mornings too.

I never considered a bike commute again. I'm afraid I vastly OVERestimated how easy it would be to bike. I'm not overweight, I exercise routinely, I don't have any physical disabilities - and five miles was hard. And gross. It's great that it's easy for some people. I really admire people who can make it work. But I never suggest it as a way to save money - because I know that I was inches from being passed out by the side of the road from heat exhaustion after 4.5 miles.

You will sweat in heat getting any sort of exercise.  It's best if there's some place to shower when you get off the bike ( most universities offer some kind of gym with these facilities that are perfect for this).  As far as difficulty though?  Respectfully, based on your story one or more of the following things is true:

- you need to change the exercise regime you're following because it's some kind of terrible pretend exercise that sucks
- there was something horribly wrong with your bike mechanically (dragging brakes, poorly oiled chain, flat tires, knobby mountain bike tires, malfunctioning gears, etc.)
- your bike was stupid ( a fixie with a tough gear ratio in an area with a lot of hills, A ridiculously heavy Dutch bike which women are drawn to like magnets for some reason, a children's bike,etc.)
- your bike was very poorly adjusted (seat way too low, frame way too big/small)
- you were not wearing appropriate clothing, were not drinking water regularly on your ride, or were not accustomed to the weather (spending your entire life in air conditioned buildings does this to people).

My 56 year old mother who gets no exercise other than walking her dog for 20 minutes a day hopped on my spare bike (the first time she had ridden a bike in 6+ years) and did a leisurely 5 mile ride with my wife and me (and our son in a trailer) with no problems whatsoever a couple weeks ago when she was up.  The temperature was 27C, which is a bit cooler than 90 . . . But c'mon.

skunkfunk

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Then one day, it hit about 90F on the way home.

Are you sure that was only 90F? It got up to 113 here a couple of summers ago. It is also occasionally in the 90s and very humid. I don't think anybody who is in halfway bad shape and has a water bottle should be getting heat stroke at 90F. Hell, I'm in terrible shape, takes me 30 minutes to go 5 miles.

The Accidental Mustachian

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Ha! I had this from someone at work years ago. He was a bit embarrassed when he discovered i rode 24 miles each way and went through his town on my way! Most people vastly underestimate how far they could comfortably cycle to work. Up to 10 miles, easily.

Jesus christ, 48 miles round trip per day?  How long did that take, like 4 hours per day?  I'm all for being a bad ass and pushing yourself to the extreme, but at that point I would either move or find another job rather than spend 4 hours per day on a bike.

No about 1hr 30 max. -vs- 50 mins to an hour in the car. I used to work very long hours too and often found myself cycling back after midnight! It saved me a shitload on petrol and kept me fit. I was lucky to have a shower at that place but have done others where i didn't and found a wipe down with a wet flannel adequate.

Cycling was/is hobby of mine but i am no lycra clad fittie. I weigh 220lbs and smoked like a chimney. But like most things in life cycling to work a habit. I'm not suggesting that everyone should or would like to do that sort of commute but i still think 10 miles each way is easily doable for the vast majority of people, it does get easier too, lots easier.

frugalnacho

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Ha! I had this from someone at work years ago. He was a bit embarrassed when he discovered i rode 24 miles each way and went through his town on my way! Most people vastly underestimate how far they could comfortably cycle to work. Up to 10 miles, easily.

Jesus christ, 48 miles round trip per day?  How long did that take, like 4 hours per day?  I'm all for being a bad ass and pushing yourself to the extreme, but at that point I would either move or find another job rather than spend 4 hours per day on a bike.

No about 1hr 30 max. -vs- 50 mins to an hour in the car. I used to work very long hours too and often found myself cycling back after midnight! It saved me a shitload on petrol and kept me fit. I was lucky to have a shower at that place but have done others where i didn't and found a wipe down with a wet flannel adequate.

Cycling was/is hobby of mine but i am no lycra clad fittie. I weigh 220lbs and smoked like a chimney. But like most things in life cycling to work a habit. I'm not suggesting that everyone should or would like to do that sort of commute but i still think 10 miles each way is easily doable for the vast majority of people, it does get easier too, lots easier.

That's a pretty good pace (16mph).  I GPS myself and could probably do about 14-16mph, but once you factor in all the intersections and lights I have to stop for it averages out to around 12mph.  Still 3 hours commuting everyday, no thanks!

Rage

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Then one day, it hit about 90F on the way home. I actually thought I was going to die. When I got home, I laid on the floor for about ten minutes, unable to move. I eventually crawled into a cold shower, only to see that my face was a shade of red that I had never seen before.

