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One year of cycling to work

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Re: One year of cycling to work

#111

Post by notauser »

darklajid wrote: post #60

I 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…

Look up one of the Singapore cycling clubs. There are plenty (with lots of Australian and French members as well as locals).

There are some oddities to riding in Singapore, but once understood I found it a very enjoyable place to bike.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#113

Post by ilovecars2 »

HarryHirsch wrote: post #91
dguaraglia wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How hostile are the drivers in Stockholm? Bay Area drivers aren’t super friendly to cyclists (to be fair, plenty of cyclists also behave like assholes, cutting in front of cars and crossing intersections when they shouldn’t.) My biggest concern during a year of using my bike to commute was making sure I didn’t get ran over by a car taking a turn, because signaling is not always their forte.

cutting in front of cars and crossing intersections when they shouldn’t What drivers who have never used a bicycle don't even consider is that as a cyclist you are extremely mobile and have a much better overview of the road. A cyclist can cross an intersection on red with little danger, a car attempting the same would be murderous. In countries like the Netherlands most everyone has biked to school from the age of 6…

It is NOT OK to go through red lights, whether in a car, on a bike or on foot. The rules are the rules and we should all abide them.

It happens all the time in London where bikes go through red lights and weave through pedestrians (sometimes at speed) who are crossing the road. Pedestrians are even worse - and often walk or run across red lights and almost get hit from a bus, car or bike. It’s madness!

Re: One year of cycling to work

#114

Post by kqr »

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…

Only thing keeping me from commuting year round is lack of studded tires. I'll have to fix that until next year, because as I'm standing here, hoping for a train that's not jam packed, I really miss cycling.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#115

Post by subpixel »

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…

I commuted by bike for years in NYC and frankly I do not recommend it. The traffic has always been bad but it’s now significantly worse, and the bike lanes that exist make riding even more dangerous. You are always within reach of parked cars doors, and the lack of a physical barrier on most lanes means they are often driven over by cars.

Perhaps worst of all, even faulty bike lanes give cyclists a sense of entitlement and false security. The fact remains the roads were not built for cycling and cars always win in a battle for space.

I’d love to see bike-only roads, routes, or such. But until there is both proper segregation and consequences when cars kill cyclists (there are currently none) it’s a death wish.

Every day I see eager young cyclists riding with no helmet, no lights, and not infrequently without brakes (on fixies) and I am compelled to yell out my advice on working harder at staying alive.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#116

Post by kqr »

ggregoire wrote: post #45

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…

Unless you're saying Mexico City is worse than Beijing, you could go for two hours no problem: https://3kpnuxym9k04c8ilz2quku1czd-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/w...

Re: One year of cycling to work

#117

Post by sumo89 »

ggregoire wrote: post #45

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…

You're exposed to more pollution sitting in a car in traffic than you are cycling through it in the open.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-4599572/Avoi...

Re: One year of cycling to work

#118

Post by jxub »

Let me make some Spanish propaganda. Riding a bike in Valencia is awesome, as there is a cheap bike sharing service (Valenbici) and lots of bike lanes. The city is flat, it never snows and it rains just a couple of weeks a year, making it perhaps the best bike city in Spain.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#119

Post by abyssin »

billsmithaustin wrote: post #8

I 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.

I also noticed I get sick less often in the winter when I ride my bike everyday.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#120

Post by city41 »

cesis wrote: post #4

Another bonus for bicycling/walking is very predictable arrival time as no traffic jams, public transportation issues etc impact them.

I bike to work about 50% of the time. I live in San Jose where traffic is very heavy. I have to cross three roads without a light, and how long that takes really varies a lot. Some days I can wait for up to 5 minutes per road, making my cycle commute just as variable as my drive commute.
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