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One year of cycling to work

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Re: One year of cycling to work

#241

Post by marme »

sandover wrote: post #126

I've been cycling to work in downtown LA for nearly 8 years, 4 miles each way. I'm faster than a car over that commute. The weather is fantastic, and I am physically in great shape. Mental benefits are huge. I've gone about 15,000 miles in dense urban environments without any accidents of any kind. There are a number of keys to this: - Think like a driver -- it helps to be a good driver first - Think, period. Don't l…

do not turn on your light to flashing at night. It distracts oncoming traffic and makes it more difficult for them to judge you speed and distance. Flashing lights should only be used during the day time https://www.bikelightdatabase.com/faq/ https://averagejoecyclist.com/use-flashing-bike-lights/

Re: One year of cycling to work

#242

Post by rconti »

nsedlet wrote: post #124

I commute about 6 miles each way between Brooklyn (home) and Manhattan (work). I've been raving about it to everyone I know because it's legitimately changed my life. It feels amazing, saves money, keeps me in much better shape, gives me more energy at work. It's slightly faster than the subway, and significantly faster than driving/cabbing at rush hour. I also love that transit time is very consistent (even relative…

The consistency is a vastly underrated quality of bike commuting. One amazing thing I've found is I'm more likely to do social events after work, even ones that are a great distance, if I don't have to worry about traffic.

For example, sometimes after I work I bicycle 90 minutes to San Jose and don't think twice about it. If I had my car it would PROBABLY take 45 minutes, but I honestly have no idea. Or I could go home, and drive to the train station, and catch the train, then walk. But the bike gives me the freedom to not worry about schedules and also not stress about delays.

It sounds so silly to prefer to ride for twice as long as I'd drive and consider that a "win", but there's some kind of psychological block to dealing with traffic and the fact that a 15 minute drive instead takes 45 or 30 or 50 or 60 minutes.. but when the bicycle ride takes 90 minutes with or without traffic, it's so much more appealing.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#243

Post by markstos »

dte22 wrote: post #231
nsedlet wrote: post #124

I commute about 6 miles each way between Brooklyn (home) and Manhattan (work). I've been raving about it to everyone I know because it's legitimately changed my life. It feels amazing, saves money, keeps me in much better shape, gives me more energy at work. It's slightly faster than the subway, and significantly faster than driving/cabbing at rush hour. I also love that transit time is very consistent (even relative…

If you don't mind me asking, how do you deal with the sweat? Do you shower on arrival? I would love to bike, but no showers at my current workplace :/

Keep your effort below the sweat threshold on the way there. Think walking-effort, not running-effort.

Bikes are about 4x more efficient, so for short and moderate distances, even walking-effort will get you there in reasonable time.

If you sweat at a walking-effort, try dressing lighter or as others have suggested, use wet wipes and spare clothes at work.

You can also consider an e-bike to avoid sweating on the way to work. On the commute home, use less assist if you want more exercise.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#244

Post by HumanDrivenDev »

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'd hate to ride anything 'supple' on my commute path, which includes a lot of debris and broken bottles.

I do miss riding on smaller wheels though. 26" was much nicer to get rolling than 700c, and there's a lot of stop-start. 26" rigid bike are extinct now though it seems.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#245

Post by markstos »

agumonkey wrote: post #223
nsedlet wrote: post #124

I commute about 6 miles each way between Brooklyn (home) and Manhattan (work). I've been raving about it to everyone I know because it's legitimately changed my life. It feels amazing, saves money, keeps me in much better shape, gives me more energy at work. It's slightly faster than the subway, and significantly faster than driving/cabbing at rush hour. I also love that transit time is very consistent (even relative…

Weather aside, if I had a clear way to secure my bike I'd use that everyday. Robbers are just too damn motivated.

Use a cheaper, junker bike for commuting, or a folding bike that you bring inside.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#246

Post by HumanDrivenDev »

nmeofthestate wrote: post #112

As a counterbalance to all the positivity, I cycle to work and don't enjoy it or feel much benefit from it. In comparison, driving is so much more comfortable (especially in bad weather) and a bit quicker.

Driving is much less mentally taxing. It's nice to be able to just... drive down the road without constantly worrying about doors being open or cars pulling out from driveways/side streets without seeing you.

I've never been hit by a car and I want to keep it that way, so my eyes are constantly scanning everything.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#247

Post by criddell »

dte22 wrote: post #231
nsedlet wrote: post #124

I commute about 6 miles each way between Brooklyn (home) and Manhattan (work). I've been raving about it to everyone I know because it's legitimately changed my life. It feels amazing, saves money, keeps me in much better shape, gives me more energy at work. It's slightly faster than the subway, and significantly faster than driving/cabbing at rush hour. I also love that transit time is very consistent (even relative…

If you don't mind me asking, how do you deal with the sweat? Do you shower on arrival? I would love to bike, but no showers at my current workplace :/

My office has showers. I wouldn't bike to work otherwise. I'm in Austin, so for a few months of the year, just standing outside is enough to start sweating.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#248

Post by djtriptych »

jacquesm wrote: post #230
djtriptych wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Commuted for years, also Brooklyn to Manhattan about the same distance. Had to stop due to back issues but I can echo all the OP’s benefits. Biking is somewhat dangerous in NYC, and every other American city. I agree with OP that NYC drivers are generally very good though. It’s the bikers responsibility to bike as though drivers are -trying- to kill you. First heard that advice when riding motorcycles and it’s stuck…

> The last was pure user error, riding tipsy from my local bar home :) Doesn't that count as DUI where you live?

probably yeah.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#249

Post by dasil003 »

subpixel wrote: post #216
gnarcoregrizz wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NYC bike commuting is great. In manhattan, the west side and central park paths are the best - I could do 90% of my commute on them and basically avoided cars except for the side streets. I commuted 5 miles and would often beat the subway time-wise. It's a great way to wake up too, you start the day off feeling good

I think 'it's great' is quite an overstatement. For example, there's a bike lane all the way down 2nd Ave from the 59th Street bridge, but it's largely ignored by cars and parked trucks. To the degree that it might make cyclists feel confident and less hyper-vigilant b/c there are lines on the pavement, I think it's actually more dangerous than no bike lane.

Counterpoint: when there isn't a bike lane, some drivers feel righteous anger against cyclists and engage in extremely dangerous driving tactics.

Re: One year of cycling to work

#250

Post by djtriptych »

subpixel wrote: post #228
djtriptych wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Commuted for years, also Brooklyn to Manhattan about the same distance. Had to stop due to back issues but I can echo all the OP’s benefits. Biking is somewhat dangerous in NYC, and every other American city. I agree with OP that NYC drivers are generally very good though. It’s the bikers responsibility to bike as though drivers are -trying- to kill you. First heard that advice when riding motorcycles and it’s stuck…

> Generally, riding in nyc, like walking in nyc, is a unique skill set I don't mean to fear monger, but I suspect that confidence is just as dangerous as ignorance when you're on a bike in NYC. Very experienced cyclists also end up dead: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/nyregion/cyclists-death-s... Cycling in NYC can be fun, healthy, and might eventually help push the city into better accommodating non-vehicular tr…

I'm not sure that a story of one experienced rider being struck and killed invalidates the common sense argument that more experience is better than less experience.

I did not mean to impress that the techniques I mentioned above, if mastered, would result in 100% safe riding.

As far as biking being particularly dangerous in NYC, you'd need stats like miles traveled vs fatalities for a number of major cities to make that determination. It might be more dangerous in NYC, but it might not.

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