Bike commuting is AWESOME

Calantorntain
Calantorntain Posts: 172 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
You know how long it takes me to get to work by pubic transit? About half an hour.

You know how long it takes me to get to work by bike? About half an hour.

So rather than sitting around bored, idle, and cramped in an over filled train for an hour a day, I get to relax and get an hour of light cardio in. Sometimes more than that; for example, tonight I'm meeting a friend for dinner after work, and that trip will involve an extra half hour of biking. Score.

Do I sometimes ride in the rain? Does my path bring me close to cars? Yes and yes. For the rain, you just ovary up and get over it; getting wet sucks, but once you are soaked it's kind of refreshing. You won't believe it until you try it. As for cars, I've got lights, a helmet, and a reflective vest. Ain't nobody got an excuse not to see me, and since I generally follow traffic laws, it's remarkably safe. And the cold? I haven't biked in severe cold yet, the coldest I've dealt with is 40 degrees. Since your body is generating heat, it's perfectly manageable. I wasn't even wearing special clothes; just a long sleeve shirt and a scarf.

Oh, and did I mention I'm saving $86 a month by avoiding a 30 day transit pass?

So, if you don't bike commute, give it a try! It's the best ever, and it will change your life!

Replies

  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I've just started doing this and my quads and my lungs are thanking me for it!

    How far do you commute? I have two days where I only travel 2 miles and another I travel 8 miles one way. The rest I have to use the car - unless I can hack a 20 mile journey and 20 home - a bit steep for me at the moment.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I love commuting by bike (except when city buses try to kill me.....) - it takes about the same amount of time driving does and it's a great workout. (Mine is 19km each way)

    Personally I'm not convinced that bike commuting ultimately saves that much money though, yes you save on gas and/or bus passes but your body needs fuel too which means eating more food (and don't forget the extra laundry.....) but I'm still perfectly capable of rationalizing buying a decent road bike! :happy:
  • Calantorntain
    Calantorntain Posts: 172 Member
    5 miles each way. It's like the perfect distance; far enough that I get some exercise, short enough that I don't need to change clothes in nice weather.

    As for the cost of extra "fuel," one of the reasons I'm doing it is for weight loss. I'm not increasing my food intake so that I can maintain a good calorie deficit :) Biking actually helps me spend LESS on food, because I think, "I burned 500 calories today... do I really want to cancel it all out by purchasing [food item]?" I'm pretty frugal anyway (I make a stack of healthy lunches once a week, it ends up costing under $20 for five days), and if I do end up splurging my workplace has free unhealthy snacks :p
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    My cycling season is winding down, given that I live in Maine (getting colder, and riding in the dark is harder and riskier).

    But I did manage to replace almost 1,200 driving miles with cycling miles this summer. My commute is about 14 miles each way, and takes about an hour each way (as opposed to a 20-25 minute drive). So it's certainly costing me a lot of time, but then again I don't need to bother with taking time out to hit the gym on cycling days.

    I don't know how much money it really saved me - my Diesel car gets 45MPG, and my bike needed a lot of pricey repairs this summer (it's a Specialized Sirrus hybrid/courier bike, 5 years old, and at about 4,000 miles things just started falling apart, but a new drivetrain and rear axle seems to have solved most of the problems). Then of course there's the extra food.

    But it was a great way to get plenty of exercise.

    I'll probably sneak a few more rides in. But not too many more.
  • Bossit
    Bossit Posts: 118 Member
    I run 5k as my commute instead of taking the bus. It feels great to save time and money, while getting fit.
  • Spatialized
    Spatialized Posts: 623 Member
    Hard core committed bike commuter, have been for years. It is one of the things that helps keep me sane as it allows a total disconnect from work. You have that time where all you're focusing on is the road, your lungs, your quads, the idiot driver swerving in and out of the shoulder and you get to forget about TPS reports, irate customers, inept bosses and all the rest.

    When I worked at the bedside as a nurse I could have the worst shift - patients trying to die, families in my face, patients attacking me, docs putting me down but by the time I got home from my commute I was normal again, when I drove I was still raging inside since the stress fo driving a commute just amplified the feelings inside. It is my relief valve.

    Plus I'm lucky, it's only a 9 mile round trip door to door now but I can extend it to any length I want and usually ride extra after work for a work out - cuts gym costs! I save on car insurance because we drive a lot less without me commuting daily (300-500 miles a month max). I save on gas, transit fees and am building a better me in the process. Sure, there are costs (clothing to stay warm), replacement parts for when things break but in the end I come out ahead. But the separation is the most valuable.
  • Skych123
    Skych123 Posts: 96
    Nice, I've been wanting to do this but it's 13 miles to work any no showers to be had (Don't think my boss would enjoy me being sweaty and smelly for work)

    Maybe one day I'll give it a whirl

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