For those that commute on a bicycle.

[DoshKel]

What is it that keeps you going everyday and not giving in to buying a car? What is it that you love you much about commuting?

The biggest thing for me is that the friends I have met through biking are my best. We are like a family. We go everywhere together, and are proud of the fact that we do not own cars. Other things include:

- Even though there are so many cars and much polution, I am still doing something for the enviroment.
- It makes me feel fantastic. I sleep better, am more fit, and just feel healthy.
- More money :).
- The feeling I get of peace and happiness each day. Other bike commuters know it what it is :).
- and also the fact that I know there is one less car on the road.

What about you?

(and should this be here? I couldn't decide what forum I should put it in : /. Sorry if it is the wrong place :))

[Sokara]

What is it that keeps you going everyday and not giving in to buying a car? What is it that you love you much about commuting?

The biggest thing for me is that the friends I have met through biking are my best. We are like a family. We go everywhere together, and are proud of the fact that we do not own cars. Other things include:

- Even though there are so many cars and much polution, I am still doing something for the enviroment.
- It makes me feel fantastic. I sleep better, am more fit, and just feel healthy.
- More money :).
- The feeling I get of peace and happiness each day. Other bike commuters know it what it is :).
- and also the fact that I know there is one less car on the road.

What about you?

(and should this be here? I couldn't decide what forum I should put it in : /. Sorry if it is the wrong place :))

Exactly the same reasons. :) It's just so much fun, and every time you can go further than you did before. I can't wait until it's done snowing so I can stop riding the bus. :(

[Brandon]

I have a car, but I only use it to go grocery shopping or if the weather is sucky. Otherwise, I commute on two wheels, pedal-powered. I've enjoyed riding a bike since I was 12 or so, way back in the bygone ages...:lol:
I like the exercise, the getting to experience the beauty of nature all around you, and the fact that if something breaks, you just wheel the bike home. Can't say the same for a car if you aren't the Hulk. There are sidewalks everywhere around here, so safety isn't really even a concern while biking.

Barring 100 mph winds, snow, sleet, or other incliment weather, I'm riding. An added plus when biking to work is that once you get there you have energy from all the endorphins. :up:

[Gnome Chomsky]

I would say that it is abject poverty that keeps me from buying a car. :)

really though, these loom largest:
- Even though there are so many cars and much polution, I am still doing something for the enviroment.
- It makes me feel fantastic. I sleep better, am more fit, and just feel healthy.
- More money .
- I like the way biking feels while i do it.

ebola

[Gnome Chomsky]

oh, i also feel that by not buying a car, I am keeping my life more simple.

[Gnome Chomsky]

>>An added plus when biking to work is that once you get there you have energy from all the endorphins.>>

Oh...and endorphins are actually rather sedating. You may be thinking of the adrenal release that accompanies aerobic activity.

ebola

[bigdufstuff]

I do it for several reasons

-I like being able to say I don't rely on a car, like gnome said it makes me feel simpler
-No pollution to get around
-It is physical activity
-Saves lots of money, no gas, no insurance, no car payment!

I live in an extremely bike friendly area, so it really isn't a challenge here. I never even go up hills!

A question for the rest of you what do you do when it is raining out and you need to go to work (or something else you can't put off a day). I guess I just suck it up and get kind of wet, but I am curious what other do.

As for the grocery thing, I just bring a big hikers pack to the store. It has the added benefit of not wasting paper/plastic bags.

[Walter]

I love biking for all reasons possible!

I bike in the rain anywhere. I biked 45 minutes to class in the rain the other day.

For grocery shopping I have four panniers and they hold a ton of groceries. My house reuses plastic bags and bottles and sometimes when I go shopping at the worker-owned co-op I can spend over $100 and not use a bit of packaging. That makes me feel good. :D

Last week in San Francisco a 24-year-old girl was hit by an SUV while riding her bike, she was killed, and the driver drove away. They had a memorial for her tonight. More about that at www.sfbike.org

[Kiz]

1/ I can afford a bike but I cannot afford a car
2/ I can ride a bike but I cannot drive a car.

Those two reasons combined are enough for me.

As the the rain question I just get wet. It's only water after all.

