The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Share Your Badassity => Topic started by: marielle on July 03, 2017, 12:34:45 PM
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Commute meaning you go to the same place at least 3x per week. It could be to work, gym, volunteering etc. So not weekend leisurely rides.
I was hoping to commute to work by bike starting this summer but unfortunately live 23 miles each way. Not sure if it is even possible to do 5x a week without some serious training (starting from nothing basically). I even considered driving halfway and biking the rest. It's so hard finding rentals close to work in the deep rural south!
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1.1 mile trip to work...2.2 miles daily.
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4.2 mile to work, 8.4 round, avg 4x/week. Grocery store 6mi round about once per week.
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I am voting on behalf of hubby -- he travels 10 miles each way.
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4.5 miles each way, averaging 3x per week.
Pretty serious hills on my commute and no shower at the office, so I use an e-bike. I can still work up a sweat on the e-bike (too fun to hurry up the hills!), so I have to stay disciplined on the ride in. But bike-commuting is definitely the way to go if you can do it. It's just so much more fun to be outside than to sit in traffic in a metal box.
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It's just so much more fun to be outside than to sit in traffic in a metal box.
Agreed, but my commute has literally 0 traffic and involves some fun winding roads. If only I drove a convertible or a better handling sports car!
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8 miles round trip for me! Very hilly, but I go slow on the way in so I don't have to use the ucky showers. Then haul it home!
Amazing how it adds up. 8 miles x 5 days x 4 weeks is 160 miles a month.
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I don't anymore, but when I was biking to school, it was 5.5 miles each way (11 miles / day).
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4 miles each way to work. So 8 miles roundtrip. Plus I run all my regular errands on my bike (food shopping, library, bank). I try to save my car usage primarily for weekend trips (camping) or day hike destinations that are not easily reachable by bike or public transit.
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Exactly one mile each way to work. Sometimes I go into town after work or head back out in the evening, so that adds an extra 1 to 3 or so miles to the day. I am really lucky to live near a bike path and close to work.
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8 miles one way, 16 round trip. I ride it everyday, keeps me happy, healthy and handsome. (Well, happy and healthy, at least)
Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
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Commute meaning you go to the same place at least 3x per week. It could be to work, gym, volunteering etc. So not weekend leisurely rides.
I was hoping to commute to work by bike starting this summer but unfortunately live 23 miles each way. Not sure if it is even possible to do 5x a week without some serious training (starting from nothing basically). I even considered driving halfway and biking the rest. It's so hard finding rentals close to work in the deep rural south!
When I started working I was cycling a bit over 2 miles each way, not much but saved ~30 minutes each way versus walking. Then moved closer to work so walked. Then moved much further away and worked remotely.
I was hoping to commute to work by bike starting this summer but unfortunately live 23 miles each way. Not sure if it is even possible to do 5x a week without some serious training (starting from nothing basically). I even considered driving halfway and biking the rest. It's so hard finding rentals close to work in the deep rural south!
A former work colleague of mine was a cycling nut. She lived 35 miles from our office, so was driving about half way and cycling from there, at least during reasonable weather. So no reason you couldn't start off doing that, and if it goes well after a few weeks drive less and cycle more. You might get to a point of doing it all by bike, though I suppose it also depends on whether you can afford the time (depending on conditions I would think 23 miles for a reasonable cyclist is going to take 1 hour 20 minutes or so plus any delays for traffic?). Assuming you are somebody in generally decent health I think you should be OK to start doing 10 mile cycle rides: you can choose your own pace. If it's too tiring you can of course start off doing it every other day and build up over time.
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For those who work from home, could this be 3 destinations that are not all the same? ;D
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My "actual" commute (if I go straight to work and back) is only 2.8 miles one-way. However, I'm usually at around 12-25 miles one-way based on how much time and exercise I feel like doing.
That of course puts me into 3 different categories; I just voted for the one in the middle.
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Commute meaning you go to the same place at least 3x per week. It could be to work, gym, volunteering etc. So not weekend leisurely rides.
I was hoping to commute to work by bike starting this summer but unfortunately live 23 miles each way. Not sure if it is even possible to do 5x a week without some serious training (starting from nothing basically). I even considered driving halfway and biking the rest. It's so hard finding rentals close to work in the deep rural south!
When I started working I was cycling a bit over 2 miles each way, not much but saved ~30 minutes each way versus walking. Then moved closer to work so walked. Then moved much further away and worked remotely.
I was hoping to commute to work by bike starting this summer but unfortunately live 23 miles each way. Not sure if it is even possible to do 5x a week without some serious training (starting from nothing basically). I even considered driving halfway and biking the rest. It's so hard finding rentals close to work in the deep rural south!
A former work colleague of mine was a cycling nut. She lived 35 miles from our office, so was driving about half way and cycling from there, at least during reasonable weather. So no reason you couldn't start off doing that, and if it goes well after a few weeks drive less and cycle more. You might get to a point of doing it all by bike, though I suppose it also depends on whether you can afford the time (depending on conditions I would think 23 miles for a reasonable cyclist is going to take 1 hour 20 minutes or so plus any delays for traffic?). Assuming you are somebody in generally decent health I think you should be OK to start doing 10 mile cycle rides: you can choose your own pace. If it's too tiring you can of course start off doing it every other day and build up over time.
I might try this! It's a 9 mile bike ride to Walmart through some fairly empty back roads, then the rest is down a minor highway. I'm a little iffy biking down this highway because there is construction that turns a bridge into a narrow one lane road--not much room for cars to pass me on the bridge. There is a possibility of a different route that adds 3 miles to the commute though. Damn river in the way!
For those who work from home, could this be 3 destinations that are not all the same? ;D
If it's consistent, I'll allow it!
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Approximately 4 miles round trip
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Same here - 4 miles round trip, which is incredibly easy, especially in summer. I also do all our groceries and other errands by bike. My worst commute was 7.2 miles each way, along some very nasty urban highways and industrial areas, in Montreal. I still managed it at least 9 months every year, every day. The other three months were spotty but at least there was fairly decent public transport for the off days.
