Are there any other bike commuters out there?

[Trailrider1951]

I have moved to a place about 4 miles from work and now I cannot justify driving a car to work. I ride my mountain bike to work every day now. So far, I haven't been rained on or hit by any of the idiotic drivers here in Houston. The only bad part is riding a short distance on a two-lane road and having a large truck or SUV pass me just inches away. Yikes!! :scared: But, I refuse to be intimidated into giving up. I carry a change of clothes in a backpack, and change when I arrive at work. Anyone else? B-)

[JM]

1. I used to work about 3 miles from home

I would walk to the trail, then either walk the rest of the way or rollerblade to work.

Now I only have a 20 foot commute to the living room

JM

[RoadRunner]

2. I commute on my bike two days per week.

It's 22 miles round trip. I live on a desert, so rain is no problem. Can't imagine doing it in Houston, though. You are brave indeed. Be careful! :hi:

[ze_dscherman]

3. Greetings from a German bike commuter

Since I don't (want to) own a car, I ride to work every day - about 5,5 miles each way. Luckily, I live in a not-so-big town, and there are lot's of bicycle lanes in Germany. But these also are a problem, since some car drivers just rush out of entrances and don't look for traffic on bike lanes - I had some very close encounters because of these idiots, so I choose the safer road instead of a dangerous bicycle path on some routes.

Weather can be pretty bad in Germany - lot's of rain, sometimes snow and cold weather, but I just keep on riding - it's a matter of functional clothing and mentality. Also, it keeps me fit!

Since my job allows me to dress casually, I change clothes only when I know to have customer contact or when it gets warm'n'sweaty. I carry extra clothes/rain protection in a water proof side bag attached to the rear carrier - which is big enough to occosionally carry folders as well.

There are several co-workers who usually ride by bike, some of them during the colder seasons as well.

Keep on riding!

[Warpy]

4. I used to commute 11 miles each way on a bike

Illness has forced me out of work and off my bike. I bought an electric bike for all my short trips, though, and it's nearly as much fun and not a bit sweaty.

[mike_c]

5. I have in the past and will again this year....

About 8-10 miles each way in my case, depending on which route I take. Right now I have to ferry my wife, but that will end in a couple of months and I can bike commute again.

I LOVE bike commuting-- I arrive at work with a nice exercise glow, get to bracket my work day with time outdoors, and best of all, get to ride my bike every day.

My route choices are mostly busy highway with wide shoulders, rural roads with no shoulders, and in-town with bike lanes. The only sketchy part is crossing one highway bridge that provided very narrow shoulders previously but now has no shoulder because of bridge repairs that have been continuous for two years now. Trucks blow by at 65 mph just a foot or so way-- that's unnerving. Otherwise, it's a great morning and evening ride.

Advice-- once daylight savings time ends, invest in a good lighting system. Don't use anything like a cheap Cateye 2.5 watt headlamp with AA batteries. You'll want to see and be seen!

Buy a set of road tires for your MTB. Knobby tread wastes a lot of energy on pavement.

On edit: one last comment-- I ride a Brooks B-17 saddle. Any saddle will probably do for a short commute, but I ride the same bike on long fun rides too, and the Brooks is the best saddle I've ever owned. I recommend it if you have comfort issues!

[jpak]

6. Me

I live 2 miles from my office - gentle uphill in the AM and a easy downhill in the PM.

And there is a bike lane...

[Township75]

7. I do!

And I really love it. But there are bike lanes for me, and since it's a college town, and its summer time now, it isn't too bad as far as traffic. When most of the students return I normally use the bus system.

I really enjoy not using my car at all, and watching those gas prices go up!!! I also love not having to deal with parking, since I can use a bike rack right outside my building.

Even better is that all the construction is done during the summer around here, so it is easier and faster to use a bike to get around. I can make pretty much straight shots to my destination while vehicles have to drive 2x my distance...yet some people still don't realize it.

Oh, well, their loss.

[LizW]

8. You folks are brave

I live in a suburban area where everything is close, grocery store, the kids' schools, several shops and restaurants, cleaners, drug store, all within 3 miles. The problem is no bike lanes, no sidewalks, and the main road to everywhere is narrow, curvy, hilly and has tons of fast traffic, and two skinny bridges to cross.

