
Be happy Bike to work.  - l33t_d0nut
http://csharpening.net/?p=1291
======
nicholassmith
Please anyone reading this don't wear headphones, you've removed one of the
most useful senses for knowing where there's a potential problem.

I'd love to cycle to work, the only problem is it's a 160 mile round trip, so
it's not too sustainable. I've thought about cycling the journey from my house
to the train station but then I've got the additional problem of dealing with
a bike on a busy train (two trains really), storing it at the office (small
elevator) so I keep getting the bus. If I ever work closer to home I think I
will, everyone I know that does is in much better shape than me and generally
a bit more awake at 9am.

~~~
aw3c2
I wear headphones and listen to music all the time when biking. There is
absolutely no problem doing so. I watch where I am going and I can easily hear
any meaningful sounds through the music.

Or do you mean headphones that completely shut off the environment? That would
be pure stupidity and neglect. But also something far different from just
listening to music on a bike.

~~~
dripton
I ride to work every day. Most of my commute is on a popular bike path. I
always warn people before I pass them. Every few months, someone decides to do
a U-turn or a left turn, without looking, right into my path, while I'm
passing them, leading to a near-collision. So far, 100% of the adults who've
done this have been wearing headphones. (I've had one kid without headphones
do it; I said "on your left" and she got confused and veered left into me. Now
I just say "passing.")

Based on this, I think joggers and cyclists with headphones are significantly
more dangerous to themselves and others than those without.

Of course, it's possible that _you_ are different and can hear fine through
your headphones, but I'm skeptical. (Just as I'm skeptical of people who claim
they can drive fine while talking on the phone, or while drunk.)

~~~
aw3c2
Correlation is not causation. I would much rather think that those people were
distracted or something. Not giving attention to their environments.

I CAN hear fine with my volume setting. Believe me.

Listening so loud or with headphones that cut out other sounds is dangerous,
of course. I was not talking about that and I thought I had made that clear.

Just don't tell me that I cannot listen to music while biking. Unless you want
to argue about the possible distracting itself, then we could go on about car
radios.

~~~
Xcelerate
Trust me -- I can text and drive at the same time. I'm a pro.

------
jgfoot
I have been bike commuting for nine years. The biggest things that change
since the initial rush of delight?

First, as time goes on, you care a lot more about safety. Newbies may write
about how they can meditate or listen to music while riding, but experienced
riders know they must always stay alert. You shouldn't be meditating, you
should be focused on potential dangers.

Second, the weight loss? Not as big a deal as time goes on. Don't ask me the
medical reason why, maybe it's the same phenomenon as when people who haven't
worked out for years start a program and quickly lose 10 pounds of water
weight but then find the rest is harder to lose. Commuting usually doesn't
involve the intense aerobic activity associated with road racing.

The 300 dollar bike you are satisfied with? I didn't stay satisfied after a
few months. After trying many options (too many) I took Sheldon Brown's advice
and ride a touring bike, with disc brakes, fenders, rack, and panniers.

~~~
grecy
> Don't ask me the medical reason why, maybe it's the same phenomenon as when
> people who haven't worked out for years start a program and quickly lose 10
> pounds of water weight but then find the rest is harder to lose

It's because the body is extremely good at adapting to whatever you do to it.
Even if you were riding for a hundred hours a week at maximum aerobic output,
your body would slowly adapt and you would stop making gains (getting faster,
losing weight).

Over a long period of exercise, you have to constantly vary what you are doing
to your body so it won't adapt and plateau. Keep throwing different challenges
at your body, and it will keep adapting in an attempt to deal with these new
challenges.

Try sprinting home from work at max output a couple of days a week, then
intentionally go for an extremely long ride on the weekend at a sustainable
pace. Don't do the same thing day-in, day-out

Also, eat less calories if you want to lose weight.

