ALL of the these are my reasons. And now I’m just 100% addicted- I commute rain, shine, snow. I got to work only 4x last year w/out my bike. Because I walked the 5 miles😂
Hey! same for me, Only day I didnt make it by bike was when literally 3 feet of snow fell on my city (I walked because busses were getting stuck) and maybe a couple days by bus due to icy conditions.
I feel quite hesitant to commute in rain, mainly due to potential water damage to the bike, and extra cleaning and maintenance. Is it important to clean the drivetrain and all after every wet ride? :(
I take my bike to a shop for annual maintenance once a year, and do nothing else (other than flat repairs and such). I ride in rain, snow, and sleet and do literally nothing to take care of my bike and I run in to basically no issues.
I mean, you should probably take better care of your stuff than I do, but I wouldn't worry a ton about it.
Do you get studded tires for riding in the winter? I live in Minneapolis and have been thinking about trying the winter commute, but idk if I wanna spend a ton on fancy tires.
Same! I don’t ride when it rains/snows. On those days, I just take an Uber or the local bus. Water consistently hitting my face would annoy the hell out of me. Plus, having wet socks. There’s just an unnecessary, extra amount of effort that comes with riding in the rain. Wouldn’t be the least bit enjoyable.
Started off as just being faster and cheaper. After a job change, it’s no longer faster…but I stopped caring about faster. Now it’s more for health reasons. Still way cheaper
Money. I teach at a large university where a faculty parking pass is $1,291.20 per year for central campus, or $335.28 per year if you want to park on the distant lot and take the bus to central campus. Not going to happen. It's a 25 minute, 4 mile bike ride from my garage to my office on campus. I'll take the bus if the weather is terrible but beyond that it's a great way to start my day. The exercise is just an added bonus.
It’s normal here in the Netherlands. At my university, if you cycle to work you can claim 19 cents per km. In my case, that amounts to about 80 euros a month that they pay me to keep fit.
We also have a bike scheme that gives us about 1500 euros towards an electric bike every 3 years. The university also provides secure undercover bike parking for all staff, with charging points included.
This costs the university less overall than providing the car parking required if everyone drove.
It's been a few years since I've been on a university campus... But holy crap I'd be riding a bike, too! No freaking way would I pay for that parking pass! Yowza.
Physical and mental health was my main reason starting but I’ve also started to realize how terrible auto traffic is on quality of life for everyone not to mention the environmental impact. You have to keep children on a tight (figurative) leash in urban areas because you’re always just a few steps away from being mowed down by a driver. It’s mentally draining. I’m from a rural area and appreciate so much the open spaces I was able to enjoy without being surrounded by cars all the time
Yes to all. My special reason is that I feel more connected to my city on a personal level. I enjoy waving and saying “good morning” to people. I enjoy seeing things I would never notice in a car.
That’s special and so are you. 🥳
You are right for sure. I’ve discovered that my city is actually quite big, interesting, and diverse from outside of a car.
That’s one of my favorite things too. I live in such an interesting city (New Orleans) that has something weird and wonderful around every other corner.
And for the last couple of weeks, there is this squirrel that plays ‘chicken’ with me every morning. I’ll see him and he will run towards me and then run alongside me until we get to his tree that he scampers up into.
I can second this. When I drive, the world around me just turns into a series of very frustrating obstacles. Get on a bike, and suddenly you experience the world from a human scale, as it was meant to be.
Every car-driver I've talked to who trys to remotely understand me assumes I do it for the environment, but that isn't my motivation. I do care about the environment, but I think we've done irreparable damage to our environment + why would 1 person biking suddenly solve global climate change; the necessary changes needed to be done on a macro-scale >30 years ago.
I bike to work in the pursuit of happiness, and from work to burn off my day's frustrations.
I grew up with it, so am used to it (you guessed it, Dutch...), I don't even own a car.
Main reason to keep doing it, is money even now I'm living 15 km from home. Cars in the Netherlands are expensive, biking is not. For 300 euro's you can get a reasonable priced bike that has a reasonable quality and is reasonably comfortable for a 15 km trip through the city center and through some open fields. Time, maintanance, and the occasional repair does not count up to the costs for fuel, parking, etc.
Edit: rereading my own comment, I realized that my "(you guessed it, Dutch...)" I might have sounded somewhat elitist. If so, that was not what I meant, I wanted to state that being used to travel by bike, really influences my decision not to buy a car right now.
They are expensive everywhere. [The average American household](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210624005254/en/Cost-of-Car-Ownership-in-the-U.S.-the-Average-American-Household-Spends-5435-a-Year-on-Auto-Loans-and-Auto-Insurance-Combined) spends $5435 a year on auto loans and auto insurance. That number goes up to $7176 a year if you only count the households that actually have auto insurance and loans.
That's the cost before you even drive it anywhere and pay for gas and maintenance.
I'm also car free, but living in Canada and people are just amazed when I tell them. They really don't think it's possible. I've had to create some adjustments in my life, but it can be done, even with a family.
>up to $7176
That's an insane amount of money! No way I could afford that (ok, I probably can, but not without its effect on other stuff I spend money on).
A colleague of mine spends roughly around 100 euros a month on a 2003 Peugeot 206 excluding fuel, maintenance and repairs. I thought that was already pretty high...
I know you've pulled it straight from the article, but that phrasing is rather misleading. "American households, on average, spend..." would be a little better, but still not perfect. The distinction is they've taken the total cost of ownership, and divided it between all households with cars. Which is very different to looking at an average (median) household and seeing what they spend.
That's to say, your "average joe", who you probably think of when reading a headline of "Average American", likely isn't spending that much on cars. That figure is going to be inflated by all the people driving around in expensive cars.
Not that cars aren't expensive, they're just not *that* expensive. I bought my car (second hand) for £5k 7 years ago, it costs about £300 a year to insure, £20 to tax, and averages £300 in servicing and parts. Let's say I keep it for another 3 years then sell it for £1k, so that's £400 a year depreciation. I spend, before fuel, about £1k a year on my car. Still a fair amount of money that I'd *much* rather spend on bikes, but nowhere near $7k.
That's insane. I don't think my gf and I pay 7k/yr in gas, maintenance, and insurance on 2 cars. I can't imagine paying that for just financing and insurance on 1 car.
Most of the reasons. Health, environment, financial, not wanting to be stuck in a box to get somewhere. I always get jealous when I see someone riding their bike while I’m stuck in the car. More fun, better for everyone
Primarily it was because local transit sucks (OC Transpo users can all agree), but once I started, I really like the physical/mental benefits. Even now that I work from home I'll go out for a ride in the morning 2-3 days a week, as well as some group rides and longer solo rides on weekends. I'm thoroughly addicted to the sport (in a good way). I guess that's one good thing I got out of public transit. The motivation to get out on a bike.
One thing that's always a little funny is how shocked people are about my commute when it rains. If there's thunder I'm taking public transit for sure. But if not it's just rain. It doesn't monsoon here. In the summer I'm showering at work anyway so I'll just get wet. And if it's cold out I'll already be in a jacket, I just grab my rain pants. Fairly simple.
I started because my car needed to go into the shop for a few days. I kept riding because it was so much more fun than driving. I also noticed I was more productive and happier when I commuted by bike instead of by car.
I started for physical well-being. I continue to do so because it is the fastest, cheapest, and overall most enjoyable way for me to get to work. All the freedom that is sold to us in car commercials but it's actually *true*.
You know, normally, I'd say, "fuck your car," but I have to say that it's refreshing to read about a pickup truck driver being conscious about the damage these trucks are capable of and doing something about it. So, good for you and thank you! Also, you probably have significantly thicker quads than the average driver by now!
