# Why do you commute?



## JAGI410 (Apr 19, 2008)

What inspires you do bike commute? The following reasons are NOT ALLOWED:

Money
Environment
Health


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Weather - it's a little strange but I love being out in the weather & in tune with it. People just don't spend enough time outside anymore. :rant: 

Fun :thumbsup: 

Feeling of accomplishment. :rockon: 

It keeps me out of trouble. :aureola: :devil:


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## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

Since the reason I commute (physical and mental health) is not allowed, I am not going to answer.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Mental health.

Physical health.

All the rest of the reasons follow.


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

because i want to.
on my grumpiest most lead-legged day, i still choose to ride my bike.
oh, and oddly enough it's faster than motorized transport in downtown traffic.


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## BIGfatED (Apr 26, 2005)

Cycle commuting is many things to me. The challenge of organizing ones time, personal belongings, and riding multiple places in order to accomplish daily tasks are only a few reasons I commute by bike. 

Cycle commuting helps me appreciate the "simple" in life. Eating meals from home instead of rushing out to grab a bite. Allowing more time to get from point 'A' to point 'B'. Appreciating the bike route, as it is always different than that of a auto mobile route. Accepting the weather for what it is and using optimism in order over come the harsh days. 

All of the above hold true, but the main reason I commute by bike is that I love to ride. With a demanding schedule sometimes all the riding I get to do in a day is my commute, and most of the time the commute is what I need to keep a clear head and continue to be nice to people. 

I sold my car back in November, and though I have a car to use when needed I have set goals to commute by bike when ever possible. I am fortunate enough to live in a small town with a bike friendly community. In my opinion I would be foolish not to commute by bike. 

Commuting on the daily is physically taxing, but also physically, mentally and financially rewarding. Those who read this most likely already know what I am talking about, but if what I speak of in this post seems foreign to you.......maybe you should commute by bike and see for yourself. 

Ride safe, have fun.

BFE


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## betelgeuse (Apr 8, 2011)

Well my main reason to start riding into campus was it was faster than walking or riding the bus, but I've come to find out I just enjoy it to be honest.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

For a few years I had a 1/2 hour walk to work, and was amazed how much better life was without rushhour. But then I switched to a new job that was too far to walk, and there was absolutely no way I would go back to driving. Now after 2 years of cycling I just do it because I'm addicted.

(and we sold our second car a few months ago, so I don't have much choice anymore. )


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

I love riding my bike and I have a busy life. It's the only way to get enough bike time. My escape, my motivation, my sanity, my 'me time', my decompression, my chance to slow down and take it all in, my chance to relieve stress, and my self-discipline are all wrapped up somehow in riding my bike to work. 

I don't understand why everyone who lives a reasonable distance from work doesn't do this. A million positives and zero negatives.


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

My commute can be 3.5 or 8 mi one way from home depending on assignment, split 80/20. Why the heck not? I'm by no means car free or even "car-light" but I really don't the idea of driving to work. Driving is a hell of a lot faster be it 3 or 8 mi but it's not something I want to do. I'd rather take the bus.

Even though driving is faster, I find that driving to work can be quite stressful. Add the fact that my car is a stick shift and it's not much fun at all. Bus takes longer, but I find it less stressful because I am mostly insulated from the stress of driving during commute hours; although the SF bus system does leave a lot to be desired. Biking to work is just a rush; something I use to wake me up in the morning.

When I have a 8 mi commute, driving takes 35 min, the bus takes about 50 minutes which is about the same as bike in the morning. Evening, it's 40-45 min drive, 70 min by bus or 50-55 min by bike. 

When I have 3 mi commute, driving takes about 15 min, bus takes 35 min, and bike is about 20. Trip times in the evening and morning are the same. Bike time is disproportional because here the last 0.5 mi is a 300ft climb which I have to do in 26-32 gear combination. Bus is slower because I have a 1/4-1/3 mi walk at each end and this bus travels through resi areas and the other site I ride an express bus to the business district. (San Francisco's bus system is very downtown/business district oriented.)