[Gnome Chomsky]

>>I guess I just suck it up and get kind of wet>>

yeah, what else are you gonna do?

ebola

[zoebird]

i want to commute by bike more often. So far, i do it very rarely.

first, most of my jobs are too far away to bike to. when a job is 30 minutes away by car at highway speeds, you can imagine how long it would take by bike, and sometimes, i only have 30 minutes between classes as it is.

second, i find biking in the winter difficult because there aren't any shoulders in the roads and when it snows and such, it's very difficult to be on the bike.

third, i find it really hard to ride on roads with lots of cars. this is probably my biggest hurdle. When i go to a place that is only a couple of miles a way (sometimes i walk to that class--rain, snow, whatever), riding is easy. But some of the rides that would be, say, 18-20 miles or so on busy roads, i just don't feel safe.

How do you guys get to the point when you feel safe? many of our local roads don't have any shoulders or even sidewalks for walking (there are many roads that i don't walk on because they're busy and there's no shoulder area or sidewalk).

My husband and I have talked about our next home, our next move, and we're looking specificly for a place that is near the things that we use most, and also has safe roads for biking on. i would love to bike more. I do when i can; i walk when i can. Sadly, much of my work and even groceries and stuff are too far away for me to bike there! :cry:

Otherwise, i think it would be awesome. Ya'll are lucky! LUCKY! :D

[Amy SF]

Last week in San Francisco a 24-year-old girl was hit by an SUV while riding her bike, she was killed, and the driver drove away. They had a memorial for her tonight. More about that at www.sfbike.org

How sad. :( I hope they find the guy who did it.

[catdance62]

I exercise alot by running and going to the gym, but I like to ride my bike to work sometimes. My town is not bicycle-friendly. People here think that only poor bums who collect cans ride (or walk!) bikes. Nevertheless, I ride my bike to work a couple days a week to work when the weather is warm (alot here because I live in the South). The only thing is I have to ride through a bad neighborhood for about 1 mile on my way home and I hate it. People drive too close to me and scare me. I'm always afraid they will throw things at me, but it hasn't happened yet!

[sealife]

I agree with most of what everyone said. Sometimes when I feel sorry for my self for not having a car (cos I'm poor) and riding my bike, I remind my self of how fortunate I am not to have
1) a car payment,
2) an insurance payment,
3) gas money,
4) maintenance money
5) and my biggest nightmare... what to do if my car breaks down in the middle of traffic!

Though I know that's more informations on why I don't have a car, the same applies to why I love riding a bike. Unfortunatly my bike got stolen a couple of months ago so I've been bussing to places. The only reason I haven't bought a new one yet is cos I got this fancy job where I have to dress up everyday. And thought I know I shouldn't care... I sort of feel self consious riding a bike all dressed up in high heels and all. Like someone had mentioned, my town isn't very 'biker' friendly either, most people think people riding bikes are either bums or poor... hmmmm.. I guess they are right.. cos though I'm no bumm, I sure am poor :cool:

PS- That being said, anyone who wants to make a donation to a poor girls college tuition, please send me a message! :D

Lotsa Love
Sealife

[DoshKel]

i want to commute by bike more often. So far, i do it very rarely.

first, most of my jobs are too far away to bike to. when a job is 30 minutes away by car at highway speeds, you can imagine how long it would take by bike, and sometimes, i only have 30 minutes between classes as it is.

second, i find biking in the winter difficult because there aren't any shoulders in the roads and when it snows and such, it's very difficult to be on the bike.

third, i find it really hard to ride on roads with lots of cars. this is probably my biggest hurdle. When i go to a place that is only a couple of miles a way (sometimes i walk to that class--rain, snow, whatever), riding is easy. But some of the rides that would be, say, 18-20 miles or so on busy roads, i just don't feel safe.

How do you guys get to the point when you feel safe? many of our local roads don't have any shoulders or even sidewalks for walking (there are many roads that i don't walk on because they're busy and there's no shoulder area or sidewalk).

My husband and I have talked about our next home, our next move, and we're looking specificly for a place that is near the things that we use most, and also has safe roads for biking on. i would love to bike more. I do when i can; i walk when i can. Sadly, much of my work and even groceries and stuff are too far away for me to bike there! :cry:

Otherwise, i think it would be awesome. Ya'll are lucky! LUCKY! :D

ABout the safety and riding with cars: I just got used to it. Here where I live, a lot of the roads don't have bike lanes or sidewalks (skinny tires anyways : /) so I just ride along side with the cars on the street. I have been hit numerous (5 actually) times, but luckily nothing too serious. I am also working as a courier for a local company here in Tallahasee, so when on the job and I am going fast, always around cars and also other obstacles, a lot of my awareness of everything becomes second-hand.

I was stupid last night though. I rode around with no blinkers and in dark clothing. I make some stupid mistakes heh.