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You might consider doing the commute one way, leaving the car at work, then riding back in the next day. I usually drive in on Monday bringing clothes and a bike, ride 15 miles home, ride back in Tuesday morning, repeat. This gives me options for lunchtime or work related travel during the day, and I can ride the "fast" bike some, then ride the commuter with panniers if I need to haul clothes or a laptop or whatever.
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I used to commute 7 miles each way. It's extremely bike unfriendly here, so I stopped riding to work a couple years ago.
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I just got a new job (after long term unemployment). 3 miles to work and an easy bike ride. It's an office job in front of the computer all day. I also walk mile at lunchtime for some more exercise. Some of my co-workers are getting interested in riding bikes more and walking more.
In a couple weeks the office is moving to a new location downtown, 1.6 miles from my home. I will walk or ride to work every day.
I try to make a point of driving my 16yo Subaru once a week as it sitting for so long is really not good for it.
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It's about 4.5 miles each way to work. So about 9 miles total.
Depending on weather and if I'm running late. :p
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You might consider doing the commute one way, leaving the car at work, then riding back in the next day. I usually drive in on Monday bringing clothes and a bike, ride 15 miles home, ride back in Tuesday morning, repeat. This gives me options for lunchtime or work related travel during the day, and I can ride the "fast" bike some, then ride the commuter with panniers if I need to haul clothes or a laptop or whatever.
This could be an option too, but I may need to wait until construction is done on a bridge or take an alternate route that is 26 miles each way. I'm not sure how to build up to this though, I guess I could see how far I get on a weekend and then starting doing it 1x a week, then 2x, etc.
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I don't commute by bicycle, but I do frequently go grocery shopping in a neighboring town by bicycle, which is a 7 mile round trip while towing a bike trailer.
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15 mile round trip. I've been mixing in run commuting twice a week to get in shape for a relay race, taking the train home ($2.50 one way). Our bike commuter population has been low lately, just 3-4 of us regulars in an office of 80 despite great summer weather. I got mad kudos for riding my bike through the winter when it was down to just a couple hardy souls, now I get slack jawed awe when people see me hoofing it up to the front door with a pack on. I very much do not look like a runner, more like a beer guzzling sofa warmer. Good stuff.
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3.4 miles round trip.
When we bought our house, one of the requirements was that it had to be within 10 miles of both our workplaces.
Distance to my work is actually 1.5 miles, but I bike the "long" way that has a bike path and avoids a crazy intersection.
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I do a bit over 4 miles each way every day, I think it's the perfect distance. Where we last lived my boyfriend used to do a 20 mile commute. He started with a few friends, one of them had never really ridden before so he found it exhausting but he got fit quick! I have also gone from not even owning a bike to doing an 8 mile commute each way, that was a bit of a shock to the system but I loved it. I would say start out with a few days a week and work up from there. It is impressive you're looking at doing this, considering I work with people who live within a 4 mile radius of work and they aaaalllllll drive in.
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I do about 7 minkes one way, so 14 miles per day through Central London. It's been quite muggy lately so I'm soaked when I get to the office, thankfully we have showers. Prefer cycling in winter as drivers seem to get mad and arrogant from the heat! Still I'm loving it as after a week of doing this even just 3 days per week, I notice the physical changes. And I start to loathe taking the Tube.
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4.5 miles each way, averaging 3x per week.
Pretty serious hills on my commute and no shower at the office, so I use an e-bike. I can still work up a sweat on the e-bike (too fun to hurry up the hills!), so I have to stay disciplined on the ride in. But bike-commuting is definitely the way to go if you can do it. It's just so much more fun to be outside than to sit in traffic in a metal box.
Hey, that sounds like my new commute! I'm very slightly further - but the same issue. Hills had made it non-feasible due to the sweat issue here in Texas. I go in early, the motor gets me up the one really gnarly hill (it's a steep, rocky, slope with a combination of little outcroppings and loose rock). Afternoon is sweat city, but I can shower when I get home.
RadWagon arrived on July 5th, and I have e-bike commuted every work day since then - except the day I needed to go to the dentist at lunchtime.
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My commute is 22 miles total. I've found that at this distance you start to get really interested in ways to save energy . . . Keep your lock and changes of clothes at work, get tight fitting cycling gear to wear so wind doesn't slow you down as much, ride a road bike, etc. Riding in to work everyday is kinda taxing, so you do want to start slow and work your way up to it.
You also want to keep a good maintenance schedule with your bike because stuff will go wrong more often when you're putting those kinds of miles on your bike.
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About 6 km roundtrip (4 miles?) Even for Dutch standards I'm living ridiculously close by :)
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I could have my bike commute down to two miles round trip if I wanted to deal with traffic, but instead it's four miles round trip on a paved river trail and a short section of dirt road.
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My daily commute is 3.4 miles round trip, and lately I've been biking out to the yacht club which is a 27.5 mile round trip once a week. I don't think I'd want to do that every day, but it gets a little easier each time. Biking on paths is also much more pleasant than on roads.
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I even considered driving halfway and biking the rest.
I have a friend who does this. His commute is about 90 miles round trip, but he does 30 of it by bike.
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I even considered driving halfway and biking the rest.
I have a friend who does this. His commute is about 90 miles round trip, but he does 30 of it by bike.
Does he have somewhere to stash the bike overnight, or does he have to load it on the car every day?
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He puts it in the back of his small pickup, drives the first section, parks, and bikes the final leg. Then he bikes back to the truck and drives back home in the evening
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This week I ran to work twice, home from work one more time for 22.5 miles total. I took the train home once, rode my bike one full day and two half days, and drove one day that had an early morning meeting.
I'm tired.
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~25.5kms one way, so 51kms return, so that's ~31.7 miles a day.