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## DubDubMF (Sep 23, 2007)

Because chicks dig it.
Because no one else around here does it.
Because I hate my car.
Because I like pedaling past others' cars.
Because it helps to further differentiate me from my useless coworkers.
Because of the looks I get from my crackhead neighbors.
Because it's seriously dangerous where I live.
Because my middle finger isn't obstructed by metal and glass.
Because the roads are mostly empty on the ride home, and sometimes I can almost hear myself think!
Because I'm tired, in pain, soaking wet, choking down a tall glass of exhaust, and I just got cut off and bunny-hopped a man-sized pothole onto a patch of broken Heinekens. But one thing's for sure: in a town overrun by drooling, frighteningly mindless zombies, one man lives!


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

JAG410 said:


> The following reasons are NOT ALLOWED:


Well, I was going to point out that after disallowing those three, pretty much the only option was that it`s fun.

But then I read DubDub`s post.
Whole bunches of good reasons. Though most of them don`t apply to me, I loved reading them. Especially about the unobstructed bird  
Fly, Free Bird, Yeah!


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## stumblemumble (Mar 31, 2006)

"Because it's there" 
-Edmund Hilary


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## macgyverdh (Feb 28, 2011)

Looking for an original answer? How about this: To avoid measels:

http://www.edownhillmountainbikes.com/downhill-mountain-bikes/subzero-cycling

Also, time, less hassle, and the glory of being outdoors and getting some exercise, and zipping past cars stuck in perpetual traffic, and crowded trolleys that can't fit another person. It is the only sane way to get to work, even when it's raining or below zero.


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## JAGI410 (Apr 19, 2008)

Some seriously good answers here, I love it!

Besides the obvious, and ones mentioned by others, I think its the ability to interact with the community. Now that spring has rustled the natives, I encounter many more joggers, walkers, and cyclists around town. The simple head nod, bell ring, or "mornin!" shared with others is something beautiful that cannot be felt or expressed by those in a car.


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## BrianMc (Jan 5, 2010)

'Cause I just can't be bothered to turn an ignition key?

Neighbors say it is because of a LACK of mental health!

Because I feel like a kid every time I coast out the lane. If that's nuts, I don't want sanity.


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## Bikinaz (Jan 28, 2010)

Well I started out doing because I wanted to lose some weight. 

Then I did it just to be able to get a ride in. I found that my free time for my passion of riding my 29er off road was being compromised by family obligations. I found I can have almost as much fun dragging my daughter around in her little trailer as riding my 29er...almost. So I can ride everyday as a work-at-home, stay-at-home, dad with my pre-schooler and my kindergartner. The only downfall is I really MISS the desert and the screaming down hills and the lung searing climbs. I still get the lung searing climbs when I pull 60 to 100 pounds up a few of our foothill roads out here, but it's not the same as rocky technical climb.  

And now I'm in a phase where I do it to be different. I know that I ride by the same cages every day. I know those drivers look at me and wonder what the hell I'm doing dragging a kid trailer around when it's 105 degrees out in the dead of summer, or when it occasionally rains. I deep down hope that they see me and think, "Hey that looks like fun", and then they maybe get out and try it themselves. Maybe, just maybe somewhere in that mad rush of smog throwing gas guzzlers, someone, anyone can get out of their comfortable cocoon, and make a difference like all of us do here. One life, one bike at a time, massive change in our society.

Ask me again next year and my answer will no doubt be different. It's life, and it's full of changes.


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## Self Motivated (Jan 2, 2003)

It makes the big kid in me ENORMOUS


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## sasquatch2 (Jun 28, 2004)

I ride there fore I am

and because of everything DubDubMF said...


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## ryball (May 14, 2007)

I originally started commuting as a justification to buy a new bike. :lol:

I continue to commute because I would feel bad that I spent the money and didn't ride. That and the whole killing two birds with one stone thing - not enough time to ride.