I once had a similar biking experience except it was 98F and I had biked a trail that gained 1000' of elevation over 1.5 miles, with no shade, and I was trying to set a personal speed record for this particular trail.

I agree with the earlier poster: rubbing brakes, under-inflated tires, wrong seat height - something must have been wrong with your bike.

Cpa Cat

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How could I have been in "horrible shape" and not doing real exercise when this happened after biking for 60 days in a row? My real exercise was biking that same route every single day. On a good day, it took me 45 minutes to bike those 5 miles. I usually stopped 2 times on the route to drink some water in the shade (after the two biggest hills - it was my reward for getting up them). On the particularly bad day, I stopped 5+ times, drank a bottle of water + electrolyte powder and a bottle of unadulterated water. It was end of July in Kansas, so yeah... 90F and sunny seems right.

Maybe my bike was crappy. I don't know. I heard recently that a 56 year old woman could jump on any old bike with no problem, so I'm not sure how bad a bike would have to be. I know I took mine to the bike store to get adjusted immediately before starting my commuting experiment. That's the best I could do, knowing nothing about bikes. And given that people make this whole bike thing out to be easy, I'm not sure why you expect them to know if their bike is properly tuned for commuting.

I rode in shorts and a T-shirt. With a backpack full of school stuff and a change of clothes. I weigh 115 lbs. By the end of it, I had toned legs - but I did not feel as though I had additional breathing or strength capacity (or if I did, it was outmoded as the weather got hotter). My husband has no problem biking many miles. I'm not him. I don't bike with him, because his pace kills me. He was able to kill me with his pace when I was biking regularly and he decided to jump on a bike for the first time in 20 years. But you know, I can't really blame it on being a girl, because apparently grandmas can ride five miles.

I do not doubt that riding 5 miles in 115F is easy for some people. I do not doubt that some people can bike 15 miles and not even break a sweat. I'm just here to say: that's not how it is for everyone. Here I am, a perfectly normal person, who did it for 60 days (a reasonable trial, I think) - and it wasn't the way you think it should have been.

Edited to add: Historical data indicates that it may actually have been hotter than 90F in the week/year in question. But let's suppose for a moment that I was biking in 100F (I can't remember what day exactly, so it's possible) - What difference does that make to my ability to commute easily? In August, I was looking at 100F every single day. It wasn't going to happen. Ever.
« Last Edit: June 18, 2015, 01:38:25 PM by Cpa Cat »

grantmeaname

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I don't want to pile on here and I hope I come off as at least understanding.

It shouldn't be that bad, especially after two months of adjustment, so there was likely something wrong with the bike, and so you shouldn't write off the idea of cycling for good. Perhaps it would be worth a try to borrow a bike from a bike-sharing program next time you're in a city, adjust it reasonably well by googling "bike fit" on your smartphone as you check the bike out, and then ride a few miles along a multi-use path. Even if you hate it you're only out $3, and you may find you like it after all.

One more thing I'll add: 10mph on flat ground should be reasonably easy, but 12mph is harder and 14mph much harder still. Riding with people with a different fitness level can be discouraging for this reason - if I'm used to riding 16mph and try and take it really easy I'll still probably be going 14mph, which may be crazy hard if you're used to 10mph. And hills are really a lot of work - I know when I started riding I worked really, really hard on hills because it felt like they shouldn't make as much of a difference in my speed as they did.

Cpa Cat

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adjust it reasonably well by googling "bike fit" on your smartphone as you check the bike out, and then ride a few miles along a multi-use path.

This is actually exactly what I did. I Googled "How to buy a bike" and "bike fit" and "what do I need to know about bikes." And I tried it out. I didn't just find a bike in my garage and figure that it would be a good idea to commute. I had already been biking to the grocery store and meandering around my neighborhood - but these things are not the same as commuting.

And like I said, when I decided to give commuting a shot, I biked to the bike store and asked for them to look at my bike and do things to it. They did. I asked if they thought I could commute with this bike. They said, "Yes." I asked for tips. They gave me some.

Cpa Cat

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Don't mean to be judgmental, but I have some tips for you.  Instead of a backpack, use panniers.  Backpacks make you even more hot because your body can't cool down.  Also, didn't realize you were carrying University books - how many pounds were you carrying?  What kind of bike were you using?  You should use a road bike if you are going up massive hills with 30 pounds of books.  Finally, your body doesn't need electrolytes after 45 minutes of exercise - this may make it worse actually as your stomach has to digest it.  You can stick to straight water during the ride and drink a Gatorade afterwards if you want to recover.