Had been doing 4-5 days a week earlier in the year, currently doing 1-2 days a week, depending on family needs.
Been commuting by bike to and from work since I was allowed back on one in 2012-13.
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I go from montreal to boucherville everyday, during winter I run / bus .... Never owning a car NEVER
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I have been riding ten miles round trip for 11 years at about than 50% by ebike 50 % pedal bike.
I have saved quite a bit in parking fees they charge 20$ a day or more based on when you started with the company. Don't know if I can do another winter by bike, may try the bus, but that will take twice as long. I can drive in about 15 minutes but I would have to purchase another car ( my wife owns the car).
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12 miles each way but I'm actually starting to look for *longer* routes home now. :D
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Ok, who voted for more than 41 miles?
That at least deserves a post with more detail.
I used to commute a 19 mile round trip 5 days a week, and I was just wiped at the end of every day. I was in the best shape of my life though!
If I could go back, I would've bought an e-bike for that commute... would have made it way better.
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I commute by electric skateboard (https://boostedboards.com/) but answered the poll anyway.
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I commute by electric skateboard (https://boostedboards.com/) but answered the poll anyway.
Oh now that's cool!
I want one!
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Ok, who voted for more than 41 miles?
That at least deserves a post with more detail.
He can't respond . . . out cycling . . .
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3 miles each way. 105ft uphill and 180ft downhill going to work and 200ft uphill and 121ft downhill coming home. (according to Google)
I bike more leisurely going IN to work and bike a little harder going home. When I moved here I purposefully chose a location within a 10-mile radius of work with the expectation of biking 5 days/week or more. Keep in mind, I was exercising maybe 1 or 2 days a week at a light pace, so this was a huge change. I've noticed a sweat less now (2 months in) going in to work. (we don't have showers, so I bought a fan for the office and go in earlier to mitigate the sweat/heat)
My coworkers reactions are amazing when they realize I bike to and from work every day. Most of them never noticed I biked unless they saw me coming in or leaving all "geared-up" with helmet, bike, panniers, etc. I'm tracking a 6-month period of "transportation expenses" to see what my total cost is per month. I imagine it's cheaper than a car, even with Zipcar rentals, Hertz rentals and Lyft/Uber when I need it. (mostly weekends to far away places or things that are too big for my bike)
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4.2km or 2.6 miles one way (5.2 miles roundtrip). Short and nice, although Mr. Snow gets the prize location as we're sat about 5-10 minute walk from his university.
It's not so much the distance (which is short), but the slope. I get one massive downhill adventure to work (not sweaty when arriving, yay!) but spend easily twice as long getting back up after work. Will get better with training!
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He can't respond . . . out cycling . . .
If I had had coffee in my mouth, it would've been all over my keyboard.
Hilarious!
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I don't. I walk to car. When I arrive at the parking lot I walk to the office.
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15miles r/t
LOVE it
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My bike commute would be about 3.5 miles each way. I still hope to commute by bike eventually, but so far what kills me isn't the distance but the steep hills. I've tried it a few times this summer (while on vacations) and while it's feasible, I can't imagine doing this in work clothes, with luggage on my bike. I really need to improve my cardio.
Since I'm unable to commute by bike (yet), I try to bike 10-15 miles roundtrips 3 times per week. Most of it is a constant uphill, it's a good cardio workout but it's quite challenging for me, as I have been sedentary for years and just got into cycling. One step (or pedal?) at a time! Maybe in a year or two I'll be one of those badasses on Strava who can bike uphill in 1:31 minute while it takes me 5x more time, haha!
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My bike commute would be about 3.5 miles each way. I still hope to commute by bike eventually, but so far what kills me isn't the distance but the steep hills. I've tried it a few times this summer (while on vacations) and while it's feasible, I can't imagine doing this in work clothes, with luggage on my bike. I really need to improve my cardio.
Since I'm unable to commute by bike (yet), I try to bike 10-15 miles roundtrips 3 times per week. Most of it is a constant uphill, it's a good cardio workout but it's quite challenging for me, as I have been sedentary for years and just got into cycling. One step (or pedal?) at a time! Maybe in a year or two I'll be one of those badasses on Strava who can bike uphill in 1:31 minute while it takes me 5x more time, haha!
Get an e-Bike. Problem solved. Uphill, in work clothes, with luggage, no sweat.
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My bike commute would be about 3.5 miles each way. I still hope to commute by bike eventually, but so far what kills me isn't the distance but the steep hills. I've tried it a few times this summer (while on vacations) and while it's feasible, I can't imagine doing this in work clothes, with luggage on my bike. I really need to improve my cardio.
Since I'm unable to commute by bike (yet), I try to bike 10-15 miles roundtrips 3 times per week. Most of it is a constant uphill, it's a good cardio workout but it's quite challenging for me, as I have been sedentary for years and just got into cycling. One step (or pedal?) at a time! Maybe in a year or two I'll be one of those badasses on Strava who can bike uphill in 1:31 minute while it takes me 5x more time, haha!
Get an e-Bike. Problem solved. Uphill, in work clothes, with luggage, no sweat.
Sure, it might be an option eventually. If I remain committed to cycling over time, I might buy a 2nd bike just for this purpose. Right now I'm mostly seeking the physical exercise and its benefits. A few months ago I was out of breath just climbing a flack of stairs. I'm 31 ffs. My cardio was shit. I enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with knowing just how hard I've pushed myself cycling up a hill, when I finally reach the top. I'm just realistic about my physical abilities and limits at the moment. Commuting might not happen for a while, but I maybe I'll succeed over time. With or without an e-bike. ;)
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I'm only 1.5 miles from work. And people still think it's crazy that I ride. Sometimes I walk.. but in summer when it's 108°F, it sucks balls.
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20 mile round trip for me. Out here on the central plains hills are few and far between. Wind we do have. So much wind.