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## partydollagogo (Jul 23, 2007)

*+1 non-zombie*

I think conveniences of modern living sicken our perspective on reality and the human experience. They sicken our body, mind, and spirit. It is a subtle foe, culturally accepted norms that are really not healthy. For example, the food we eat is accepted as food when most of it is actually it is toxic poison. Another example, doctors have come up with a common term, "overuse injury." I think they are actually a result of underuse. What do you think is going to happen when you sit in a chair all week and then try to do normal human physical activities on a Saterday?

In relation to transportation I have come up with a priority level that I think is in reality more in balance with healthy human transit. This is how I strive to prioritize my transportation needs,

1) Walking
2) Cycling
3) Non human powered forms of transportation


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## Jonesy33 (Mar 18, 2008)

Because I can.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

^^ Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by John Muir:

"Most people are on the world, not in it-- having no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them-- undiffused seporate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but seporate."


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## stumblemumble (Mar 31, 2006)

partydollagogo said:


> I think conveniences of modern living sicken our perspective on reality and the human experience. They sicken our body, mind, and spirit. It is a subtle foe, culturally accepted norms that are really not healthy. For example, the food we eat is accepted as food when most of it is actually it is toxic poison. Another example, doctors have come up with a common term, "overuse injury." I think they are actually a result of underuse. What do you think is going to happen when you sit in a chair all week and then try to do normal human physical activities on a Saturday?


If you get the chance partydoll, there's a book called "In Defense of Food". It's outstanding and is right along the lines of what you're saying: What is accepted as food nowadays is not food! All we need now is for someone to write one called: "In Defense of not being Convenience Addicted Consumer Whores."


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

It be fun


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## BrianMc (Jan 5, 2010)

Courtesy of this blog:

Elizabeth West:

"Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle."

H. G. Wells:

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."

I can think of exceptions, but the general sentiments are rolled into why I thrill at rolling out the driveway.


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## OldHouseMan (Dec 7, 2006)

I started commuting via bike due to being flat broke and could not afford to put gas in my beater truck to get to work. Now, 15 plus years of riding a bike to work, I can afford to put gas in my nice cars and I still choose to ride to work due to just liking to do it.


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## cowboygrrl (Jan 20, 2011)

JAG410 said:


> What inspires you do bike commute? The following reasons are NOT ALLOWED:
> 
> Money
> Environment
> Health


_Interested_ why the above is not allowed?


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## firehand10k (Dec 20, 2010)

I commute so that I have my bike at work with me. 

I work in a large open motor-pool area and its more efficient for me to ride back and forth to different jobs than walk. 
I also have problems with my feet themselves and walking hurts alot more than pedaling. 

Other than work I use my bike for going everywhere else because most taxi's make me nauseous, buses and trains require too much waiting in between and there's no where I need to get to any faster than I can on my bike.


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## JAGI410 (Apr 19, 2008)

cowboygrrl said:


> _Interested_ why the above is not allowed?


Those are too obvious


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## Normbilt (Jan 17, 2004)

It's the 2 hours a Day I'm By Myself.


To Prove to People {IT CAN BE DONE}


To See Things you would not see Driving


To Coincide above to see and hear nature


To enjoy Beautiful Sunsets


Makes me look like a Bad Ass


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Nice post normbilt :rockon:


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## Squash (Jul 20, 2003)

I commute by bike because it's fun! Plain and simple, I love bikes and I love to ride. So it's natural that I should want to ride. Commuting lets me ride more often than just waiting for a day off or whatever. Health/Fitness, money saving, environmental concerns, or any other perks you can come up with are simply bonuses to me. I'd commute by bike even if gas was $.12 a gallon and/or I owned a hybrid! To me it's not a chore, or a race, a money saver, a work out. It isn't a higher concern for the planet or wanting to be in tune with nature. Though some of those things do factor into it. For me it's just fun! If it ever stops being fun for me, then maybe I'll have to find something different to motivate me. Is this kind of a selfish attitude? Yup, but it doesn't hurt to be a bit selfish now and then. I ride for me, because I love it. :thumbsup: 

Good Dirt


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## ryangiggs (Apr 18, 2011)

I do it because it feels good. Wind in the hair! and you see lots of cool things.