We can get to the schools and the pool by weaving through back streets, but it's life-endangering to bike to any of the commercial areas. Oh, how I would love just two miles of bike lane or path alongside that busy road. It would open up the world to me for bike travel.

[IrateCitizen]

9. I wish! It's a life goal of mine!

I used to work a job that was only 11 miles from my home. I biked it ONCE. The majority of the trip was on a two-lane road with no shoulder, and I had cars flying off my left hip at 45 mph the whole time.

I decided that it wasn't worth risking my life over.

Now, I take the train every day, and walk the rest of the trip. Once I get my teaching certificate out of the way, I'll get a job that I can bike to every day, except when there's ice on the ground.

[NNadir]

10. I did that for about 3 years in the 1970's in LA.

I was young and single and it was my revolution against the internal combustion engine and the LA smog. I commuted from North Redondo Beach to Harbor City and it got so I'd go over the the top of Palos Verdes just for the Rush. I did everything on my bicycle, including trips to the laundermat, my food shopping, my social visiting. On weekends, I'd go ride just for the thrill of it, sometimes all the way to Malibu where one could ride up into the mountains and find places where one didn't have to hear the sound some type of engine running somewhere.

It was very dangerous, though people were always hitting me with their cars and stuff like that, but I got so I was pretty good at avoiding most accidents. It was tough in the rain too. (I like to joke that I ended one LA drought simply by selling my car.) The thing was though that I was in spectacularly good shape. I felt so strong and alive that I almost want to cry (especially now that I am fat and weak) when I think on it. There was a whole psychic trip involved at the midpoint, including a now abandoned vow of absolute ascetism that was, in its time, very satisfying.

I was however impoverished, and eventually someone stole my bicycle. Having literally little to eat and increasingly lonely (as many people regarded me as being insane) I went in another direction.

Now of course, I am older and more chained to materialistic considerations than I was in those liberated days. My health is worse, and my responsibilities (including parenthood) more pressing. Still, on reflection, it was a part of my life that was well worth living. I think of it often and recommend a term of it to anyone who can afford to try it.

[toddzilla]

11. i plan on it

i used to ride to work, and plan to when i move closer again. plus my work is moving in next to a bike shop, so i can just put it right in the back room along with the other bikes.

[TO Kid]

12. For 25 years now

But it's seasonal- I'm not suicidal so I don't ride in snow. Biggest difference I've noticed is in my health- when I use public transit I'm allways getting sick, thanks in large part to passengers who don't understand the concept of personal space or personal hygiene.

[happyslug]

13. I do most of the time

I live 1.1 mile from my work, so the trip is quick, the road is flat so not a problem.

I even bike during the winter. Last winter we had six weeks of snow on the ground (Rare in Western Pennsylvania, our normal winter is 1-3 days of snow than 1-3 days of above Freezing temperatures and the snow melts, than it snows again. This freeze=thaw cycle starts in early December and ends about Groundhog's day (We get snow before and after but rare and rarely lasts more than a day or two). Now out heavy snowfalls tend to be in October, November or March. These can leave feet of snow, but is generally gone within two days and nothing again till after Thanksgiving.

Given this situation I use by summer tires on my bike as long as I can (Most years that is all year round). The last two winters I have had to use some studded tires on my bike do to the ice. I still maneged to bike to work but the studded tires roll Resistance was very noticeable. As soon as the weather broke (i.e. above 32 Degrees for more than two days) I switched back to my summer tires and have been using them ever since.

I wish I could say I have no car, but that would be a lie, I own and use a Jeep Wrangler. I drive it about 1-2 times per week. I have to go to my county seat 1-2 times a week and it is 23 miles away - All up hill (I know I have biked it at least once every year since 2000).

Know I could bike to my County Seat, but the quickest way is on a busy two lane road. Th edge of each lane and the road end at the same spot i.e. NO break down lane, no sidewalk, no place other than the lane to ride a bike. Furthermore it is all up hill, Johnstown elevation is

Johnstown is 1184 feet above mean sea level, the County Seat is Ebensburg and its elevation is 2140, thus I must climb 944 feet (and this is NOT a constant climb, it is up and down, through the single biggest climb is almost 90% of the 944 Feet).

As I told someone, three hours to the county Seat, two hours back (Last year, 2003, I went a different way along a not yet finished bike trail and it was 4 hours there and 3 hours back, the difficulty of the trail slowed me down). Hopefully the trail be finished this year so I can see if I can get to Ebensburg in three hours along the trail and New Germany Road, which is the same time it takes me if I take "Old 219".

