Does anyone ride their bike to work?

soccerkon26

I am starting a new job soon, and I am thinking of either driving the entire way, or taking public transit and biking.

If I rode my bike it would be 1.5 miles to the transit center, then take public transit, and then bike about 1.8 more miles to work. Doing that twice a day would be 6.6 miles...is that a lot to do in one day?

I never bike for exercise, I usually run. So I'm not sure if this would be too difficult to start out doing 5 days per week

SophiaSilfaery

You'll be fine I've been biking for years I just eat too much hence being on here 6.6 miles is pretty much nothing on a bike. I did 6 miles each way when I first started commuting (from 0 exercise) and I managed fine. Just give yourself lots of time until you see how hard you can go. Good luck.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

No, that's not that far. My husband does 17miles each way (but he's crazy).

What kind of a bike do you have? Is it comfortable for you? Does it have a good seat, comfortable geometry?

soccerkon26

I actually don't have a bike, so any suggestions would be GREAT

Christine_72

A little off topic... But I always wonder about office workers et al who cycle to work. Aren't you all sweaty, gross and disheveled by the time you get to work?

rosehips60

soccerkon26 wrote: »

I actually don't have a bike, so any suggestions would be GREAT

I bought a bike last year and went for comfort. It has 7 speeds but it's built like the bike I grew up riding, big seat, normal handle bars etc. I love it! I'm considering riding to work this summer but I'm a little apprehensive because I have to ride along a busy highway with no bike lane and the drivers in my city are not known for their courtesy or sense!

fatgirlslimlady

@soccerkon26 Try seeing if there's a bike shop near you! They may be having a bike swap or sale soon. I got a great deal on a used bike at a local shop's annual bike swap.

@christinev297 Some workplaces have a shower on site, so you can rinse off when you get to work. Or depending on how you sweat, maybe have a shirt for commuting, and a clean shirt for the office. There are possible ways to make it work.

tashiros

Yes I love to ride my bike to work great exercise and I enjoy the outside

shelleyrhoads

christinev297 wrote: »

A little off topic... But I always wonder about office workers et al who cycle to work. Aren't you all sweaty, gross and disheveled by the time you get to work?

only if its really hot outside. or if you are going really long distances, hills, or peddling fast.

tashiros

Not too bad but I prefer cooler weather and I change at work to refresh and wash hair

BusyRaeNOTBusty

When I do it, I bring a sun dress and sandals to change into. I keep extra deodorant and some dry shampoo at work.

I'd look into a "commuter" or hybrid. The geometry will be a little more comfortable than a road bike (I was looking at the Kona Dew for a while). Seats are pretty individual but I prefer the WTB Deva.

tashiros

Dry shampoo is great alternative to rewashing

haibu

christinev297 wrote: »

A little off topic... But I always wonder about office workers et al who cycle to work. Aren't you all sweaty, gross and disheveled by the time you get to work?

No. At least not if you bike at a nice, enjoyable, normal person pace. There's no rule saying you have to go as fast as possible while wearing spandex. I take my time, and often bike in heels and a dress and I like to think I always arrive looking all right.

soccerkon26

rosehips60 wrote: »

soccerkon26 wrote: »

I actually don't have a bike, so any suggestions would be GREAT

I bought a bike last year and went for comfort. It has 7 speeds but it's built like the bike I grew up riding, big seat, normal handle bars etc. I love it! I'm considering riding to work this summer but I'm a little apprehensive because I have to ride along a busy highway with no bike lane and the drivers in my city are not known for their courtesy or sense!

I would be riding on a road that mainly semi trucks drive on.../: kinda scared

soccerkon26

Thanks everyone!

JoRocka

Buy a decent helmet and retroreflective gear!!!

I ride my motorcycle to work occasional- and honestly sometimes it's way more trouble than it's worth- I would say- bike + bus + bike = more trouble than it's worth (I'm lazy to a certain extent) but I mean- if you CAN and you think you might like it- give it a shot on the weekend when you have no pressure/time frame- so you can make adjustments/plan as needed.

soccerkon26

JoRocka wrote: »

Buy a decent helmet and retroreflective gear!!!

I ride my motorcycle to work occasional- and honestly sometimes it's way more trouble than it's worth- I would say- bike + bus + bike = more trouble than it's worth (I'm lazy to a certain extent) but I mean- if you CAN and you think you might like it- give it a shot on the weekend when you have no pressure/time frame- so you can make adjustments/plan as needed.

Great advice. It would take longer than driving, but I would save money on gas. And my workout would be over for the day! But I'm still unsure as to what I will do

I respect all the people that ride bikes to work!

segacs

I bike to work on average 2-3 days a week from April through November (Bixi bikeshare season here in Montreal). It's about 6 km (3.7 miles) each way, and takes me about 30 minutes door to door including red lights, traffic, etc. I love love LOVE cycling -- it's a great refreshing way to get to the office feeling happy and enjoying nature, rather than dealing with the crowds on public transit. And it's a great way to add exercise, too.

I'd suggest having a backup transit plan for those days when it's really not all that nice out. Sure, there's no bad weather, merely bad clothing. But if you're new to commuting by bike, you don't really need to force yourself to cycle in blinding rainstorms, either.