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

I like riding bikes. I like being in the outside. I like the cold on my face. I like the wind when it's warm. I like the sun. I like the dark. I like the sound of outside. I like seeing nature. I like being able to stop and look if I want to. I like using my legs to move. I like the burn after a climb and the exhilaration of the downhill. I like paying for fuel that tastes good. I like being fit. I like cornering on a bike. I like to spin. I could go on and on.


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## eat_dirt (May 26, 2008)

i'm fat.

i'm lazy.

i work a lot and this is the only way i can force myself to get over an hour of hard exercise a day.


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## spacekroft (Apr 18, 2011)

because i dont have a car and its 3x faster to ride a bike to work than walk or take the bus, also because i love to ride my bike!


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## rmac (Oct 26, 2004)

A couple of odd reasons for me:
1. I was concerned about burning out on my mountain biking and wanted to add something different to my routine. It’s a 17 mile commute each way for me so I get a pretty good ‘bike fix’ out and back (albeit on a road bike).
2. I am hoping it cuts back on my overall bike expenses. I was burning through tires and drive chains at an uncomfortable clip and am hoping the road bike takes less of a beating - still TBD. Although car expense savings alone will more than compensate.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^ Nice post normbilt :rockon:


:band:


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## ubernerd (Mar 22, 2010)

It's a 'zen' thing for me. On my way in to work, it allows me some time to focus on what needs to happen during the day and hit the ground running when I get to work. I have found that I futz around a LOT less on mornings I have ridden.

On the way home, it allows me time to put the frustrations of work behind me and arrive home with a "clean slate" so that I don't burst in the door and start *****ing about the dumb things that happened at work.

Of course, the latter occasionally backfires when I have to ***** about the dumb thing some motorist did that almost resulted in an accident...


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## stucktruck (Oct 4, 2010)

when I get intense physical exercise my ADD is alot more controllable
so I am functional at work and I am functional when I get home to see my family
its way better than meds. It actualy works better 
pluss all the other reasons everyone posted


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

Save money on gas/wear and tear on my truck and to make it easier to get a ride in before/after work. It also wakes me up in the morning. I have a very long commute, so when I do ride, it's usually a half and half. Drive halfway there, ride the rest.


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## crclawn (Sep 26, 2010)

> But one thing's for sure: in a town overrun by drooling, frighteningly mindless zombies, one man lives!


Amen brother!!!


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## Nocturnus (Mar 28, 2005)

I would love to start commuting again. But the 3-4 mile ride down one of the roads I am forced to take, well, I don't think I'd feel safe riding on it. If they would open up some bike routes between a couple of neighborhoods, I'd only need to do a mile and I'd feel safer. But as it sits, the HUD's blocked abilities to cross between with fences.

That and my work has no shower, and no gym or anything else near by.. Which I'd def want to shower since I'm a big guy right now.


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## digitalayon (Jul 31, 2007)

Why do I commute?!....LOL....I have three Suburban's and 2 of them have 454's!!!!


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## Kona_CT (Apr 25, 2010)

First let me say that I'm unemployed so my "commuting" is usually to my girlfriend's apartment from my place and errands. If it's a job interview, I drive.

