
One year of cycling to work - def-
https://hookrace.net/blog/cycling-to-work/
======
nsedlet
I commute about 6 miles each way between Brooklyn (home) and Manhattan (work).
I've been raving about it to everyone I know because it's legitimately changed
my life. It feels amazing, saves money, keeps me in much better shape, gives
me more energy at work. It's slightly faster than the subway, and
significantly faster than driving/cabbing at rush hour.

I also love that transit time is very consistent (even relative to the subway,
which has lately been wonky). It's great to arrive for our morning standup
exactly 7 minutes early, rather than having to pad in 30 minutes of
unproductive dead space in case the subway has some problem.

NYC bike paths have gotten pretty good over the years, such that I can use
protected lanes for ~70% of the trip, and dedicated lanes for >90%. No
accidents yet but several close calls, mostly with pedestrians. New York
streets are crowded and aggressive, but the speeds are low and drivers are
relatively vigilant.

~~~
dte22
If you don't mind me asking, how do you deal with the sweat? Do you shower on
arrival?

I would love to bike, but no showers at my current workplace :/

~~~
markstos
Keep your effort below the sweat threshold on the way there. Think walking-
effort, not running-effort.

Bikes are about 4x more efficient, so for short and moderate distances, even
walking-effort will get you there in reasonable time.

If you sweat at a walking-effort, try dressing lighter or as others have
suggested, use wet wipes and spare clothes at work.

You can also consider an e-bike to avoid sweating on the way to work. On the
commute home, use less assist if you want more exercise.

------
unicornporn
I'm at my 12 year of every day bike commuting. Before I commuted 10 km each
direction, now I'm at 6 km. If I have activities after work, I ride to them
too. So my total ride length is a fair bit longer than what my commute is.

The public transportation network here in Stockholm is good, but wouldn't even
consider cramming myself into a packed subway train or bus. Even at this time
of the year when it's -5 degrees celcius and snowy I really enjoy my daily
rides.

It cuts commuting time in half and I shave off another two hours of sitting
without moving a day.

If possible, I highly recommend bike commuting. Get a good bike (with gears)
and rack mounts for bags. Gravel/adventure bikes are fun to ride and work well
on all surfaces. Supple 650b tyres are all the rage these days. They will give
you plenty of comfort while sacrificing very little when it comes to
performance[1].

Tomorrow I'll be going to the outskirts of town with work. Then it's 50 km. I
already look forward to that workday adventure. :)

[1] [https://janheine.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/12-myths-in-
cyclin...](https://janheine.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/12-myths-in-
cycling-1-wider-tires-are-slower/)

~~~
subpixel
I commuted by bike for years in NYC and frankly I do not recommend it. The
traffic has always been bad but it’s now significantly worse, and the bike
lanes that exist make riding even more dangerous. You are always within reach
of parked cars doors, and the lack of a physical barrier on most lanes means
they are often driven over by cars.

Perhaps worst of all, even faulty bike lanes give cyclists a sense of
entitlement and false security. The fact remains the roads were not built for
cycling and cars always win in a battle for space.

I’d love to see bike-only roads, routes, or such. But until there is both
proper segregation and consequences when cars kill cyclists (there are
currently none) it’s a death wish.

Every day I see eager young cyclists riding with no helmet, no lights, and not
infrequently without brakes (on fixies) and I am compelled to yell out my
advice on working harder at staying alive.

~~~
djtriptych
Commuted for years, also Brooklyn to Manhattan about the same distance. Had to
stop due to back issues but I can echo all the OP’s benefits.

Biking is somewhat dangerous in NYC, and every other American city. I agree
with OP that NYC drivers are generally very good though. It’s the bikers
responsibility to bike as though drivers are -trying- to kill you. First heard
that advice when riding motorcycles and it’s stuck with me.

I’ve been in a few spills on my bike. A big one with a pedestrian who strolled
into a protected high speed path at prospect park. Another one with an
invisible pothole at night in park slope. The last was pure user error, riding
tipsy from my local bar home :)

Generally, riding in nyc, like walking in nyc, is a unique skill set. You
really MUST be able to do things like look behind you while riding, and it’s
quite helpful to be able to accelerate to near traffic speeds. Of course you
must assume any car door can open at any time. Route planning also goes a long
way; it’s usually worthwhile to take a slightly longer route to stay on smooth
streets or protected lanes. Extra wide one-way streets in Brooklyn are
generally quite good for cyclists as well.

~~~
jacquesm
> The last was pure user error, riding tipsy from my local bar home :)

Doesn't that count as DUI where you live?

