Author Topic: About this bike to work thing...  (Read 12187 times)

Wendyimhome

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About this bike to work thing...
« on: September 04, 2012, 09:19:39 PM »
I understand that biking is a cornerstone to the MMM philosophy, and I appreciate that.  I really do.  In fact, I'm wanting to work more biking into my lifestyle. 

I read the long post on the subject, and many (but not all) of the comments.  It looked like the consensus was that it really does work well, even in the winter.  My concern, however, is this:

I'm an attorney in the southeast where humidity is a big deal.  Although we wear business causal on days when court or client appearances are not on the calendar, I still can't show up sweating like a big dog.  I would have about an 8 mile ride one way, which would have me sweating pretty heavily.  Does anyone bike to work under similar circs, and is it really practical?  I'd like to know, both for my personal and blogging purposes. 




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« Last Edit: September 05, 2012, 01:43:54 PM by arebelspy »

Russ

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2012, 09:44:16 PM »
I'm riding 6 miles one way these days, and, while it's probably not as hot or humid as where you are, I just moved here and it's a bit muggier than I'm used to, so I do usually end up pretty sweaty. I'm fortunate enough to have a place to shower at work, so I get there half an hour early to give myself plenty of time to clean up. I carry everything I need for the day in a backpack, including work clothes, which I change into after the shower. Pro tip: if you roll your clothes instead of folding them, they're less likely to wrinkle in your bag. My previous couple of jobs didn't have showers, but they did have shop air, which is the best thing ever for cooling and drying yourself off at the same time. In the absence of either the shower or the compressed air, I usually just sponge off in a bathroom. It leaves you a little moist, but clean, so it's better than nothing.
One of the nicer things about bike commuting is that the rider to work is usually in the early (cooler) part of the day, so the hottest, sweatiest ride is the ride home. 60 deg. F or a little less is the perfect bike riding temperature for me. We were hitting that in the mornings for a while, but unfortunately it's heated up again.

manchops

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2012, 10:02:15 PM »
You might also look for showering locations nearby your work. Gyms are usually really good for this (if you can't work out a deal for showing cheap/free, a gym membership is likely still less than car insurance) as are truck stops. You might try "public shower <cityname>" or "bicycle commute shower <cityname>" if you live in a big enough city. Alternatively, maybe you know someone who lives close by your work and you could work something out with them?

livrocentral

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2012, 06:13:35 AM »
I'm an attorney in the southeast where humidity is a big deal.  Although we wear business causal on days when court or client appearances are not on the calendar, I still can't show up sweating like a big dog.  I would have about an 8 mile ride one way, which would have me sweating pretty heavily.  Does anyone bike to work under similar circs, and is it really practical?  I'd like to know, both for my personal and blogging purposes.

Same profession, shorter ride. This summer I have been riding in almost every day, with the exception of torrential downpours. Some mornings it's already in the 80s with high humidity, and there's a lot of perspiration going on. Now, my workplace does have a shower, but I haven't really needed it. I just wear biking clothes--moisture-wicking shorts and shirt, and then do a quick towel-off when I arrive at work before getting dressed. I also have a clothesline hidden under a work table in my office, where I air out my biking clothes so they're not gross or stinky when I want to put them back on at the end of the day.

One of the nicer things about bike commuting is that the rider to work is usually in the early (cooler) part of the day, so the hottest, sweatiest ride is the ride home. 60 deg. F or a little less is the perfect bike riding temperature for me. We were hitting that in the mornings for a while, but unfortunately it's heated up again.

I agree--become an early bird if you want to bike in. That way you have time to cool off and get dressed at a leisurely pace (I've found that being in a hurry makes me perspire more!) before everyone else comes in.

You might also look for showering locations nearby your work. Gyms are usually really good for this (if you can't work out a deal for showing cheap/free, a gym membership is likely still less than car insurance)

Also a great option; we have a nearby YMCA that I could use if I wanted to rent a locker. But even if you don't have access to something like this, it's worth a try. Come in on a Saturday or holiday to see how it goes. This is a great time of year to start biking, too, since the mornings are starting to be cooler. Just make sure you have good lights on your bike and reflective clothing!