I actually did have a basket, but I found it created a drag on the bike, so I took it off. That's probably not the same thing as what you're talking about - but again - if commuting by bike is supposed to be easy, why do I need special equipment that I have to buy?

The bike was a "hybrid." It was not super expensive. Again - if you're going to encourage people to commute, then expecting them to have the best bike sitting in their garage, just waiting for them to come to their senses isn't realistic.

I did not actually have many books - one or two and a binder. It was the Summer session, so I took two lengthy classes each day.  Generally, I packed two big water bottles (thermos-style) and I filled them up before departing for home.

Thanks for the tips. But I don't commute anymore, by bike or any other method of transportation. I am strictly a fair-weather bicyclist now.

bacchi

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Riding a bike 5 miles is not the same as running a marathon.  I barely start sweating until after 5 miles.  I ride 15 miles to work in DC - in the mornings it's not that hot, in the afternoons it's hot but I don't care because I'll have time to cool down at home.  And I have asthma and allergies to pollen/trees.  Unless you are riding up a mountain I don't buy your story.

I'm a sopping sponge after a 2.5 mile commute in 80 degree temps. I have an iced nalgene to drink from at lights and carry 2 ice packs to put on my neck and wrists when I get to work. I'm afraid I don't buy your story of only barely sweating after 5 miles.

Or...people have different responses to heat.

maizefolk

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And hills are really a lot of work - I know when I started riding I worked really, really hard on hills because it felt like they shouldn't make as much of a difference in my speed as they did.

+1 This was what always got me when I started biking to work (8 miles). A could of long hills both ways that start out gradual and just get steeper and steeper. I'd unconsciously be trying to maintain my level terrain speed the whole way up and want to die by the time I finally hit the crest. Now I shift to lower gears and try not to feel self conscious about going practically walking speed for a couple hundred feet, and I feel so much better at the end of the ride.

Breaker

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To me this is an interesting thread.  I just bought myself a new bike about a month ago.  I haven't ridden a bike in years.  I got it just to do local errands not commute because the dogs have to go to work each day too.  I am a slow biker because I'm not comfortable doing it yet.  BUT, I intend to keep it up because I live in a pretty level area and most of the places I shop are within 5 miles.  Also there is a nice bike/walking path that runs North/South thru the valley I live in.

My new bike is SOOO much better than an old one that I tried to use after buying it at a garage sale.  It will just roll with little or no effort on my part if going down a gentle slope.  I am now riding 2.5 miles one way once a week to a standing Dr's appointment in the morning.  I didn't ride last week because it looked like it would be above 80F by the time I would be going home.  So I am one who won't ride in any heat and I can understand others doing the same. 

Anyway, I'm enjoying my new bike and love to read about others using their bikes daily.  Lots of info about riding a equiptment comes up in these threads.

Breaker


mm1970

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How could I have been in "horrible shape" and not doing real exercise when this happened after biking for 60 days in a row? My real exercise was biking that same route every single day. On a good day, it took me 45 minutes to bike those 5 miles. I usually stopped 2 times on the route to drink some water in the shade (after the two biggest hills - it was my reward for getting up them). On the particularly bad day, I stopped 5+ times, drank a bottle of water + electrolyte powder and a bottle of unadulterated water. It was end of July in Kansas, so yeah... 90F and sunny seems right.

Maybe my bike was crappy. I don't know. I heard recently that a 56 year old woman could jump on any old bike with no problem, so I'm not sure how bad a bike would have to be. I know I took mine to the bike store to get adjusted immediately before starting my commuting experiment. That's the best I could do, knowing nothing about bikes. And given that people make this whole bike thing out to be easy, I'm not sure why you expect them to know if their bike is properly tuned for commuting.

I rode in shorts and a T-shirt. With a backpack full of school stuff and a change of clothes. I weigh 115 lbs. By the end of it, I had toned legs - but I did not feel as though I had additional breathing or strength capacity (or if I did, it was outmoded as the weather got hotter). My husband has no problem biking many miles. I'm not him. I don't bike with him, because his pace kills me. He was able to kill me with his pace when I was biking regularly and he decided to jump on a bike for the first time in 20 years. But you know, I can't really blame it on being a girl, because apparently grandmas can ride five miles.

I do not doubt that riding 5 miles in 115F is easy for some people. I do not doubt that some people can bike 15 miles and not even break a sweat. I'm just here to say: that's not how it is for everyone. Here I am, a perfectly normal person, who did it for 60 days (a reasonable trial, I think) - and it wasn't the way you think it should have been.