~~~
tawayduibike
No, that's a common misconception: [https://www.nysdwi.com/rochester-dwi-on-a-
bicycle-new-york-l...](https://www.nysdwi.com/rochester-dwi-on-a-bicycle-new-
york-law/) and [https://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/a-state-by-state-
guide...](https://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/a-state-by-state-guide-to-
biking-under-the-influence)

------
sandover
I've been cycling to work in downtown LA for nearly 8 years, 4 miles each way.
I'm faster than a car over that commute. The weather is fantastic, and I am
physically in great shape. Mental benefits are huge.

I've gone about 15,000 miles in dense urban environments without any accidents
of any kind. There are a number of keys to this:

\- Think like a driver -- it helps to be a good driver first

\- Think, period. Don't listen to music, pay attention.

\- Don't ride in the door zone. Don't let drivers make you ride in the door
zone. If you need the lane, take the lane. It's your right.

\- Use flashing lights on front and back, at all times of day. Nobody else
except emergency vehicles is allowed to have flashing lights. There's a good
reason: they are unmissable and very distracting.

\- Wear brightly colored shirts and a bright colored helmet.

\- If you don't wear a helmet, don't worry about it, it doesn't mitigate that
much risk. The exercise benefits of biking do way more to increase your life
expectancy than skipping a helmet does to reduce it.

~~~
troncjb
> If you don't wear a helmet, don't worry about it, it doesn't mitigate that
> much risk. The exercise benefits of biking do way more to increase your life
> expectancy than skipping a helmet does to reduce it.

This is very, very stupid advice.

~~~
wbkang
I totally agree. "Cyclists without helmets triple their chance of death by
head injury"
[https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2012/10/15/cyclists_without...](https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2012/10/15/cyclists_without_helmets_triple_their_chance_of_death_by_head_injury.html)

~~~
sandover
Look at it in terms of effect on life expectancty.

The risk of death from 1 hour of cycling reduces life expectancy by about 24
minutes. Wearing a helmet probably changes this by a couple of minutes.

\- [http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/06/13/bicycling-the-
safe...](http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/06/13/bicycling-the-safest-form-
of-transportation/)

\- [https://nwurban.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/cyclings-impact-
on-...](https://nwurban.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/cyclings-impact-on-life-
expectancy/)

1 additional hour of sitting and watching TV in the evening, in an already
sedentary life, probably has a similar effect on life expectancy.

[http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/17/get-up-get-out-
dont...](http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/17/get-up-get-out-dont-sit)

The exercise you get from that same session of cycling for 1 hour INCREASES
life expectancy from 3-9 hours.

\- [http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2013/03/minutes-exercise-
longer...](http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2013/03/minutes-exercise-longer-life)

\- WHO study,
[http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/exercise-l...](http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/exercise-
lengthens-life-regardless-12-11-06/)

~~~
abakker
I'm not sure it is appropriate to think about helmet use as having a bearing
on life expectancy. The data on helmet accident avoidance is terrible. i.e. we
have no idea what the severity of an accident "would have been" because that
kind of data is never reported. Anecdotally, I've needed my helmet many times,
but never reported its use to anyone.

you could theoretically look at the injury rate for non-helmeted people, but,
again, you don't know how representative that rate is of the population. You
are assuming that the non-helmeted accident statistics sample is
representative of the cycling population. I am not sure that is true.

~~~
edejong
Almost everyone in the Netherlands is driving without. Should give a good
comparative analysis.

~~~
abakker
Well, That is a very interesting example of why we can't compare populations.
Many posts on HN have highlighted just how cycling-savvy the Dutch are both as
cyclists and as motorists. Arguably, a Netherlands specific comparison would
tell us _something_ about whether helmets improved outcomes, but they wouldn't
necessarily tell us anything about the rate, because falls may be less likely
in the first place.

------
reti
I cycle around 3 times the distance he does daily to and from work in London.
I've been doing this for 5 years. It's probably fair to say I take more days
off than he does though (I leave the bike at home if going for a drink).

I suppose the same could be said for any form of regular exercise, but it
makes such an improvement to how I feel when I get to work, and my general
well-being. The pollution in London has always been a bit of a concern,
however I hope the exercise outweighs this for the most part. I save around £8
a day by not taking the train.