Good luck
« Last Edit: September 05, 2012, 06:24:48 AM by DP »

rtrnow

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2012, 06:46:44 AM »
I have pretty much the same advice as others. I bike 6 miles each way to work in Atlanta. So, I understand the heat/humidity thing. Look for somewhere to shower nearby or at least towel off. I'm lucky in that there is a La Fitness in my building. I keep spare clothes and deodorant in my office and replenish as necessary.

Wendyimhome

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2012, 10:36:45 AM »
Thanks for the suggestions.  I don't know of anywhere nearby with showers, but that takes me to a bigger question.  I hope I'm not committing a major breach of protocol by asking, but is it really worth the trouble?  I get that there are health benefits as well as gas savings to be accomplished, but it sounds like riding in with a change of clothes and taking a shower before work would be a real pain and big time commitment to spare 16 miles a day of driving.  As much as I hate $4 gallon gas, it just doesn't seem very practical riding a bike to work and dealing with the consequences of heavy sweating/wet clothes to start the day.  Fwiw, that's sort of the basic premise of my blog, by the way: pursuing frugal practices, but only where practical.



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« Last Edit: September 05, 2012, 01:43:50 PM by arebelspy »

Richard3

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2012, 11:45:02 AM »
> but it sounds like riding in with a change of clothes

Don't ride in with the change of clothes then. Maybe you drive on Monday with a bag full of office clothes for the week and a towel and drive back Friday with the dirties. That's 3 days a week driving saved.

50 cents a mile (according to the IRS) * 16 miles is $8. * 3 days is $24 a week. 50 work weeks a year makes it $1200. Let's say it's an extra $1000 annually because of public holidays or rain or whatever. Is it worth it now?

This isn't a rhetorical question because biking is compulsory, if it's not worth it to you then don't do it. Just be sure you know what you're giving up.

> I don't know of anywhere nearby with showers,

I doubt there's literally no available showers to someone who asks nicely. Is there a gym? Sports club? Public pool? Beach? Friend or colleague within walkable distance? University dorm? YMCA? Heck, my university had showers in the library and several lecture buildings.

Gerard

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2012, 12:31:48 PM »
And showers aren't the only way to get clean at work. I used to cycle about 12km to work with a big hill at the end, and I was *sweaty*. I'd bring a washcloth, find one of those single-user bathrooms, strip down to my waist, and give myself a quick swab. Into a new shirt and I was fully presentable! (Keep the washcloths in ziplocs or other close-able waterproof containers, though.)

AJ

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2012, 12:43:32 PM »
I hope I'm not committing a major breach of protocol by asking, but is it really worth the trouble? 

I think the only way to know is to give it a real chance. A lot of frugal practices are about getting over the initial hassle until it becomes habit. A lot of the trouble here is just figuring out the logistics. Once you've done that and created the habit, it won't seem as bad. I mean, 8 miles one way really isn't that bad, and all it takes is freshening up in the bathroom before you head to your office. Plus, you build your workout in to you day. It seems more practical than driving to me. Just depends on how you look at it...

Russ

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2012, 04:53:56 PM »
I hope I'm not committing a major breach of protocol by asking, but is it really worth the trouble?

No. you're not. Always question everything, even if it comes from the great Mustache himself. It's better to ask and have us (hopefully!) convince you here, than for you to start riding with a little doubt in your mind and have that doubt nag at you until you fall back into your old habits. Just as important as doing the right thing is knowing what the right thing is and why you're doing it. Maybe biking isn't for you, but it seems to me right now you don't entirely see both sides of the picture. So I'm glad you asked.

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I get that there are health benefits as well as gas savings to be accomplished

You said you read the article on biking, but I'm not sure you fully understand it. First, as Richard said, that commute is costing you $1000/year. One way to think about this is that you're spending $1000 dollars more than you need to every year. The more Mustachian way to think about it is that if you ditch the car most days then you can live on $1000 less per year. At 4% withdrawal, that means you need $25,000 less in your investments to be financially independent. For many (if not most?) Mustachians, that's over a year of savings! That means you can quit your job a whole year earlier!

The health benefits are also huge! How many of the people you know get over an hour of exercise every day? I would guess very few. Even if you ride in to work 3 days a week, and that's your only exercise, that's still more than your average American (don't have a citation on me, but I know it's true and will dig around for it if you want). If you like thinking about things in terms of money, that'll save you a thousands and thousands of dollars in medical over your lifetime. If you prefer to think in terms of time, think about how much more likely you will be to live a longer than average life! If you already do get regular exercise, well, more never hurts, and it's practically free (both money-wise and time-wise, we'll get to that).