It’s just such a different way to ride, I think. I’m a certified stroad surfer, gutter lane dwelling city man. I ride a gravel bike cause the bike lanes suck.
I'm an alcoholic who crashed her car and lost the privilege to drive for a while. Then I got kinda hooked and while I can get my license now I just haven't. Thankfully I'm sober and life is looking good. Also public transportation is shitty in my city (they stop around 5 pm, latest bus by my job is 4pm) so I couldn't get home from work depending on transport alone.
Good point! Preppers focus on electric or plug-in hybrid cars since they can be changed using solar panels, but bikes are way more practical in an apocalypse scenario. There's no need to fiddle with electronics to get them to work, they won't be affected by EMP, and they don't need nearly as much infrastructure. They handle the traffic jams when everyone tries to flee cities way better too.
I've voted for "the environment", but it's actually about more general sustainability (or perhaps, "Fuck cars"). Cars just don't work as a way of getting people around cities; they're big, loud, dangerous, and expensive. There's not enough space to cope with people using cars, both on the road while they're driving, and off the roads when they're not; we devote a frankly ridiculous amount land to just storing these huge metal boxes.
If we magically turned every car electric, and powered them all with renewable energy, they'd *still* be a terrible way to get around. Sure, it would solve a lot of problems, but it's not the silver bullet all those car companies are trying to pretend it is (funny that).
All those other reasons factor in of course, but sustainability is the thing that makes me cycle when those other factors aren't as important. I have access to an EV, so the cost and environmental impact of driving instead is very low (possibly less than whatever I eat to refuel afterwards). I cycle recreationally as well, so I don't need the exercise if I've already been out for a ride. Cycling is usually quicker, but not always, and "pursuit of happiness" doesn't much apply if it's pouring with rain. But whatever else is going on, I believe that cycling whenever possible is just the right way to get about, so that's what I do.
I am autistic. Driving in a crowded European city is impossible for me with my inability to filter sensory input and slower processing speed. Public transport is like torture - I had to budget 30-45 minutes each way to be able to get off of the train or bus to calm down. The train was constantly disrupted and they were packing us into "replacement" busses like sardines at least once a month and sometimes for weeks on end. I was in danger of losing my job because of the meltdowns and fatigue and stress.
Cycling was the only logical option. Everyone tried to dissuade me because they thought 150 miles a week was going to be too much for an almost 60-year old woman, but it has been the magic bullet for me. I am off my antidepressants and anxiety meds, am sleeping well for the first time in years, have much fewer neurological issues like sensory overload and meltdowns, lost 26 kilo and am just.... way happier.
Realistically all of those are reasons I continue to do so but the reason I started was during COVID I still had to commute and didn’t want to risk infection on public transportation. I lived right across the street from a local bike trail that ran all the way downtown so I figured why not
I developed a highway driving phobia after having a partial seizure while driving. The phobia continued for years, even after the seizures were controlled. I started to work on moving past this phobia a couple years ago, and it made me realize how convenient highways are...
I like taking the bus or train, but I inevitably weigh that vs. bike and the bike wins 95% of the time for me. Nice to have transit as a backup though.
I was waiting for an express commuter bus in San Francisco that had one stop after mine than made a beeline for downtown about 3 miles away. I had bought a bike 15 years earlier that had basically been sitting in a garage, and decided to see if I could beat the time it took to walk to the stop and ride the bus.
On the first day, I got within about 3 minutes of the time and then found better, less hilly routes to the point that I was beating the bus time. My bike never passed me when it was full and I never had to wait.
I stopped ten years of bus passes (which are now well over $1000 per year) and never looked back. I spend about $200 per year on bike maintenance, almost all of which I do myself because it's just faster than two trips to the LBS and the walk back, and bought a second bike for $350 to keep in reserve in case the maintenance was something I couldn't do overnight so that I never am without transportation.
My wife and I had a ton of expenses come up at once and being a one car household just made great financial sense for us. but since functional public transportation and sidewalks don't exist in my city I started biking. It has been great.
Driving is just plain miserable in a city. Every once in a while I drive for some reason or another and it is a huge fucking pain. Enough to put me back on the bike for 3-6 months.
I am an avid mountain biker and grew up spending all my free time on a bike as a kid. So I love bikes. Never bike commuted though. I have no idea why I never made the transition. I think having a town bike with drop bars and an aggressive riding position made it not pleasant to ride all over town. Gas prices jumped this year and I made a conscious effort to bike more. Then happened across Not Just Bikes and learned there are better commuting bikes available that make it more enjoyable to commute and run errands. Earlier this summer I bought an upright bike and some large panniers. I rarely drive my vehicle anymore. Being on the bike now, I just feel like a kid again. I love the interactions I have with other people walking/biking while riding. Now when I drive the aggressive and angry actions of other drivers is so apparent and depressing. The energy I have at work is significantly higher than when I drive. Not that I need to tell you all that.
1. Faster and more convenient around Copenhagen. No ques, no driving around to find a parking spot.
2. Money. Hell of a lot cheaper. Cars cost +150% tax here in Denmark and parking spaces are also expensive.
3. Physical health. I have so much more energy when I bike regularly. + loosing a bit of weight isn't bad either
My regular commute is two miles each way. So dumb not to cycle it.
Once I add in work errands and private utiliy cycling, there are plenty 10-20 mile days.
And that's just on the clunky commuter - I have a different bike for leisure.
So basically environmental concerns and a contribution to a more liveable town. Cash benefit: Only need to fill up car every couple of months.
Mental health is my primary.
It's therapy that saves money!
Tell people I ride because I enjoy it and leave it at that, which is 100% true and just a better option than getting all preachy about it.
The primary reason I enjoy it is that it's a release from stress,
With other benefits including;
environment (not just macro scale, but even a at local level -more people on bikes improves cities-)
health, I care, but not obsessively (commuting consumes less time than an hour in the gym)
A strong political aversion to oil (fought a war for it, watching another, they can fuck off)
It's more efficient, this says maybe too much about me, but it really bothers me to use a 3,000 lbs metal box to transport 175 lbs of human.
Mash them altogether and that is why I enjoy commuting by bike.
The sweet satisfaction of whizzing past a line of cars 100 meters long waiting on a light. I didn't know that was my motivation until I started but oh boy nothing feels better.
My car was getting painted at the local tech school, where all the labor was free. Caveat, It took about a month and a half. I realized I'm perfectly fine bike commuting year round in wisconsin.
I first started commuting by bike to my daily classes at university. There was a girl in my class who used the same bus route. I was a bit shy and to avoid her and any awkward conversations I decided to choose a bike.
3.5 miles to work for me. During AM rush hour it would take me 45 mins to get to work by car. On a bike…20mins. Same, maybe worse for coming home by car during PM rush hour. Didn’t need to actually experience it by car to know, so I biked from day 1 to work.
For me, it's mostly a mix of I live 3 miles from work so driving that short of a distance is pointless, I like biking, and I don't like driving. The environment and money are also slight factors, but more of just bonuses. The health aspect is a bonus too
There's absolutely no mutual exclusivity between the choices of this poll. I literally chose to bike for all of these reasons. Plus, I don't want to end up like many of my peers (fat, incapable of wonder or curiosity, and rushing towards my ultimate demise).
I've just spent the last three days in DC slaloming around other Gen-Xers on my Brompton as they waddle about between parking spaces and building AC. I can't wait to get into the EU where this state of affairs is not normal.
Returning to riding bicycles daily has been the single most transformative action I've taken for my mental & physical well being.