I wish more people would give it a go. More people riding would result in
better and safer infrastructure here. I do however, regularly see people get
knocked off bikes and can understand the perceived risk and reluctance from
others to try it. I'm envious of cities such as Copenhagen with great safe
infrastructure, and where riding is the norm.

~~~
vivan
I live in London and I'd love to cycle to work, but the infrastructure (for my
route) just isn't there. And for people who aren't experienced cyclists, it is
even worse as lack of confidence actually leads to more accidents.

~~~
lmm
I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the route to work a cycling route
planner gave me in London was. There are less nice parts at the beginning and
end (as I get onto and off the cycle-friendly streets), but the majority of
the route (some on Q2, some on quiet 20mph roads with no specific cycling
provision) is not bad.

~~~
ZeroGravitas
[https://www.cyclestreets.net/](https://www.cyclestreets.net/) is one such
planner that may have bike only shorcuts that aren't marked on other map
sources (it's based on OpenStreetMap and feeds cycle specific data back I
believe).

------
ggregoire
I've always used a bike to go to work, but now I'm in Mexico City. Too many
cars, too much air pollution. Cycling here is bad for your health.

The public bicycle sharing system is really good and cheap. Some parts of the
city are bike friendly. But the air quality is just so bad. The trucks that
spew black smoke continuously. The buses that have never been controlled in 50
years. The SUVs traveling at 100 km/h on the lanes reserved for buses and
bicycles. All the cars idling and honking in traffic after 6PM. It's really
depressing. This city would be such a beautiful city without all those cars
and trucks.

Refs:

\- air quality:
[https://air.plumelabs.com/en/year/mexico](https://air.plumelabs.com/en/year/mexico)

\- ecoBici:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EcoBici_(Mexico_City)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EcoBici_\(Mexico_City\))

\- "Car ban fails to curb air pollution in Mexico City"
[http://www.bbc.com/news/science-
environment-38840076](http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38840076)

~~~
sumo89
You're exposed to more pollution sitting in a car in traffic than you are
cycling through it in the open.

[http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-4599572/Avoi...](http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-4599572/Avoid-
air-pollution-changing-route-behaviour.html)

~~~
lostlogin
Breathing hard on a bike when pushing it is really nasty when the air is bad.
Sucking in a chest full of exhaust fumes is horrible.

------
darklajid
I commuted by bike (6km one way) in Tel Aviv, Israel and it was awesome. Great
route, bike lanes/parks and a (tiny, but who cares) shower in the office. Did
that for one year straight, just like the person in the article.

Now I'm living in Singapore, a city that has a traffic problem and tries to
reduce the cars on the streets. You'd think they would welcome bikes, but
riding a bike here sucks. Big time. It's basically unbearable.

There are no sidewalks to speak of on a lot of roads. Often the sidewalks are
divided in two segments of different heights. Tables will be on the sidewalk,
garbage bins will block it.

Riding on the road - the norm in my home country - is discouraged by every
local I've met, both bike fans and car drivers. You can ride the bike in this
city, sometimes, in some places. But it's a pain in the rear to use it for
commutes and a very, very bad experience around the central part of Singapore.
Park connectors/outward regions are fine, but the traffic infested center is
no place for a bike, which is quite sad..

What I'm trying to say is: I agree that the article describes a great way to
live, something I dearly miss. I believe that this isn't possible for a lot of
people though, in spite of the benefits it would provide to them and their
surroundings.

~~~
77pt77
Biking in Singapore's humid heat does not sound pleasant at all.

~~~
notauser
It's actually really nice to bike in Singapore, provided you can shower at
work.

I cycled every day for a month along a mix of park connectors (cycle paths)
and two and three lane roads.

I only had one close pass from a car because on nearly all roads they have a
whole extra lane to use to pass you in so if you ride assertively (in the
middle of a lane) they just go around you.

And the park connectors are beautiful, fast tarmac with no cars at all. With
some creativity you can link them up to create a great commute to most places.
My route home went past a Riverside pub - I was on segregated cycle lanes the
rest of the way home so I could easily stop for a beer with little risk.

You do usually arrive soaking wet from sweat or the rain. But that's a minor
inconvenience compared to being cold! Biking in Singapore is warm, fast, and
safe - much better than most places I've commuted.