Edited to add: Historical data indicates that it may actually have been hotter than 90F in the week/year in question. But let's suppose for a moment that I was biking in 100F (I can't remember what day exactly, so it's possible) - What difference does that make to my ability to commute easily? In August, I was looking at 100F every single day. It wasn't going to happen. Ever.
45 minutes for 5 miles seems like a long time.  That's about what it used to take me to do 10 miles (if the traffic lights go my way, 50-55 if they don't).  But of course, that was after I got better tires. I had a cheap hybrid bike, and when I replaced the tired with "slicks" I shaved about 10 minutes off my time. I'm a short female.

I even have a couple of hills on that ride.

But it really depends on how big your hills are - I'm not too great on hills, even after lots of practice.  Also, the heat.  I don't do heat well either.  Luckily, it's not too hot where I live.  I must admit that if it were taking me that long in that heat?  I wouldn't do it either.

RelaxedGal

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I do not doubt that riding 5 miles in 115F is easy for some people. I do not doubt that some people can bike 15 miles and not even break a sweat. I'm just here to say: that's not how it is for everyone. Here I am, a perfectly normal person, who did it for 60 days (a reasonable trial, I think) - and it wasn't the way you think it should have been.

You and my husband = twins.  He likes the idea of biking to work, even has a shady level bike trail for 3 of the 5 miles each way.  He gets his bike tuned up at the bike shop each spring.  He has a ridiculous looking basket on the back for his change of clothes/laptop/lunch cooler.  And it still takes him 35+ minutes each way.  And he is a sweaty mess when he gets home.  Some people just don't handle it well, and that's OK. 

I 100% agree with the title of this thread.  Biking to work is a privilege.

Kris

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I don't want to pile on here and I hope I come off as at least understanding.

It shouldn't be that bad, especially after two months of adjustment, so there was likely something wrong with the bike, and so you shouldn't write off the idea of cycling for good. Perhaps it would be worth a try to borrow a bike from a bike-sharing program next time you're in a city, adjust it reasonably well by googling "bike fit" on your smartphone as you check the bike out, and then ride a few miles along a multi-use path. Even if you hate it you're only out $3, and you may find you like it after all.

One more thing I'll add: 10mph on flat ground should be reasonably easy, but 12mph is harder and 14mph much harder still. Riding with people with a different fitness level can be discouraging for this reason - if I'm used to riding 16mph and try and take it really easy I'll still probably be going 14mph, which may be crazy hard if you're used to 10mph. And hills are really a lot of work - I know when I started riding I worked really, really hard on hills because it felt like they shouldn't make as much of a difference in my speed as they did.

I agree it should not have been that hard, at all.  Also not trying to pile on, at all, and I know you say you're done commuting by bike.  But the 45 minutes for 5 miles thing makes me think two things: under-inflated tires, but more importantly also biking in the wrong gear.  I am no athlete (48 years old, reasonably fit but not a huge biker), but I fly by people all the time who are pedaling reaalllllyyy slowly (like 50 rpm) and shifting their bodies back and forth on the bike as they pedal.  I just came back from a bike ride and one of the first people I passed was doing that. Waaaayyyy too much work.  God, I would HATE biking if I was doing that.  Shifting into a lower gear so that you're moving your feet at about 90-100 rpm is easy.  You get into a rhythm, you don't have to work very hard… Even a slow biker like I am can average 10 miles an hour in the appropriate gear.  Maybe you sweat (I sure would in 90 degree heat) but it's not that much of an effort.

Rezdent

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I have a lot of respect for someone who tries something and decides it's not for them.
It sounds like Cpa Cat made a good effort to make it work.


mm1970

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I don't want to pile on here and I hope I come off as at least understanding.

It shouldn't be that bad, especially after two months of adjustment, so there was likely something wrong with the bike, and so you shouldn't write off the idea of cycling for good. Perhaps it would be worth a try to borrow a bike from a bike-sharing program next time you're in a city, adjust it reasonably well by googling "bike fit" on your smartphone as you check the bike out, and then ride a few miles along a multi-use path. Even if you hate it you're only out $3, and you may find you like it after all.

One more thing I'll add: 10mph on flat ground should be reasonably easy, but 12mph is harder and 14mph much harder still. Riding with people with a different fitness level can be discouraging for this reason - if I'm used to riding 16mph and try and take it really easy I'll still probably be going 14mph, which may be crazy hard if you're used to 10mph. And hills are really a lot of work - I know when I started riding I worked really, really hard on hills because it felt like they shouldn't make as much of a difference in my speed as they did.