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but it sounds like riding in with a change of clothes and taking a shower before work would be a real pain

No it's not. That's really all I can tell you about this one. I hardly notice my backpack anymore, and I load it up with way more stuff than I actually need to get though a day. If you're really hung up on this one, do as Richard said and drive in with fresh clothes every Monday. You can drive back and pick up the dirties on Fridays and bike the middle 3 days, or if you're feeling a little more badass bring enough for 4 day and do both the drop-off and pick-up on the same day. Or do drop-off and pick-up on the same day, but do that every 4th day, so you ride more days on average but still only bike three days in a row tops.

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and big time commitment

I spend an extra 20 minutes a day tops commuting by bike. My housemate (who works at the exact same place but on a different shift so I can't ride with him) takes 15 minutes to drive to work, 6 miles away. I take 25 to ride, on a slow day. Two ways - that's 20 minutes. The shower I take at work is the only shower of the day, so that time is time I would have spent showering anyway. The planning of taking a change of clothes takes a negligible amount of time once you get in the habit of it. And that doesn't count the time I save by using my bike commute as exercise time. My body likes me to exercise at least a 45 minutes a day. If I don't I turn into a real grump. If I were to drive to work, drive home, and exercise (heaven forbid I drive to a gym too), I would spend 45 minutes a day past my drive time exercising. Now, when I bike to work, I get 50 minutes of exercise while only spending an extra 20 minutes! Rather than bike commuting costing me time, it actually saves me about a half hour a day!

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to spare 16 miles a day of driving.

I'm just going to gloss over this since  Richard did such a good job of explaining how freakin' much this actually is, and how quickly it adds up. Most folks don't think about it anymore because we've become so accustomed to having cars at our disposal for even the smallest trips, but back in the day many people wouldn't think twice about walking 8 miles each way to visit someone, or go do something important.

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As much as I hate $4 gallon gas,

Again, the gas alone isn't the only factor here (although I do have a hearty chuckle every time I ride by a gas station on my bike).

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it just doesn't seem very practical riding a bike to work and dealing with the consequences of heavy sweating/wet clothes to start the day.

We've shown you how to deal with the sweating, which will go down significantly after it starts cooling off soon - shower if possible, sponge off in the bathroom if possible, or at worst (which is actually very effective) just towel off before you put on your work clothes. I don't know how you got wet clothes, but if you think you'll sweat through your backpack just put them in a plastic grocery bag. Like most people have said, it's no big deal. The hardest part is just doing it.

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Fwiw, that's sort of the basic premise of my blog, by the way: pursuing frugal practices, but only where practical.

For me, biking is practical, in that I'd choose it over a car given the choice, up to somewhere between 12 and 15 miles one way, depending on the weather and terrain. I've been doing this longer than most though, so biking everywhere is pretty natural. I think once you get in the habit, it'll be easier and more practical than you think. Eight miles one way is reasonable for pretty much anyone.

So there ya have it. If you still have doubts or questions, please ask. I'm sure someone here has an answer. Or if you decide that biking isn't for you, that's cool too. I just want to make sure you know what you're missing ;)

edit: spelling and such

Wendyimhome

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2012, 08:34:02 PM »
Wow, those are some pretty thorough rebuttals.  I really do understand the points.  I guess the devil's advocate in me is thinking that the cumulative numbers work both ways though.  Just as you might save $1,000 a year, you also will expend about a half hour of extra commuting time a day (assuming I can get up to a respectable pedaling speed).  So that comes to, what, about 125 hours of lost personal time in a year?  And when I sweat, no sponge down will do.  I really do need a full shower, lest I smell like the previously mentioned big dog. 

I'm all for biking, and I think it makes great sense if you are heading to the gym or some outdoor activity where you are going to sweat anyway.  But I intend to try this once I get the bike operational.  Ironically enough, the gear shift mechanism blew out when I was trying to go about half way to downtown a few weeks ago.  Let's hope that is not a bad omen.

mm1970

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2012, 08:45:19 PM »
I have a 10 mile commute, and I used to do it by bike 2x a week (I've got kids now, it's more complicated, but we still do it on occasion.)

