Hi,

I live in Sweden and have been biking to work every day for years. (About 10 miles, total) I have an old "commuter" bike. These bikes only have one gear, the top speed is not very high, maintenance is a breeze and are not likely to get stolen. All of our bikes stand outside so theft and the elements are always a threat. (At home I put the bike in the bike shed.) Top speed is some what important since higher speed usually means working harder and you will sweat more. In the winter, I swap my summer tires for winter tires, (The same as I do for my car) this is absolutely necessary. Even though the city plows the bike roads, ice and snow is still a problem.

I don't really worry too much about traffic since we have dedicated bike roads over most of the city and out to the suburbs. (They recently even narrowed a busy street to install bike roads on it and restrict the speed of cars.) Ride with courtesy and obey the traffic laws. (Red lights, stop signs, yielding etc...) If your community does not have bike roads, you will have to fight/ask for it. People will spend billions on new/old roads but very little on bike paths or side walks.

Biking to work is easy, cheap and healthy, you don't need a fancy bike or fancy clothes. A moderate pace is more important then specialty clothes. I see people in suits and dresses commuting everyday in all types of weather. It might take a bit longer but not having to change or shower is a huge time saver.

Good luck and give it a go!
Mike

Bringing an older topic back to life. I've been biking to work for more than a month now, to save money, loose weight and training for the 45 mile charity ride I'm doing. It's about 7.2 miles each way and takes me just under a half hour to do it (usually 26-28 minutes). I feel better, am getting faster and with my weekend rides, been doing over 100 miles / week for a while now.

www.commutebybike.com is a great resource.

I leave sneakers at work, usually jeans too as I can wear them for a few days and only take shirts and boxers with me along with lunch.

I ride a road bike, they start around $550 for anything of half decent money but there are options on craigslist or going with a single speed like the new $300 Schwinn Cutter that will be out shortly to cut down on money. Knowing your state and local bike laws help, a lot.

Knowing how to fix your bike on the side of the ride is really important.

Be aware that your bike does cost money to maintain so every day you ride, you save gas but will be spending time or money keeping up w/ your bike. Depending on your weight, rear tires only last for 1000-1500 miles, they cost, on the cheap end, $25-30 to repair. Per mile, that is really spendy if you think about it. A quality chain lube is needed, there goes another $10. You need to carry at least one tube and a patch kit, these cost money and so do pumps... then there is cycling gear. If you are riding more than 3-4 miles, shorts are needed. These cost $30+ and are worth every penny. I gave up wearing cotton shirts because you just feel gross in them when you start to sweat. Target carries Champion C9 brand (exclusivly) - these are very similar to Under Armor but 1/3 the cost, but even at around $9 / shirt they add up.

Yes you can and will save money, but I think above and beyond that you'll be helping out the enviornment, getting in better shape and possibly getting a discount on your car insurance if you call and tell them you are driving fewer miles per year due to bicycle commuting.

Fall is here now and it's in the mid to high 60's on my commute to work, short sleeve shirts are becoming not enough to stay warm but I'm hoping to keep riding through at least the end of October.

For the one person who said cycling specific shoes aren't needed, I kind of disagree. I spent the first 100 miles on my bike with toe clips then switched to a pair of (on sale) $65 northwave mtb shoes and egg beater pedals for my road bike and it was like night and day. Not only did I climb faster, my average speeds on flat ground increased almost as if I was stronger. Additionally, the shoes are much lighter than the sneakers I was wearing and have much better venting. I waited 100 miles with my bike to make sure I was going to stick with riding it before I plunked down the $$ for shoes and pedals but now I wouldn't consider riding without them.

I wish I could ride to work, but its about 21 miles each way for me, 7 miles of which is on a dirt road I used to live in a semi-large city in Japan and would ride my bike to work when it wasn't raining horrendously. It took me 25-30 mins to drive because of traffic, but only 15 mins or so on my bike, so that was a big plus!

[quote="Mike Panic"]
For the one person who said cycling specific shoes aren't needed, I kind of disagree. I spent the first 100 miles on my bike with toe clips then switched to a pair of (on sale) $65 quote]

who feels it , knows it.

I'm kind of torn between getting clipless pedals or not. I currently have clips and I can fit my sneakers in them just fine. I know they aren't nearly as efficient as clipless, but then I'd have to get some cycling shoes with cleats. How do you deal with walking after you get to your destination? I don't bike to work, I just bike to places around town (cafe, shopping, groceries, bookstore) since I don't have a car. In my case, I think the cycling advantage of clipless would not outweigh the inconvenience of having to wear cycling shoes when I get there... are there any cycling shoes that are comfortable for walking?

I have seen some cycling shoe models for sale that are said to be better for walking; they're mostly marketed for commuters or casual bikers.

My main beef with clipless pedals and cycling shoes is that a couple of times on long bike rides on dirt roads Vermont my bike broke down and I had to walk 10 miles or more back home. These were things that couldn't be repaired on the spot - in one case my seatpost broke and in another case my chain broke and I didn't have a chain repair tool with me. Walking 10 miles in standard bike shoes would have been torture. I've also seen a few people take falls at traffic lights when they couldn't twist their shoes out of the pedals quickly enough; I've never had that problem with toe clips.