All good reasons though. I'm glad there are so many enthusiastic people about biking here. It is such a joy :).

and P.S. I love riding in the rain :D.

[Kiz]

I ride out in the traffic with the cars. Scary at first, but it's actually safer than toddling along on almost non-existant shoulders.

[DoshKel]

I ride out in the traffic with the cars. Scary at first, but it's actually safer than toddling along on almost non-existant shoulders.
True.

Plus... if I ride on a sidewalk, I fear that I might hit someone strolling along. People always want us bikers to stay off of the road, but being on a sidewalk would cause a lot more trouble in my opinion. Especially in places like NYC, Portland, SF, Chicago ect..

Lots of bikers there :).

[Brandon]

>>An added plus when biking to work is that once you get there you have energy from all the endorphins.>>

Oh...and endorphins are actually rather sedating. You may be thinking of the adrenal release that accompanies aerobic activity.

ebola


Yep, that's what I meant. My bad.

[Walter]

I ride out in the traffic with the cars. Scary at first, but it's actually safer than toddling along on almost non-existant shoulders.
I absolutely agree--way safer. Moving cars are (most likely) not going to hit you--they may honk--but they won't hit you. Parked cars however just love to throw their doors open and knock you out.

In San Francisco at least, and I have no idea if this law is consistent in other places, it's completely legal to take possession of the whole lane. I always do this on two or three lane roads, but on one lane roads I just try not to bike too fast and ride between the moving and parked cars (though dangerous.)

San Francisco has a decent bike path system, but even here it needs lots of work. In the Mission district I bet 5-10% of people commute on bike (it seems even higher than that at some times of the day) and yet even there there aren't that many bike lanes.

[Tesseract]

Hmm, not to mention the fact that in most places, it's illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk. I have heard it's usually safer to ride right out in the lane than on the shoulder, because it forces the drivers to take notice of you. Of course, those statistics were probably compiled in the days before road rage became such a problem.

Mr. Tess has been bike commuting for years. He rides on the street, in a very non-bike-friendly city (Houston), and has never been hit. He had to stop biking to work last year because of a neck problem. :(

He says:
He just loves cycling.
It forces you to get on your bike every day-- no wimping out because you just don't feel like it.
It's nice to get home from work and know you've already gotten your exercise for the day.
The bike ride home is a good decompression activity for him after a day at work.

He also says if it's cold and wet, he wears a rain jacket, but otherwise just gets wet. He knows he'll have to do a bit of cleaning up at the end of the ride anyway, so drying off isn't a big deal. He keeps his work clothes inside a plastic bag in his bike pack, so they're clean and dry.

[DoshKel]

I absolutely agree--way safer. Moving cars are (most likely) not going to hit you--they may honk--but they won't hit you. Parked cars however just love to throw their doors open and knock you out.

In San Francisco at least, and I have no idea if this law is consistent in other places, it's completely legal to take possession of the whole lane. I always do this on two or three lane roads, but on one lane roads I just try not to bike too fast and ride between the moving and parked cars (though dangerous.)

San Francisco has a decent bike path system, but even here it needs lots of work. In the Mission district I bet 5-10% of people commute on bike (it seems even higher than that at some times of the day) and yet even there there aren't that many bike lanes.

I have heard great things about SF when it comes to biking :). Especially since I know a couple couriers there, they said that the hills are fantastic.

It is one of the places I want to move :D.

[Walter]

Doshkel (nice to see you again, by the way) you can see just how many bike lanes SF has by looking at this map: http://www.sfbike.org/download/map.pdf

Keep in mind that not all of those lines are bike lanes. Most are just bike designated streets that mean little more than a higher likelihood of running into other bikers. :p

[Kiz]

Yay! Back to bicycle commuting for me! At least locally, work is well over 80km away (one way, too) so no biking there for me if I want to be on time (gotta take the train. :( ). My last bike... the brakes broke completely. To stop it I had to jump off. Soooo not good for driving in traffic. :p I've been so hanging out for a new bike. *loves her new bike that has brakes!*

[Walter]

Yes...brakes are important! One night I came out of the movie theatre to find that someone had stolen the brakes off my bike. So dangerous! What if I had hopped on and started going down a hill? The thief was not thinking things through. :no:

[Tesseract]

Yes...brakes are important! One night I came out of the movie theatre to find that someone had stolen the brakes off my bike. So dangerous! What if I had hopped on and started going down a hill? The thief was not thinking things through. :no:
Hmm, maybe they WERE thinking things through... maybe it wasn't so much a theft, as an attempted murder??? :sealed: