Didn't want to start a new thread so I unearthed this one.
Recently, I biked to a professional development (PD) day. I'm a teacher and they never have students at these PD days. It's our day to learn about new techniques in the field of education.
Since this was a 9+ mile ride to a neighboring school, I wasn't too worried about bringing extra clothes. Usually, teachers are dressed down on these types of days.
My super intendant happened to be there and made a comment on my biking gear. Something to the effect of, "You look like a biker and you're talking to the super intendant." She continued to talk about the dress code that was being enforced. In reality, I could've driven but instead I biked.
Thought it was funny. The idea of getting fired because of FIRE.
Biking to work feels fantastic. You get a nice dose of endorphins in the morning, and it clears your head for the tasks in front of you. Plus, it takes care of some of your daily exercise requirement.The sad thing is that the gas is likely the cheaper part of the overall cost. Figure $0.07-0.20 a mile for a 40 to 15 mpg vehicle respectively. Overall you are spending $0.40-0.70 a mile in net costs with repairs, amortized vehicle replacement cost, maintenance, insurance, registration, etc. Just using half a buck a mile is often plenty accurate.
Been biking to work every single day and I've saved a ton on gas alone.
The other thing I notice is that trips tend to multiply when I drive. You won't go to one more spot (to spend yet more money) on your bike, but behind the wheel it is all too easy to add more destinations along the way. So I'd argue there is an additional savings per mile above direct replacement miles.
Didn't want to start a new thread so I unearthed this one.
Recently, I biked to a professional development (PD) day. I'm a teacher and they never have students at these PD days. It's our day to learn about new techniques in the field of education.
Since this was a 9+ mile ride to a neighboring school, I wasn't too worried about bringing extra clothes. Usually, teachers are dressed down on these types of days.
My super intendant happened to be there and made a comment on my biking gear. Something to the effect of, "You look like a biker and you're talking to the super intendant." She continued to talk about the dress code that was being enforced. In reality, I could've driven but instead I biked.
Thought it was funny. The idea of getting fired because of FIRE.
I started biking to work in September when my daughter returned to school. Her school is on my way to work so we are biking in together and then I continue on to the office.
For years I have felt low level guilt about getting in my car and driving the 4km (yes, really) from my home to office. One deterring factor was safety. Until this year there was no bike safe way to cross a major highway that lies between my home and office. Thankfully when a bridge over the highway was replaced a pedestrian walkway was added.
Biking into office in the morning puts me in a great mood, even when the weather is crappy. And biking home is far more relaxing after a day of work then the sort drive ever was.
I now need to start looking into expanding my biking wardrobe and possibly buying some additional bike equipment (fenders, winter tires) to extend my biking season into the winter. I plan to bike in with my daughter as long as she is willing (and maybe a bit longer if I can twist her arm)
As a bonus the bike route is 500m shorter (3.5km total) then driving due to a pedestrian path I can take to get out of our neighborhood instead of driving the wrong direction for a few blocks.
Well done, I have started doing this too.
Fitter body, healthy mind, save money on petrol and less pollution. It's taking some getting used to getting up earlier and not having the heating on in a warm car though. Also my bike is ancient and I still have one of those huge mountain bike tyres on it. Need to get one of those road bikes with thin ones. They look so light and fast.
Well done, I have started doing this too.
Fitter body, healthy mind, save money on petrol and less pollution. It's taking some getting used to getting up earlier and not having the heating on in a warm car though. Also my bike is ancient and I still have one of those huge mountain bike tyres on it. Need to get one of those road bikes with thin ones. They look so light and fast.
Do you have a lot of paved roads where you live? Or is there some off-roading involved too?
I bought myself a hybrid bike, which sort of straddles the line between road and mountain bikes. Lighter frame and no suspension (like a road bike), but slightly fatter tyres for light off-roading. It's a nice compromise. And if you ever want to go just a little faster, you can usually put slim road bike tyres on a hybrid frame.
No off roading involved, I just have the same bike as when I was a 18 year old. Back then I would be off roading for fun lol.
That's interesting, will have a look into those hybrids. The ability to switch to thicker tyres could be useful too, especially on those icy winter days.
No off roading involved, I just have the same bike as when I was a 18 year old. Back then I would be off roading for fun lol.I have a road bike with disk brakes: since it doesn't have the clearance issues that rubber brakes can cause, I can almost put 40mm tires on mine with no issues (went from 25s for the summer to studded-35s for the winter).