I agree it should not have been that hard, at all.  Also not trying to pile on, at all, and I know you say you're done commuting by bike.  But the 45 minutes for 5 miles thing makes me think two things: under-inflated tires, but more importantly also biking in the wrong gear.  I am no athlete (48 years old, reasonably fit but not a huge biker), but I fly by people all the time who are pedaling reaalllllyyy slowly (like 50 rpm) and shifting their bodies back and forth on the bike as they pedal.  I just came back from a bike ride and one of the first people I passed was doing that. Waaaayyyy too much work.  God, I would HATE biking if I was doing that.  Shifting into a lower gear so that you're moving your feet at about 90-100 rpm is easy.  You get into a rhythm, you don't have to work very hard… Even a slow biker like I am can average 10 miles an hour in the appropriate gear.  Maybe you sweat (I sure would in 90 degree heat) but it's not that much of an effort.
My boss and my old boss are big bikers.  And I used to bike to work 1 or 2x a week, before kid #2 and a little bit after.  My one boss said "you just are in the wrong gear, you need to spin your legs faster, a lot faster".

Well, yeah.  But I've found in spin classes AND on my bike that I can't keep up that RPM for long, it starts to bother my knee, regardless of the gear (even super light gear).

And my bike is old, and not all the gears work.  I already had the front ones replaced, but this is a cheap bike - so the rear ones are not actually replaceable according to the bike shop.  Thus, I only have the hardest gear as an option in the back.  IF I shift down to go up a hill, it will not shift back to the harder gear.  So I just keep it in the hard gear and mash it.

Or I did, when I biked.  Which was last about ... 2 years ago?  I think my youngest was almost 1 and I was still working part time.  They made me go full time, and I lost 8 hours, so it's just not terribly feasible anymore.

kimmarg

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How could I have been in "horrible shape" and not doing real exercise when this happened after biking for 60 days in a row? My real exercise was biking that same route every single day. On a good day, it took me 45 minutes to bike those 5 miles. I usually stopped 2 times on the route to drink some water in the shade (after the two biggest hills - it was my reward for getting up them). On the particularly bad day, I stopped 5+ times, drank a bottle of water + electrolyte powder and a bottle of unadulterated water. It was end of July in Kansas, so yeah... 90F and sunny seems right.

Maybe my bike was crappy. I don't know. I heard recently that a 56 year old woman could jump on any old bike with no problem, so I'm not sure how bad a bike would have to be. I know I took mine to the bike store to get adjusted immediately before starting my commuting experiment. That's the best I could do, knowing nothing about bikes. And given that people make this whole bike thing out to be easy, I'm not sure why you expect them to know if their bike is properly tuned for commuting.

I rode in shorts and a T-shirt. With a backpack full of school stuff and a change of clothes. I weigh 115 lbs. By the end of it, I had toned legs - but I did not feel as though I had additional breathing or strength capacity (or if I did, it was outmoded as the weather got hotter). My husband has no problem biking many miles. I'm not him. I don't bike with him, because his pace kills me. He was able to kill me with his pace when I was biking regularly and he decided to jump on a bike for the first time in 20 years. But you know, I can't really blame it on being a girl, because apparently grandmas can ride five miles.

I do not doubt that riding 5 miles in 115F is easy for some people. I do not doubt that some people can bike 15 miles and not even break a sweat. I'm just here to say: that's not how it is for everyone. Here I am, a perfectly normal person, who did it for 60 days (a reasonable trial, I think) - and it wasn't the way you think it should have been.

Edited to add: Historical data indicates that it may actually have been hotter than 90F in the week/year in question. But let's suppose for a moment that I was biking in 100F (I can't remember what day exactly, so it's possible) - What difference does that make to my ability to commute easily? In August, I was looking at 100F every single day. It wasn't going to happen. Ever.

Hi CPA cat. I just wanted to say I get it. Different bodies are made for different things. I can train for running for literally 6 months and my husband can get off the couch and not breath as hard as I am. Meanwhile if we get in a pool and start swimming laps I'm barely hitting my groove and he's already gasping and done.

GreenPen

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So I'll admit, I feel privileged every day when I ride my bike. I have legs that work. I have two arms for balance. Not everybody can say that: I'm fortunate.

But the whole "hard work and exercise isn't for everyone" undercurrent to this thread is in my opinion, bologna. I'm sure that if CPA Cat didn't own a car, she would have found a way to make the bike commute work.

And in my opinion, driving to work/school is a privilege. It's something to consider doing only after you get close to FI and have extra cash to burn. The person who can afford to drive to campus (or even own a car in grad school) sounds pretty fortunate to me.