~~~
lelele
Also, people struggle with weight loss because they approach it only from the
side of burning excess calories with exercise, but as long as their caloric
requirements stay the same, the moment they stop exercising, calories start
piling up again. If you want to burn more fuel, there is longer lasting
approach: grow a bigger engine. That means: gain some muscle. The more muscle
you have, the more calories you will be burning, even while eating an ice-
cream on a couch. Muscles will also make you look less flabby, because toned
abs will keep your belly in check.

------
taude
One thing that I love about my bike commute is that it takes 50 minutes by
car, in good traffic...up to 90 minutes if traffic is bad. When I ride by
bike, it's always 65 - 70 minutes. I might lose 30 minutes of my day, but the
2.5 hours of total fitness more than makes up for it, not to mention the
boredom of sitting in a car idling on the highway...which has obvious
environmental impacts.

~~~
wffurr
Long ride!

I love that my bike ride is much more consistent in time than driving or
taking the train. Heavy traffic just doesn't slow me down much. Conversely,
open roads don't let me speed up much either.

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jonotime
My ride to work is over an hour each way. Been doing it every day for years
here in the northeast U.S. A mostly residential route. Funny thing is if I
take the bus, it takes the same amount of time.

I started doing this out of a distaste for cars and statistics show that
driving is actually much more dangerous then biking.

Weather-wise, I far prefer snow to rain. The hardest part is cold feet in the
winter - never found a great solution. My advice is, if questionable weather
is a deterrent, dont bike those days. But dont let it stop you from biking at
least when it is nice out.

I do a single ear headphone with audiobooks (note I am not in a city). Gotta
have something to listen to or I would be bored to death. Music can drown out
important road dangers. Spoken audio has enough space and quiet that
emergencies easily get my attention.

~~~
youngian
Have you tried neoprene booties? They worked great for me in the midwest. My
feet stayed plenty warm, and I didn't even bother to wear thick socks.

The hands were always my biggest problem.

~~~
jonotime
Yup. I used to wear booties when I wore clipping shoes. But then I switched to
heavy boots without clips and it was warmer. Never had a problem with hands. I
got some down ski mittens. In fact they are too hot - but the key is
'mittens'. Once I discovered that, there was no looking back.

------
ikailan
I agree with almost everything said here. When I was living in San Francisco,
though, my bike commute was only slightly longer than my bus commute (not
because I am that fit, only because buses in San Francisco are terrible). SO
MUCH less stressful! I did notice one thing, though: I wasn't reading as much
or listening to podcasts as much anymore.

I live in NYC now and fortunately I'm a very short walk to work. I can't wait
to buy a bike and start riding again, though I'll need to figure out how to
fit one into my tiny apartment ...

~~~
nlh
Do it! I'm a NYC'er as well and getting a bike was one of the best decisions
I've made recently. The city has gone wild with bike lanes, etc. and you'll be
in good company.

And as for storage, a friend suggested something like this to me:

<http://www.shelterness.com/diy-bike-wall-storage-racks/>

Solves two problems - storage and wall art! ;)

------
crazypyro
The problem I have with this is I tend to uhh sweat more than a normal person.
(Not because I'm out of shape, just because I sweat a lot...) I don't think I
would feel comfortable biking to work simply because I would then smell all
day and that's not exactly something I want to happen.

~~~
taude
Shower at work? Once every couple of weeks, I load a work drawer up with fresh
clothes, hand towels, etc. Guess I'm lucky that we have a gym in the facility,
but I know others that just shower at the sports club down the street from
their job.

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jorma75
You should really wear a helmet 24/7!! Also body armor. Listening to music on
a bike is clearly suicide. Please do not take ANY risks. At all, ever.

Also, become an entrepreneur. Take the plunge. Live your dream.

