Why do you bike to work?

[Riley Casey]

I don’t bike to work. Well I do, but thats only because I bike anywhere that I am not otherwise compelled to use a car, the fact that its to work is sort of incidental. Is the real question why do I bike rather than drive? I hate parking that much. Really, don’t laugh. I’m not fond of driving at all in an urban environment but parking on a downtown street or a big suburban mega mall lot is absolutely insufferable. A long walk to the door when bike parking is 30 ft, a long hunt for a parking space is measured in seconds. Owning a car is essential in what I do, I can’t get rid of it, can’t use ride share or Zipcar but thats the break glass in case of emergency option. For an urban dweller whose kids are grown with a type A personality and patience measured in microns biking is simply more sensible.

It helps with the patience deficit too. 😮

[Riley Casey]

Worse yet is having to drive to a destination you normally bike to and come to the nasty realization that ” oh crap, I can’t do that in a car”

@KelOnWheels 81189 wrote:

Cos I’m not exactly sure where I left my car last… I haven’t seen it for a couple of weeks.

[KelOnWheels]

@Riley Casey 81204 wrote:

Worse yet is having to drive to a destination you normally bike to and come to the nasty realization that ” oh crap, I can’t do that in a car”

There are many places in DC I only know how to get to on foot or by bike

[oldbikechick]

Having recently stopped biking to work (only because I stopped working), I have been doing some thinking about this. For the first week and 1/2 of not working, I didn’t bike at all! Granted some of that was because of terrible weather and some due to the bike being in the shop. But still, why did I bike to work nearly every day, and now not bike as much for fun? So, the reasons I biked to work:
-biking to work is easy (once I had the route, gear and routine figured out, it is easier than biking anywhere else). Plus, I really had a good set-up for it – locker room/showers at work, secure parking, private office (for stinky gear).
-biking to work is exercise and “me” time without adding any extra time to the day. ie – there is no guilt factor saying “I should be doing xyz right now” instead.
-I love fresh air and being outside and with an office job and busy home life, this gives me almost two hours of outside time I would not otherwise get (and my commute is very pleasant, along the Custis and MVT).
-Riding in all seasons and all kinds of weather has been good for me. It has taught me that you can get cold, wet, dirty, etc and it’s really nothing that a hot shower can’t cure. I have also learned a lot about the weather patterns, and even tides, prevailing winds, etc around here.
-this one is a little strange, but when I rode the metro, which brings me to literally under my office building, I always felt a little like a robot on a conveyor belt going to work. It’s very passive. The bike commute is invigorating, you have to be alert and put some effort into it. You leave when you are ready and go as fast as you want to make yourself go. No waiting, no helpless wondering when the next train is coming. I always felt like I had already seized the day when i got to work, which is a great way to start off the day.
-all of the above makes me a much more laid back and pleasant person than I would otherwise be.

Because of this last reason, I am going to make a more concerted effort to build a bike ride into my day now that i have no commute. I rode today and it was glorious!

[dasgeh]

@oldbikechick 81215 wrote:

Because of this last reason, I am going to make a more concerted effort to build a bike ride into my day now that i have no commute. I rode today and it was glorious!

biking the kids around town is AWESOME. Let me know if you ever want to talk family biking. Like at THIS SUNDAY’S KIDICAL MASS ARLINGTON RIDE.

[rcannon100]

So I am at REI today buying a tire for The KID who, even tho he barely managed to register any miles for FS, still wore straight thru the rubber riding on my trainer.

Anyway, I am at REI today looking for patch kits and levers for The KID who…. oops, off on tangent again….

And there are these people looking for a commuter bike. And its just so cute to listen to the customers and the store guy talk about commuters.

Thing Two: So Fat tires are slower and arent really suitable for commuting. You want more of a hybrid.

Thing One: Yeah, I saw a guy riding on fat tires to work the other day

Thing Two: Yeah, some of those commuters are crazy… they will ride straight through the winter on those things.

Thing One: [Laughing at the absurdity of it all]

[Rod Smith]

Why do I bike to work? I would bike to somewhere else but I need the money. 😎

[slowtriguy]

I bike to work because I’m much happier when I do, because it saves me time and money, and because without riding to work, I would never have learned how to say “Stay back, man, I’ll cut you if you come closer” in pissed-off mallard. (quack quack quaCK QUACK QUAAAAAAAACK, in case you’re interested. I learned that yesterday.)

[brendan]

@Rod Smith 81227 wrote:

Why do I bike to work? I would bike to somewhere else but I need the money. 😎

We have a winner.

B

Edit: I can’t stop laughing.

[Yggdrasil]

1. Because it adds a level of outdoorsy adventure to my day
2. Cheaper than metro/buses
3. Don’t have to take metro/buses
4. I hate driving around this area
5. Great way to get exercise in my day without using up a ton of time.
6. As fast, if not faster, than mass transit.
7. Better learn your neighborhood and area
8. Watch the seasons change.
9. Bird watching
10. Flower blooming and color changing leaves.
11. The feel of the wind on your face (even if it’s biting in the winter)
12. Better for the environment
13. Dem calf muscles
14. You definitely harden up, hot and cold begin to phase you less and less.
15. Mental serenity and quiet on the trail; it definitely helps fight of a history of depression.

Overall, it just makes every day a little better and makes me stronger, both physically and mentally.

[oldbikechick]

@dasgeh 81216 wrote:

biking the kids around town is AWESOME. Let me know if you ever want to talk family biking. Like at THIS SUNDAY’S KIDICAL MASS ARLINGTON RIDE.

Thanks! Actually, I plan on turning the school drop-off into a bike ride if I can. I just didn’t feel right about doing that to the kids in really crummy weather. What I need to figure out is the least hilly route to school since my daughter is not so good at hills yet. Is there an app for that? or maybe it’s time to get her a geared bike.

[Terpfan]

Originally it was because my car broke down and my then-gf (now wife) tossed the idea out there. I found it didn’t cost me more time, gave me a good workout, was pleasant, and rather efficient. Oh and I think notice everything–when someone painted their house, the birds, the rowing teams, and even the daily habits of neighbors and people I pass by.

I went from a 7 mile commute each way to a 15 mile commute each day when we bought a house. And then I switched jobs making it a 16.5-18 mile commute depending on which way I go. The funny part is that for the most part, all of the original reasons hold true. In the morning, driving would be faster by about 30 minutes, but at night? Ha, just ride down 34th St in Georgetown one night to see what I mean that riding is faster. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t get a little bit of sadistic pleasure out of passing by cars stuck in gridlock.

Now the tricky part is trying to accomplish N+1. So I need to be at 2 to then jump to 3. Working on it.

[vvill]

It’s the easiest way to eke out time for some exercise (endorphins!), and get to work within about 10 mins of driving time (and faster than Metro). Also, to “save” money for my bike habit, and to justify posting on this forum.

[ejwillis62]

I hate work but biking in and biking home makes it a little easier to take. I love the quietness of the morning commute on the mount vernon trail. I am the only one out there. In the afternoon not so much but until summer really hits it is almost my own personal trail. And the number one reason I really hate traffic and driving. An added bonus is that at 51 I am in better shape then I have been in a long long time.

[ShawnoftheDread]

One of my colleagues just got to the office due to a metro delay – about 1.5 hours late.

[Author]

Posts