That's interesting, will have a look into those hybrids. The ability to switch to thicker tyres could be useful too, especially on those icy winter days.
No off roading involved, I just have the same bike as when I was a 18 year old. Back then I would be off roading for fun lol.
That's interesting, will have a look into those hybrids. The ability to switch to thicker tyres could be useful too, especially on those icy winter days.
If you might run afoul of ice and snow where you live, then it may be worth keeping your mountain bike too.
No off roading involved, I just have the same bike as when I was a 18 year old. Back then I would be off roading for fun lol.
That's interesting, will have a look into those hybrids. The ability to switch to thicker tyres could be useful too, especially on those icy winter days.
If you might run afoul of ice and snow where you live, then it may be worth keeping your mountain bike too.
I don't like mountain bikes for ice and snow, and use a road bike year round.
The big knobby mountain bike tires are good for grip if you're cycling through loose snow, but I find narrow tires tend to punch through slush and grip better on the road. Knobby tires are much worse handling when you're on any kind of smooth surface (including ice).
The wide handlebars on a mountain bike ensure that you catch a tremendous amount of wind. This slows you down (making you work harder to go faster in the stronger winter winds), but also makes you colder. A tucked position on a road bike feels warmer - you're all tucked into a ball, just like the HELP position in a swimming pool.
My DH is the opposite, he much prefers his mountain bike for winter riding, and his biggest problem is overheating and sweating, even in -40C/F. He doesn't even wear a proper coat, just a merino base layer, a fleece, and a vented waterpoof biking jacket with no lining.
The only weather he won't bike in is a major snow storm where there's snow above your knees on the ground, in which case he'll run instead.
My DH is the opposite, he much prefers his mountain bike for winter riding, and his biggest problem is overheating and sweating, even in -40C/F. He doesn't even wear a proper coat, just a merino base layer, a fleece, and a vented waterpoof biking jacket with no lining.
The only weather he won't bike in is a major snow storm where there's snow above your knees on the ground, in which case he'll run instead.
That's pretty rad.
I'm like your DH in that I generate a LOT of heat and get hot super fast. But I'm still a wuss when it comes to getting my head cold. My core is fine, but I'm a sissy if my ears and neck get chilly.
Gonna look into base layers and hoodies with built-in balaclavas.
So today I took the bus for the first time. Not "badass" in any way, and it added about 20 minutes to my commute but I am a WAAAAY happier employee today and it was only $2.
Boom.
... especially after I was pulled over like the 5th time doing it by an off duty cop, for "impeding traffic" (I mentioned Florida, right).
Yes I was riding in the whole right lane of a 5 lane road, doing about 12-15 in a 20mph school zone, as if traffic couldn't pass me in the OTHER lane. He figured I should be using the mostly but not totally unoccupied parallel parking lane (there is no continuous sidewalk or bike lane, and the parallel parking lane has some cars in it and ends suddenly). I was almost hoping he'd give me a ticket so I could fight it and win it in court, but alas only a warning. The experience has only made me want to do it MORE.
Ask for a badge number and report a complaint.Sounds like a good plan to me. Are there any cycling advocate organizations in your area? They might be interested in building up a case that the local police department has a habit of harassing cyclists, so they might be interested in a report as well.
Occasionally, cyclists do get cited by police for failure to observe this law, perhaps even when the cyclist is exercising one of the listed exceptions. If this happens to you - don't argue with the police! You won't win! If you feel you were wrongly cited, please get all the pertinent information and forward it to your local Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator, or the [Florida Bicycle Association www.floridabicycle.org (http://www.floridabicycle.org)].
Remember that in Florida, it's legal for bicyclists to take the travel lane, even where there is a shoulder. Sometimes being in the travel lane, where you will be seen, may be preferable to being on the shoulder, where you might be overlooked. Riding the shoulder is still riding in traffic - don't let the paint think for you!
I just rolled into work on my new (used) Surly Pugsley Fat Bike. Co-Workers are somewhere between scared as hell and confused as I have a ride that will get me to work in any conditions, including nuclear war or alien invasion.I think nuclear war or alien invasion could prevent me from getting places on my bike.
I just rolled into work on my new (used) Surly Pugsley Fat Bike. Co-Workers are somewhere between scared as hell and confused as I have a ride that will get me to work in any conditions, including nuclear war or alien invasion.I think nuclear war or alien invasion could prevent me from getting places on my bike.