Rezdent

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So I'll admit, I feel privileged every day when I ride my bike. I have legs that work. I have two arms for balance. Not everybody can say that: I'm fortunate.

But the whole "hard work and exercise isn't for everyone" undercurrent to this thread is in my opinion, bologna. I'm sure that if CPA Cat didn't own a car, she would have found a way to make the bike commute work.

And in my opinion, driving to work/school is a privilege. It's something to consider doing only after you get close to FI and have extra cash to burn. The person who can afford to drive to campus (or even own a car in grad school) sounds pretty fortunate to me.

Someone saying that biking didn't work out for them isn't saying that they don't work hard or that they don't exercise.  Implying that they could have made it work if only they tried harder seems a bit harsh, IMO.  Your conclusions would be based on the idea that YOU have little or no trouble.

Everyone has a different set of ability, knowledge, and external circumstances.  There is going to be a bell curve of results, with elite cyclists on one end, the majority of folks in the middle, and some on the other end who find cycling difficult.

If someone tries it and concludes it's not for them, that's awesome.  They tried it.

shelivesthedream

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My old commute, which I have been doing again temporarily these past few weeks, was 6.5 miles each way with constant hill (half up half down each way, but basically no flat ground). Used to take me an hour including locking/unlocking at each end, but now takes me a little over 50 minutes. I do cycle more slowly than perhaps I could so that I arrive looking like a human being and don't need a change of clothes.

HOWEVER. This past week it was around 22 C (71 F) and I had to get off and walk up a hill and drink water several times on the way home. I arrived a soggy mess, so thank heaven it was the way home and I could hop in the shower straight away.

Anyone can cycle 5 miles, but I am willing to believe that the heat was too much for the OP. I would not personally be able to cycle more than half a mile in those temperatures. That is not an excuse, however, for not cycling when it is cooler (either a different time of year or a different time of day). And don't let one really awful hill put you off. I have one each way where even when temperatures are reasonable I sometimes get off and walk because it's not about showing off how tough you are, it's about getting from A to B in a cheaper and more environmentally friendly way.

mm1970

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So I'll admit, I feel privileged every day when I ride my bike. I have legs that work. I have two arms for balance. Not everybody can say that: I'm fortunate.

But the whole "hard work and exercise isn't for everyone" undercurrent to this thread is in my opinion, bologna. I'm sure that if CPA Cat didn't own a car, she would have found a way to make the bike commute work.

And in my opinion, driving to work/school is a privilege. It's something to consider doing only after you get close to FI and have extra cash to burn. The person who can afford to drive to campus (or even own a car in grad school) sounds pretty fortunate to me.
It's a time thing too.  I know this is MMM and all, but time is an issue for many.  Some people live far from work and cannot move closer.  As in, two people with two jobs in two different places.  Or they are underwater on their house, or they can't afford a house in the new place or...

So 10 miles to work.  I like it.  And my spouse and I did it 1-2x a week, where I rode TO work and he rode HOME from work (used a bike rack for the other bike). 

That worked fine when I worked 32 hours a week.  But now I work 40.  It's a time thing.  In order for me to bike to work on the days that we can do it, I have to leave by 6:40 am, because it takes me nearly an hour.  That gets me to work in time to work 8 hours and then leave on time to pick up 2 kids at 2 locations before they have to be gone.

I can BARELY work 40 hours in a week.  Any school function, doctor's appointment, etc., required me to take PTO.  I don't have enough PTO for the sick days, school holidays, federal holidays, etc.  At 32 hours a week, I had wiggle room and now I don't have wiggle room.

So 6:40 am just doesn't happen because those are my husband's gym days and he doesn't get home until 7.  Plus we had to screw everything up and change schedules a couple of days a week.  Theoretically, on the swap days, he could bike in the morning and I could bike home - but that gets me home at 7 pm.  That's kind of late for me.  I've got friends who can work shorter days and then just do a little extra from home at night, but I literally get home and cook dinner, feed the kids, pack lunches, start prepping for the next night's dinner, get the kids to bed, and pass out (in reality I am asleep before they are on most nights).

There is going to be a point when the kids are in the same school (for a single lonely year), which may make it more feasible.  I'm still trying to figure out how to work it out.  Maybe Fridays?

Melchior

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I recently took a new job in a new city and moved to where I have a four mile bike commute. How fortunate!

cerebus

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Ha! I had this from someone at work years ago. He was a bit embarrassed when he discovered i rode 24 miles each way and went through his town on my way! Most people vastly underestimate how far they could comfortably cycle to work. Up to 10 miles, easily.