~~~
moosekaka
NO its not...I grew up here and lived and worked abroad in in UK and US for a
few years so I can attest to the difference weather makes...especially the
humidity. (I cycled in both here and abroad.)

And no one seemed to mention...two wheeled transport is great, until it rains.
And if you have never been to Singapore, Malaysia or the tropics you haven't
seen real rain yet.

BTW...in SE Asia, the two wheeled transport of choice is the motorbike. The
roads (and motorists attitudes) weren't designed for LOW speed traffic.

~~~
notauser
Singapore is pretty light on motorbikes compared to places like Hanoi.

I cycle year round in London and would rather cycle commute in Singapore. Once
you are acclimatised to the humidity it's not that big a deal, and it's always
similar so it's easy to plan for.

You do have to pull off the road to wait out a real tropical rain storm... but
so do motorbikes. That's why they have shelters for then under the today
bridges.

All these places are ace compared to most US cities, though.

------
cesis
Another bonus for bicycling/walking is very predictable arrival time as no
traffic jams, public transportation issues etc impact them.

~~~
lmm
Agreed but only up to a point. I can easily spend 5 minutes in the queue for
the lights near my flat (a lot of buses and lorries on that road so I can't
always lane split safely), and I was delayed much longer once because police
had closed the road after a collision.

~~~
Aaargh20318
You don't have separate bicycle paths (and traffic lights) where you are ?

~~~
lmm
Most of my commute is along more cycle-friendly routes (not separate paths,
but quiet roads) but I've got a "last mile" at both ends (from home onto the
route and from the route to work) that runs across quite busy main roads,
since ultimately I live on one of those.

~~~
parthdesai
Just walk the bike for that portion of your commute?

~~~
lmm
Could do, but the stop-start vehicle traffic is still faster than walking.

------
nmeofthestate
As a counterbalance to all the positivity, I cycle to work and don't enjoy it
or feel much benefit from it. In comparison, driving is so much more
comfortable (especially in bad weather) and a bit quicker.

~~~
HumanDrivenDev
Driving is much less mentally taxing. It's nice to be able to just... drive
down the road without constantly worrying about doors being open or cars
pulling out from driveways/side streets without seeing you.

I've never been hit by a car and I want to keep it that way, so my eyes are
constantly scanning everything.

~~~
wffurr
That's not what driving is like in my city. When I drive, I continually worry
about all the same things I worry about on my bike, plus it's harder to stop
and check directions or take a break, because parking is so difficult around
here.

Knowing how much danger I pose to everyone around me while operating a 2-ton
overpowered steel death machine is incredibly nerve wracking, as opposed to
being on my bicycle and only having to really worry about myself.

------
billsmithaustin
I live about the same distance from work as the writer, and I've been cycling
to work since early October. I would have thought that such a short bike ride
wouldn't have much of a health benefit, but I feel more energetic and my blood
pressure is noticeably lower than it was a year ago.

~~~
lj3
Short distances on a bicycle are actually healthier than longer distances.
Long distance cyclists tend to have issues with losing bone and muscle
density.

~~~
thinkMOAR
and don't forget, sitting for long periods are known to lead to prostatitis;
specially if you have a poor saddle on your bicycle

~~~
neves
What is a good/bad saddle?

~~~
QuotedForTruth
One that fits your butt. Basically you want to have your weight on the sit
bones, not the tissue in between. Seats come in different widths and shapes to
accommodate different shaped butts.

------
monaghanboy
I bike everyday to work in the South Bay, Silicon Valley area. Everyone I talk
to here can't imagine life without a car, but I haven't had any issues; lots
of bike paths here, and all groceries and the gym are just minutes away.

Sometimes when it rains I carpool, and I see how annoyed and irate most
drivers get when commuting. So I don't regret not owning a car.

The downside is not being easily able to take day trips, so I still might buy
one some day.

~~~
kurthr
Which freeways do you cross under/over? How do you do it safely?

I'd happily ride on trails or small streets (and have) , but most of the
regular commute riders I know do ~30mi rt a day... most of them doing it more
than 5 yearrs have been in an injury accident. Maybe cyclists talk about
accidents more than divers, but the percentage certainly seems higher.

~~~
avitzurel
I live in SJ and work in Menlo Park.

My direct door-to-door commute is 19mi. Takes me about 50-55 minutes. None of
it is on bike paths.

I take Foothill from the cupertino border all the way to menlo Park.

I can also go into cupertino and take the bike path to the edge of the 101
(close to the PA airport).

