Anyone bike instead of driving? I'm conflicted.

LaurenAOK

Part of me really, really wants to get a bike. I'm a pretty big tree hugger so the fact that it's more environmentally friendly than driving really appeals to me. Plus, the exercise factor! The grocery store is less than a mile away so I could always ride there instead of driving. Then again I guess I wouldn't be able to carry many groceries back :P

My college is about 5 miles away from where I live so I would kind of love to bike there... however, I live in Florida and it is HOT HOT HOT. I'm worried that when I got to class I would be simply drenched in sweat, and that's embarrassing. On the other hand I have class 3 days a week so it would be such a good workout...

Does anyone here bike places instead of driving? What do you do about the sweat factor? Do you think it's worth it? Any guidance is appreciated

LaurenAOK

Anyone? I found a good one on craigslist for pretty cheap, I'm tempted to buy it today... but I don't want it to be a waste!

jrmc83

Does your school have a gym with a shower? The one near my house does ( I live in Arizona so I understand about the sweat!). They usually have a discount for students too and you can pay by semester. Then you could rinse off at least.

toysbigkid

I bike everywhere and I live in Florida, bring a change of clothes and when you get there change. You won't be sorry to ride instead of driving, it's awesome and I love it. The stores are easy, visiting friends so much fun and sometimes they get on theirs and we take off together.

RoosterB

Great idea but yep you ideally need access to a shower. I sometimes take shirts and suits the first day in the week then cycle the rest. Quick shower & change - job done. Go for it if you can

Di3012

Part of me really, really wants to get a bike. I'm a pretty big tree hugger so the fact that it's more environmentally friendly than driving really appeals to me. Plus, the exercise factor! The grocery store is less than a mile away so I could always ride there instead of driving. Then again I guess I wouldn't be able to carry many groceries back :P

My college is about 5 miles away from where I live so I would kind of love to bike there... however, I live in Florida and it is HOT HOT HOT. I'm worried that when I got to class I would be simply drenched in sweat, and that's embarrassing. On the other hand I have class 3 days a week so it would be such a good workout...

Does anyone here bike places instead of driving? What do you do about the sweat factor? Do you think it's worth it? Any guidance is appreciated

I cycle to work sometimes, it is around five miles.

I don't find much of an issue with sweating even on really warm days, just make sure you don't put clothes on that are too heavy for your climate, if you do that, yes you will sweat like crazy.

Definitely worth it!

KStambulic

Nope because it's 36 kms to town along the busy 401 highway. I ride my bike along my quiet country road though.

jcmartin0313

You can google riding bike to work to get tips for freshening up after riding. I do not ride because I leave when it is dark and sometimes come home when dark but really that is no excuse. I typically cycle after work.

KauandMe

I bike to work. It is 5 miles round trip. Just don't exert yourself too much, slow down a little the last mile or so, and it shouldn't be too bad. Keep unscented baby wipes at work to wipe down.

I also bike to the grocery store....6 miles round trip. There is a basket that attaches to the back of my bike (folds out) and it holds a normal sized paper grocery bag. You can also get panniers (or saddle bags). I also have a basket on my handle bars.

Once you start commuting, you will find that it is easier than you thought.

Good luck!

WehttamThims

Biking to work or school is awesome, I highly encourage it. I started biking to work a couple years ago and its a great way to get your exercise in and get to where you need to be. I enjoy it more than driving now. I love the fresh air, the sense of accomplishment and i don't have tailgaters running me over. Yeah you have to be weary of the cars but they just pass by you (sometimes closely).

512cheangela

EO has some great wipes that I use in lieu of showering when biking places in the Texas summer heat. Your body will grow accustomed to the weather rather quickly. Just start slow and build your tolerance gradually. You'll learn to love it!

frogman4591

I ride my bike to work May - Oct. I live in Nebraska and the winters get rather nasty. It is 2.5 miles from my house to the office. When it is warm and humid in the mornings I just ride slower. I have a Trek 7200 that I bought in 2008, and have logged about 3,000 miles on it.

HildeDanmark

Just bring a change of clothes and some wet wipes (they have personal hygiene ones).

I bicycle to the beach with a 40 pound child and beach equipment in a trailer and that is about 4 miles round trip. I also bicycle to the supermarket from time to time which is about 5 miles. I use a trailer to carry stuff.

I highly recommend ditching the car. Driving to a supermarket 1 mile away? Please tell me you don't and you've just been walking.

77tes

A friend who is a serious biker/runner tried it for a month. Turns out he was nearly killed on several occasions by careless drivers. He quit because he was afraid he would not live very long but would die in a accident. I live in L.A., maybe the drivers and bike paths are better in FL.

jturnerx

I bike to work. I bike to the gym. I bike to the farmer's market. I want to bike to my evening classes at university but it's late when class gets out and I'm not keen on riding home at night. I don't find I have to clean up too much. I try to keep the exertion level mellow. I don't treat it like a work out at all. I have a car but I try to bike as much as possible. The longest one way trip I have is about 7 miles. More typical is 3. The money I save on gas and public transportation is amazing.

markymarrkk

I try to bike to both my jobs and home at least once a week, (haven't in a few months) it's a 25 mile round trip, sweaty? ya. Change of clothes and showers at my workplace make it all work out.

I burn a TON of calories doing this because when I get on my bike I know no other way than to GO HARD.

Masterdo

I'm waiting for my new bike and have to commute using PT again for a week... only 2 days in and I'm sure I'll go nuts before it's over

Might be hot outside, but with the wind in your face it goes by much faster than standing still in a bus or sitting in traffic... I use baby wipes or just a sink with a towel at work, they are installing showers but for next year.

It's really ideal, takes about the same time, but it's not wasted time anymore, it's productive time.