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It's about 2.5 miles each way, but a ridiculously easy route. It's separated multi use trails along a canal for ~70% the rest is on a park road. I have one big street to cross which has a safe crosswalk. The best part is the bike locker is right next to my department. I park my bike and am ready to clock in 30 seconds later. If you drive you park far away and walk 5-10 minutes to get to the same place. For that reason, it's about the same amount of time door to door biking or driving.
I leave my house at 1030 pm and it's surprising to see how many people are out for late night strolls during these hot summer months.
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My work is 80 miles rountrip for me. But luckily I vanpool and that is just a 4mile round trip to the pickup location.
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I don't. I walk to car. When I arrive at the parking lot I walk to the office.
Confirmed your rep as a threadshitter.
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I ride 3.6 miles to work and back, five times a week. I'm using a Walmart $80 mountain bike. There are a few tough hills. The commute takes me 20 mins. I could go a little faster but don't want to get real sweaty. I'm new to this. Been riding for 3 weeks now.
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I ride 8 miles each way, so 16 miles total, to work. Although once the bike paths are no longer accessible, I either take the car, or the bus if my partner needs the car that day.
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I walk .6 miles to work every day BUT my work is moving in a few weeks. New location is 1.7 miles from home, and I'm planning to walk some days and bike some days. I live in the snowy great lakes region and will probably walk exclusively in the winter. I have free parking but I'd rather be outdoors, get some exercise and clear my head.
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My trip is around 15 miles one way to work. I'm spoiled because it's mostly bike specific paths and trails though. I think I ride about 4 miles through some sleepy subdivisions. And then a 1 mile ride to the gym. So something in the range of 32-33 miles.
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I commute about 5 km (roundtrip), but I have to admit that I'm cheating; I'm Dutch and I work in a big, crowded, and old city (read: no room for parking space, the city is at least 1000 years old) so cycling is the sensible thing to do. Plus we have the infrastructure, the country is flat and a temperate climate... I'm so spoiled. Sorry for bragging.
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Ok, who voted for more than 41 miles?
That at least deserves a post with more detail.
He can't respond . . . out cycling . . .
I am not the guy who voted but I do commute 45 miles 2 days a week and about 24 one more (wife drops me off with the bike). The commute in is about 21 miles with a big net downhill, the way home is the big workout. About 6 miles are through a park and the rest either have good shoulders or are on road where bikers are common. I am replacing about 70 minutes of driving with 2.5 hours of riding.
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I commute 10 miles (20m RT) 3x a week (workout class other days).
I'm pretty fortunate where I ride 90% on a bike trail and partly along the lake and I have a shower at work.
I actually am more likely to do that now since I moved than when I lived 2 miles form work. 2 miles wasn't long enough to get enough exercise to justify showering at work. Now I get 45 min each way and can really zone out to podcasts.
Though if I lived closer on the river, I would consider kayaking as my office is right next to a canal with a launching area.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/6974+N+Longview+Ave,+Glendale,+WI+53209/247+W+Freshwater+Way,+Milwaukee,+WI+53204,+USA/@43.0558939,-87.9021212,14.26z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x88051e08f358584f:0x6b4f26b52d0295dd!2m2!1d-87.9306927!2d43.1451297!3m4!1m2!1d-87.8943365!2d43.0308106!3s0x880519acd901ce5d:0xc712d73ece99e136!3m4!1m2!1d-87.8958769!2d43.0266115!3s0x880519b2e56c868f:0x79774de26ef82caf!1m5!1m1!1s0x880519bd5710284d:0x9d4c240197df9961!2m2!1d-87.9135973!2d43.0291336!3e1
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I currently commute about 9 miles round trip most weekdays. The longest commute I've regularly done by bike was about 25 miles round trip. The longest commute I've ever done was about 45 miles round trip (I only biked one Friday of the few weeks I was commuting to this location). I'd probably decide to get an ebike if I had a commute between 20 and 50 miles round trip now.
The longest distance I have biked in a single day including recreation is a bit over 50 miles (someday I may decide to work my way up to a 100 mile ride).
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My days involve lots of play time. My commute is only a 5 mile RT. I'll ride at lunch for fun, or take personal time to play.
Today my schedule is cushy. Work for 4 hours, ride home (i forgot my ear buds), ride back to work, work for another hour and then take the afternoon off to do some hill repeats. :) Life is good here.
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Shortest route is 8k return, so that's about 5 miles in American.
Good weather means longer routes, all on city paths because it's calmer.
21k yesterday in the sun, or 12.something miles. It's already icy in the shadows, up here in the north, watching the river gradually freeze, wearing lots of layers to unzip on the hills and close up on the descents.
One of the best parts of each day . . .
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I'm moving soon and the bike to work looks to be about 4 miles one way. It's a relatively flat route and is either bike lanes or greenway the entire ride. I'm thinking this will take 20 minutes? We have showers at work so I'm definitely going to utilize those. I'm thinking I should be able to wake up, bike to work, shower, and be at my desk in 1 hour total. Does that seem reasonable? I'd pack breakfast/lunch the night before as well as packing my work clothes to save time in the morning.
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I'm moving soon and the bike to work looks to be about 4 miles one way. It's a relatively flat route and is either bike lanes or greenway the entire ride. I'm thinking this will take 20 minutes? We have showers at work so I'm definitely going to utilize those. I'm thinking I should be able to wake up, bike to work, shower, and be at my desk in 1 hour total. Does that seem reasonable? I'd pack breakfast/lunch the night before as well as packing my work clothes to save time in the morning.
Totally reasonable. Remember to pump up your tires the night before too. You might be a bit slower the first couple times you do it, but after a while it'll become second nature.
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I screwed up the poll thinking it was one way distance. (Edit, just figured out how to remove and re-add) I'm 8-10 miles each way, depending on what route I take. So 16-20 total. Been taking a break since it's been below freezing in the AM and lots of frost on the road. I can dress up for the cold but I don't need any more crashes this year, even though they've all been on dirt I'm above my quota for sure. :D
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8 miles round trip 5 days/week on a $300 bikes direct motebecane road bike. Have been bike commuting for 6 years and estimate that I have ridden ~12K miles total. Have a 300ft elevation gain on the way home which provides a nice workout.