If you want to make it longer, you can take Stevens Canyon to Foothill. This
makes the commute 30mi but also less traffic and much more challenging to
ride.

I would say on average I commute to work about 3 days a week during the
summer. I just don't like commuting back in the dark during the winter.

In terms of accidents, I've had none. I had 2 close calls over the course of 3
years. One was a complete jerk and one was due to the sun angle (something you
need to be aware of as a cyclist too).

Bay Area is really awesome for riding to work. Foothill is busy but also gets
a lot of rider traffic so drivers tend to be more patient.

I also find that a lot of it is up to you, some riders ride like the road
belongs to them.

~~~
CalRobert
The bay area was a weird dichotomy to me. I used to live in Berkeley and work
in Newark. I'd bart to Fremont, then cycle the last five miles. I got screamed
at and swerved at by jerks in brodozers on a routine basis.

Once I was able to avoid the south bay life became far more pleasant.

------
comprev
Cycling to work is normal here in the Netherlands, especially in the cities.

Given a few times when I've been sick, I've ridden almost every day to work
and back (8km), regardless of the weather (and the Dutch weather is famous for
being rubbish).

I'm a cyclist at heart so really enjoy the daily commute along the canals,
back streets and cycle paths of the city.

To be fair, even the nightclubs have cycle parking - and an attendant present
too for security.

~~~
w0utert
6km one-way isn't very remarkable here indeed, in terms of distance I would
consider it a short bike ride. I'm cycling ~8km each day myself now, but I
have colleagues who do ~15km one-way each day, which I would consider on the
high end for a bike commute.

I agree with the sentiment of the article though, which is that cycling to
work basically has only advantages if the weather is good. When it's raining
or particularly windy I still take the car, but on all other days I greatly
prefer cycling. No traffic, no problems finding a parking spot, it wakes you
up in the morning, makes you hungry (in a good way), saves money, and for me
it basically eliminates the need to allocate any extra time for additional
exercise.

~~~
CalRobert
This is a huge plus -"basically eliminates the need to allocate any extra time
for additional exercise."

I live too close to work for the ride to be any sort of exercise now (1 km). I
certainly like the speed, but sometimes I miss when I had a 40km round trip
commute (down the beach for 90% of it no less!). I could eat whatever I wanted
and still be in great shape.

Of course, that was when I got hit by a car, and my ribs still ache some
mornings 8 years later.

------
sulam
I wish we had the bike culture in the US that exists elsewhere. Twice in my
life I have regularly commuted to work a reasonable distance by bike and each
time the habit was punctuated by being hit by a car. I feel safer walking than
I do on a bike here.

~~~
LarryDarrell
I bike commuted 20 miles round trip in West Michigan for a time. I stopped
because I was tired of getting coal-rolled and having fast food soda cups
thrown at me from cars.

Bike commuting is great if you don't live near rednecks.

~~~
CalRobert
Or dbags in bmw's giving you punishment passes. Or people on their phones.

------
jacknews
conclusion: what a lovely route, choosing to cycle it isn't even a decision,
especially as the other options seems to take longer. The author is super
lucky and I'm jealous. I cycle to work too, but in a busy city.

~~~
moosekaka
I would cycle to work if: i) the route was FLAT ii) the weather was DRY (no
rain, sleet, snow)

~~~
jacknews
You could consider an electric bike to deal with hills.

------
at-fates-hands
I used to have a standard 9-5 gig and then I'd work at a bike shop during the
week nights and on the weekends. I started biking in after a co-worker
suggested it.

I was pretty surprised. The ride was about 20-25 minutes, mainly through your
standard US suburbs so not hard at all. I rode to work 3-4 times a week and
then on Saturday or Sunday.

I didn't change anything in my routine except for biking. I lost about 8
pounds, my blood pressure dropped and my already healthy cholesterol levels
dropped another 4 points. I had more energy when I got to the shop and then
had more energy when I got home. I was more willing to work on various
projects when I got home instead of plunking down in front of the tv after
being exhausted from a long day at the shop.

~~~
icebraining
_I had more energy when I got to the shop and then had more energy when I got
home._

I envy you people. I've been cycling to work for about six months now, and
while I enjoy it and it probably does me good, I don't feel more energized.
Exercise has always left me drained.