Aside from gas being $3.80 a gallon and parking in Boston being tough, I like to ride my bike places because it's FUN. Few things really make me feel like I'm 10 again than riding my bikes. (I'm 28)


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## clarence (Mar 31, 2008)

For the same reason my nearly 80yro pops plays chess on the internet with teenagers in China; it keeps my brain sharp. I game those cobbles, coffins and potholes like my dad challenges those foreign kids who happen to be some of the brightest in the world. I could ride the stationary rig and drive to work and my dad could play the other old men who congregate at the library, but we don't, that wouldn't be a challenge.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

1) fitness
2) I get to blow away lame-tard-o fixie boys on my 47 pound bike from light to light
3) I have a Prius and the bike is more fun
4) mis bollas grandes tienen leche


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## 08HardRock (Sep 7, 2007)

Minus the obvious that I cant use.... Its nice to have time alone. 
Also, there is a challenge involved and its more rewarding that driving.


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## Kona_CT (Apr 25, 2010)

08HardRock said:


> Minus the obvious that I cant use.... Its nice to have time alone.
> Also, there is a challenge involved and its more rewarding that driving.


x2 on the time alone. It's nice to not have anyone else in the car with you, no radio and its dumb commercials.

I'll also say when I'm stopped at a red light on a nice day... it just feels awesome compared to being stuck in the car.


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

For the hippie chicks.


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## poundCake! (Jun 28, 2011)

Here's 5 reasons

Time - I always know how long it takes me to get to my destination, regardless of traffic, construction, dinosaurs..etc

Flexibility - If I want to pop into a shop or see something I like along the way, I stop, lock my bike and go in. You just don't have that choice with a car in the city.

Challenges - I love cutting thru traffic, dodging taxis, riding next to streetcars, avoiding opening doors on cars that just parked. These aren't nuisances for me, I relish these things.

Adventure - I love urban exploration so I will often adjust my route in the hopes of seeing something new.

People watching - The bike is the perfect speed in the city to take in your surroundings, especially with all the interesting people.

My bike is my most liberating tool in life. nuff said.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

I drove my car to work today. I have gotten in to such a routine with riding my bike, and enjoying it. I didn't realize how much until I was behind the wheel. Driving to work _sucks_.


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## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

stumblemumble said:


> "Because it's there"
> -Edmund Hilary


You beat me to it! :thumbsup:


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## JAGI410 (Apr 19, 2008)

Bravo poundCake! Well said. Welcome aboard


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## arielDB (Sep 17, 2009)

*I hate NYC trains*

Physical and mental health & I hate NYC trains:thumbsup:


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## foster07 (Jan 21, 2010)

Because I am a rebel.


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## ranier (Sep 9, 2003)

JAG410 said:


> What inspires you do bike commute? The following reasons are NOT ALLOWED:
> 
> Money
> Environment
> Health


OK, then. I ride because its fun. Bikes are fun. Riding in the rain is fun. Riding past cars in traffic is fun.


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## chiplikestoridehisbike (Aug 8, 2007)

Not many options after the DWI.........(kidding)


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## Mr Cabletwitch (Apr 16, 2009)

I ride because I like the freedom of not needing a license, insurance, gas or anything else. Its just me, the bike and for fuel I eat (I like to eat!) 

Its a bonus that I have showers at work and my own office to store things.


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## todayilearned (Jul 26, 2011)

I mostly started because I wanted to learn. I didn't learn how to ride a bike until I was a teenager which is pretty bad. I wish I had learned earlier...

After I learned how to bike I wanted to learn everything about bikes from what the parts are called to the techniques professionals use in the tour de france.


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## Patio (Oct 28, 2010)

bikes>cars


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## korbs (Oct 19, 2009)

There are so many reasons why I commute to work via bicycle, including all the aforementioned ones. It makes more sense to hop on a bike for me. So i guess the top two main reason are because a) i have to because i dont have a car, and b) i hate driving cars, therefore i dont own one.


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## velocycling (Dec 10, 2010)

Because if I drive my work charges me $290/yr to park, but if i don't they pay me $290/yr.
Also why drive when you can ride?