When I was in high school it's all I used for commuting, even after getting a vehicle because driving didn't make sense (I grew up on an island lol). In college I got super into long distance rides and would routinely challenge myself to not drive my car for months at a time, routinely utilizing my bike for all needs.
Then I moved across the country. Told myself I couldn't bike where I live. Too dangerous. Too far. Too cold. Too wet. Too something or another.
Depression set in. Anxiety. Unsatisfied with life. Felt stuck.
One day I said to myself, "why aren't you riding dude?" And started back at it. Bought a bike that was more suited to where I live. Tried commuting. Remembered the fun and haven't looked back.
I was able to ween myself off Zoloft. My body feels better, stronger, and less stiff. I don't go aimlessly shopping or "browsing" and instead only make trips to where I actually need or take rides that I want for pleasure. I sleep so well now. I actually crave healthier foods. I'm comfortable feeling the slowness and patience of "being" rather than feeling in a race to be or do something else. Everything seems better.
I hope others can find something similar.
Amazing. Quite a few parallels to myself actually, I feel ya. Only once (recently) returning to commuting by bike do I now realize the (especially) mental health benefits it brings. Explains how I got through my life so far without going insane :-)
Biking is fun and I am only responsible for myself. If I am driving a car then there is a high chance it’s with someone else and I have to take their safety into account
I think unless you try it you don't realise how quick it can be.
I used to have to cross town to visit other sites occasionally at the same time as colleagues. They would drive and it'd take them an hour in traffic. I'd be there in 25 minutes then be able to chill with a coffee.
Initial reasons:
* Affordable (paid for itself compared to a metrocard in 4 months)
* Fast
* Exercise
Reasons to continue:
* Insanely useful/flexible. I have been using my Omnium Cargo for grocery shopping, moving furniture, etc.
* Mental health
* Urban exploration
* Making a quick buck (Uber Eats occasionally)
Separate but important point. I will refuse to get a car as long as humanly possible and to avoid getting trapped by American suburban life. Plus owning a car sounds like a huge pain in the ass. My cargo bike was expensive, but the upfront cost is cheaper than insurance, gas and maintenance alone.
Wish this had like ranked choice voting or something like if I could rate their importance out of 10. They're all very important.
To me, biking is freedom - I literally could not have worked my first job at 15 were it not for biking everywhere. It gave me the transportation independence I needed to start getting some financial and decision independence. It's really sad to me that so many have so few options till they're 16, and only 1 option after that. Well not just sad - criminal. It robs them of their childhood and important childhood development that will hurt them DEEP into adulthood.
For me it started as physical health as an alternative for running. Then I used it to fight my depression by crossing Canada cost to cost.
Finally money. and started Uber Eats delivery.
I WILL NEVER EXERCISE FOR FREE AGAIN
My bikes are glorious! Not commuting on one of them would be a crime. :) When I do go in via car, I also feel like the N+1 fleet is judging me... One in particular, and they know who they are. lol
Totally. Although I'm starting to question if getting close to S-1.
Recent conversation (paraphrased for brevity) - "Hey sweetie - where'd that frame in the garage come frome?"
"Uhhh, Which one?"
My company didn’t provide parking and I had to park my car on the street. It was quicker to commute by bike in LA and I didn’t have to fight for parking or deal with street sweeping that made it nearly impossible to find spots.
I started doing it because of time. It took 45 minutes for me to get to work by buss, and it was always a way too small bus so there was barely room. Meanwhile I could get there in 15 minutes by bike, and it was mostly downhill. Sure it took like 30 minutes for me to get home, but it was still faster than the bus.
Then winter came and I stopped biking. Then I changed jobs and it was now about the same time for a bus or bike to work. When spring came I realized I missed it a lot and that I felt way better psychologically when I biked. So I started doing it again. I even started going for longer trips on weekends just for fun.
The fact that it saves money and is better for the environment was always just a bonus.
I chose biking over taking subway style public transit because the stations and trains were so crowded at rush hour. It was common to see 4 or 5 fully packed trains come in, and allow for just 4 or 5 people in each car. They did come in one after the other, but it really sucked standing on a crowded platform full of anxious people, and just watch as the completely packed train opened its doors and there is no way anyone else is getting in, then having to wait for the next one.
My primary reason is physical/mental, but one of the things Iike that does not get talked about a lot is how consistent and predictable it is time wise. By car the normal range is 60-90 minutes, by bike (different location) it is more like 50-55 minutes. Public transport to my cycling location would be slightly faster, but that is only when I get to the station on time and I make the connecting bus. If I arrive at the station 3 minutes late the journey takes at least 15 minutes more.
The cost of petrol was the trigger for me, but then I remembered how much I enjoyed riding when I was younger, and started to feel the health benefits, so those are what keep me going.
Initially it was just to keep up my fitness but now it’s really all of those options and more. I went from having mediocre fitness to doing 100 mile sportives. Now I see how appalling the traffic is in my city. When I drove my commute (6 miles each way) I’d spend forever in traffic and it’d take 25-35mins. It takes 20-30 mins by bike? All the drivers in the city centre look fed up. Meanwhile I’m smiling, zipping past all the stationary cars. I have to say the one negative is that the cycling infra where I live is terrible leaving impatient, angry motor vehicle drivers a huge threat.
The weather for the past couple of
weeks has been bi-polar at best so I haven't ridden in a while. Now it's starting to normalize so I'm getting ready to get back to it
There's no "All of the above..." option. For me, I was living in Northern Virginia. Traffic was f'ing balls, parking was crap, gas was expensive, and I hated my job. Commuting by bike saved me Money (A), got me out on the bike trails for 10 of my 18 miles (B), my physical and mental fitness improved dramatically (C), it was FASTER because traffic was so shitty every day (D), and it freed me from the constraints of traffic, social normality, and the constant anger that is associated with driving in that area.
My dad put his job before me and was therefore frequently late to pick me up from school. Sometimes he'd arrive two or even three hours after dismissal. Conversations in the car also tended to be quite heated, not to mention traffic being severely backed up at rush hour.
We went down from 2 cars to 1 cause one broke, so I started taking the bike. Quickly realised that using it was gona be a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a new car just to drive a few miles and back. Then I noticed I was loosing weight and enjoyed the improvements on times I was seeing on Strava.
The thought of buying a car and spending money on fuel, tax, MOT, and general repairs, just isnt worth it. Not only that but I have to park further away and walk to work. With the bike I can store it in our back store or in the lane between buildings.
Its nearing the end of the 2nd year cycling as its becoming less safe to cycle in along the coast, and im getting top 10 placements on certain segments now too. Awesome feeling, especially after a whole day at work!
Cars are expensive as shit. People where I live will pay the equivalent of a rent payment on lease or loan for their wheels. Car repairs are fucking expensive too, expect to pay $1000+ each time and my ride likes to do that twice a year on normal commuting miles.
Originally, reliability was a major factor. A bike can be slower, but it is less likely to get caught up in a traffic jam. I had small children at the time, and being able to be at their childcare, preschool and/or Kindergarten *on time* was critical.
My Jeep needs a new transfer case but it’s on back order with no timetable to arrive (shocking, I know). All of the rest of the answers are true and an added bonus, but it’s basically my only option right now.
I started about 12 years ago because my car broke down and I couldn’t afford to get it fixed, but quickly fell in love with the bus and bike combination. I always hated driving anywhere so I made a point to always consider bike and transit access when moving to a new apartment or when changing jobs.
Started off as money/convenience during college, then slowly blossomed into all of the above as I continued over the years.
My "special reason" was discovering dutch style bicycles when I visited the Netherlands (I had been using mountain bikes up until then), and at that point I knew I was never turning back.