------
trs80
>There are about 250 work days in a year in Baden-Württemberg, excluding
weekends and public holidays. Of those I was missing for 34 days for
vacations, being sick and doing home office. On 11 days I used public
transportation, on 5 days a car. That leaves 200 days on which I cycled to
work.

Wish we had this here.

~~~
CalRobert
TBF, Germany is not an impossible place to get a work permit. They have the
blue card as well, which is quite interesting.

~~~
hocuspocus
That's an understatement :)

As a software engineer, the requirements are fairly trivial compared to pretty
much every other developed nation in the world.

------
dagurp
Those of you who want to cycle but live far away from work or in a hilly area,
get an ebike. I really think they are the future of commuting.

~~~
rubidium
That's me. 15.1 miles each way. Pretty flat (150 ft elevation change). Any
recommendations for electric bikes at that range and use?

Assume an average speed of 15 mph will still take me an hour though...

~~~
dagurp
I was hoping that someone more knowledgeable would answer this. I think they
best community to look at is Endless Sphere[1] but you could also check out
/r/ebikes[2] (although I warn you you that they are all about making DIY bikes
that are unnecessarily powerful in my opinion.

Then there's electric bike review[3]. He's reviewed an incredible number of
different bikes.

[1][https://endless-sphere.com/forums/](https://endless-sphere.com/forums/)
[2][https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/)
[3][https://electricbikereview.com/](https://electricbikereview.com/)

------
zawerf
Getting hit by a car within a year is an anomaly right? He brushed it off as
his "only accident" like it's supposed to be more commonplace.

~~~
def-
Yeah, I might have been unclear. I've been cycling for a few years before that
and that was the first time I touched a car. The driver DID look straight at
me though, seemingly noticing me, so I was really confused when she started
speeding up anyway.

~~~
dspillett
In my experience it is not necessarily safe to assume that someone looking
straight at you implies that they have noticed you. People can be quite
distracted by both the environment or the insides of their own heads.

Worse, some take eye contact as meaning _you_ know they are there and are
prepared to get out of the way of what-ever manoeuvre they are about to
perform!

Before my latest office move (it is not so close that messing around with the
shed and locking up the bike at work and changing clothes if needed in bad
weather add up to more than cycling saves over walking at a brisk pace) I rode
to work for years, 3.5 miles each way for the most part, and while I've had a
few near misses (the worst being a bus that halfway through overtaking me
decided to shuffle in nearly sandwiching me between the bus and the road-side
railings) I've never actually been touched by another vehicle. I'm on city
roads, though small city (York, UK) rather than somewhere even more hectic
than London, but here I'd say cycling to work is no less safe than walking.

------
ibdf
I have a short commute to work, only 2.2 miles each way, but I have been doing
it for the last 2 years every workday, under any conditions. From the very
beginning I told myself, no excuses. I also realized that if I wanted to stick
to it, I would want to be comfortable and not miserable, so I bought gear for
the rainy days and winter weather, and a nice backpack to carry everything I
need. I live in a big city, so driving and parking is always a challenge...
it's nice not to worry about it where to park and how bad is the traffic.

------
jxub
Let me make some Spanish propaganda. Riding a bike in Valencia is awesome, as
there is a cheap bike sharing service (Valenbici) and lots of bike lanes. The
city is flat, it never snows and it rains just a couple of weeks a year,
making it perhaps the best bike city in Spain.

------
neves
Great route! Maybe it isn't necessary in temperate climates, but the most
important point is that he has showers at work. In tropical countries it is a
must. If more workplaces had showers a lot more people would cycle to work.

~~~
nytesky
I find that packing my clothes to change, toiletries, and then unpacking and
trying to shower and change in the shared shower at work to be very time-
consuming, and cuts I find that packing my clothes to change, toiletries, and
then unpacking and trying to shower and change and we shared shower that were
to be very time-consuming. Do you consider the time in the office while
showering and changing as part of your workday, or do u work additional time
To make up for it. And do you change back To bike clothes for ride home?

Showering and dressing at home is much quicker, saves at least 15 minutes a
day.

~~~
neves
It is a necessity if you live in a warm country. I wouldn't like to do pair
programming with you if you didn't shower after cycling for 10 miles :-)

------
VyseofArcadia
Getting home at 17:00? I don't even get off work until 17:30, and if I'm lucky
I get home before 18:30. Even cycling I'd only shave maybe 15 minutes off my
commute, and if I'm really lucky I'd make it home alive.