I didn't have an issue getting TOO sweaty because I moseyed.  If I really rocked it, I could get to work in 40 mins on my mountain bike.  If I mosey, it's 50 minutes.  Less sweat.  And it's cooler here in the morning.

As far as the time factor goes: you have to shower anyway, no?  So that's the same.  And I considered it exercise.  Instead of driving to the gym, taking a 45 min class or workout, and driving home (probably 12 minutes round trip driving), I can bike to work in 45 minutes.  My driving commute is 15 minutes.

So biking is 30 extra minutes of commute but I get 45 minutes of exercise, and I'm saving 12 minutes of driving.  It works out to be a time saver.  But what we did/ have done is bike one way, so I wasn't biking 45 mins in the morning and at night.  You could drive in, bike home, bike in, drive home.
Bike one way: commute time total: 45 + 15 = 60 minutes, exercise time is 45 min
Drive both ways and go to the gym: commute time 30 min, exercise time 45 min, commute to gym 12 minutes.  Total time is 30+45+12 = 1 hr 27 min

Anyway the extra commuting time isn't lost personal time, it's time you are getting exercise.   A bonus if you weren't exercising before, and a substitute for some existing workouts if you were.

Make sure you pack a bigger lunch though.

Russ

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2012, 08:54:03 PM »
So that comes to, what, about 125 hours of lost personal time in a year?

Ok, so you really still want to call it lost time, if only for the sake of argument. Even still, if you give up 125 personal hours a year to retire one year earlier (gaining approx. 2000 hours of personal time), the breakeven point is 16 years away, meaning you still save time the first 16 years and only start losing time past that. It's really quite hard to come out behind in time with this stuff.

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And when I sweat, no sponge down will do.  I really do need a full shower, lest I smell like the previously mentioned big dog. 

This seems to work wonders for those who have tried it.

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But I intend to try this once I get the bike operational

Great! Let us know how it goes! If you need any help with DIY bike fixing, Park Tool has a decent repair help section on their site. Or feel free to post on the boards, I love helping with that kind of stuff and I'm sure some others do too
« Last Edit: September 05, 2012, 08:56:46 PM by Russ »

livrocentral

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #13 on: September 07, 2012, 05:37:26 AM »
And that doesn't count the time I save by using my bike commute as exercise time. My body likes me to exercise at least a 45 minutes a day. If I don't I turn into a real grump.

I just wanted to second this point. I find my days go much better when I bike. I'm more productive and more agreeable. When the weather is bad and it's a bus-riding day, I can really feel the difference.

galaxie

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2012, 08:21:15 AM »
I biked today and I feel awesome!  I'd been taking some time off biking for an injury, but at this point I think the "cure" (rest) is worse than the disease. 

westerndog

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #15 on: September 07, 2012, 08:41:24 AM »

I run to work in Florida, 16 miles (takes about 2 hours) and then get a ride home or halfway home.
I do this 3 days a week (for past 2 years).

I could care less about the 4 gallons of gas-I do it for the fitness and to lessen the impact of my running addiction on my family.

Drop bag changeout every Monday and Friday, shower at a gym 1/2 mile away, hit the Starbucks and walk the last 1/2 mile-I feel great when the day starts.
Hit the sink/moist wipe freshen up, and I'm good.

Richard3

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #16 on: September 07, 2012, 08:51:56 AM »
So that comes to, what, about 125 hours of lost personal time in a year? 

I hear that a lot of people actually pay money to go and sit on bikes without wheels in a room somewhere. Other people plan their holidays to ride their bikes around.

I actually walk to work rather than ride because it's too close #moustachianproblems?

I like having a 20-25 minute slot either side of work to wake up (on the way in) and decompress (on the way out) - if I rode it would only be 5 or 10 minutes and that wouldn't be enough.

rtrnow

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #17 on: September 07, 2012, 11:45:21 AM »
As others have said, you have to decide if it's worth it to you. I only spend an extra 10 minutes communing each way on bike over the car, and on days that I don't bike I go to the gym and do at least 30 minutes of cardio. So, I figure I'm actually saving time by biking. I've also found I feel more relaxed not dealing with traffic as directly and not hearing news and other crap on the radio during my commute.

Oh and there is some added savings on water/electricity/gas since I shower at the gym and not home on biking days.