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I'm moving soon and the bike to work looks to be about 4 miles one way. It's a relatively flat route and is either bike lanes or greenway the entire ride. I'm thinking this will take 20 minutes? We have showers at work so I'm definitely going to utilize those. I'm thinking I should be able to wake up, bike to work, shower, and be at my desk in 1 hour total. Does that seem reasonable? I'd pack breakfast/lunch the night before as well as packing my work clothes to save time in the morning.
Yes, if everything is packed and ready, that should be plenty of time. My 4.5 mile flat commute takes me about 20 minutes riding time.
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I recently moved. It used to be 11miles RT with a large hill going up to my house. Now it's a fairly easy 7mile RT. As a result of the move I bike to work much more often. Usually 15 days a month or more.
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I'm in the 26-40 mile group, but to be honest I cheat with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu0IHH8EAvQ
Not a chance in hell I could cycle those hills without it.
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20 km. one way. Google tells me that my daily round trip is close to 25 miles.
However, I have it fairly easy. No hills around here, great biking infrastructure & I have a e-bike.
Last week I went with the car, because my bike was being repaired. And it just struck me, how aggressive driving with the car made me (normally, I hardly take the car. This week was an exception, with me driving every day for at least 1 hour). People are idiots, they can't drive at all, doing the most stupidest things, not to mention unsafe. Worst part was the day that it took me 45 minutes, instead of 25 to get to work. I can bike it in 55 minutes. So frustrating. I'll be happy to have my bike back next week :)
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20 km. one way. Google tells me that my daily round trip is close to 25 miles.
However, I have it fairly easy. No hills around here, great biking infrastructure & I have a e-bike.
Last week I went with the car, because my bike was being repaired. And it just struck me, how aggressive driving with the car made me (normally, I hardly take the car. This week was an exception, with me driving every day for at least 1 hour). People are idiots, they can't drive at all, doing the most stupidest things, not to mention unsafe. Worst part was the day that it took me 45 minutes, instead of 25 to get to work. I can bike it in 55 minutes. So frustrating. I'll be happy to have my bike back next week :)
I've driven to work three times and ridden my bike twice this week. It has been chilly -5 to -15 and we've had snow on several days. Drive time has been 40 - 70 minutes each way, bike time has been 45 - 50 minutes. :P
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20 km. one way. Google tells me that my daily round trip is close to 25 miles.
However, I have it fairly easy. No hills around here, great biking infrastructure & I have a e-bike.
Last week I went with the car, because my bike was being repaired. And it just struck me, how aggressive driving with the car made me (normally, I hardly take the car. This week was an exception, with me driving every day for at least 1 hour). People are idiots, they can't drive at all, doing the most stupidest things, not to mention unsafe. Worst part was the day that it took me 45 minutes, instead of 25 to get to work. I can bike it in 55 minutes. So frustrating. I'll be happy to have my bike back next week :)
I've driven to work three times and ridden my bike twice this week. It has been chilly -5 to -15 and we've had snow on several days. Drive time has been 40 - 70 minutes each way, bike time has been 45 - 50 minutes. :P
It's been crappy here too. Walked four times and biked once, on Friday, just because I couldn't stand another day of walking. But I don't do the same distances that you do - I only have about 2.5 km each way, or 3.5 if I take the trail. A few years ago when I had an 11 km commute on a really snowy day, I took a bus to work and got a lift home from my boss. We were stuck in traffic for 3 hours. I could've walked home faster than that, and I'm sorry I didn't.
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I'm in the 26-40 mile group, but to be honest I cheat with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu0IHH8EAvQ
Not a chance in hell I could cycle those hills without it.
So you ride a motorcycle? :D
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How do you guys handle grocery shopping with a bike? Are you allowed to take it into the store? Do you go more frequently with smaller purchases since you can't haul as much? I'm strongly considering an e-trike. I live a couple miles from pretty much anything plus there are a ton of busses, some of which are free.
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How do you guys handle grocery shopping with a bike? Are you allowed to take it into the store? Do you go more frequently with smaller purchases since you can't haul as much? I'm strongly considering an e-trike. I live a couple miles from pretty much anything plus there are a ton of busses, some of which are free.
I can carry as much on my bike as in the car with a trailer and a couple panniers. You don't want to climb a steep hill though with 70 lbs of groceries. :P
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How do you guys handle grocery shopping with a bike? Are you allowed to take it into the store? Do you go more frequently with smaller purchases since you can't haul as much? I'm strongly considering an e-trike. I live a couple miles from pretty much anything plus there are a ton of busses, some of which are free.
Single person you can generally get anything you need in a backpack, rack(s), etc. Full family Costco trips if you're that committed you can get a bike trailer or just a kid hauler and throw groceries in that. Personally I do smaller grocery runs on the bike but the big trips I'm fine using the car.
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How do you guys handle grocery shopping with a bike? Are you allowed to take it into the store? Do you go more frequently with smaller purchases since you can't haul as much? I'm strongly considering an e-trike. I live a couple miles from pretty much anything plus there are a ton of busses, some of which are free.
My mom has done it for years with a family of 4 (including when me and my brother were adult age already). All she has is panniers and a basket. No trailer or backpack. She does spread the shopping out over the week tho and when hosting a party she spreads the extra things out as well.
As a single person I usually manage with just a backpack or a bag. I shop 1-2x a week.
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I have a backpack and two baskets on the back rack, sometimes extra bags on my handlebars. Shopping for one, about once a week, and depending on the store it's anywhere from 0.5 to 4km away. No costco though
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Doable for a 2person household, when grocery shopping 2-3 times a week. I take a backpack, have bags on my back & always take an extra bag, that I can stuff under the suspenders.
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I no longer commute by bike due to work being much further than University was being 22 miles to 34 miles depending on the site I get sent to. I use the bus instead now.
But back when I went to University I would commute there and back.
It would be 11 Kilometers or 6.8 Miles to get there or 13.7 miles daily for 6 times a week.
The most notable time was when I went back home in a Blizzard, surprisingly once you get started the cold stops being an issue but Visibility never stops being a problem. I was on the side walk and often could barely see in front of me with or without goggles as without them I was pelted by snow and with them my breath fogged them up in seconds.
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How do you guys handle grocery shopping with a bike? Are you allowed to take it into the store? Do you go more frequently with smaller purchases since you can't haul as much? I'm strongly considering an e-trike. I live a couple miles from pretty much anything plus there are a ton of busses, some of which are free.
Why would I want to take my bike into the store? I lock it up outside. I shop a couple of times a week to provide for two people. I either walk or bike. Today, I biked, despite the -7 C temps. Easy peasy. Backpack + an extra bag in my hand, with bread and other light squishables. I managed with 12 large tins of tomatoes in the backpack plus a bunch of other stuff. But then again, I am only pushing 60. Might get a bit tougher for me in 20 years but I'll still be out there, carefully avoiding the clown cars / clown truuucks.
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Why would I want to take my bike into the store? I lock it up outside.
So that someone doesn't steal it? With as easy as it seems to be for people to steal copper piping that is in a locked cage, would have thought jacking a bike would be pretty easy...
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Why would I want to take my bike into the store? I lock it up outside.
So that someone doesn't steal it? With as easy as it seems to be for people to steal copper piping that is in a locked cage, would have thought jacking a bike would be pretty easy...
If it's out in the open in front of the store, with a strong lock, and you aren't inside for that long it's probably okay.
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But then again, I am only pushing 60. Might get a bit tougher for me in 20 years but I'll still be out there, carefully avoiding the clown cars / clown truuucks.
My grandma kept on going strong until 84, so don't worry, You can do it!
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One of my New Year's resolutions is to commute by bike more than I have been. The nice thing for me is, my wife and I work at the same place, so we car pool on days where I don't ride. Very, very rarely do we have to take 2 cars to work. We have very Mustachian vehicles, but I keep thinking it'd be possible to just get down to one vehicle.
Anyway, here are my biking stats:
6.9 miles mostly downhill to work. 28 minutes by bike, or 15 minutes by car. I basically get a 28 minute work out only using 13 extra minutes of my day.
6.7 miles mostly up hill to home. 45 minutes by bike, or 15 minutes by car. (I rarely do this route these days because we go pick up my daughter from day care and I can't stand to miss 45 minutes with her in the afternoons).
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I ride an easy 5 miles round trip while my husband rides about 14. Since we're in Florida, we do this year-round without much discomfort. It's flat and we've gotten used to the heat and humidity for the most part. Despite that, bike commuting is almost unheard of here and we get a lot of funny looks! I think people overestimate the risks and underestimate the benefits of cycling. Oh well, we get to be smug when others complain about parking and traffic woes. I try to speak up for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure improvements, for us and for the people who have no choice but to ride.
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I try to speak up for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure improvements, for us and for the people who have no choice but to ride.
I read Happy City a few months ago. I found the arguments for infrastructure choices favoring pedestrian/cyclist/transit vs private auto to be compelling - especially the comparison of the space required to accomedate each. A parked car takes as much space as a traveling bicycle. (A parked bike takes about as much space as a walking pedestrian.) With all the public resources that have already gone into subsisdizing private auto transport in the US (gas taxes usually don't even cover 1/2 the costs) it is a shame that it is so difficult to get anyone to prioritize public spending on infrastructure for more efficient modes.
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This may get long...
My current cycle commute is a mere 3.5 km (2 miles?) but it wasn't something that happened on its own. I have this commute because I built my career and life in such a way that it was possible. I have turned down jobs with higher pay in order to avoid a long commute - and when articles in the news talk about the average toronto area commute at 1.5 hrs each way (or whatever number they throw out there that day), I refuse to accept that for my family.
I was commuting (by car) about 1-1/4 hrs each way and realized that my cars were dead after 2 years of driving. This was pre-mustache and even spendypants me could see that the lifestyle was not sustainable. Then I started carpooling with my wife halfway and riding my bike to/from a common rendezvous point. This reduced our auto trips, but really didn't change the time investment we were making. Something had to change.
I found another job and made a condition of my employment be that the new employer would either make space for my wife on the team, or that they would help her find work locally. 6 months later, we were both working in the same building. But the commute was still just over an hour.
Once we had been working together for a year and saw that things were OK at the new job, we bought a house 6 km from the office and reveled in how smart we were. This enabled me to start cycle-commuting with increasing regularity. It also built me a reputation as "the bike guy".
Which brings us to a few months ago when I got a new job... literally as "The Bike Guy" planning cycling infrastructure for our town. It cut my commute to 3.5 km, and means I now get paid to bike around town.
So yeah, I don't ride far, but I built this. Literally - and it has built me a new job. How cool is that?
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This may get long...
My current cycle commute is a mere 3.5 km (2 miles?) but it wasn't something that happened on its own. I have this commute because I built my career and life in such a way that it was possible. I have turned down jobs with higher pay in order to avoid a long commute - and when articles in the news talk about the average toronto area commute at 1.5 hrs each way (or whatever number they throw out there that day), I refuse to accept that for my family.
I was commuting (by car) about 1-1/4 hrs each way and realized that my cars were dead after 2 years of driving. This was pre-mustache and even spendypants me could see that the lifestyle was not sustainable. Then I started carpooling with my wife halfway and riding my bike to/from a common rendezvous point. This reduced our auto trips, but really didn't change the time investment we were making. Something had to change.
