Is cycling really quicker for short trips?

srecupid

I saw somewhere that for trips of less than 5 miles that riding a bike would actually get you where you are going faster than a car. Well I don't have a car and I live in a small town where I work roughly 1-1.5 miles depending on route I take. I work at a grocery store so hauling back a bunch of groceries is never a big deal and I have Amazon prime si I rarely shop in retail stores. Is cycling actually faster?

kathrynjean_

I feel like a lot of it would depend on the cycling infrastructure of your area; e.g., whether you're biking on roads, bike paths, etc. I really have no idea if it would be faster or not than walking ... But it's definitely not going to be faster than having it delivered to your door via Amazon Prime

But, if you're interested in biking to complete errands, it can be a great way to bump up your TDEE a bit a couple of times a week. I love walking to get groceries because it gets me out of the house.

King_Spicy

It all depends on how dense your population is and what road conditions are like. As someone that bikes to and from work, I can tell you cars will always be faster except if you are in inner city with a lot of stop lights and it being rush hour. Even with stop lights spread out just a quarter mile apart, the cars will usually keep up or pass you. Keep in mind, that cyclist need to obey traffic laws such as stop lights as well.

AngelinaB_

Faster than what? An F-16? You don't have a car lol

queenliz99

I find biking to the grocery store is faster but hauling it home is slower and most of it due balance issues.

King_Spicy

edit: I also don't have a car, and my work is 10 miles away from my apartment on the route I take. At 1.5 miles away, just start biking and dont' even think about it. If you don't ahve a bike, I wouldn't even worry about buying one. Thats short enough to jog, or even walk in 15-20 minutes.

sijomial

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.
Depends on route, parking, traffic congestion, size of quads.....

Very efficient way to warm up for the gym.

Packerjohn

In a congested central city area with limited parking the bike may be faster on short trips.

Outside of that, the car will be faster

rsclause

After visiting my son in Switzerland I noticed how refrigerators are small and people typically shop or go to market daily. They usually walk or ride a bike and the parking lots are very small. They also have smaller waistlines and look "fit". I decided to adopt some of these habits and got a commuter type bike. I then loaded it up with a rack that has expandable removable pannier bags for groceries. I also have a bike mount 64 oz insulated stainless beer growler. Now I think of a little something I need from the store and set out. The Co-Op is 1 1/2 miles away and the big store is 4 miles away. So to answer your question its not quicker for me but for the store that is close its not a big difference either way. If I were in an area that had parking hassles it could be quicker.

auddii

Packerjohn wrote: »

In a congested central city area with limited parking the bike may be faster on short trips.

Outside of that, the car will be faster

I work near the zoo, and during spring break, traffic is a nightmare. I walk to my car a mile away, and I beat the cars trying to get out of the area...

queenliz99

I'ma gettin' one of these!!

peleroja

It takes me half an hour to drive to work and half an hour to cycle because I work downtown and rush-hour traffic slows me down a lot more in my vehicle than on a bike, I find, due to the roads I have to take to drive vs the multiuse paths/bus lanes I can use to cycle.

Chieflrg

I live I a congested area and it's about the same time if it's 1-5 miles.

AngelinaB_

rsclause wrote: »

After visiting my son in Switzerland I noticed how refrigerators are small and people typically shop or go to market daily. They usually walk or ride a bike and the parking lots are very small. They also have smaller waistlines and look "fit". I decided to adopt some of these habits and got a commuter type bike. I then loaded it up with a rack that has expandable removable pannier bags for groceries. I also have a bike mount 64 oz insulated stainless beer growler. Now I think of a little something I need from the store and set out. The Co-Op is 1 1/2 miles away and the big store is 4 miles away. So to answer your question its not quicker for me but for the store that is close its not a big difference either way. If I were in an area that had parking hassles it could be quicker.

I wish I can do this. One day perhaps. I live on a lot of hilly streets so... the other option is a vespa but that wouldn't burn that many calories.

Definitely the issue with travelling short distances with cars is parking.

mom23mangos

Packerjohn wrote: »

In a congested central city area with limited parking the bike may be faster on short trips.

Outside of that, the car will be faster

Yes, up to 3 miles or so inside the city it will roughly be equal...especially when you factor in parking. We live 1.5 miles from our city's central park/zoo/museums and I refuse to drive because it takes twice as long just to hunt for a parking spot 1 mile away and walk. Same for grocery store. If it's a small amount I need, quicker to bike and park up front.