For urban commuting, though, cycling shoes would be okay -- if your bike breaks down you can hop a bus or call a cab. And for long tours you can pack a pair of standard shoes for walking.

My brother rides 36 miles a day (18 miles each way) through hills in the San Francisco area; he doesn't own a car. His bike has standard hybrid bike pedals, no toe clips, he just rides in his sneakers and is content with that. I notice a big difference with toe clips, however, and I'm sure stiff cycling shoes would make my pedaling even more efficient but I just can't bring myself to have a separate set of shoes just for cyclling.

that's why i wear mtb shoes - fairly comfy to walk around in and i have no problems, but you wouldn't catch me walking for an hour or two in them.

if you are going to be shopping / bookstores / etc - chances are you will be buying something... so put a pair of flip flops in your bag or buy panieers for your bike and change when you get to the location. my mtb shoes are very light, less than a pound for the pair, so carrying them isn't an issue.

I will be biking to work before way too long, but I have to get my car sold first to pay for one. I only have about a 1/2 mile of urban, paved road to get to work each way; any suggestions as to what I should look for? I'd like to buy new from a good local shop, but road bikes seem to start around $800 or so. Would I be better off getting a somewhat cheaper hybrid bike, or would it cost more to maintain? I know Craigslist and the like are out there, but I'd like to support local business; and I tend to shy away from online shopping (still wary regarding quality issues).

Craigslist is just like buying from your local ad section, it's just the online version. You always buy local, they never ship it, so you can always inspect the bike before you buy. I bought my bike from Craigslist and I was able to do a test ride beforehand. I bought my 90's Bianchi road bike for 350, it was very well maintained and fits me pretty well. The main concern you should have is with the bike's fit. Read up on bike fitting and make sure that the bike fits you before you buy it. Since you are just commuting a short distance, almost any bike would do. Just try them out before you buy.

I would first buy a cheap bike ($150 or so) to see if I don't change my mind about biking to work. If you like it and it's something you see yourself doing long term, then you may invest in a better bike. But I don't think it is necessary to spend $1,000 for a bike.
I would love to bike to work, but I live in So. Florida, and if the heat or the rain don't kill you, one of our wonderful So. Fla drivers will.
Good luck and be safe.

Mario.

Well, I looked on craigslist, and there don't seem to be any decent bikes for sale locally, unless i want to pay $500 or so--mostly kids' or vintage bikes in the $250 or less price range; or else too small for me (need a ~56 cm height). Would it be worth a 70 mile trip to Muncie to get a secondhand Cannondale SH600 for $200?

Really, there aren't many decent options within an hour of where I live (that's as far out as I'm willing to drive!).

$150 honestly won't buy you anything but headaches. If you only have a 1/2 mile commute, this is your answer: http://www.schwinnbike.com/usa/eng/Prod ... CUT-Cutter

I've heard some shops are selling them at $250

Be aware, this is a fixed gear bike - that is, there are no gears and there is no freewheel. When you want to slow down or go down a hill, you need to slow your legs down from spinning. It will come with brakes to help you, but it's something you need to consider. These are the types of bikes that messengers use in NYC, Boston, Philly, etc - and they run them w/out brakes all the time. Not saying you should, but this is a very cheap, amazingly reliable bike to ride for your short distance.

I ride with two friends who are on fixies, neither have brakes and both are in better shape then me and routinely pull away from me, even on flats, and even with me having gears. Fixies are super low maintenance and a great workout.

If that doesn't suit your needs, you should be looking at something like the Jamis line of flat bar road bikes - they start around $450 if I recall new.

How about electric bikes?
http://www.optimalride.com/wp-content/u ... c-bike.jpg

They look cool.

Is there a good way to "test" whether or not I would like to bike to work without making a huge investment? I haven't ridden a bike in years but, from what I've seen on the web, I think that I would like the Strida (http://www.strida.us/home-page.asp) because of the very functional/practical design as a foldable bike. My drive to work is pretty much a straight shot with only having to cross one major road ... and it takes maybe 5-10 minutes by car. Is there completely waterproof gear which would allow me to safely take my laptop home with me even if it was raining hard? What would I do if it rained? How much hassle would it be to carry up and down a flight of stairs if I'm on the second floor? How much dirt does it bring in if stored indoors? Is it best to bring a change of clothes for work commutes and, if so, wouldn't it be weird to change clothes inside a bathroom stall every morning and afternoon? I would need to keep my car anyway for more extensive trips... so is it even worth it to own a bike? I'm reluctant to make the leap and, even if I did, I'm unsure if it's better to start off with a cheaper bike to make sure I like it or to go "all in" by ordering the more expensive Strida.

You can "test" it by going to a lbs (local bike shop) and seeing if you can borrow a bike for a day... or rent it. do the ride, see how you feel. When I started to ride, a 4 mile ride to a friend's house nearly killed me, I thought I'd die in his front yard, now 40-50 mile rides on the weekend are the norm.