I wish I lived somewhere with more sustainable work hours and bike-friendly
traffic. I'm totally drained when I finally get home.

~~~
izym
When do you get in though?

~~~
VyseofArcadia
8:30. My hours aren't all that terrible, but after burning the candle at both
ends for the better part of a decade of grad school, I'm a little worried
about burning out.

~~~
alistairSH
Cycling might help with the burn-out. The exercise is good for you. Getting
out of a stressful drive is good for you. Etc. Even if the ride is a bit
longer, it's probably a net positive. Especially if you end up at the gym or
jogging anyways - you get to double-count the bike commute as part of your
workout.

You didn't mention riding after dusk as a problem, but there are plenty of
good bike light options available now. LEDs and batteries have come a long way
in the last 5-10 years and small, rechargeable lights are now powerful enough
to provide adequate lighting for nighttime commutes (some are even bright
enough for daytime use - so cars see you better).

~~~
VyseofArcadia
Thanks for the lighting tips. I'm actually taking some urban cycling classes
next month. I think at this point I need knowledge and confidence to make
cycling a part of my commute.

------
thomasfl
_I’ll keep cycling to work in the foreseeable future. I don’t think this post
is of much use to anyone, but I had fun reflecting my last year of cycling to
work. Thanks for reading._

Good read. Modest author. Often it is the most personal blog postings, where
people share details of their life, that attracts most readers.

~~~
jteppinette
I also appreciate more “out of office” articles.

------
jacobmoe
I run to work 4 days/week (work from home the other day). It's about 6 miles
from my place in Brooklyn to the office in Manhattan. Took me a while to work
up to 6 miles as a daily routine but can do it easily now. Combining my
commute with my daily exercise has been fantastic, I'd recommend it to anyone
who is able for a couple reasons: it's efficient (you have to take time out of
your day getting to work anyway), and it makes it easy to stick to the routine
(I try to put the option of taking the subway out of my mind).

------
EastLondonCoder
Interesting to see comments about bike commuting in Stockholm and London since
I tried it in both cities. Commuting by bike in Stockholm is a breeze even if
you are biking in parts of the city with lots of traffic. Its also a beautiful
city which adds to the experience.

I have tried to commute by bike in London but its to scary for me. I think it
would be fine if you can find a path through residential areas, but for me
thats impossible. Biking in the central parts of London I feel that a slight
lapse in concentration could end up with a very bad accident.

~~~
Cynddl
I found biking in London much easier than in many large European cities,
especially since a large fraction of drivers keep enough space on the left for
bikers to pass, making commute fast even in heavy traffic. In France or
Belgium on the contrary, you often have to slalom between cars, either on the
left or on the right.

I wouldn't say it's much safer in London, but definitely a little more than
Brussels for instance, where many small streets are a nightmare.

------
willbarkis
\+ 1 MILLION

Cancer hit a friend of mine not that long ago.

And as I was biking to work with my two kiddos the other day, I was thinking
about him.

What would be my ideal day? I wondered. What would I do with my time if I had
gotten his diagnosis of a more or less non-treatable form of pancreatic
cancer?

I thought about it. And I realized that it would start just like that one.
Biking with my kids to daycare and then work.

It is hard to put into words the myriad reasons. Everyone has their own
reasons why they go the way they go to get where they want to go.

I know few things in life but I have found my bliss biking to and from work
everyday.

------
todd8
I met a nice person once that worked at an IBM location. He was in fantastic
shape, he commuted to work 5 miles away—on foot! He ran both ways.

I barely qualified to run the Boston Marathon and had a good time running the
race through my old college neighborhoods. This guy, who was a runner friend
of a runner friend, was in a very different category, very fast. He trained on
top of the weekly 50 miles of commuting.

------
SlowBro
I don't like bike commuting. I have biked 2 miles/3.2km each way to the office
for the past 16 years, at least twice a week and usually all five days. I
still don't like it. Maybe I'm just a fat, lazy son of a gun? Maybe I don't
have an enjoyable bike?

The commute is pretty, safe, flat, and quiet. Birds, ponds, and trees, with
very few cars and no hills. The weather here is tolerable and I don't sweat
enough to require a shower. The only close calls I had were at the beginning
when I wasn't being careful. (There is a small section mixed with heavy
traffic.)

Every time I get to the office I'm glad the ride is over, and every time I
must leave to go home I don't look forward to the ride. I don't arrive
invigorated, and in fact the opposite. I've lost and gained weight seemingly
unrelated to the number of miles ridden.