I'd also suggest getting a bike with some panniers so you can transport your purse, briefcase, laptop, lunch and whatnot. Oh, and a really great lock, if you're riding your own bike and if you have to lock it up outside your office.

You may need to experiment a bit to find the best route. Shortest distance is less important; uphills and downhills become much more important when you're on a bike. If your city has bike paths, you can try taking those, though I find sometimes they get very crowded at rush hour and oftentimes it's faster to cycle on the road and just take my lane. That takes some practice in downtown traffic, though, and if you don't have nerves of steel, you may prefer to stick to side streets until you get more comfortable. Always be visible, learn the hand signals, don't ride too close to parked cars so you don't risk getting doored, and make sure your moves are predictable so you don't catch drivers off guard. Learn the blind spots of large vehicles like buses and trucks and give them wide berth. Technically you have the right of way, but you're much more vulnerable out there on two wheels than they are in four (or eighteen) so no sense tempting fate.

Finally, see if you can get some all-purpose bike-to-office clothing. I don't know what your dress code is at work, but if you can work in jeans, get a pair of commuter cycling jeans and wear them with a blazer or jacket. Worst-case you can throw a shell in your purse and change your shirt when you get to the office to freshen up a bit. In summer, I have a couple of cycling skorts (bike shorts with a skirt cover) that I can wear to the office and then change my skirt when I get there, too.

christinev297 wrote: »

A little off topic... But I always wonder about office workers et al who cycle to work. Aren't you all sweaty, gross and disheveled by the time you get to work?

My office building actually has a gym on the ground floor, so there are changing rooms with lockers and showers available. I use them sometimes in the hottest part of summer. But honestly, in spring or fall, especially early in the mornings, it's cooler out and I don't sweat much since I'm riding pretty slowly in city traffic. I just do a quick fix-up in the mirror when I get to the office and it's fine. In hotter weather, I'll take a shower and change of clothes, but if you don't have showers at the office, a splash in the sink or some wet wipes will usually do nicely, too.

segacs

Oh, and this was a great blog to check out for women who commute on bicycles. She's not blogging anymore but if you scroll through the past posts, there are LOTS of great tips, especially for newbies.

https://girlsbikingtowork.wordpress.com/

soccerkon26

Wow! Thank you so much I definitely need to learn bike riding etiquette.

zipa78

6.6 miles is nothing on a bike. I did more than that on my daily school ride when I was seven.

SingingSingleTracker

christinev297 wrote: »

A little off topic... But I always wonder about office workers et al who cycle to work. Aren't you all sweaty, gross and disheveled by the time you get to work?

Depends on how hard you ride - or how warm it is outside. I ride leisurely (Zone 1 HR pace) wearing a suit and carrying a messenger bag slung over my shoulder with my work stuff this time of year as it is not too hot temperature wise (50's - 60's) to worry about sweating. Another month or two and the sleeves will be short and the suitcoat in the messenger bag.

The distance the OP mentioned and type of commute sounds like a very easy one to do with a comfortable bike.

MeanderingMammal

soccerkon26 wrote: »

I actually don't have a bike, so any suggestions would be GREAT

Personally I use a Brompton folding bike. Comfortable for about a 20 mile ride.

MeanderingMammal

haibu wrote: »

if you bike at a nice, enjoyable, normal person pace. /quote]

Define that pace

I'm pretty fast but don't tend to get any warmer than a fast walk anyway.

RunnerElizabeth

Ha! I round trip run commute to my office 3 or 4 consecutive days in the summer pushing a jogging stroller down hill in the morning and uphill in the evening with 50 lbs of kid in it for a grand total of 10 running miles per day! You'll be fine!

TheLegendaryBrandonHarris

I'd love to ride my bike to work, but here in Tallahassee that would require a shower at the office!

moritz7588

I bike 35 km each way to work (about 22 miles). I am still working into doing it daily after only having been able to spin and run over the winter. In another month I will be doing it daily. I stop off at a gym (I keep my membership there just for this - otherwise I find gyms a pretty useless place to be) near where I work and shower and clean myself before going into work. I fold my clothes into a backpack, along with my lunch, that I carry. My work's dress code isn't very tight. Casual pants and a golf or T-shirt are acceptable. I wear my steal towed shoes that I keep at the office for our clean room. I also keep a sweater at work for cooler days.

There is a whole sub-industry aimed at the casual commuter. Bikes specifically targeted to it, clothing especially made for it, etc.

tashiros

Riding my bike work is a great way to commute

AllanMisner

I’d love to, but my work is 50 miles each way. Would be a really tough day.

corgicake

soccerkon26 wrote: »

I would be riding on a road that mainly semi trucks drive on.../: kinda scared

The good thing about a highway full of truck drivers is that it probably has a wide shoulder, and the bad thing is that truck drivers don't realize how bad their windtunnel effect is. Twenty pounds loaded onto the back rack of a mountain bike will do wonders.

McCloud33

I'm really lucky as I live in the south, so it's warm-ish most of the year, and I only live 0.65 miles from the office. The only days I don't ride is if its raining when I leave in the morning. It's actually quicker for me to bike than drive.