PaulM12345

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #18 on: September 07, 2012, 12:33:32 PM »
I'm just going to add something on the mental health side of things: I bike 5 miles to work every day, and it has done wonders for my mental health. Not that I was mentally ill before, but I feel happier, more energized, less stressed. The ride home is a great way to wind down from the day, instead of being stuck in traffic, so when I get home I feel like I've already transitioned.

My take, which isn't too different from others: Even from a non-financial perspective, it is worth it. And, as others mentioned, I get my exercise done in my commute. If I drive to work it takes 15 minutes; if I bike it takes 30 (including washing off and changing). So for an added 30 minutes per day, I get 1 hour of exercise, fresh air, natural light, see the city. And, because I'm kind of lazy and have to take care of kids when I get home, that is exercise I would not be getting otherwise. Meanwhile I listen to lectures on my single ear headphones so I edumacate myself along the way (if I were driving I'd probably just listen to the news, which, while good, isn't as educational as the lectures).

So I would try it out, maybe once a week for a month, and see what it's like, keeping in mind it takes a while to get in the groove. Soon enough, you won't even be thinking about it, you'll just hop on the bike...

galaxie

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #19 on: September 07, 2012, 12:47:00 PM »
I have to say, biking to work doesn't really count as "exercise" for me.

I mean, it's a respectable amount of time on a bike (45-50 min), but low-intensity endurance cardio isn't the kind of exercise I need.  I need strength/interval training.  So it's nice to get outside and be active and spend energy, but sometimes it's actually counterproductive because I should be lifting weights or doing sprints when I get home, but I tired myself out biking to work and back.

I am trying to build some sprints into my bike commute, though.  If anyone can come up with a way for kettlebells to get me to work, I'm in.  :)

TLV

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #20 on: September 07, 2012, 01:51:59 PM »
If anyone can come up with a way for kettlebells to get me to work, I'm in.  :)


menorman

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #21 on: September 08, 2012, 08:30:41 PM »
I have to say, biking to work doesn't really count as "exercise" for me.

I mean, it's a respectable amount of time on a bike (45-50 min), but low-intensity endurance cardio isn't the kind of exercise I need.  I need strength/interval training.  So it's nice to get outside and be active and spend energy, but sometimes it's actually counterproductive because I should be lifting weights or doing sprints when I get home, but I tired myself out biking to work and back.

I am trying to build some sprints into my bike commute, though.  If anyone can come up with a way for kettlebells to get me to work, I'm in.  :)

If you want a bit more exercise, get a fixie (aka fixed-gear bike and not to be confused with a single-speed, though many come with a "flip-flop hub" that allows you to change from fixed to ss in a relatively short time). On a fixie, your legs must be moving when the wheel is moving, like those little trikes kids ride. While it sounds simple at first, you will definitely get a bit more of a workout and especially on hills--both going up and down them. You may also want to supplement your fixie riding with some HIIT The one downside to fixies is that they're all the rage right now, so you might have trouble finding reasonably priced used examples on craigslist. However, Amazon does offer quite a selection as well with decent customer reviews(here's one example), Bikes Direct has a couple offerings, and Nashbar has a small sample.
But on to your bigger question of is it even worth it? That's a good question to ask, and one that's advocated by MMM himself. For himself, he realized that not working at all was worth far more to him than arriving to and from work in a fair amount of comfort and "speed". However, you may not come to the same realization, and that's okay too. While MMM has shared his experience and also feels obliged to do whatever possible to help slow our destruction of our children's future, he isn't going to show up with a gun at your garage door and watch to make sure you grab the bike every morning. That's a personal choice that you have to make on your very own. However, if you choose to drive the majority of the time, your understanding of how cars cost per mile should help guide your decision. With your relatively short commute distance, you're the perfect candidate for a hybrid to be your main car. If your commute doesn't include many chances/reasons to go fast and you don't go many places the rest of the time either, your tank of gas may easily last you a month or more. Of course, other costs will creep into the equation, but they can still be comparatively low, especially compared to other cagers around you.
Of course, if you choose bike to be majority, you can join the growing number of cycle commuters as well as help raise awareness on the topic. Your work in the courthouse will invariably bring you into more numerous contact with government and law enforcement than most people generally have. If possible, you can use those contacts to help further bicycle improvements in your surrounding community and to push to get cyclist rights and protection laws codified as well. That will help make biking and driving safer for all and you could also be the catalyst and inspiration for others around you to try it out and hopefully clamor for it as well.

johnnylighthouse

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #22 on: September 08, 2012, 08:50:54 PM »
Another way to handle clothes is to find a laundry service close to work.  Might be worth a reduction in savings vs driving if it eliminates a roadblock to riding.  My employer pays for this so I haven't had to grapple with the economics, but I can attest that not shuttling clothes around on the bike is awesome.