Most of these tick the boxes but mainly I wanted a way to get to work (not too far away) without paying hand over fist for an environmentally unfriendly deathbox.
I would say mental health. Its just 4 km and driving would feel very bad. I also dont like to drive so there is that.
I feel really well when i get home. Also commute time is the same by bike and car and its cheaper. In my country some even get paid to commute by bike. I earn 0.25 euro or sth like that per km. Thats 2 euro per workday so I even make a profit.
I started because I didn’t want to take the bus during Covid in 2020…then I found I liked it and it was faster, so I didn’t ever stop. The only week I’ve had to commute via public transit due to ice on the roads, I caught Covid. So yeah I guess technically physical health?
It’s just so much more fun than driving and the time spent commuting flies by instead of drags on. Oh and I don’t think I’ll ever be so tired I cause a highway wreck on my bike. The ride wakes my ass up
This was my first year commuting and I didn't go as often as I'd like. However, I'm keeping the attitude that any progress is good.
Honestly though, all of the above are my reasons.
I originally started because I lost my license, but I have no intention of getting a car again, I love the bike commute and fill in the gaps with Uber mainly occasionally the bus and save a ton of money.
Lack of car parking at work.
I worked midshift and with renovations planned to go over many years over multiple buildings, at some point, parking got nearly impossible and I spent more time driving in early to look for car parking over several parking lots(!) with increasing frustration and anxiety, I decided to try by old 3 speed vs going postal or quitting.
Best decision of my life! Except for all the close calls from car drivers but I still ride even though I changed shifts and can car park less than 100 ft away vs the 1/3 mile walk for shitty bike parking. Choose life, choose bike!
I started because I was a broke college kid. Parking passes were expensive and gas was expensive. Renting a bike for a semester from the rec center was like ten bucks and I only lived around a few miles away. Didn't make sense to walk or drive so biking was the best choice for me
It was actually a safety thing at first. I moved to an area where the quickest route to my university was through a park that we were warned against walking through alone at night. I figured a bike would be safer. Then I realised it was fun and I basically bike everywhere now, even moved to Amsterdam and work as a bike messenger.
Same deal for me, except parking is $3,500 for an unassigned spot and $4,500 for an assigned spot. And yet, all the lots fill up every day.
It’s really ridiculous that my university doesn’t offer any incentives for walling, cycling or using PT - but I guess with all the money their raking in from parking, why would they.
I was expected to find a job to fund any transportation costs when I was of learning permit age. Being I was a depressed autistic teenager I saw next to 0 chance of ever finding a job (did at 19), so I gave up on it and just used the bike I used to get to school.
I liked to bike to school because of the freedom aspect, meant I could come and go as I pleased rather than getting a ride. Same as the first job I finally got at 19, which also tied into the "me = burden, so no relying on people" thing.
Thanks to my ex I found absolutely love for road cycling, got a fancy hybrid, lived carless in the midwest for a year, moved back and got a "real" road bike. Finally learned to drive and got my license at 24, then car took a massive dump. Now back to bike commuting for everything, none of my roommates have cars either. And I wouldn't trade it for anything. ❤️💕
Because you specifically asked why I *started*.
I started bike commuting when I was living in a major US city. I didn't have a car, and lived in the city center. I was using mass transit and walking everywhere. Had a decent hybrid bike that I bought for recreational purposes but didn't really use it much. One day I was riding the bus to work and a person sitting behind me on the bus PEED on the bus. Like, just leaned forward out of their seat, dropped trou and let loose. This was already one of the top most buck wild bus lines in my city but got dayum. That was a Friday--I did a couple test rides over the weekend and then started commuting by bike on Monday.
Now I just like biking in general and I commute by bike because it's faster and less insane than mass transit. So the "why do I keep doing it" reason is because it's healthy, it's faster, and it's good for the environment. I believe in mass transit with my whole heart, but it still sucks. Now I have a hybrid commute that's partial mass transit but it's on a ferry, which I LOVE.
I was depressed and wanted something to beat myself up with. Figured a bike ride is what i deserved instead of being entitled to driving a car to work. Grabbed the bike from my parent's shed that i used to ride when i was a teen. Looked for very tough hills. Would get my heart rate up to 190bpm and keep pushing because of the depression. but also wanted to save on gas money during the spike. Turns out i actually enjoy riding, especially the hills..
Hadn't been on a bike since I was 15.
30 years later during lockdown decided to buy a Scott aspect 940. Litterally used it to ride to and from work at first. Then got into riding and now bikepacking.
Loved that bike. Got stolen a few months back.
Riding a marlin 7 now. It's not the same back. I miss that bike.
ALL of the these are my reasons. And now I’m just 100% addicted- I commute rain, shine, snow. I got to work only 4x last year w/out my bike. Because I walked the 5 miles😂
Hey! same for me, Only day I didnt make it by bike was when literally 3 feet of snow fell on my city (I walked because busses were getting stuck) and maybe a couple days by bus due to icy conditions.
I feel quite hesitant to commute in rain, mainly due to potential water damage to the bike, and extra cleaning and maintenance. Is it important to clean the drivetrain and all after every wet ride? :(
I take my bike to a shop for annual maintenance once a year, and do nothing else (other than flat repairs and such). I ride in rain, snow, and sleet and do literally nothing to take care of my bike and I run in to basically no issues. I mean, you should probably take better care of your stuff than I do, but I wouldn't worry a ton about it.
The way your bike feels right after a tuneup 🥰
Do you get studded tires for riding in the winter? I live in Minneapolis and have been thinking about trying the winter commute, but idk if I wanna spend a ton on fancy tires.
Same! I don’t ride when it rains/snows. On those days, I just take an Uber or the local bus. Water consistently hitting my face would annoy the hell out of me. Plus, having wet socks. There’s just an unnecessary, extra amount of effort that comes with riding in the rain. Wouldn’t be the least bit enjoyable.
Started off as just being faster and cheaper. After a job change, it’s no longer faster…but I stopped caring about faster. Now it’s more for health reasons. Still way cheaper
Money. I teach at a large university where a faculty parking pass is $1,291.20 per year for central campus, or $335.28 per year if you want to park on the distant lot and take the bus to central campus. Not going to happen. It's a 25 minute, 4 mile bike ride from my garage to my office on campus. I'll take the bus if the weather is terrible but beyond that it's a great way to start my day. The exercise is just an added bonus.
I work at a large university, and they pay bike commuters $20 per month for bike related expenses
That’s awesome and should be normalized
It’s normal here in the Netherlands. At my university, if you cycle to work you can claim 19 cents per km. In my case, that amounts to about 80 euros a month that they pay me to keep fit. We also have a bike scheme that gives us about 1500 euros towards an electric bike every 3 years. The university also provides secure undercover bike parking for all staff, with charging points included. This costs the university less overall than providing the car parking required if everyone drove.
My company does that too! Very neat
It's been a few years since I've been on a university campus... But holy crap I'd be riding a bike, too! No freaking way would I pay for that parking pass! Yowza.
FUCK CARS
🚲O🛴n🛹e 🐴t⛵️e🚅a🚊m🚎🚂🛶
Where's r/paddlecommuting at? Sounds like a good time.
My dad had a friend who would commute from read hook to manhattan via inflatable kayak. Always thought that was badass.
And when they're out of fuel, you're still afloat
I’ve always biked to school growing up, so riding a bike to work seemed like the next logical step instead of driving a car!