~~~
ikailan
What's the benefit of not wearing a helmet when biking?

~~~
reinout
The benefit? You're not sending out the message that biking is dangerous.
Would you send your kid out cycling if everyone is wearing helmets? When
cyclists are called "road warriors"?

A helmet is necessary when road racing where there is a distinct risk of
dropping over your handlebar: remember, a helmet only protects against hits
directly on the top of your head.

Normal commuting? In the city? Biggest risk is getting hit in your soft side
by a car or tipping over and hitting the road with your legs or hand or so.
Where does the helmet help there?

Best protection: more cyclists on the road. Nobody in the Netherlands wears a
helmet (apart from road racers) and you don't get 2000 killed cyclists per day
:-)

~~~
snowwrestler
Not sure where you get your info, but it is flat out wrong. It's not at all
uncommon for bicycle commuters to hit an opening door or pulling out car, go
over the handlebars, and smack their head on a very hard window or body panel
--right where a helmet would protect them.

Ask any ER physician in a city (I know several) about head injuries from bike
commuting and they will no doubt have stories.

As for sending the message that biking is dangerous: _biking is dangerous_.
The correct message for kids to learn is that most things in life worth doing
are dangerous, and the key to a successful life is learning to properly manage
risk. Wearing a helmet is part of properly managing the risk of riding a bike.

~~~
reinout
Depend on the country, or more likely on the amount of cyclists. In the
Netherlands, they consider the 1000kg steel cars to be the real dangerous
threat, not the cyclists. It may sound like a play of words, but it isn't.
Everyone cycles, so when you hit a junior cylist, you've pretty much
potentially hit everyone's kid. People have been known to get a veritable
witch hunt on their asses by local newspapers that way.

The car driver gets the blame, not the cyclist that forgot to wear a helmet.

So the key to safe biking is lots of bikes. Sadly, dressing up like for an
execution ("I will get hit by a car door and the car owner can just say sorry
and move on so I'll wear body armor") won't get society nowhere.

Note that it might very well be an individual's best choice in some countries,
probably also in yours... But it is a sad best choice.

~~~
snowwrestler
It's not about blame, it's about preventable injury. It's about reducing the
chance you'll get a call from the hospital saying "your kid has had a bike
accident and she is in a coma." I've had friends who work in ERs have to make
those calls. In many cases if the kid had been wearing a helmet they would
have had a mild concussion. Instead their life as they knew it is over.

If you don't want to wear a helmet, that is of course your decision. I just
object--strongly--to your contention that helmets aren't necessary in
commuting. That statement is just not based on any measurable facts.

------
mattlong
Others have mentioned it, but it's worth saying again: please don't wear
headphones while biking in a busy city. It only takes the one time when you
need swerve around that parked car's open door and but can't quite hear the
car that is about to pass you...

~~~
justsomedood
Don't depend on your ears to find out where another vehicle is located, use
your eyes.

------
epsylon
I also happen to bike to work and it's indeed a refreshing experience. For me,
the hard part is on the morning where the ride is 10km of climbing only — it
starts in somewhat traffic heavy streets and ends in a peaceful quiet forest.
The good thing is that the evening ride requires almost no effort, and it's a
real pleasure to feel the wind on the hot days.

I wouldn't do it if I couldn't take a shower at work, though.

(Also, piece of advice : take your breakfast AFTER the ride. Your guts will
thank you for not doing it before and you will enjoy the taste of food even
more)

~~~
ikailan
Food is so delicious after a long ride. This is true in general of strenuous
exercise. You've earned it!

------
001sky
Please don't ride with headphones in _both ears_. You cannot hear other
cylists, for one, who may be passing you. In urban environments, this is
particulalry problematic. Why? Because their is (1) already very limited space
(crosswalks, jawalkers, doors opening, busses, etc); and (2) there is a huge
range in speeds of _cyclists_ (lycra-guys, delivery-men, hipsters, commuters).
One ear is plenty (look at pro-cyclists).

In CA it is also ILLEGAL, apparently.

The Law: Riding with Tunes

Only five states regulate the use of headphones by cyclists, and generally the
limitations are directed at all vehicle operators. Two of those states–Florida
and Rhode Island–prohibit any use of headsets. The intent is to ensure that
vehicle operators won’t inhibit their ability to hear sirens and vehicle
horns.