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## hardtailkid (Jan 25, 2010)

Because of the consistency.
Because of the looks I get.
Because I work in a bike shop.
Because my bike is cool. 
Because I like racing cars.
Because I can do 40mph down a causeway, and it's sketchy as hell on a road bike.
Because chicks dig scars.
Because I don't want to be just like everyone else that drives.
Because I see a lot of our customers when I ride to work.
Because I can change it up.
Because I can ride trails on the way, or I can just ride on the road.
Because I can't afford gas.
Because it confuses people.
Because I get bragging rights.
Because it wears out parts, and gives me an excuse to upgrade.
Because it makes you ripped.
Because of the things you see.
Because you can text while riding and not kill everyone around you... just yourself.
Because it doesn't make sense to put a People For Bikes button on the back of your car.

And most of all, because it's fun.


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## Carbon_NiHM (May 29, 2011)

^ +1


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

velocycling said:


> Because if I drive my work charges me $290/yr to park, but if i don't they pay me $290/yr.
> Also why drive when you can ride?


Man you got a sweet deal. If I drove to work, I pay $12/mo to park or $100/year. My colleague van pools his 120 mi commute and they pay him $270/mo. I bike to work 3.5 mi and get nothing. I have to change in public restroom even.


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## paul29er (Jul 6, 2009)

I never even considered the 3 forbidden reasons... For me it is about the fun and the exercise... Kind of like a cross between jogging and being on a roller-coaster.


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

paul29er said:


> I never even considered the 3 forbidden reasons... For me it is about the fun and the exercise... Kind of like a cross between jogging and being on a roller-coaster.


I mean money isn't a huge issue for me, my employer would give me a transit pass, $60 of value, per month if I used public transit. If I took the bus, however, I'd be looking at a 45 minute, rather than 20 minute, commute because I'd have a 1/4 to 1/2 mi walk at each end.

The $20 bike commuter benefit would really be nice to have, but they've already explicitly told me they have no plans to offer it. It would take a long time to pay off my bike like that, but it would pay for things like tires, tubes, patches, tools, lube, etc.


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## Shortys7777 (Aug 1, 2011)

for exercise
Cheaper
Outside more during the day


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

For the pure enjoyment of being on the road.
It's also a time of solitude and reflection esp when I'm in the trials.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

Best way ever to start the day!


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## whistlesglimberg (Jun 25, 2011)

This may fall under 'health', but honestly, I work in a windowless office in a basement. On many days I don't get out of work until 9pm or later. Biking to work gives me a chance to get out an see the sun a bit, not to mention interacting just a bit more closet with my city, which is so easy to pass by in a car. I find i'm much happier, and in general, just fell better having started riding to work everyday for the past 2 months.


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## Shalom (Nov 7, 2008)

Because it is easier than having to find parking.
The sense of superiority I get from passing all the cars on my single speed on the morning commute.
The fact that it is quicker.
And the fact that my secure, personal bike cage is always going to be there, free for me to use whenever I want, and is so much closer to work than any park I will realistically find.


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## Locojay (Feb 22, 2011)

I bike because I discovered my office chair, my vehicles and many other so called "comforts" in my life where involved in a conspiracy to kill me. Slowly. Attempting to rob me of years of enjoyment with my family and friends! 

They're a tricky bunch, they managed to sneak an extra 70 lbs on to my posterior and all the while I told myself it was just a little bit. They pretended to be helping me. Bastards!

Therefore I will avoid my vehicles whenever possible. Now if I can only figure out how to get my work done while running around the parking lot with a laptop I will be free!


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## anatolb (May 23, 2011)

Because it makes sense :thumbsup:

... economically
... ecologically
... politically
... sociologically
... physiological
... psychologically
... ergonomically
... energetically
... emotionally 


at least for me


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## plumber (Aug 15, 2011)

mtbxplorer said:


> Weather - it's a little strange but I love being out in the weather & in tune with it. People just don't spend enough time outside anymore. :rant:
> 
> Fun :thumbsup:
> 
> ...


You are not in London, are you ? hehe


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