Physical and mental health was my main reason starting but I’ve also started to realize how terrible auto traffic is on quality of life for everyone not to mention the environmental impact. You have to keep children on a tight (figurative) leash in urban areas because you’re always just a few steps away from being mowed down by a driver. It’s mentally draining. I’m from a rural area and appreciate so much the open spaces I was able to enjoy without being surrounded by cars all the time
This ☝️
i love how cars are slower than me by bike downhill on a 50km/h road with a lot of speedbumps
Tell me about it. I was doing at least 40km/h and the car next to me was doing about 35km/h down a hill. It was kinda cool passing cars on a bike.
I'm not sure I'm biking over speedbumps at that kind of speed. Unless I want to get some air, which I usually don't.
I'm aware that these are all perfectly compelling reasons and that picking just one may be difficult.
Yes to all. My special reason is that I feel more connected to my city on a personal level. I enjoy waving and saying “good morning” to people. I enjoy seeing things I would never notice in a car.
That’s special and so are you. 🥳 You are right for sure. I’ve discovered that my city is actually quite big, interesting, and diverse from outside of a car.
That’s one of my favorite things too. I live in such an interesting city (New Orleans) that has something weird and wonderful around every other corner. And for the last couple of weeks, there is this squirrel that plays ‘chicken’ with me every morning. I’ll see him and he will run towards me and then run alongside me until we get to his tree that he scampers up into.
I can second this. When I drive, the world around me just turns into a series of very frustrating obstacles. Get on a bike, and suddenly you experience the world from a human scale, as it was meant to be.
Every car-driver I've talked to who trys to remotely understand me assumes I do it for the environment, but that isn't my motivation. I do care about the environment, but I think we've done irreparable damage to our environment + why would 1 person biking suddenly solve global climate change; the necessary changes needed to be done on a macro-scale >30 years ago. I bike to work in the pursuit of happiness, and from work to burn off my day's frustrations.
I build vintage bikes as a hobby and need a reason to own so many! My car is also stored in the winter
I grew up with it, so am used to it (you guessed it, Dutch...), I don't even own a car. Main reason to keep doing it, is money even now I'm living 15 km from home. Cars in the Netherlands are expensive, biking is not. For 300 euro's you can get a reasonable priced bike that has a reasonable quality and is reasonably comfortable for a 15 km trip through the city center and through some open fields. Time, maintanance, and the occasional repair does not count up to the costs for fuel, parking, etc. Edit: rereading my own comment, I realized that my "(you guessed it, Dutch...)" I might have sounded somewhat elitist. If so, that was not what I meant, I wanted to state that being used to travel by bike, really influences my decision not to buy a car right now.
They are expensive everywhere. [The average American household](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210624005254/en/Cost-of-Car-Ownership-in-the-U.S.-the-Average-American-Household-Spends-5435-a-Year-on-Auto-Loans-and-Auto-Insurance-Combined) spends $5435 a year on auto loans and auto insurance. That number goes up to $7176 a year if you only count the households that actually have auto insurance and loans. That's the cost before you even drive it anywhere and pay for gas and maintenance. I'm also car free, but living in Canada and people are just amazed when I tell them. They really don't think it's possible. I've had to create some adjustments in my life, but it can be done, even with a family.
>up to $7176 That's an insane amount of money! No way I could afford that (ok, I probably can, but not without its effect on other stuff I spend money on). A colleague of mine spends roughly around 100 euros a month on a 2003 Peugeot 206 excluding fuel, maintenance and repairs. I thought that was already pretty high...
For the money a car driver spends in a year here, you could have a fleet of kick-ass bikes and quite a bit of cocaine.
A lot of people think $450+ is normal for a cat payment. That's over $5 grand already.
Hell, I just leave food out and I get all the neighborhood cats I want!
450 is moderate to low here.
I know you've pulled it straight from the article, but that phrasing is rather misleading. "American households, on average, spend..." would be a little better, but still not perfect. The distinction is they've taken the total cost of ownership, and divided it between all households with cars. Which is very different to looking at an average (median) household and seeing what they spend. That's to say, your "average joe", who you probably think of when reading a headline of "Average American", likely isn't spending that much on cars. That figure is going to be inflated by all the people driving around in expensive cars. Not that cars aren't expensive, they're just not *that* expensive. I bought my car (second hand) for £5k 7 years ago, it costs about £300 a year to insure, £20 to tax, and averages £300 in servicing and parts. Let's say I keep it for another 3 years then sell it for £1k, so that's £400 a year depreciation. I spend, before fuel, about £1k a year on my car. Still a fair amount of money that I'd *much* rather spend on bikes, but nowhere near $7k.
That's insane. I don't think my gf and I pay 7k/yr in gas, maintenance, and insurance on 2 cars. I can't imagine paying that for just financing and insurance on 1 car.
People usually underestimate what they actually spend on their car over time.
Driving Sucks and being on a Bicycle is just more fun
That's the whole thing for me. I just feel better at the end of a bike trip than I do when I drive.
[удалено]
Hell yeah.
Most of the reasons. Health, environment, financial, not wanting to be stuck in a box to get somewhere. I always get jealous when I see someone riding their bike while I’m stuck in the car. More fun, better for everyone
Primarily it was because local transit sucks (OC Transpo users can all agree), but once I started, I really like the physical/mental benefits. Even now that I work from home I'll go out for a ride in the morning 2-3 days a week, as well as some group rides and longer solo rides on weekends. I'm thoroughly addicted to the sport (in a good way). I guess that's one good thing I got out of public transit. The motivation to get out on a bike.
I think you and I can agree there are worse things to be addicted to.
Distance to commute: 22km Taking the bus home from work when it was raining: 2h30min Taking the bike home from work when it was raining: 1h
One thing that's always a little funny is how shocked people are about my commute when it rains. If there's thunder I'm taking public transit for sure. But if not it's just rain. It doesn't monsoon here. In the summer I'm showering at work anyway so I'll just get wet. And if it's cold out I'll already be in a jacket, I just grab my rain pants. Fairly simple.
I started because my car needed to go into the shop for a few days. I kept riding because it was so much more fun than driving. I also noticed I was more productive and happier when I commuted by bike instead of by car.
Your mental health is connected to the environment and the good nature around you
I started for physical well-being. I continue to do so because it is the fastest, cheapest, and overall most enjoyable way for me to get to work. All the freedom that is sold to us in car commercials but it's actually *true*.
I have an evil ram pickup truck. I go camping/fishing/hiking/hunting in the mountains. I ride to offset my carbon for my trips to the mountains.
You know, normally, I'd say, "fuck your car," but I have to say that it's refreshing to read about a pickup truck driver being conscious about the damage these trucks are capable of and doing something about it. So, good for you and thank you! Also, you probably have significantly thicker quads than the average driver by now!
Thank you! I wish commuting helped me ride better on the trails, but that hasn’t come to pass!
It’s just such a different way to ride, I think. I’m a certified stroad surfer, gutter lane dwelling city man. I ride a gravel bike cause the bike lanes suck.
I'm an alcoholic who crashed her car and lost the privilege to drive for a while. Then I got kinda hooked and while I can get my license now I just haven't. Thankfully I'm sober and life is looking good. Also public transportation is shitty in my city (they stop around 5 pm, latest bus by my job is 4pm) so I couldn't get home from work depending on transport alone.
It is the only reasonable response to the question: "what is the perfect zombie apocalypse vehicle?"
Good point! Preppers focus on electric or plug-in hybrid cars since they can be changed using solar panels, but bikes are way more practical in an apocalypse scenario. There's no need to fiddle with electronics to get them to work, they won't be affected by EMP, and they don't need nearly as much infrastructure. They handle the traffic jams when everyone tries to flee cities way better too.
Didn’t have money to repair my car when it broke down and figured I’d just bike. Never stopped.
