Is cycling really quicker for short trips?

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  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    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
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
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    ^thats why i tell my wife to do the grocery shopping. lol
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    King_Spicy wrote: »
    He could be deciding whether to spend $2k on a road bike or $2k on a car :lol:

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

    A bike is the only thing we've ever invented for our convenience that makes us stronger and healthier.
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
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    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
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    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
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    King_Spicy wrote: »
    He could be deciding whether to spend $2k on a road bike or $2k on a car :lol:

    I doubt if someone is possibly in the market for a $2k car they would even consider a $2k bike.
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
    edited August 2016
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    King_Spicy wrote: »
    He could be deciding whether to spend $2k on a road bike or $2k on a car :lol:

    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
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    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
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    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. :D
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
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    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
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    King_Spicy wrote: »
    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

    Me too. It usually 'feels like 108+' most days here, so I love a nice summer rain. What sucks is that I get headwind both directions most days. I'm so jealous of the commuters going the opposite direction.
  • caradack1985
    caradack1985 Posts: 254 Member
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    Given the traffic, it would be quicker for me to bike than car to work, it almost quicker to walk than car. Although I actually get the bus, as I also don't have a car, it would be really quite unnecessary.
  • AngelinaB_
    AngelinaB_ Posts: 563 Member
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    fishgutzy wrote: »
    For me it is not so much a question of time but not getting killed.
    Totally. I have a friend who is a serious cyclist hit by a car in Delray Beach FL last weekend and he is at the Hospital fighting for his life as we speak. :(
  • Hydrated
    Hydrated Posts: 1 Member
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    I live 12 miles from my office, and it takes me about 6 to 8 minutes longer to get to work on my bike than in my car. The bike allows me to cut straight through town to my office... instead of riding on the main roads to work, I take the scenic and shaded residential streets through the middle of town. Plus the parking is dismal where I work. We often must park our cars as much as 1/2 mile away from the office and walk anyways.

  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
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    I have a 4mi trip to work. It's a few minutes slower by bike, but I also have to figure in a wipe down with a baby wipe and a clothing change once I get there. The ride is just long enough to break a sweat and I don't want to wear my work clothes.

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