One year of cycling to work • Hacker News Board

Re: One year of cycling to work

#41

Post by lmm » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:06 PM UTC

vivan wrote: post #24

reti wrote: post #17

I 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 alw…

I live in London and I'd love to cycle to work, but the infrastructure (for my route) just isn't there. And for people who aren't experienced cyclists, it is even worse as lack of confidence actually leads to more accidents.

I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the route to work a cycling route planner gave me in London was. There are less nice parts at the beginning and end (as I get onto and off the cycle-friendly streets), but the majority of the route (some on Q2, some on quiet 20mph roads with no specific cycling provision) is not bad.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#42

Post by neves » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:08 PM UTC

thinkMOAR wrote: post #22

lj3 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Short distances on a bicycle are actually healthier than longer distances. Long distance cyclists tend to have issues with losing bone and muscle density.

and don't forget, sitting for long periods are known to lead to prostatitis; specially if you have a poor saddle on your bicycle

What is a good/bad saddle?

Re: One year of cycling to work

#43

Post by 5555624 » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:09 PM UTC

jordache wrote: post #31

TulliusCicero wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).

true. I should caveated my statement - that short of a commute w/ dedicated bike infrastructure? That's a no brainer.

Or at least a non-hostile infrastructure. Until last June, I biked to work, year-round, for 18 years. (I didn't even have a car.) My job moved and I've commuted by car, even though I am slightly closer to the office. Part of my potential cycling route has dedicated bike lanes, sharrows, and even a parallel trail; but, part of it is on a busy state road, with no shoulders and often a half-mile backup for the left turn I need to make. (Yet another part is essentially a two-lane, unlit, country road; but, I can deal with that.)

I have not yet ruled out cycling altogether; but, I think I need a better, if longer, route.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#44

Post by adrianN » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:09 PM UTC

reti wrote: post #17

I 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 alw…

I have a face mask (Respro City) that filters out a good part of the particulates. Those are of course only part of the pollution and the mask does look a bit silly.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#45

Post by ggregoire » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:09 PM UTC

I've always used a bike to go to work, but now I'm in Mexico City. Too many cars, too much air pollution. Cycling here is bad for your health.

The public bicycle sharing system is really good and cheap. Some parts of the city are bike friendly. But the air quality is just so bad. The trucks that spew black smoke continuously. The buses that have never been controlled in 50 years. The SUVs traveling at 100 km/h on the lanes reserved for buses and bicycles. All the cars idling and honking in traffic after 6PM. It's really depressing. This city would be such a beautiful city without all those cars and trucks.

Refs:

- air quality: https://air.plumelabs.com/en/year/mexico

- ecoBici: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EcoBici_(Mexico_City)

- "Car ban fails to curb air pollution in Mexico City" http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38840076

Re: One year of cycling to work

#46

Post by trevyn » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:09 PM UTC

unicornporn wrote: post #34

I'm at my 12 year of every day bike commuting. Before I commuted 10 km each direction, now I'm at 6 km. If I have activities after work, I ride to them too. So my total ride length is a fair bit longer than what my commute is. The public transportation network here in Stockholm is good, but wouldn't even consider cramming myself into a packed subway train or bus. Even at this time of the year when it's -5 degrees cel…

Have you gotten in accidents?

Re: One year of cycling to work

#47

Post by gaius » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:10 PM UTC

def- wrote: post #5

zawerf wrote: post #3

Getting 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.

Yeah, I might have been unclear. I've been cycling for a few years before that and that was the first time I touched a car. The driver DID look straight at me though, seemingly noticing me, so I was really confused when she started speeding up anyway.

The driver DID look straight at me though, seemingly noticing me

Probably saccadic masking https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccadic_masking

Re: One year of cycling to work

#48

Post by celticninja » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:13 PM UTC

lmm wrote: post #13

cesis wrote: post #4

Another 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.

Turning round at a road closure is much easier for a cyclist and often they can be very quickly bypassed by becoming a pedestrian and walking your bike via an alternative route.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#49

Post by neves » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:13 PM UTC

Great route! Maybe it isn't necessary in temperate climates, but the most important point is that he has showers at work. In tropical countries it is a must. If more workplaces had showers a lot more people would cycle to work.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#50

Post by codeulike » Tue, Feb 20, 2018, 3:14 PM UTC

vivan wrote: post #24

reti wrote: post #17

I 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 alw…

I live in London and I'd love to cycle to work, but the infrastructure (for my route) just isn't there. And for people who aren't experienced cyclists, it is even worse as lack of confidence actually leads to more accidents.

Maybe try it? Once I started cycling in London there was no looking back, even if I had to be on busy roads. Many residential roads in London are very quiet during the day so there may be a windy circuitous route that is very pleasant to be on. Or a busy direct route that is not as bad as you think. When theres a proper cycle lane that's nice but it is by no means vital.