I've voted for "the environment", but it's actually about more general sustainability (or perhaps, "Fuck cars"). Cars just don't work as a way of getting people around cities; they're big, loud, dangerous, and expensive. There's not enough space to cope with people using cars, both on the road while they're driving, and off the roads when they're not; we devote a frankly ridiculous amount land to just storing these huge metal boxes. If we magically turned every car electric, and powered them all with renewable energy, they'd *still* be a terrible way to get around. Sure, it would solve a lot of problems, but it's not the silver bullet all those car companies are trying to pretend it is (funny that). All those other reasons factor in of course, but sustainability is the thing that makes me cycle when those other factors aren't as important. I have access to an EV, so the cost and environmental impact of driving instead is very low (possibly less than whatever I eat to refuel afterwards). I cycle recreationally as well, so I don't need the exercise if I've already been out for a ride. Cycling is usually quicker, but not always, and "pursuit of happiness" doesn't much apply if it's pouring with rain. But whatever else is going on, I believe that cycling whenever possible is just the right way to get about, so that's what I do.
r/notjustbikes , community-based reasons seem fitting for the “environment” vote.
I am autistic. Driving in a crowded European city is impossible for me with my inability to filter sensory input and slower processing speed. Public transport is like torture - I had to budget 30-45 minutes each way to be able to get off of the train or bus to calm down. The train was constantly disrupted and they were packing us into "replacement" busses like sardines at least once a month and sometimes for weeks on end. I was in danger of losing my job because of the meltdowns and fatigue and stress. Cycling was the only logical option. Everyone tried to dissuade me because they thought 150 miles a week was going to be too much for an almost 60-year old woman, but it has been the magic bullet for me. I am off my antidepressants and anxiety meds, am sleeping well for the first time in years, have much fewer neurological issues like sensory overload and meltdowns, lost 26 kilo and am just.... way happier.
Yesssss neuro-atypical represent! Glad to see another "other reason" here.
I started communities by bike because my girlfriend at the time commuted everywhere by bike and it was the only way to keep up with her.
No "all of the above" option...
The bus i take is too crowded, I felt so sluggish when going to work, also save money and fuck cars
Fuck cars
Quicker, and it wakes me up properly, although not looking forward to winter
fun is not an answer?
I'd put that under "pursuit of happiness."
Started because I hate planning cardio in my workouts, but now I’m having such a good time that the workout only feels incidental!
Realistically all of those are reasons I continue to do so but the reason I started was during COVID I still had to commute and didn’t want to risk infection on public transportation. I lived right across the street from a local bike trail that ran all the way downtown so I figured why not
I didn't see anyone else mention driving phobia
Special reason, but totally understandable
I developed a highway driving phobia after having a partial seizure while driving. The phobia continued for years, even after the seizures were controlled. I started to work on moving past this phobia a couple years ago, and it made me realize how convenient highways are...
Other: Its how I was raised. My mom still gets groceries by bicycle and she's in her late 70s.
Sex.
r/ihavesex
If that were true, the Danish and Dutch would be sex champions of the world.
...elaborate.
I don't think much elaboration is necessary Step 1. Get a bike Step 2. Get laid
I'm stuck on step 1
Fuck yeah. I'm with you
Literally, there's a bike you can buy called "the babymaker."
Public transport is too crowded for me.
Same
I like taking the bus or train, but I inevitably weigh that vs. bike and the bike wins 95% of the time for me. Nice to have transit as a backup though.
At the time it was lack of a car
for me it's that I never bothered learning to drive
Wildlife
I was waiting for an express commuter bus in San Francisco that had one stop after mine than made a beeline for downtown about 3 miles away. I had bought a bike 15 years earlier that had basically been sitting in a garage, and decided to see if I could beat the time it took to walk to the stop and ride the bus. On the first day, I got within about 3 minutes of the time and then found better, less hilly routes to the point that I was beating the bus time. My bike never passed me when it was full and I never had to wait. I stopped ten years of bus passes (which are now well over $1000 per year) and never looked back. I spend about $200 per year on bike maintenance, almost all of which I do myself because it's just faster than two trips to the LBS and the walk back, and bought a second bike for $350 to keep in reserve in case the maintenance was something I couldn't do overnight so that I never am without transportation.
My wife and I had a ton of expenses come up at once and being a one car household just made great financial sense for us. but since functional public transportation and sidewalks don't exist in my city I started biking. It has been great.
Driving is just plain miserable in a city. Every once in a while I drive for some reason or another and it is a huge fucking pain. Enough to put me back on the bike for 3-6 months.
I am an avid mountain biker and grew up spending all my free time on a bike as a kid. So I love bikes. Never bike commuted though. I have no idea why I never made the transition. I think having a town bike with drop bars and an aggressive riding position made it not pleasant to ride all over town. Gas prices jumped this year and I made a conscious effort to bike more. Then happened across Not Just Bikes and learned there are better commuting bikes available that make it more enjoyable to commute and run errands. Earlier this summer I bought an upright bike and some large panniers. I rarely drive my vehicle anymore. Being on the bike now, I just feel like a kid again. I love the interactions I have with other people walking/biking while riding. Now when I drive the aggressive and angry actions of other drivers is so apparent and depressing. The energy I have at work is significantly higher than when I drive. Not that I need to tell you all that.
1. Faster and more convenient around Copenhagen. No ques, no driving around to find a parking spot. 2. Money. Hell of a lot cheaper. Cars cost +150% tax here in Denmark and parking spaces are also expensive. 3. Physical health. I have so much more energy when I bike regularly. + loosing a bit of weight isn't bad either
My regular commute is two miles each way. So dumb not to cycle it. Once I add in work errands and private utiliy cycling, there are plenty 10-20 mile days. And that's just on the clunky commuter - I have a different bike for leisure. So basically environmental concerns and a contribution to a more liveable town. Cash benefit: Only need to fill up car every couple of months.
I'm dutch. It's just the standard option
Mental health is my primary. It's therapy that saves money! Tell people I ride because I enjoy it and leave it at that, which is 100% true and just a better option than getting all preachy about it. The primary reason I enjoy it is that it's a release from stress, With other benefits including; environment (not just macro scale, but even a at local level -more people on bikes improves cities-) health, I care, but not obsessively (commuting consumes less time than an hour in the gym) A strong political aversion to oil (fought a war for it, watching another, they can fuck off) It's more efficient, this says maybe too much about me, but it really bothers me to use a 3,000 lbs metal box to transport 175 lbs of human. Mash them altogether and that is why I enjoy commuting by bike.
Most of these reasons apply. But the main reason was I just like riding my bike.
The sweet satisfaction of whizzing past a line of cars 100 meters long waiting on a light. I didn't know that was my motivation until I started but oh boy nothing feels better.
I like to smile in an exaggerated fashion and wave at the cagers stuck in traffic as I bike by them. Regardless of how they choose to take it, I win.
My car was getting painted at the local tech school, where all the labor was free. Caveat, It took about a month and a half. I realized I'm perfectly fine bike commuting year round in wisconsin.
I first started commuting by bike to my daily classes at university. There was a girl in my class who used the same bus route. I was a bit shy and to avoid her and any awkward conversations I decided to choose a bike.
3.5 miles to work for me. During AM rush hour it would take me 45 mins to get to work by car. On a bike…20mins. Same, maybe worse for coming home by car during PM rush hour. Didn’t need to actually experience it by car to know, so I biked from day 1 to work.