The other three states that regulate the use of headsets–California, Delaware
and Maryland–prohibit their use in both ears; in these states, one ear must be
left uncovered. Maryland makes an exception to this law for riders on bike
paths.

[http://www.bicyclelaw.com/road-rights/a.cfm/road-rights-
list...](http://www.bicyclelaw.com/road-rights/a.cfm/road-rights-listen-up1)

------
pav3l
My work is about 4 miles from where I live and I usually run back home and it
takes exactly the same amount of time as public transportation. I would jog to
work as well but we don't have showers at work. I might just start
experimenting with wet naps/towels, etc soon. I think that running truly is
the greatest and safest way of commuting if the distances are reasonable.

------
tdfx
As someone who will be commuting by bike soon, I have to ask: what do you do
when it rains/snows?

~~~
jib
Wear the right clothes and bring a set of clothes to change into. :)

I bike to work in Ireland (150+ rain days a year - yay). Rain clothes takes
care of that - just make sure they aren't too heavy.

When I was younger I worked as a mailman in Sweden for three winters, using a
bike for 2-3h a day, every day. You don't even need a lot of clothes for that
- a fleece over a set of thermal underwear will do you down to minus 10 C or
so, after that you want a thicker jacket on top. Heat from the exercise keep
you warm enough anyways.

For both rain and snow - get a good pair of gloves (hands are the only part
that really sucks when wet/cold). For the cold, get a decent set of thermal
underwear.

~~~
bmj
I've found a good, British-style rain cape is light years better than
waterproof jackets and pants. Better airflow means you sweat less.

Another trick for the cold: unless it's Sweden-cold, you should be a bit
chilly when you get on the bike, otherwise you will overheat rather quickly.

------
eli
I know this is an uncool thing to say, but I hated biking to work in downtown
DC. DC has done a great job adding bike lanes, but they aren't everywhere. I
found it to be quite the opposite of meditative and I arrived at work sweaty
and uncomfortable.

~~~
syassami
I alleviated my sweat problem when I biked to work by taking almost miniature
bird baths in the sink, or using baby wipes.

~~~
eli
I'm pretty sure I would need a change of clothes to be comfortable again.

~~~
pge
definitely - I've been riding to work in DC for 10+ years, but a shower is
definitely a requirement to do it year round. I'm fortunate to work in a
building now with a shower, but before that, I just got a membership at a
nearby gym. The gym membership was cheaper than parking or metroing every day.

------
SideburnsOfDoom
> "Be happy Bike to work"

You're not a Londoner, I see.

~~~
jgrahamc
I used to bike to work in central London. It requires being alert, but it was
far better than driving, taking the tube or taking a bus.

I never wore headphones though. I would have considered that suicide.

~~~
ikailan
Agree with the headphones bit. I can't believe it when people bike in a city
with headphones and no helmet on.

~~~
evoxed
It's a pretty big fine in NY (headphones) that's actually enforced. Also
illegal in most cities AFAIK.

------
kenamarit
Yes! I used to live in Bernal Heights in San Francisco and commute to SOMA
everyday, and this is how my commute options broke down, time and money-wise:

Bike to BART, BART to Powell - 30 min, $1.75

Bike straight to work - 30 min, free

Bus to BART, BART to Powell - 30 minutes, $3.50 (I think?)

Bus to work - 45-60 minutes, $1.75

Bum a ride to work - 30-45 minutes, free

AND biking adds many non-quantifiable benefits, as the OP states. It's the
best way to clear your mind, other than maybe a long walk or hike.

[edit for formatting]

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P4tr3ck
I am bike commuting to work for more than 6 years now. I do this through the
whole year, summer and winter, everyday.

Always have a set of water proof clothes in your backpack. My experience is,
if it rains it usually starts 10 minutes after you left home.

I had chronic pain in my knees probably from sitting before monitors the whole
day. After one week of bike commuting to work the pain was gone.