I just rode my bike to work for the first time since moving to a house ~7 miles away!
...
I have a road bike that I ride recreationally, and went for a long ride this weekend and thought "screw it, I'm going to do it."
...
Honestly, I think this was the best commute I've ever had. It took me 15 minutes less than the bus, and was 10x more pleasant. Thank you, bikes.
Honestly, I think this was the best commute I've ever had. It took me 15 minutes less than the bus, and was 10x more pleasant. Thank you, bikes.I agree that cycling is much more pleasant than riding a bus . In my area, I find that time actually traveling is about the same on bike or bus. Cycling has the advantage of not being confined to the bus schedule and route; but in my case that is mostly countered by typically changing clothes an extra time to cycle. If I cut out changing clothes, cycling would certainly save me a little time over riding the bus.
So, I took different roads. It was amazing. Several nice, quiet streets adorned with cute little houses all the way to work, only a few blocks from the main arterial roads. I barely road next to any cars the whole way. And for when I did, I had my flashing red lights.
Honestly, I think this was the best commute I've ever had. It took me 15 minutes less than the bus, and was 10x more pleasant. Thank you, bikes.
I just rolled into work on my new (used) Surly Pugsley Fat Bike. Co-Workers are somewhere between scared as hell and confused as I have a ride that will get me to work in any conditions, including nuclear war or alien invasion.I think nuclear war or alien invasion could prevent me from getting places on my bike.
I just rolled into work on my new (used) Surly Pugsley Fat Bike. Co-Workers are somewhere between scared as hell and confused as I have a ride that will get me to work in any conditions, including nuclear war or alien invasion.Apocalypse proof commuter bikes are awesome! While I have a drop bar road bike with skinny tires, ever since building up a Kona Unit 2X (added a front derailleur to the stupid 1x drive train it came with) with 29x3.0 tires it is my preferred rig for commuting. Just more fun to sit more upright and have tires lashed to a steel frame that fear nothing. I keep catching myself making motor noises as I barrel down the road...
I've definitely reached stage 5....Bikeyface has some great stuff :)
So, I took different roads. It was amazing. Several nice, quiet streets adorned with cute little houses all the way to work, only a few blocks from the main arterial roads. I barely road next to any cars the whole way. And for when I did, I had my flashing red lights.
Honestly, I think this was the best commute I've ever had. It took me 15 minutes less than the bus, and was 10x more pleasant. Thank you, bikes.
Yes! The route you take biking is almost never the same one you would take driving. Improved biking maps/pathfinding and fixing up missing links can really help people who are starting out.I just rolled into work on my new (used) Surly Pugsley Fat Bike. Co-Workers are somewhere between scared as hell and confused as I have a ride that will get me to work in any conditions, including nuclear war or alien invasion.I think nuclear war or alien invasion could prevent me from getting places on my bike.
I've definitely reached stage 5....
(https://momentummag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/bikeyface_bikehabit-copy.jpg)
So, I took different roads. It was amazing. Several nice, quiet streets adorned with cute little houses all the way to work, only a few blocks from the main arterial roads. I barely road next to any cars the whole way. And for when I did, I had my flashing red lights.
Honestly, I think this was the best commute I've ever had. It took me 15 minutes less than the bus, and was 10x more pleasant. Thank you, bikes.
Yes! The route you take biking is almost never the same one you would take driving. Improved biking maps/pathfinding and fixing up missing links can really help people who are starting out.I just rolled into work on my new (used) Surly Pugsley Fat Bike. Co-Workers are somewhere between scared as hell and confused as I have a ride that will get me to work in any conditions, including nuclear war or alien invasion.I think nuclear war or alien invasion could prevent me from getting places on my bike.
I've definitely reached stage 5....
(https://momentummag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/bikeyface_bikehabit-copy.jpg)
I've definitely reached stage 5....Bikeyface has some great stuff :)
I've definitely reached stage 5....Bikeyface has some great stuff :)
1st ride to work at new job! 13 miles one way, feels great! Might get addicted...
Thanks for calling out the source. I bike commute, but had never heard of Bikeyface. I'll have to check it out.
Yes! Thank-you, I didn't even notice the image I picked up didn't mention the source.Shoot I didn't even notice, just automatically went "Bikeface, yaaas!" :)
Credit where credit is due... Bikeyface comics are wonderful! If you ever have a safety moment, or topic for a meeting and want something about cycling, it's a good resource.