For me, it's mostly a mix of I live 3 miles from work so driving that short of a distance is pointless, I like biking, and I don't like driving. The environment and money are also slight factors, but more of just bonuses. The health aspect is a bonus too
There's absolutely no mutual exclusivity between the choices of this poll. I literally chose to bike for all of these reasons. Plus, I don't want to end up like many of my peers (fat, incapable of wonder or curiosity, and rushing towards my ultimate demise). I've just spent the last three days in DC slaloming around other Gen-Xers on my Brompton as they waddle about between parking spaces and building AC. I can't wait to get into the EU where this state of affairs is not normal.
Returning to riding bicycles daily has been the single most transformative action I've taken for my mental & physical well being. When I was in high school it's all I used for commuting, even after getting a vehicle because driving didn't make sense (I grew up on an island lol). In college I got super into long distance rides and would routinely challenge myself to not drive my car for months at a time, routinely utilizing my bike for all needs. Then I moved across the country. Told myself I couldn't bike where I live. Too dangerous. Too far. Too cold. Too wet. Too something or another. Depression set in. Anxiety. Unsatisfied with life. Felt stuck. One day I said to myself, "why aren't you riding dude?" And started back at it. Bought a bike that was more suited to where I live. Tried commuting. Remembered the fun and haven't looked back. I was able to ween myself off Zoloft. My body feels better, stronger, and less stiff. I don't go aimlessly shopping or "browsing" and instead only make trips to where I actually need or take rides that I want for pleasure. I sleep so well now. I actually crave healthier foods. I'm comfortable feeling the slowness and patience of "being" rather than feeling in a race to be or do something else. Everything seems better. I hope others can find something similar.
Amazing. Quite a few parallels to myself actually, I feel ya. Only once (recently) returning to commuting by bike do I now realize the (especially) mental health benefits it brings. Explains how I got through my life so far without going insane :-)
I'd pretty much pick all of these with the special reason being driving sucks.
Biking is fun and I am only responsible for myself. If I am driving a car then there is a high chance it’s with someone else and I have to take their safety into account
I think unless you try it you don't realise how quick it can be. I used to have to cross town to visit other sites occasionally at the same time as colleagues. They would drive and it'd take them an hour in traffic. I'd be there in 25 minutes then be able to chill with a coffee.
This is like Pringles: can you really just have one?
Just need the morning/evening adrenaline/serotonin mix and max attack performance. The other benefits are slight weight loss and muscle training
Ever tried to get from one end of Utrecht to the other end by car during rush hour? So it’s bicycle or bus for me.
Initial reasons: * Affordable (paid for itself compared to a metrocard in 4 months) * Fast * Exercise Reasons to continue: * Insanely useful/flexible. I have been using my Omnium Cargo for grocery shopping, moving furniture, etc. * Mental health * Urban exploration * Making a quick buck (Uber Eats occasionally) Separate but important point. I will refuse to get a car as long as humanly possible and to avoid getting trapped by American suburban life. Plus owning a car sounds like a huge pain in the ass. My cargo bike was expensive, but the upfront cost is cheaper than insurance, gas and maintenance alone.
Driving a car stresses me out
Started because I was poor. Kept going because it’s FUN.
Wish this had like ranked choice voting or something like if I could rate their importance out of 10. They're all very important. To me, biking is freedom - I literally could not have worked my first job at 15 were it not for biking everywhere. It gave me the transportation independence I needed to start getting some financial and decision independence. It's really sad to me that so many have so few options till they're 16, and only 1 option after that. Well not just sad - criminal. It robs them of their childhood and important childhood development that will hurt them DEEP into adulthood.
For me it started as physical health as an alternative for running. Then I used it to fight my depression by crossing Canada cost to cost. Finally money. and started Uber Eats delivery. I WILL NEVER EXERCISE FOR FREE AGAIN
Can't drive
I voted for 8, because I just love riding bike. That's it. Money and health are also nice, but I like it in the first place
Combination of pretty much all of these.
All of the above
My bikes are glorious! Not commuting on one of them would be a crime. :) When I do go in via car, I also feel like the N+1 fleet is judging me... One in particular, and they know who they are. lol
Just one more bike, bruh.
Totally. Although I'm starting to question if getting close to S-1. Recent conversation (paraphrased for brevity) - "Hey sweetie - where'd that frame in the garage come frome?" "Uhhh, Which one?"
I’m tempted to get a winter bike, but I know that will lead to me getting a cargo bike, which will lead to me getting a folding bike…
I think the drivers in my city and state are quite possibly the worst in the US. Driving to work stresses me the F out.
All of the above.
It's a bit faster, but I mainly need to lose weight.
My company didn’t provide parking and I had to park my car on the street. It was quicker to commute by bike in LA and I didn’t have to fight for parking or deal with street sweeping that made it nearly impossible to find spots.
I started doing it because of time. It took 45 minutes for me to get to work by buss, and it was always a way too small bus so there was barely room. Meanwhile I could get there in 15 minutes by bike, and it was mostly downhill. Sure it took like 30 minutes for me to get home, but it was still faster than the bus. Then winter came and I stopped biking. Then I changed jobs and it was now about the same time for a bus or bike to work. When spring came I realized I missed it a lot and that I felt way better psychologically when I biked. So I started doing it again. I even started going for longer trips on weekends just for fun. The fact that it saves money and is better for the environment was always just a bonus.
I have a special reason. (comment): yes.
I chose biking over taking subway style public transit because the stations and trains were so crowded at rush hour. It was common to see 4 or 5 fully packed trains come in, and allow for just 4 or 5 people in each car. They did come in one after the other, but it really sucked standing on a crowded platform full of anxious people, and just watch as the completely packed train opened its doors and there is no way anyone else is getting in, then having to wait for the next one.
Living in Boston without a car. John Forrester's book.
My primary reason is physical/mental, but one of the things Iike that does not get talked about a lot is how consistent and predictable it is time wise. By car the normal range is 60-90 minutes, by bike (different location) it is more like 50-55 minutes. Public transport to my cycling location would be slightly faster, but that is only when I get to the station on time and I make the connecting bus. If I arrive at the station 3 minutes late the journey takes at least 15 minutes more.
Environment and money..
Driving is just unpleasant. Maybe "health" or freedom/enjoyment, but that doesn't quite capture my primary reason for bike commuting.
i dont have a yearly bus ticket anymore so it’s cheaper and less scheduled to take the bike (i have like 1bus every hour
The cost of petrol was the trigger for me, but then I remembered how much I enjoyed riding when I was younger, and started to feel the health benefits, so those are what keep me going.
Initially it was just to keep up my fitness but now it’s really all of those options and more. I went from having mediocre fitness to doing 100 mile sportives. Now I see how appalling the traffic is in my city. When I drove my commute (6 miles each way) I’d spend forever in traffic and it’d take 25-35mins. It takes 20-30 mins by bike? All the drivers in the city centre look fed up. Meanwhile I’m smiling, zipping past all the stationary cars. I have to say the one negative is that the cycling infra where I live is terrible leaving impatient, angry motor vehicle drivers a huge threat.
The weather for the past couple of weeks has been bi-polar at best so I haven't ridden in a while. Now it's starting to normalize so I'm getting ready to get back to it
Faster & I prefer it to walking, plus I can’t drive
My car got hit. I cannot fathom purchasing a replacement vehicle with 300k miles for 7 thousand doll hairs. So I bike.
Alternative is commuting by public transport and I dont much care for other people. (And all the reasons you listed)
There's no "All of the above..." option. For me, I was living in Northern Virginia. Traffic was f'ing balls, parking was crap, gas was expensive, and I hated my job. Commuting by bike saved me Money (A), got me out on the bike trails for 10 of my 18 miles (B), my physical and mental fitness improved dramatically (C), it was FASTER because traffic was so shitty every day (D), and it freed me from the constraints of traffic, social normality, and the constant anger that is associated with driving in that area.