Jesus christ, 48 miles round trip per day?  How long did that take, like 4 hours per day?  I'm all for being a bad ass and pushing yourself to the extreme, but at that point I would either move or find another job rather than spend 4 hours per day on a bike.

Agreed. I have an electric and I consider my 16 mile 45 minute commute pretty borderline. I think I would can it at about 20 miles. Unless of course you have a great city to cycle in (I don't) with proper cycle paths or safe areas to avoid traffic.

I used to work in Newlands and lived in Somerset West. That was both impossible to cycle, and unaffordable to move to for us at the time. It resulted in a hellish daily commute. There were stages when I was able to bus it which saved money but was still a pain. However, now I bike commute and I'm the only guy in an office full of people who don't live much further than I do.

TRBeck

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Fortunate. So fortunate. I am so fortunate that we chose to move to a small city where a trip all the way across town is about six miles. So fortunate that we chose to live in a neighborhood just 2-4 miles from work, the grocery store, and the gym. So fortunate that I was able to set aside 15% of one month's paycheck for a bicycle. So fortunate that I can put up with 90 degree temperatures and 90+% humidity for 2/3 of the year to commute by bike (I hear it's absolutely impossible for many to deal with such hardship). So fortunate that I'm never tired, never hot, never sweaty, never breathing hard, never don't feel like getting on the bike, never think it would be nicer to drive my car for groceries or to the gym in the middle of a summer afternoon only to lift weights and ride home again. So fortunate.

Yep. I made no life choices to put me in this fortunate position. I make no daily decisions to forgo comfort in favor of effort. It's always easy for me because I'm so fucking fortunate.

GuitarStv

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Fortunate. So fortunate. I am so fortunate that we chose to move to a small city where a trip all the way across town is about six miles. So fortunate that we chose to live in a neighborhood just 2-4 miles from work, the grocery store, and the gym. So fortunate that I was able to set aside 15% of one month's paycheck for a bicycle. So fortunate that I can put up with 90 degree temperatures and 90+% humidity for 2/3 of the year to commute by bike (I hear it's absolutely impossible for many to deal with such hardship). So fortunate that I'm never tired, never hot, never sweaty, never breathing hard, never don't feel like getting on the bike, never think it would be nicer to drive my car for groceries or to the gym in the middle of a summer afternoon only to lift weights and ride home again. So fortunate.

Yep. I made no life choices to put me in this fortunate position. I make no daily decisions to forgo comfort in favor of effort. It's always easy for me because I'm so fucking fortunate.

Bike privilege?

TRBeck

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Fortunate. So fortunate. I am so fortunate that we chose to move to a small city where a trip all the way across town is about six miles. So fortunate that we chose to live in a neighborhood just 2-4 miles from work, the grocery store, and the gym. So fortunate that I was able to set aside 15% of one month's paycheck for a bicycle. So fortunate that I can put up with 90 degree temperatures and 90+% humidity for 2/3 of the year to commute by bike (I hear it's absolutely impossible for many to deal with such hardship). So fortunate that I'm never tired, never hot, never sweaty, never breathing hard, never don't feel like getting on the bike, never think it would be nicer to drive my car for groceries or to the gym in the middle of a summer afternoon only to lift weights and ride home again. So fortunate.

Yep. I made no life choices to put me in this fortunate position. I make no daily decisions to forgo comfort in favor of effort. It's always easy for me because I'm so fucking fortunate.

Bike privilege?
Touché.

Sam E

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There are some areas where it is extraordinarily expensive to live close enough to work to bike.

But for most people, they have structured their life in such a way to eliminate the possibility.

My current commute is 10 miles and I bike it with ease. So many people assume you have to be within a mile or two of work to bike, but a lot of the bike commuters I know are like me and bike 5-10 miles to work. You can probably avoid the expensive areas in just about every city if your maximum threshold is that wide.

Of course, there are the people who commute between cities for dozens of miles each way. Those people should probably consider at least moving to the city they work in, but so many of those people act like they're FORCED to have a 30+ mile commute.

GuitarStv

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In many ways I'd rather be 5-10 miles away than 1 mile away for a bike commute.  At 1 mile you don't even have time to warm up.

Sam E

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In many ways I'd rather be 5-10 miles away than 1 mile away for a bike commute.  At 1 mile you don't even have time to warm up.

