conclusion: what a lovely route, choosing to cycle it isn't even a decision, especially as the other options seems to take longer. The author is super lucky and I'm jealous. I cycle to work too, but in a busy city.
One year of cycling to work
11–20 of 411 posts
Re: One year of cycling to work
#12that short of a commute? that's a no brainer for cycling to work.
Yeah, my ride is about 3 miles each way, so it's pretty easy. I live in the Boston area, so at times the weather can be rough, but it's manageable. If the roads are passable, I can ride (though it is in the 50s today here and expected to get near 70 tomorrow!). In the summer, when it's hot, I leave the house as early as I can manage. After eight years of daily bike commutes, the only serious accident I've had (i.e., injury-causing) was caused by another cyclist, not a car.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#13Another bonus for bicycling/walking is very predictable arrival time as no traffic jams, public transportation issues etc impact them.
Agreed but only up to a point. I can easily spend 5 minutes in the queue for the lights near my flat (a lot of buses and lorries on that road so I can't always lane split safely), and I was delayed much longer once because police had closed the road after a collision.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#14I live about the same distance from work as the writer, and I've been cycling to work since early October. I would have thought that such a short bike ride wouldn't have much of a health benefit, but I feel more energetic and my blood pressure is noticeably lower than it was a year ago.
Short distances on a bicycle are actually healthier than longer distances. Long distance cyclists tend to have issues with losing bone and muscle density.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#15Getting hit by a car within a year is an anomaly right? He brushed it off as his "only accident" like it's supposed to be more commonplace.
I cycled every day for 7 years all over the San Francisco Bay Area without ever once being hit by a car or getting a door prize. I didn't run red lights and I maintained situational awareness at all times. And I was one of those guys who rode in the middle of the car lane even when a bicycle lane was available.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#16Very nice seeing that much nature before and after work, I cycle to work but it's all within the city. It's great, but I would love to see more trees and water.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#17I cycle around 3 times the distance he does daily to and from work in London. I've been doing this for 5 years. It's probably fair to say I take more days off than he does though (I leave the bike at home if going for a drink).
I suppose the same could be said for any form of regular exercise, but it makes such an improvement to how I feel when I get to work, and my general well-being. The pollution in London has always been a bit of a concern, however I hope the exercise outweighs this for the most part. I save around £8 a day by not taking the train.
I wish more people would give it a go. More people riding would result in better and safer infrastructure here. I do however, regularly see people get knocked off bikes and can understand the perceived risk and reluctance from others to try it. I'm envious of cities such as Copenhagen with great safe infrastructure, and where riding is the norm.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#18that short of a commute? that's a no brainer for cycling to work.
You would think so, but my commute to work is a little over 3 km and I used to drive a car to work, until I realized how ridiculous that was. I know co-workers who live even closer and still they drive.I live in a small town, but people still use cars for everything although we have good bike roads.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#19that short of a commute? that's a no brainer for cycling to work.
If anything, it's a little bit short. At that distance, IMO it's more convenient to just pedal slowly while wearing cotton to avoid the hassle of having to shower at work.
10km or so is about perfect IMO. Long enough that it's worth the hassle to get sweaty and have a "real ride", but short enough that you still do it on days where you have a packed schedule.
But even better is a 2km commute. Walking is by far the most pleasant way to get to work.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#20that short of a commute? that's a no brainer for cycling to work.
Most people in the states with that short of a commute probably still drive, and I don't blame them (because biking in most American cities is absolutely awful).