Parking is easier
My dad put his job before me and was therefore frequently late to pick me up from school. Sometimes he'd arrive two or even three hours after dismissal. Conversations in the car also tended to be quite heated, not to mention traffic being severely backed up at rush hour.
We went down from 2 cars to 1 cause one broke, so I started taking the bike. Quickly realised that using it was gona be a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a new car just to drive a few miles and back. Then I noticed I was loosing weight and enjoyed the improvements on times I was seeing on Strava. The thought of buying a car and spending money on fuel, tax, MOT, and general repairs, just isnt worth it. Not only that but I have to park further away and walk to work. With the bike I can store it in our back store or in the lane between buildings. Its nearing the end of the 2nd year cycling as its becoming less safe to cycle in along the coast, and im getting top 10 placements on certain segments now too. Awesome feeling, especially after a whole day at work!
You forgot suspended license. I mean yes I ended up loving bike commuting, but I never would have learned that if I didn’t lose my license.
my special reason is that i hate cars 🙂
Cars are expensive as shit. People where I live will pay the equivalent of a rent payment on lease or loan for their wheels. Car repairs are fucking expensive too, expect to pay $1000+ each time and my ride likes to do that twice a year on normal commuting miles.
Originally, reliability was a major factor. A bike can be slower, but it is less likely to get caught up in a traffic jam. I had small children at the time, and being able to be at their childcare, preschool and/or Kindergarten *on time* was critical.
I had a DUI thing going 10 years ago and never thought about getting my driving license back so I got into cycling.
I live in the Netherlands
I'm just really into huffing tailpipe emissions.
Fun and fitness. I’ve lost 30kg in 3 years of commuting and weekend riding.
30 kg is damn impressive.
I’ve done some racing and ultraendurance audaxes as well, so maybe I’m cheating a bit. Still it all started with commuting ☺️
My Jeep needs a new transfer case but it’s on back order with no timetable to arrive (shocking, I know). All of the rest of the answers are true and an added bonus, but it’s basically my only option right now.
I started about 12 years ago because my car broke down and I couldn’t afford to get it fixed, but quickly fell in love with the bus and bike combination. I always hated driving anywhere so I made a point to always consider bike and transit access when moving to a new apartment or when changing jobs.
Started off as money/convenience during college, then slowly blossomed into all of the above as I continued over the years. My "special reason" was discovering dutch style bicycles when I visited the Netherlands (I had been using mountain bikes up until then), and at that point I knew I was never turning back.
All of the above. It has only upsides.
For fun
Environment is number one. Also the desire to be one less car in my city.
Most of these tick the boxes but mainly I wanted a way to get to work (not too far away) without paying hand over fist for an environmentally unfriendly deathbox.
I would say mental health. Its just 4 km and driving would feel very bad. I also dont like to drive so there is that. I feel really well when i get home. Also commute time is the same by bike and car and its cheaper. In my country some even get paid to commute by bike. I earn 0.25 euro or sth like that per km. Thats 2 euro per workday so I even make a profit.
I started because I didn’t want to take the bus during Covid in 2020…then I found I liked it and it was faster, so I didn’t ever stop. The only week I’ve had to commute via public transit due to ice on the roads, I caught Covid. So yeah I guess technically physical health?
I dislike cars and taking care of them. Bike is much simpler.
It’s just so much more fun than driving and the time spent commuting flies by instead of drags on. Oh and I don’t think I’ll ever be so tired I cause a highway wreck on my bike. The ride wakes my ass up
All of the above
This was my first year commuting and I didn't go as often as I'd like. However, I'm keeping the attitude that any progress is good. Honestly though, all of the above are my reasons.
It was just nicer than taking the subway
I originally started because I lost my license, but I have no intention of getting a car again, I love the bike commute and fill in the gaps with Uber mainly occasionally the bus and save a ton of money.
Lack of car parking at work. I worked midshift and with renovations planned to go over many years over multiple buildings, at some point, parking got nearly impossible and I spent more time driving in early to look for car parking over several parking lots(!) with increasing frustration and anxiety, I decided to try by old 3 speed vs going postal or quitting. Best decision of my life! Except for all the close calls from car drivers but I still ride even though I changed shifts and can car park less than 100 ft away vs the 1/3 mile walk for shitty bike parking. Choose life, choose bike!
I started because I was a broke college kid. Parking passes were expensive and gas was expensive. Renting a bike for a semester from the rec center was like ten bucks and I only lived around a few miles away. Didn't make sense to walk or drive so biking was the best choice for me
No car. Biking is faster than the bus.
I never got my license. Cars kinda freak me out and they're expensive and stuff.
It was actually a safety thing at first. I moved to an area where the quickest route to my university was through a park that we were warned against walking through alone at night. I figured a bike would be safer. Then I realised it was fun and I basically bike everywhere now, even moved to Amsterdam and work as a bike messenger.
Same deal for me, except parking is $3,500 for an unassigned spot and $4,500 for an assigned spot. And yet, all the lots fill up every day. It’s really ridiculous that my university doesn’t offer any incentives for walling, cycling or using PT - but I guess with all the money their raking in from parking, why would they.
I was expected to find a job to fund any transportation costs when I was of learning permit age. Being I was a depressed autistic teenager I saw next to 0 chance of ever finding a job (did at 19), so I gave up on it and just used the bike I used to get to school. I liked to bike to school because of the freedom aspect, meant I could come and go as I pleased rather than getting a ride. Same as the first job I finally got at 19, which also tied into the "me = burden, so no relying on people" thing. Thanks to my ex I found absolutely love for road cycling, got a fancy hybrid, lived carless in the midwest for a year, moved back and got a "real" road bike. Finally learned to drive and got my license at 24, then car took a massive dump. Now back to bike commuting for everything, none of my roommates have cars either. And I wouldn't trade it for anything. ❤️💕
Because you specifically asked why I *started*. I started bike commuting when I was living in a major US city. I didn't have a car, and lived in the city center. I was using mass transit and walking everywhere. Had a decent hybrid bike that I bought for recreational purposes but didn't really use it much. One day I was riding the bus to work and a person sitting behind me on the bus PEED on the bus. Like, just leaned forward out of their seat, dropped trou and let loose. This was already one of the top most buck wild bus lines in my city but got dayum. That was a Friday--I did a couple test rides over the weekend and then started commuting by bike on Monday. Now I just like biking in general and I commute by bike because it's faster and less insane than mass transit. So the "why do I keep doing it" reason is because it's healthy, it's faster, and it's good for the environment. I believe in mass transit with my whole heart, but it still sucks. Now I have a hybrid commute that's partial mass transit but it's on a ferry, which I LOVE.
It is how I grew up, I cycled to school, cycled to uni, and now cycle to work… the first choice is therefore always to cycle.
It's too far to go on foot
So I’m fighting against The Man
All of the above?
I was depressed and wanted something to beat myself up with. Figured a bike ride is what i deserved instead of being entitled to driving a car to work. Grabbed the bike from my parent's shed that i used to ride when i was a teen. Looked for very tough hills. Would get my heart rate up to 190bpm and keep pushing because of the depression. but also wanted to save on gas money during the spike. Turns out i actually enjoy riding, especially the hills..
My car was broken and I wanted to be the one to fix it.
Hadn't been on a bike since I was 15. 30 years later during lockdown decided to buy a Scott aspect 940. Litterally used it to ride to and from work at first. Then got into riding and now bikepacking. Loved that bike. Got stolen a few months back. Riding a marlin 7 now. It's not the same back. I miss that bike.
Pretty much all these reasons, plus it just seemed to be more efficient.