Russ

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #23 on: September 08, 2012, 11:34:02 PM »
I have to say, biking to work doesn't really count as "exercise" for me.

I mean, it's a respectable amount of time on a bike (45-50 min), but low-intensity endurance cardio isn't the kind of exercise I need.  I need strength/interval training.  So it's nice to get outside and be active and spend energy, but sometimes it's actually counterproductive because I should be lifting weights or doing sprints when I get home, but I tired myself out biking to work and back.

I am trying to build some sprints into my bike commute, though.  If anyone can come up with a way for kettlebells to get me to work, I'm in.  :)

If you want a bit more exercise, get a fixie (aka fixed-gear bike and not to be confused with a single-speed, though many come with a "flip-flop hub" that allows you to change from fixed to ss in a relatively short time). On a fixie, your legs must be moving when the wheel is moving, like those little trikes kids ride. While it sounds simple at first, you will definitely get a bit more of a workout and especially on hills--both going up and down them. You may also want to supplement your fixie riding with some HIIT

Oh dear god please don't buy a fixed gear bicycle to get "more exercise". If you want your bike ride to be more difficult, ride harder on your geared bike. Simple as that. Yes, there are many reasons people like riding bikes with a fixed drivetrain. I like mine because the whole setup is incredibly low maintenance. It's also an absolute blast to ride - after spending nearly as much of my life on two wheels as I have on two feet, it adds a fun little twist to the old game. Training-wise, riding fixed does "force" the widening of the range of cadences at which you pedal efficiently. But if you want to actually methodically train or do intervals or whatever you want to call it on a bicycle, there is no better bike than a geared bike. If you aren't getting as much of a workout as you want, that's your own fault and a different bike isn't going to make you try any harder.

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The one downside to fixies is that they're all the rage right now, so you might have trouble finding reasonably priced used examples on craigslist.

Yeah, the "boutique" brands will always be overpriced, but I've found that usually the bike-store models (Jamis Sputnik/Beatnik, Felt Brougham, a bunch of different Fujis, etc.) have appropriate used prices. The biggest problem is that they're hard to come by in the first place, unless you live in an absolutely gigantic city. In Columbus, we had one or two come up each week with one a month actually being worthwhile to look at, if it were the proper size. Probably one or two a month here in Lexington, with a good pick every couple months.

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However, Amazon does offer quite a selection as well with decent customer reviews(here's one example)

Whatever you do, don't buy this POS, for too many reasons to list. I'd put that on par with, if not worse than, your average bike from Wally World. The BikesDirect bikes are reasonable if you know how to build and fix bikes (I love my Kilo TT as much as anyone can love material things, but it took a good amount of bike know-how and some extra dollars to make it reliable) as are some of the Nashbar/Performance options. If you don't know how to work on bikes, either take the time to learn or buy your bike from a reputable brick and mortar store that will put it together for you (or on CL from someone who knows how to work on bikes or bought it from a real life bike shop, you get the picture) or else you'll break your face when something goes wrong with your poorly assembled bike.

Tradies wife

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #24 on: September 08, 2012, 11:50:03 PM »
This comment is for Wendyimhome.

I haven't read every post. However, I was wondering if you have thought about retro fitting your bike with e-power, so it becomes an electric bike. Or buy a second hand e-bike as a second bike. So basically you don't have to pedal as hard, and have an easier 8 mile ride. This may mean that you actually catch more of a breeze to work, and arrive a little more refreshed.

The cost to recharge the system is very minimal. You can think of riding this way as kind of like driving a car with the windows down, and something for your legs to do occasionally.

Just an idea.


kaeldra

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Re: About this bike to work thing...
« Reply #25 on: September 18, 2012, 11:58:43 AM »
Another possibility, if sweating is a big concern, is to take the bus in the morning (or bike partway and bus the rest) and bike home at night. Read on the bus (maybe you can sync your phone to get your work email and get a head-start?) so it's not 'wasted time' either.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!