Bike = Runs on fat, saves you money.
Car = Runs on money, makes you fat.

Not a tough choice

mauryr

I bike to work most days (took today off). It's about 10M round-trip.

It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the bike commute, but now I really enjoy it. (Of course, biking along the beach in the early morning is pretty awesome, regardless of the practicality of it).

I moved to the beach about 6 months ago, from the Hollywood area. My commute used to be 22 miles one way, all of it stuck in terrible traffic. I have a really nice, comfy car... but now, I see it as a prison - albeit a luxurious one.

I totally hate getting in my car now. I bike everywhere I can. Living at the beach, it's pretty easy to not use the car. My last tank of gas lasted 6 weeks - and my car is a gas-guzzler. Used to go through a tank in less than a week, before I moved closer to the office. Now I bike everywhere I can - and so do many others here. It's part of the culture, I've found.

I have the luxury of having a gym - with a shower - less than a block away from my office, and I go there every morning, after my commute. Even if you don't have this luxury, you can get a bike with a rack, and get a nice basket and bring your work clothes in it. You can bike in lighter clothing, and change at the office.

As for shopping: Well with the store so close, you can make several trips, and buy less stuff each time.... and occasionally take the car for the heavy stuff. I have a rack mounting rear basket, called a "basil cardiff", that I really like. I can fit quite a bit of stuff in it, so I stop by the store on my way home from work occasionally. You can get this basket on Amazon. It's a little pricey, but it's really nicely designed, and very durable. I also have a cheap "saddlebags" type pannier, for larger trips to the grocers. It's a good idea to use your basket in the store - I put mine inside a shopping cart - so you don't inadvertently buy more stuff than you can fit into the basket. Shop until your basket is full, and you're done. (You'll buy fewer non-essentials - another added bonus)

Net-net, you'll save $$ on gas, keeping those $$ inside the country, have less wear and tear on your car, get good exercise - and as another added benefit, you'll have more exercise cals to "eat back".

I highly recommend this!

Chipmaniac

Started biking to work in earnest in May. It's about 30 miles round trip for me. I completed 17 commute trips in May. Along with telecommuting I only drove to work one day that month. I also didn't let our horrible spring here in Seattle stop me. I just bought a cycling waterproof jacket and kept on going. I've been commuting to work by bike ever since. Fortunately, we have showers at work but for a shorter trip they might not be necessary.

Buoyed by my new passion I'm going to be biking from Seattle to Portland, OR this weekend in the yearly "STP". It's 202 miles. I'm going to do it in one day. I've got the bug big now.

skittles8810

Its so worth it. I bike every where. I biked to the lake a few weeks ago. it was 64miles total round trip. I love it. Its great exercise and very serene! Its a "My time" type of ride. Bring a change of clothes , wipes if no shower there and your good!

tigersword

Ironically enough, a study came out recently that concluded driving for your commute is healthier than biking. The reason given was due to the amount of pollutants in the air from the number of cars currently on the road, the cyclers were being exposed to very high levels of exhaust, which led to much higher incidences of lung cancer.

Everything will kill you nowadays... :laugh:

I suppose a bike path would be healthier, if it's available in your area.

BrianSharpe

I rode my bike to work today (first chance I've had this year with the kids' soccer schedules) it's 19km each way and I love it (last year I averaged 2 days /week between May and November.

It's great exercise but the environmental benefits are highly over touted here's why. I takes energy to get you to and from work, that energy may be in the form of fossil fuel or may be the food you eat to sustain the extra effort. It takes energy to grow and transport food - that energy usually comes from fossil fuels. I'm not sure if it's a zero sum game but I bike to work anyway because I enjoy doing it.

42kgirl

I've biked to work a few times, but it's really creepy at 3:30am.

mizroxy13

Hey girl!! I'm not a Floridian, I'm a Chicagoan. However, our summers get pretty intense up here with the heat and humidity! We still bike year-round here, hot or cold, and I would have it no other way. It's a pretty bike-friendly city though and I'm not sure if Florida is the same. However, getting around is a breeze, a fun workout, environmentally friendly, cheap (FREE!), and I wear dresses and skirts all summer so it's really not that hot at all. As far as groceries, I only buy for a few days to a week...what better excuse to keep fresh produce and preservative-free, non-processed food around! I only use a bike bag, but you could always get a basket or whatnot. Happy biking!

kikilieb

I've been car-less for 10 months and I LOVE it! I cannot stress how much I love it. I always carry water, a raincoat/poncho a wrag (to wipe the sweat) and I've haven't had much trouble with groceries either (since you mentioned that). In the beginning I had a little trouble with overestimating how much I could carry home, but other than that it's been smooth sailing.

For groceries, I walk to the grocery store with a back pack and 2 of those environmentally friendly canvas bags - my grocery store is about 1.2 miles from my apartment and I haven't had any trouble keeping my fridge and cupboards stocked by doing this. This includes once per month trekking home with 14lbs of cat litter on my back as well as 7 lbs of cat food in each canvas bag :bigsmile:

My suggestion though would be to consider the things you need with you (snacks, water, poncho, sunscreen, towel to name a few) - you might need a back pack. Good luck in your endeavors!

BinaryPulsar

I bike and walk everywhere for a long time now. But, maybe I should stop doing that because the cardio might make me fat (just kidding).

RainbootsToBikinis

I bike everywhere, I make more trips throughout the week to the grocery store instead of doing one big trip. For school and work I bike in workout clothes and bring another set with me to change into before class.

metallison

I live in Florida too, and I'm about to bike to work for the first time this coming Monday. It's a little over 12 miles away. We have a shower at work, so I'm bringing a change of clothes and shower stuff with me in a backpack. I'm looking forward to it.

LaurenAOK

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement! I did end up buying the bike yesterday, and I loooove it Very happy with my decision!