------
taylorfausak
This matches my experiences. I ride most mornings before work since I
telecommute, but it's the same idea. The positive effect on my mood surprised
me — it only takes a little bit of exercise!

As an aside, please be careful wearing headphones when you ride. There are
plenty of flame wars over that (and helmets, and brakes) over in /r/bicycling.

------
tibbon
I work from coffeeshops and such, which is inheriently flexible. I've started
trying to walk or bike as much as humanly possible. It helps to have a
terrible car that is frankly embarrassing to drive. I definitely feel better
the days I walk a few miles.

~~~
andere
Don't be embarrassed by a cheap or low-quality car. All that means is that
you're more likely to not be paying monthly bills to pay off your car. That's
a good thing to be proud of.

~~~
UnFleshedOne
As long as it doesn't spew clouds of blue smoke every time you slightly press
on the gas pedal. Those cars should be violently scrapped with prejudice! (and
all diesel trucks too actually...)

------
gunmetal
Never wear headphones while biking in a city. Unless you want to die.

------
donretag
Regarding the helmet: they truly are a no-brainer. Even the cheap 30 buck ones
the OP talks about must meet the minimum federal guidelines for safety (in the
US). No need for a more expensive helmet, which mainly provide less weight
(avoid neck strain over long rides) and better ventilation.

Helmets save lives and do not have to look dorky. But you do get a bad case of
hat hair.

~~~
gst
I don't want to discuss if helmets actually have any safety advantage (there
are studies claiming both things).

But I don't think that biking is a particularly dangerous activity. I don't
wear a helmet while walking on the street or while driving a car, so why
should I wear a helmet when biking?

~~~
dnr
In a car you have airbags, which are sort of like an external helmet.

As for walking, there are a lot more things that can go wrong on a bike. You
can hit a pothole, get your wheel caught in a train track, slip on an oil
patch, get doored, have your chain get stuck, not be able to clip out of your
pedal, get something caught in your spokes, take a corner on some sand, hit
the ground with your pedal, etc.

These things aren't very likely, but any of them provides a fair chance to
lose control of your bike and then hit something or the ground at a decent
speed. The more traffic you ride in the more likely something will happen. And
if you ride every day to commute, you'll almost certainly have some kind of
incident sooner or later.

Personal anecdote section:

I bike commuted for 2.5 years in the south bay without any major incidents.
Later, I had been bike commuting in SF for about a month when I had an
accident that involved hitting my head on a parked truck and then the ground
(at least I think). The helmet ended up slightly scraped up. I don't know how
badly my head would have been injured without it; it may have been just a
scrape as well. But I'm quite happy I didn't get to find out.

------
jcdavison
i've been an avid cyclist all my life, you have just hit the beginning of what
cycling is such an amazing activity, that an i think endurance sports go hand
in hand with the entrepreneurial life. congrats on this!

------
harscoat
Post added to our action wiki <https://didthis.com/bikecommute> Thanks for
inspiring us to "redo" & spread this lifestyle meme!

------
somethingnew
A fellow Madisonian! I happen to cross Old Sauk Rd. on my bike to work as
well! I also run, and use MapMyRun for that.

------
nraynaud
Sorry, I live next door to work, the time to get the bike out I would already
be there by foot :)

------
JosephRedfern
Nice Hotlinking.

------
derleth
What about walking? Why the focus on biking?

~~~
nswanberg
Walking is a fantastic commute. It would be nice if people would structure
their lives to walk. My ideal commute would be a five to ten minute walk to a
nice office down a street with apartments and shops(it's currently ten feet,
which has good parts and bad).

But for many people, including the author, bike commuting is the most
practical for the distance covered. And for some, talking about bikes and bike
gear is much more rewarding than talking about shoes.

~~~
justincormack
5-10m is too short. You need a good half hour to do some productive thinking.
My current walk is about 45m which is fine too. The bus saves maybe 15m so I
usually walk.