Avoid that bike and most folding bikes for commuting unless you need to take them on a subway. They are heavy, cost too much and usually have specific parts to them that are hard and spendy to replace.

5-10 minutes by car, depending on traffic lights could be 4-12 miles, not sure how fast you drive. My car commute to work is 8 miles and takes 12 minutes on a good day with light to average traffic. I go a different route (not via highway obviously) on my bike and it's 7.15 miles, when I started to commute it was 28-29 minutes, now I'm in the 25-26 minute bracket because I'm in better shape, weigh almost 30 pounds less and have built leg muscles.

Laptop issues. Yes, it's possible. They make panniers and covers for them that are waterproof, as well as backpacks and messenger bags (r.e. load bags for example) that will keep your stuff dry, and they make waterproof covers for most backpacks as well. If you are real nervous, large ziplock bag wouldn't hurt the lappy.

Rain in general, I watch my local doplar radar pretty close and avoid rain or the chance of rain whenever I can. I've yet to get caught in it while commuting, but have been caught while out on fun rides. It sucks, I'm not going to lie, but you can only get so wet. If you are going to become a regular commuter by bike, you will get caught in it sooner or later. Cheap rain jackets that will fit in your bag are a good start. Grin and bear it, especially if it's a short ride. One commuter I know who hasn't driven to work in over 10 years will ride 2ish miles to a local bus stop if it's raining really hard, take the bus 9/10ths of the way to work and ride the last mile from the bus stop to his job. That cuts down on the wet time.

Stairs aren't that big of a deal, honestly. A modern road bicycle weights 21-23lbs... if you went with a single speed or fixed gear it might only be 16-18lbs. I carry my bike out of my condo down a half flight of stairs, which are uber long, 2-step stairs, not a big deal.

Dirt / mud, I ride a road bicycle, so I dont' cut corners through yards or on bike trails and outside of a puddle or getting caught in the rain, there's no mud getting trecked inside my house. Every few weeks I wipe my bike down so it stays pretty clean.

Clothing. This is where you will be able to answer what is best for you. Some commuters will take a week's worth of clothing in on Monday (via bike or car) and then bring home the dirty as they see fit. Others work in their commuting clothing, depending on profession. Personally, I keep a pair of jeans and sneakers at work and only carry polo shirts, boxers and under shirts with me daily, taking the jeans home every few days to exchange with others, as I'm in a pretty casual work place.

This thread is about biking to work, not replacing your car with a bike... so yes, you probably will have to keep your car, I do because I take my dog places, and drive to places to ride from time to time.

Is it even worth it to own a bike? That's a really loaded question. My opinon, yes, yes it is. I've lost nearly 30 pounds in the last 2.5 months, helped to save the enviornment, saved $40 / year on my car insurance and saved gas money. Now, there is an initial investment. I got a left over bike so I saved a good deal of money right there, long story short I ended up paying $400 for a $550 bike. Now, I also have about $250 worth of extras to the bike, like shoes, clipless pedals, helmet, floor pump, saddle bag, etc. etc. plus another $100-150 in cycling specific clothing, so out of pocket I've spent about $800. Take a look at this article I wrote to get an idea of how much money I save riding to work vs. driving [my 35mpg civic] http://www.randomn3ss.com/2008/10/06/ri ... uncle-sam/

So for arguments sake, it costs $30 to fill my civic, which gets 350 miles per tank (rounding numbers for easy math). I'd have to ride my bike about 27 fill-ups worth of gas, or just under 9,500 total miles. That doesn't include things like tube and tire replacement, wheels being trued or other costs of ownership. OK, that's a bit excessive, but look at the bigger picture. I saved $40 / year by calling my insurance company and having my auto insurance switched to "pleasure vehicle" instead of "commuting vehicle" - that is more than a tank of gas and knocks about 450-500 miles off that 9,500 mile total right there. If I cancled my gym membership (I'm not, but let's say I did), I'd save about another $250 / year because I do get a great workout in by riding nearly an hour a day (back and forth to work). I'm keeping it because the winter is almost here and my weekend fun rides are almost gone. If I canceled that I'd knock my initial investment of $800 in bike, accessories and clothing down to a modest $510. If my employer decides that it will give me the $20 tax free credit monthly for commuting, I'll get another $240 / year back, meaning the true cost of my investment is only about $270. That's about 9 tank-fulls of gas, just over 3,000 miles.

That's the first I've broken down the cost of ownership for me, your results may vary and my math may be off a bit here and there.

As for making the leap, read the http://commutebybike.com/ site I linked to earlier, avoid that Strida bike and get a real commuting bike based on your needs, go and talk to a local bike shop (or more than one if they are close) and tell him what you want to accomplish, what your budget is and how often you plan, they will help get you in the right setup, and start riding. If you hate it, sell the bike on craigslist - used bicycles tend to hold a good portion of their value.

I'm currently looking into getting a light or two so I can ride in the evenings now that the sun is setting around 6pm here, it just seems silly for me to drive 2 miles to my gym so I can get on a treadmill and run, when I could just ride my bike. I'll follow this thread via email so if you have more questions I can try to get you answers.