King_Spicy

He says he lives in a small town. I doubt parking is a factor

auddii

King_Spicy wrote: »

He says he lives in a small town. I doubt parking is a factor

Well, he doesn't have a car, so this is just a hypothetical anyways, right?

King_Spicy

He could be deciding whether to spend $2k on a road bike or $2k on a car

NorthCascades

srecupid wrote: »

I saw somewhere that for trips of less than 5 miles that riding a bike would actually get you where you are going faster than a car.

I live in Seattle, so driving speed is about the same as biking speed, thanks to traffic. Parking a bike means leaning it inside wherever I'm going, or perhaps locking it to a pole outside; parking a car means circling a block endlessly for 30 years minutes while swearing incessantly, then finally giving up and going home or paying $50 for an hour of parking. Guess which is more enjoyable?

Assume you'll average about 10 mph on a bike. Might be faster, might be slower, it depends on your fitness, how hilly your route is, the wind that day, etc. But that's a good round number that's pretty close to the truth for most beginning cyclists on the road.

3dogsrunning

King_Spicy wrote: »

He could be deciding whether to spend $2k on a road bike or $2k on a car

He also gets groceries delievered.

ETA - oops misread that. He gets other things delivered.

auddii

King_Spicy wrote: »

He could be deciding whether to spend $2k on a road bike or $2k on a car

Bike doesn't require monthly insurance; bike hands down.

fishgutzy

For me it is not so much a question of time but not getting killed.
In my area, the roads have no shoulder and speed limits of 50 MPH and higher.
When I lived in Boston, it was faster and safer to drive to the supermarket than ride a bicycle. Plus it is impossible to carry a week of groceries for a family of 4 on a bicycle or public bus.

King_Spicy

^thats why i tell my wife to do the grocery shopping. lol

NorthCascades

King_Spicy wrote: »

He could be deciding whether to spend $2k on a road bike or $2k on a car

Bike, no question. Ideally you'd up your budget for a road bike though.

A bike is the only thing we've ever invented for our convenience that makes us stronger and healthier.

King_Spicy

You can find decent road bikes for sub $2k without going triathlon aero bikes. I grabbed my carbon fiber 2016 Felt Z7 for $980 (plus extra for clip on pedals and shoes).

mom23mangos

If you don't have a car and are only going short distances, I would go for a cargo bike every time.

http://yubabikes.com/
http://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_dummy

Hooking one up with pedal assist electric motor even better.

Packerjohn

King_Spicy wrote: »

He could be deciding whether to spend $2k on a road bike or $2k on a car

I doubt if someone is possibly in the market for a $2k car they would even consider a $2k bike.

King_Spicy

Packerjohn wrote: »

King_Spicy wrote: »

He could be deciding whether to spend $2k on a road bike or $2k on a car

I doubt if someone is possibly in the market for a $2k car they would even consider a $2k bike.

I was driving around an $800 Volvo 240 wagon for the past 5 years until it recently broke on me and I decided it was not feasible to put the money into maintenance to keep driving it, and bought a $1600 bike instead (at a clearance price). Not that I can't afford a more expensive car, I just prefer owning stuff that has little to no room for depreciation (and also like no monthly payments)

CincyNeid

I live 9.5 miles from my employer. It takes me 35 minutes to ride my bike to work. Or about 28-30 mins to drive to work. Due to traffic. I would almost venture to say. Depending on your circumstances you can push that distance of 1-1.5 miles out and still be quicker on a bike.

fishgutzy

CincyNeid wrote: »

I live 9.5 miles from my employer. It takes me 35 minutes to ride my bike to work. Or about 28-30 mins to drive to work. Due to traffic. I would almost venture to say. Depending on your circumstances you can push that distance of 1-1.5 miles out and still be quicker on a bike.

During the summer between my freshman and sophomore years I rode a bike from Boston MA to Burlington (13 miles each way) for my coop job. Summer of '86. Only rained twice during the week that summer. Rained every weekend though.
Over the summer my waste got slimmer and the quads got thicker. I only weighed about 165# back then.

King_Spicy

I love riding in the rain as long as its not windy. It washes the sweat off of me, but the wind will pick up any dirt and sand on the side of the road and stick it to me. lol