For elevation of a city of Town see:
http://www.mit.edu/geo?location=Rockville

[happyslug]

14. As to my Jeep

My Employer provides a parking space for me, so I keep my Jeep in the Garage unless I am using it. Grocery Stores still exists in the City of Johnstown (Through any other type of stores has moved to the Suburb of Richland). The local mall is easy to get to, but all up hill. Takes me about 1 hr 15 minutes to bike to the mall (I mostly walk my bike up the hill). The mall is about 2052 Feet above Sea Level or 868 feet above the city of Johnstown.

Please note, I use the elevation for Salix Pa for the mall instead of the Elevation for Richland township. If you use the cite I give for Richland Township they give you 1224 feet which is only 40 feet above the Elevation of the City of Johnstown, This error is caused by Richland Township giving the lowest Elevation in the Township while the Salix Post Office is at the same elevation as the Mall. An error that occurs in any data base where it is possible to have more than one of anything, and you always have more than one elevation in any municipality.

[meow mix]

15. me too =)

i work a few miles away and only travel on bike. woot!
it gets messy, and sometimes scary and bloody.
so i dont worry about the state of my clothes to much heehee
also..
i always wear a stuffed teddy-bear type backpack to ward off the insane suv-driving soccer moms. and i take a route that cars avoid if possible. (my work - home route is happily desolate)

[rustydad]

16. Golden Eagle

I live in the mountains near Santa Barbara Ca. A trip to town means decending to sea level from 1500' and then 10 miles on the highway shoulder and then surface streets for 10 miles. I am in my early 60's and reasonably in shape. I have been mtn biking for many years. I decided for a variety of reasons to start using my bike to commute to town on the several days a week I must travel there.

I heard a report on NPR a year ago that told how there had been a ride off between various makers of power assists for bikes and the Golden Eagle had come out on top. I found their web site and was impressed. Ther system uses the Red Max 25cc, 2cycle motor driving the rear wheel with a cogged 3/4 inch wide kevlar belt. Because of the extremely efficient transfer of power it can achieve speeds of over 30mph without peddeling. The engine is very low emmision and quiet. They did not have a rear wheel pully that would fit my bike then but now do. I got my system a week a ago and have used it three times to trip into town. One trip I attached a kiddy trailer to haul home supplies (30# of stuff). I have a odometer and speedometer on the bike. I indeed can go 30mph+ although on highway speed hills I did some light peddling to stay in the 27mph range. I have been averaging 250mpg.

I am not a dealer or investor in Golden Eagle. I am a very happy biker though. It is a great way to stay on a bike when age or condition demands that one lighten the load of peddle powering and/or one needs to save time and arrive with less sweat. The unit weighs around 13# and is held on by the axel nuts (2) and one nut under the seat post. Comes off in short order for normal biking. I figure that so far I have gone from five gallons of gas a trip to less than a quart of gas. Plus around town using surface streets I can get around faster than cars. And of course no parking issues, no license, no insurance, just a lot of turned heads as I wizz by. Bob

http://www.bikeengines.com/info.htm

[happyslug]

17. Do check your state laws BEFORE you buy

For example Pennsylvania requires any vehicle (Including a bicycle) that has any type of engine be licensed (Generally as a Moped), other states I have heard have cut offs of 50cc.

You do not want to buy this product and than find out you can not use it.

Also, most bike paths prohibit the use of ANY motorized vehicle. Thus a bike with this engine on the bike it would be banned on bike paths EVEN IF THE ENGINE IS NOT USED ON THE PATH.

Some paths do permit such engines or handicap riders (For example I saw one on the Lower Trail in Blair County Pennsylvania) but that is the only trail I have ever seen such an engine on a bike. All the other trails I have been on bans such engines.

[rustydad]

18. banned

I did check the regulations here in California. The max engine for an unregistered bike is 50cc and the somewhat vague speed limit is 30mph and yes the motor bikes are banned on bike only trails. In the metropoliton area of Santa Barbara many of the streets are bike laned. Often downtown streets are one way with a dedicated bike lane. I only suggest the motor assist option because it seems a perfect fit for the casual bike rider who wants to leave the 3,600# car at home and go to work on a 36# bike and only use a cup of gas instead of a gallon. Bob