I found another job and made a condition of my employment be that the new employer would either make space for my wife on the team, or that they would help her find work locally. 6 months later, we were both working in the same building. But the commute was still just over an hour.
Once we had been working together for a year and saw that things were OK at the new job, we bought a house 6 km from the office and reveled in how smart we were. This enabled me to start cycle-commuting with increasing regularity. It also built me a reputation as "the bike guy".
Which brings us to a few months ago when I got a new job... literally as "The Bike Guy" planning cycling infrastructure for our town. It cut my commute to 3.5 km, and means I now get paid to bike around town.
So yeah, I don't ride far, but I built this. Literally - and it has built me a new job. How cool is that?
Wow, I'm impressed! That's amazing. People don't realize but each new person that starts riding makes a difference in furthering public image and infrastructure. Most of us much much less of a difference.
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My commute is 23.5km each way, so 47km per day ~29.2miles.
It typically only takes me 5 min longer by bike than by car, and is certainly a lot more frustration free than driving every day.
I'm pretty hard-ass, and ride 5 days a week, rain hail or shine - clocking up some 700-800km per month.
95% of my ride is on a bike path that follows a small creek, with lots of open space, park land and natural bushland.
It is shielded from the urban jungle of the city, and I can often forget that I am riding my way across the city!
I love the abundance of other bikers, joggers, walkers etc, and the abundance of wildlife along the route.
Within 5 min of leaving work, I have forgotten all the stresses of the day, and just enjoy the ride....
Life is good.
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I ebike about 7 miles each way. Right now once per week, maybe twice. Want to ride more often this year than last. Lots of hills, and later in the year lots of heat/humidity.
Google says 338 ft gain and 207 ft of loss going to work. Feel safer maintaining some speed on the hill climbs. No more pedestrian speed climbs for me.
The hard ride is going to work so the motor helps me arrive in presentable condition to work among humans. The ride home is "anything goes".
No bike paths or wide shoulders here. No other bike commuters either. I string together quieter neighborhood streets, parking lots, incomplete empty sidewalk system (nobody for miles on the sidewalks, we are an obese state).
Am focusing on using lower PAS (pedal assist) and more leg power without triggering a Ricardo Tubbs like hot weather meltdown.
Just ordered panniers this morn. Have tried a backpack and small toolbag bungied to the rack and neither were tidy or comfortable. Breakables coping with a bungie cord pressing against them isn't good. Backpack is comfortable until I hunch over handlebars. I don't need to carry much - just a few pounds of things and my jacket on warm afternoons.
Want to ride alot more than I do. We have some good country roads around here but I'm still establishing which ones are safe enough for my taste. Am talking to some of the road bike guys at the local bike shop. I rode 650 miles last year. Want to ride more this year. Have ridden about 100 miles in the past two weeks despite random weather.
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Make sure your life and disability insurance policies are up to date. Biking can mean an early exit from the rat race - permanently. But please, do not let the voice of reason make you reconsider your biking obsession.
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Make sure your life and disability insurance policies are up to date. Biking can mean an early exit from the rat race - permanently. But please, do not let the voice of reason make you reconsider your biking obsession.
Very true. I've died several times while commuting by bike.
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60 - 70 miles RT, 2-3x/wk in good weather.
Make sure your life and disability insurance policies are up to date. Biking can mean an early exit from the rat race - permanently. But please, do not let the voice of reason make you reconsider your biking obsession.
I am very interested in good statistics if you have them. I wonder what the death rate looks like if you exclude obvious no-nos like not using a helmet, riding too close to doors, running red lights, not wearing reflective clothing, etc.
On top of this I imagine if you look at obesity rates for cyclists vs. average Americans you come out ahead from a health standpoint.
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I am very interested in good statistics if you have them. I wonder what the death rate looks like if you exclude obvious no-nos like not using a helmet, riding too close to doors, running red lights, not wearing reflective clothing, etc.
I don't consider not wearing helmets and reflective clothing to be such obvious nonos, and I think the perception that they should always be worn is part of why biking is so uncommon in North America. I use my bike to get around, same as when I walk or ride in cars. All of those activities have a risk of head injury, but only biking is considered to be so dangerous that protective gear is required, and it's mostly because careless and hostile car drivers think its okay to ride too close and sideswipe cyclists, open doors on them, and cut them off when turning. In plenty of places around the world, cycling is seen as a normal activity like walking, and it would be crazy to get all decked out like a Christmas tree, and the roads are designed to be shared between all modes of transport. When biking is normalized, accidents will go down, and more people will do it, but the current hysteria contributes to the sense of danger and victim blaming around cyclist injuries/deaths.
And no, I'm not saying not to wear protective stuff if it makes you feel safer, just saying that it's not always necessary and it shouldn't be required.
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I've had various encounters with bad drivers while commuting. Cars turning or making lane changes without looking for bikes by far seems to be the biggest threat. Only a few times have the drivers actually been hostile towards me on a bike. Cyclists improving their own visibility can help with the former, but is unlikely to help with the latter - normalizing cycling as a mode of transportation can help with both.
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60 - 70 miles RT, 2-3x/wk in good weather.
Make sure your life and disability insurance policies are up to date. Biking can mean an early exit from the rat race - permanently. But please, do not let the voice of reason make you reconsider your biking obsession.
I am very interested in good statistics if you have them. I wonder what the death rate looks like if you exclude obvious no-nos like not using a helmet, riding too close to doors, running red lights, not wearing reflective clothing, etc.
On top of this I imagine if you look at obesity rates for cyclists vs. average Americans you come out ahead from a health standpoint.
Judicator, I like you. We're gonna get along just fine, you and me.
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Make sure your life and disability insurance policies are up to date. Biking can mean an early exit from the rat race - permanently. But please, do not let the voice of reason make you reconsider your biking obsession.
I am very interested in good statistics if you have them. I wonder what the death rate looks like if you exclude obvious no-nos like not using a helmet, riding too close to doors, running red lights, not wearing reflective clothing, etc.