I agree! I lived 2 miles from my first job and I preferred to walk for that exact reason. When I lived 5 miles from work that was about my optimal biking distance. It only took about 25 minutes and I got just enough time on the bike to feel invigorated and woken up for the day ahead. I still occasionally took the long way home on really nice days, though. Now that I'm 10 miles out, I need a couple more recovery/cool-down minutes when I arrive at work and I'm less inclined to dilly dally when going home, but I still enjoy doing it.

Kris

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In many ways I'd rather be 5-10 miles away than 1 mile away for a bike commute.  At 1 mile you don't even have time to warm up.

I agree! I lived 2 miles from my first job and I preferred to walk for that exact reason. When I lived 5 miles from work that was about my optimal biking distance. It only took about 25 minutes and I got just enough time on the bike to feel invigorated and woken up for the day ahead. I still occasionally took the long way home on really nice days, though. Now that I'm 10 miles out, I need a couple more recovery/cool-down minutes when I arrive at work and I'm less inclined to dilly dally when going home, but I still enjoy doing it.

Yup. I definitely consider anything under a mile "too short to bike".

MLKnits

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In many ways I'd rather be 5-10 miles away than 1 mile away for a bike commute.  At 1 mile you don't even have time to warm up.

Yup. Mine is 4km each way and if it were much shorter, I'd find biking it more frustrating than not, because of the time at each end that isn't necessary for walking (like locking/unlocking the bike, putting on the helmet, getting bags settled, etc).

cerebus

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In many ways I'd rather be 5-10 miles away than 1 mile away for a bike commute.  At 1 mile you don't even have time to warm up.

Lol man, I'd just get a skateboard for that commute. I'm around 8kms each way with some nice hills and it's a perfect distance for me. But it's fine, just sell me the Nashbar TR1.

infogoon

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I just turned down an interview for a job because it would have made me commute 20 miles in a car rather than 5 on a bike. It would have included a raise, but not enough to make me spend that much time driving.

I'm so fortunate.

Zikoris

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It irritates me as well. I walk to work and have for several years, but that didn't just magically happen! Many times in my life I've either moved to be close to work or looked for work based on where I lived. Sure, moving sucks but sometimes in life things suck and you just do them anyway because it's the most logical thing to do.

mm1970

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It irritates me as well. I walk to work and have for several years, but that didn't just magically happen! Many times in my life I've either moved to be close to work or looked for work based on where I lived. Sure, moving sucks but sometimes in life things suck and you just do them anyway because it's the most logical thing to do.
That's fine if you rent.

But if you own a home and have children in school, it gets a bit trickier.  Not impossible, but trickier.

Baron235

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It's a time thing too.  I know this is MMM and all, but time is an issue for many.  Some people live far from work and cannot move closer.  As in, two people with two jobs in two different places.  Or they are underwater on their house, or they can't afford a house in the new place or...



Don't put yourself in a box.  All of things you listed can be changed.  In the short term, they may be a fixed cost or situation, but in the long term anything can be adjusted.  However, if you don't want to change, then that is your reason for not biking to work. It is not because you aren't privileged enough.  It is your decision that you love living in x place more than the desire to bike to work.  No big deal, but I think people often say they can't do something when it is because of their own choices not luck or some "blessing."

Scandium

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There are some areas where it is extraordinarily expensive to live close enough to work to bike.

But for most people, they have structured their life in such a way to eliminate the possibility.

Or the opposite; where my well-paying job with good benefit is located in a run down part of town next to a crackhouse and the walmart with the most police calls in the county. (our boss is cheap). I have no desire to move closer to here, or ride any bike through here either. In the burbs the schools are good, but there are few/no office jobs, in the city it's vise-versa. Sometimes that's just the way it is.

bacchi

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Quote from: bacchi
I'm a sopping sponge after a 2.5 mile commute in 80 degree temps. I have an iced nalgene to drink from at lights and carry 2 ice packs to put on my neck and wrists when I get to work. I'm afraid I don't buy your story of only barely sweating after 5 miles.

Or...people have different responses to heat.

Riding a bike 5 miles is equivalent to running 1-2 miles:

http://www.active.com/articles/convert-your-cycling-miles-to-running-miles-and-vice-versa

If you can't do that without being exhausted you are out of shape, your bike sucks, or you are riding up a mountain directly into the sun while living in a humid climate.

Did I write that I was exhausted? Further, did I write that I can't or don't do it? I just doubted your ability to barely be sweating after 5 miles.

I am, however, able to bike to work when it's 45 (7C) outside without sweating and with only wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Ya know, because people have different responses to heat.

Maybe you're above-average in both hot and cold conditions. For that, congratulations. I am only above-average in cold conditions.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2015, 12:51:16 PM by bacchi »

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!