Anyone bike to work?

[ski diva]

Not a bad idea. Good exercise and a lot cheaper than filling up the gas tank -- but it does present some clean up problems. And it could be dangerous, depending on the route.

My cousin in Boston does it, but he has a shower he can use at work -- something not everyone has, however.

Denver is even having a Bike To Work Day on June 27. Here's the article about it, from The Denver Post:

Coloradans, Wednesday, June 27 is Colorado Bike To Work Day.

About 17,000 people across the state commute by bike, according to a 2000 U.S. Census Bureau survey. June is Bike to Work Month, culminating in Bike to Work Day on June 27, and organizers are hoping to see those numbers grow.

Last year, 20,490 riders participated in Bike to Work Day in the metro area, and more are expected this year, said event coordinator Sarah Carroll of the Denver Regional Council of Governments. Those who did participate in last year’s event typically had a commute of nearly 10 miles one way.

The goal of the day is not only to ease congestion and reduce the number of miles traveled by car, but also to get more people to realize that commuting by bicycle is not as daunting a task as it may seem, Carroll said. Other bike commuters agreed that getting up the nerve to ride is the first step.

“The hardness is just that it takes a little more preparation,” said Dan Grunig, longtime bicycle commuter and executive director of Bicycle Colorado, an advocacy group for bicyclists across the state that has about 5,000 members.

Cyclists in the 2006 event rode to work on average 9.2 days the three months following the event, compared with 0.5 days per month before participating in the day.

 

[RachelV]

I've thought about biking to work a lot, but the bottom line for me is that unless there's a shower at work, it's not going to happen. A few of my co-workers from my last job were really into biking and biked to work every day, and when they got into the office in the summer they would literally be drenched in sweat. They washed up in the bathroom and brought a change of clothes, but still. No way I would be comfortable all day after that.

The building I work in also has no bike storage, and the elevators are packed in the morning already, so I doubt me trying to get a bike in there would be appreciated.

I keep saying I'm going to try it out anyways in the spring or fall when the weather's nice. I should -- I think it would be a really nice way to strart the day, and I don't think it would take me much longer than the subway.

 

[abc]

Lucky me then. I just did today, like most days.

The weather is sooo nice that I just HAVE TO be outside! I mean, the stinking subway? When I had a chance NOT to pay $4 (rt) to use it?

Most of us who bike to work never look back. Getting started is the hardest part, which involves finding out where to store the bike, how to wash up, what's a safe route. It might take a while to get it all figured out. I didn't "wait" for all of them to get sorted out before I started, though. Or I doubt I would have ever started at all.

In fact, I got started not by choice. It was the Christmas' transit strike 2 years ago! The best way to get to work was rather obvious then: bike. Cold? yes. But actually, it wasn't at all. With all the ski clothing I have, it's was too easy to over-dress! The best part about biking to work in the winter? Not sweat! I mean literally. ;)

Once I realize how much faster I can get to work, and where to store the bike safely -- my building actually has a bike room, which I never would have found out had it not for the strike!!! The rest, as they say, is history. I tried a couple different routes, and found one that's not overly busy and started biking to work whenever it's not snowing or raining. On days that are particular cold or windy, I skip biking too. The subway fare I save is starting to add up...

If you don't feel comfortable without a shower, just join a gym nearby and you can shower there.

 

[Kimmyt]

I ride in a few days a week. All told, it takes me less time to ride the 14 miles in than it does to drive them (35 minutes vs. 45m-1hr). Its pretty fun and a great way to instantly leave work behind you when you're out of there.

 

[Pequenita]

There is a bike to work day in the DC metro area....but I walk about a mile each way to and from work every day as it is, and, uh, don't own a bike.

 

[SnowHot]

I bike to work..........but its not a big deal for me. I live less than 1/4 mile from my work.

 

[abc]

I ride in a few days a week. All told, it takes me less time to ride the 14 miles in than it does to drive them (35 minutes vs. 45m-1hr).

35 min! That's a pretty fast 14 miler! ;)

I don't get anywhere near that speed. Too many lights. :(

Still, I can see it's a perfect distance for bike to work. Just enough to get the heartrate up but not so long it wear you out before the day even began. Even for me, it takes less time to get to work on bike. Though once the change & clean up time is added, it's pretty much awash.

The refreshing feeling after a bike ride? Priceless!

 

[RachelV]

In fact, I got started not by choice. It was the Christmas' transit strike 2 years ago!

Oh, man, I biked to work those days, too, and it was awesome. The first day of the strike they actually closed 5th ave entirely as an emergency route, so bikers/rollerbladers/etc had it all to themselves. That was probably the most fun I've ever had riding in the city. Very surreal.

And you know, now that you mention it, the weather was great in that you didn't sweat *at all*... maybe I should start biking to work over the winter...

 

[OzSki]

One good thing about living in a smaller town is that I can ride to work. It usually takes me about an hour and I cut accross a few fire trails to avoid the main roads. I tend to avoid it in winter when it gets nuts with the extra traffic on the roads with the tourists and freezing temps.
I get a work car whilst I'm on duty for work so I tend to ride in after days off them home again once I go back onto days off again. I doubt I would do it though if I didn't have the option to shower at work and store the bike.

 

[Kimmyt]

35 min! That's a pretty fast 14 miler! ;)

I don't get anywhere near that speed. Too many lights. :(

The first half of the ride is on the trail, so I can get some pretty high speeds, plus I usually ride my road bike in and she is a fast little girl.

 

[abc]

plus I usually ride my road bike in and she is a fast little girl.

Yep! That helps big time.

I didn't realize that until I took delivery of my cross bike (with regular road tires). My commute time was cut 20%! Even more amazing when considering I STILL have to stop for the same number of lights!!! Perhaps percisely that though come to think of it: since I can really jump on it when the light turns green, the little thing accelerates like a jack out of the box! :D

I got the cross bike not so much for the commute but as a second road bike (set up as such). But I found it handles the city street much better than my regular road bike. The more "relax" geometry must have been the reason because the potholes don't jarr me quite as shockingly any more! So now I religated my commuter (a mountain bike) to the basement (not to mention I raided it for parts too ;) )

 

[volklgirl]

When I worked in receiving I had a place to store my bike, so I rode to work everyday (even in the snow). Now that I work in the lab, there's no place to store my bike and I refuse to leave her outside. I'm joining a big group of surgery people who are pushing for indoor storage. If that comes to pass, I'll be back to riding in daily.

 

[Kimmyt]

volklgirl, is there an empty office/storage room that you can use temporarily? i leave my bike outside of where i work on the racks, unlocked, but my facility is gated so i feel a bit better about it. on rainy days i walk her into the building and put her in an empty cubicle across from where i sit. i know lots of folks that store their bikes in their offices. maybe you could find someone who has a bit of extra room in their office and would let you keep your bike in there during the day?

k.

 

[volklgirl]

I actually have room for her right behind my desk, but last time I did that, my manager had a cow!:D