On top of this I imagine if you look at obesity rates for cyclists vs. average Americans you come out ahead from a health standpoint.
The subject of health benefits vs risk from pollution/traffic accidents has been well studied:
"On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting their mode of transport." - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920084/ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920084/)
"Benefits of physical activity outweighed air pollution and traffic incident risks." - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743517304978 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743517304978)
"Our overall result, that the positive health effects of increased cycling outweigh the negative effects, agrees with the findings of other studies that have estimated the effects of cycling." - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/4/e001135 (http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/4/e001135)
"London’s bicycle sharing system has positive health impacts overall" - http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g425
Given that none of the above studies required helmets, lights, reflective/fluorescent clothing, following the rules of the road, etc. the benefits are likely even greater if you choose to be a safe cyclist.
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Make sure your life and disability insurance policies are up to date. Biking can mean an early exit from the rat race - permanently. But please, do not let the voice of reason make you reconsider your biking obsession.
I am very interested in good statistics if you have them. I wonder what the death rate looks like if you exclude obvious no-nos like not using a helmet, riding too close to doors, running red lights, not wearing reflective clothing, etc.
On top of this I imagine if you look at obesity rates for cyclists vs. average Americans you come out ahead from a health standpoint.
The subject of health benefits vs risk from pollution/traffic accidents has been well studied:
"On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting their mode of transport." - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920084/ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920084/)
"Benefits of physical activity outweighed air pollution and traffic incident risks." - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743517304978 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743517304978)
"Our overall result, that the positive health effects of increased cycling outweigh the negative effects, agrees with the findings of other studies that have estimated the effects of cycling." - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/4/e001135 (http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/4/e001135)
"London’s bicycle sharing system has positive health impacts overall" - http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g425
Given that none of the above studies required helmets, lights, reflective/fluorescent clothing, following the rules of the road, etc. the benefits are likely even greater if you choose to be a safe cyclist.
Considering the amount of air pollution and accidents involving cars, it would get even better if more people start cycling and less people start driving!
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What do people think of the economic benefit if you keep your car? I would imagine that most of the benefit is not having a monthly payment/insurance.
Yeah I might save a generous 50 cents a mile (That's a total of $5k IF i ride my bike every day for the whole year, more likely $2,500). Add in wear/tear on a nice bike and a couple hundred on tune-ups over the year. I don't think the ~$1,500 benefit is worth the time loss-Hundreds of hours. You basically have to sell your car to get economic benefit from it.
That said, I do love the exercise from it.
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What do people think of the economic benefit if you keep your car? I would imagine that most of the benefit is not having a monthly payment/insurance.
Yeah I might save a generous 50 cents a mile (That's a total of $5k IF i ride my bike every day for the whole year, more likely $2,500). Add in wear/tear on a nice bike and a couple hundred on tune-ups over the year. I don't think the ~$1,500 benefit is worth the time loss-Hundreds of hours. You basically have to sell your car to get economic benefit from it.
That said, I do love the exercise from it.
You certainly save the most money if you can cut a car out of your life. I was able to put off buying a car for quite a while by riding to work, and the savings were pretty awesome.
I cycle to work two or three times a week at the moment and drive the remaining time. That means that I use about 50% less gas (my car is pretty much only used for commuting), and there's 50% less wear and tear on my car.
Fixing bike problems is pretty easy/cheap and oddly kinda fun, so I do it myself. The gas money alone more than pays for money spent fixing my bike, (and that includes replacing components on my winter bike on an accelerated schedule because of salt damage). If I paid a shop to do repairs, I'd end up spending more money on the bike that it would cost to drive.
My cardio now mostly comes from commuting which ends up saving me time. It takes 40 - 50 minutes to bike to work, 30 - 45 minutes to drive so biking is slightly slower . . . but I get about 3 - 4 hrs of decent cardio intervals each week by biking that I'd otherwise need to make time for. Couple that with a few basement free-weight training sessions a week (and maybe a long ride on weekends) and there's no need to have a gym membership at all so that could save you money.
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If I paid a shop to do repairs, I'd end up spending more money on the bike that it would cost to drive.
This pretty much applies only if you ride where roads have been salted. Normal wear from salt-free roads would easily be less than the incremental cost of driving in most areas even with 100% shop maintenance.
GuitarStv is right, DIY bike maintenance is generally not difficult to do. I love cycling in part because of the sense of independence it gives me and DIY maintenance contributes to that.
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Anything you don't understand about bicycle maintenance can be learned fast via YouTube (even relying on DIY grade tools sometimes) or the bike forums.
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Anything you don't understand about bicycle maintenance can be learned fast via YouTube (even relying on DIY grade tools sometimes) or the bike forums.
Another quick thing you can learn is how to over tension a shift cable, ripping apart the innards of your XT Hydraulic shift/brake levers. This will turn what would have been included in a $60 basic tune up into a $200 replacement job.
Which is why You-tube is not always the best answer. Although often it is...
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Anything you don't understand about bicycle maintenance can be learned fast via YouTube (even relying on DIY grade tools sometimes) or the bike forums.
Another quick thing you can learn is how to over tension a shift cable, ripping apart the innards of your XT Hydraulic shift/brake levers. This will turn what would have been included in a $60 basic tune up into a $200 replacement job.
Which is why You-tube is not always the best answer. Although often it is...
Getting shift cable tension just right is an art that I find difficult to master; but I've never heard of tearing apart a shift lever due to excessive tension before. I prefer shift levers and break levers as separate components.
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I helped our teen adjust cable disc brakes last night for the first time via YouTube. Done in about 10 minutes.
With anything mechanical I think it is worthwhile know it when its new so you know something about it when its old or out of adjustment.
If you can't know it when its new, then get the shop to do all the maintenance and then get to know it.
Some folks forever have wonky bikes or vehicles and assume that is just the way it is. I know my first good bike or my first good car was eye opening.