Those of you who want to cycle but live far away from work or in a hilly area, get an ebike. I really think they are the future of commuting.
One year of cycling to work
61–70 of 411 posts
Re: One year of cycling to work
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
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?
One that fits your butt. Basically you want to have your weight on the sit bones, not the tissue in between. Seats come in different widths and shapes to accommodate different shaped butts.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#63Getting 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've been biking for ~2 years, and I have had one very very close call, where I had to actually dodge a car, but I wasn't really in control of the situation. Scared the crap out of me, because I did not see him coming. I've had many other incidents where situational awareness let me see the idiot coming in advance enough that I was able to just easily avoid the collision.
(The close call I had was an idiot in lane 1, which was a straight/left lane, who decided to turn right. The only right turn lane is lane 4: he cut off a lane of traffic, the bike lane, and the right-turn only lane. I had to take the right "with" him, essentially, or I would have hit him, and I could feel the traction in my back tire slipping the entire time from the huge amount of braking I was begging for.)
Re: One year of cycling to work
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
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 mo…
I have 2km and walk but I'm contemplating if I should use my old bike...
I'd definitely recommend it. I had a 2km commute I walked for about a year, and then a similar length commute for half a year I rode by bike. In the time I walked, my fitness was really bad and I'd get pretty winded even by a small sprint (I didn't do any other sport). When I switched to bicycling, my stamina quickly improved, even tough it was not a long distance + I had the freshness impulse as described in the article.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#65Interesting to see comments about bike commuting in Stockholm and London since I tried it in both cities. Commuting by bike in Stockholm is a breeze even if you are biking in parts of the city with lots of traffic. Its also a beautiful city which adds to the experience. I have tried to commute by bike in London but its to scary for me. I think it would be fine if you can find a path through residential areas, but for…
I found biking in London much easier than in many large European cities, especially since a large fraction of drivers keep enough space on the left for bikers to pass, making commute fast even in heavy traffic. In France or Belgium on the contrary, you often have to slalom between cars, either on the left or on the right.
I wouldn't say it's much safer in London, but definitely a little more than Brussels for instance, where many small streets are a nightmare.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#66I used to have a standard 9-5 gig and then I'd work at a bike shop during the week nights and on the weekends. I started biking in after a co-worker suggested it. I was pretty surprised. The ride was about 20-25 minutes, mainly through your standard US suburbs so not hard at all. I rode to work 3-4 times a week and then on Saturday or Sunday. I didn't change anything in my routine except for biking. I lost about 8 po…
I had more energy when I got to the shop and then had more energy when I got home.
I envy you people. I've been cycling to work for about six months now, and while I enjoy it and it probably does me good, I don't feel more energized. Exercise has always left me drained.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#67I commuted by bike (6km one way) in Tel Aviv, Israel and it was awesome. Great route, bike lanes/parks and a (tiny, but who cares) shower in the office. Did that for one year straight, just like the person in the article. Now I'm living in Singapore, a city that has a traffic problem and tries to reduce the cars on the streets. You'd think they would welcome bikes, but riding a bike here sucks. Big time. It's basical…
Biking in Singapore's humid heat does not sound pleasant at all.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#68I commuted by bike (6km one way) in Tel Aviv, Israel and it was awesome. Great route, bike lanes/parks and a (tiny, but who cares) shower in the office. Did that for one year straight, just like the person in the article. Now I'm living in Singapore, a city that has a traffic problem and tries to reduce the cars on the streets. You'd think they would welcome bikes, but riding a bike here sucks. Big time. It's basical…
Totally feel you! I tried taking Ofos from Boat Quay to Chinatown and it‘s just not working at all. This city is not designed for bikes.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#69Those of you who want to cycle but live far away from work or in a hilly area, get an ebike. I really think they are the future of commuting.
A friend of mine recently got one, and she likes it a lot. Her commute is more than mine (nine miles over some of the hillier parts of Boston), so the electric assist makes it easier for her to get to work efficiently without excessive overheating.
Re: One year of cycling to work
#70Great 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.
I would say it's necessary in all climates - in colder climates you wrap up warmer, which means the same amount of sweat. On shower availability - all the companies (big and small) that I've worked for in Glasgow and London have had showers and cycle parking.