Why do you bike to work?

This topic has 60 replies, 41 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 3 months ago by jrenaut.

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April 1, 2014 at 3:29 pm #915053

dasgeh
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I was asked this today and had a totally blah answer. Unfortunately, I was asked with a camera in my face, so my blah answer may be on the nightly news. Whoops.

It got me thinking, though, what my real, soundbite appropriate answer is. And I thought I’d throw it out to the forum-all stars.

Blah answer: I have two little kids and biking to work lets me get a work out in, which I never would otherwise.

Better answer: Biking to my work is my “me time”. I have two toddlers and a demanding desk job; by bike commuting, I get freedom, fresh air, a little sight-seeing, a workout, and accomplishments that are my own. I ride up Capitol Hill to get to work and up Rosslyn hill to get home, so at the end of each ride, I know I made it up on my own two legs — two daily wins for me.

What about y’all? What would your soundbite-answer be? Thoughts on mine?
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April 1, 2014 at 3:31 pm #997306

Tim Kelley
Participant

Because I’m lazy.

Biking is the easiest, cheapest, most efficient way to get around Arlington. Even with a child in tow. I never have to working about parking and it’s a lot of fun.

April 1, 2014 at 3:33 pm #997307

jrenaut
Participant

At the end of the day, biking to work makes me happier than not biking to work.

The longer version sounds a lot like yours (except that my desk job is only demanding of my patience in dealing with my coworkers and the ridiculousness of the federal government).

April 1, 2014 at 3:51 pm #997313

TwoWheelsDC
Participant

It’s cheap, takes the same amount of time as driving, and gets me exercise without a gym membership (or the additional time commitment). Also, it keeps me from suffering from a severe case of officedroneitis that I used to have when I was car commuting.

April 1, 2014 at 3:53 pm #997314

lordofthemark
Participant

I’ve been thinking about this lately cause over the weekend I had an interesting experience. I was at synagogue, and biking came up in conversation (it has a lot lately – “How are you feeling?” “Oh, totally better, I took a couple of long bike rides lately and hope to bike to work again soon”) and a guy, much younger than myself, came up to me to tell me how now he bikes to work every day. I asked where, and it was a very logical OD pair for a bike commute – short and mostly on commuter intensive trails. Then he tells me has an Ebike – and uses pedal assist on the flats, and full electric on upgrades, or something like that. Cause he’s lazy he says – he bikes cause its economical.

I didn’t quite know what to say. On the one hand – “its all good” and one more cyclist is one more cyclist, and there are plenty of good reasons to bike, and saving money is certainly one of them. But its hard for me to completely fathom riding and not wanting exercise, fitness, etc.

Ive only commuted by bike half a dozen times (but this Friday should be number 7) and I do not (yet) save time vs transit, and (even assuming that I use up all my smart benefits in a given month) the money Ive saved is tiny fraction of what Ive spent on the bike lately. So the reasons to commute are A. Exercise/weight loss/health B. The good feeling/joy/outdoor time (which sure beats standing in a metro station) C. To get fitter for weekend rides – since I can’t ride every weekend, riding to work is another chance to improve

April 1, 2014 at 4:07 pm #997316

Steve
Participant

To get there.

April 1, 2014 at 4:15 pm #997317

Steve
Participant

Seriously though, I hate this question sometimes, becasue it’s not even the real question. The real question is “why don’t you drive to work?” That’s what they’re trying to ask. Becasue nobody ever sits with a microphone at the exit of a metro station and says, “why do you metro to work?”

People ride to work for lots of different reasons. I’m not totally sure why I do. When I moved to Arlington I walked to work. Then I moved and metroed for a while. Then I rode a motor-scooter for a bit. Then I moved again and walked again for a few years. Then I moved and a mix of metro and riding, but riding only a time or two a month because it was fun every once in a while. Then full time when metro was no longer a good option when work moved (2.5 hours with metro and shuttle mix).

I never had a car because when I moved here I walked across the street to work, and it seemed like too big an expense for how little I would use it. Riding has just filled the commuting void at a time where nothing else makes sense, and buying a car still seems expensive. If I could walk or easily metro to work, I’m sure I’d do it fairly often, perhaps even the majority of the time again, but for now cycling works.

April 1, 2014 at 4:20 pm #997318

lordofthemark
Participant

@Steve 81139 wrote:

Seriously though, I hate this question sometimes, becasue it’s not even the real question. The real question is “why don’t you drive to work?” That’s what they’re trying to ask. Becasue nobody ever sits with a microphone at the exit of a metro station and says, “why do you metro to work?” .

Actually WMATA asks that in their surveys But point taken.

April 1, 2014 at 4:25 pm #997321

chris_s
Participant

I bike to work because it’s fun.

It’s great that it saves me money and gets me exercise and saves the environment and all that crap, but honestly if it wasn’t fun I wouldn’t do it.

April 1, 2014 at 4:31 pm #997323

bobco85
Participant

I get asked this from time to time, especially when standing in the elevator clearly wearing bike gear (it’s hard to hide a helmet, gloves, and bright yellow reflective BikeArlington ankle bracelet), and this is what I usually tell people (if I had a camera shoved in my face, there’d probably be a couple of um’s and uh’s in there):

I bike to work because I like biking and being outside.

If asked to elaborate: I like biking because I enjoy it and it calms me down while allowing me to get some exercise at the same time. I like and have always liked being outside and in nature. I can’t afford to own a car (taxes, gas, repairs/maintenance, parking permits/garages, etc.), and I live close enough to work, grocery stores, etc. that I don’t need one. When I need to use a car, I use ZipCar or (for longer than a few hours) rental cars.

To add on, I would find it depressing to waste over an hour every day of my life sitting in a car and dealing with traffic.

April 1, 2014 at 4:32 pm #997324

dkel
Participant

Because there’s not a single reason I can think of not to. Seriously.

April 1, 2014 at 4:33 pm #997325

Tim Kelley
Participant

“Oh gosh, that would be waaay too far to walk!”

April 1, 2014 at 4:35 pm #997327

rcannon100
Participant

This:

April 1, 2014 at 4:37 pm #997329

rcannon100
Participant

This:

April 1, 2014 at 4:39 pm #997330

rcannon100
Participant

This

April 1, 2014 at 4:44 pm #997332

Subby
Participant

For the chicks.

edit: chicks = my wife, who has noticed and commented on many many occasions that I am a lot happier and more pleasant to be around when I am riding to work. I am a big proponent of the Happy Wife, Happy Life axiom.
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