I've had several bikes in that time but none of them really seem to "fit", nor
are they very fast. I want a nice silky commuter with fenders and panniers and
thin wheels but that's always pretty far out of reach from budget, and I'm not
100% convinced it will make a big difference anyway. So I stick to a
Craigslist special with a backpack, with upgrades to the ride as I get money.

I remember enjoying biking so much as a kid. I would ride all over the place,
and hardly a year has passed since childhood that I don't put on a lot of
miles on two wheels. But now as an adult it's just drudgery. Don't know why.

And it's not just the commute I don't like. Also tried to do some trails and
longer rides for fun, but it turned into the same drudgery quickly.

I don't know what else I can do. But I'll continue to soldier on with the
ride.

~~~
bertrand-caron
Hey, thanks for sharing your (unpopular, at least in this thread) opinion.
Would you care going a bit more in details about what you hate about it?

In my experience, good gear makes a tremendous difference, and it's a
logarithmic curve; the first few hundred dollars get you most of the way.
Maintenance also goes a long way, you'd be surprised of the friction losses of
severely under-inflated tires, or a rusty chain/cassette. Finally, having the
right type of bike is a game-changer, I am always amazed at how many people
commute in urban environments with a heavy, slow, double-suspension mountain
bike when they could be zipping around on a road bike and having some fun!
I've also found that having a GPS watch to record your commute helps a lot
with gratification.

At the end of the day, I think commuting by bike in an enjoyable experience
compared to the alternative most people have in an urban environment:
packed/slow/expensive/unreliable public transport, or traffic jams. Maybe you
should alternate between the two to remind you of why you commute by bike ;)

~~~
SlowBro
Thanks for asking. I can't say for sure what I hate about it. The grinding
ride? It's not fast enough for my desires? The shoulder and sometimes wrist
discomfort? The wind slowing me down? (Tail winds are fanTAStic! That really
makes it fun.)

Yes I am careful with tire inflation and chain. (However, this morning I had a
chain snap for the first time ever, so mayhaps I'm not as careful as I
thought... hehe. Only about six months/300 miles on this chain. Had many
chains with years and years of use, no problems.)

I have had road bikes but the handlebars were too low so I got sore shoulders.
Had a couple old, beautiful Schwinns that had expensive parts with odd sizes,
so I never bothered to upgrade the handlebars on those road rides for a better
fit.

Current steed is almost decent. I'm probably going to drop some cash soon on
taller handlebars. It's an old Walmart "mountain" bike (without shocks) and as
parts wore out I've replaced them. By now I could have bought a nice new ride,
but this is the first time I've had a bike where so many parts wore out, so I
didn't anticipate that.

It is heavier than many rides, but because I'm not climbing hills that's not
an issue. I've had heavier, and I've had lighter, with no noticeable
difference in enjoyment.

And carrying around a heavy backpack, while it doesn't help, I don't notice
much improvement in enjoyment when I am out on a joy ride without the pack.

But as you said I think I really would have a better experience on a $500+
commuter ride? Especially one that's a better fit. I'm 5'11"/155 cm and most
everything seems to be made for people just /slightly/ smaller. The frame
height seems to be alright, it's the shoulders.

Maybe I'm just fat and lazy. IDK. If I had a tail wind everywhere I'd love it.

Once had an electric motor, and /that/ was pretty fun. Perhaps I ought to get
another one.

Am thinking that should my new business take off it'll be time to get a delta
trike with a 1000W electric motor. Still requires pedaling, but would be like
having a permanent tail wind :-)

Thanks again for asking.

------
simonbarker87
I live 1.2 miles from my unit/office. When looking for premises we actively
looked for somewhere close to where us founders live so we could bike

~~~
alistairSH
I live about the same and walk. It's fantastic. Coming from a 12 mile (30-40
minute) drive, with occasional bike commuting, it really was a game-changer
for my sanity. It helps that I walk across a golf course, so it's fairly quiet
and green (vs city streets).

~~~
simonbarker87
I sometimes walk in but since I only work in the winter I never get to do it
in the summer so spending 30 minutes in cold, wind and rain is not that nice.
On the odd occasion I do walk I bring the dog with me and kill two birds with
one stone, his walk and my commute!

------
bitL
I was once at SAP and the roads around their HQ form a maze. No wonder public
transport takes so much time. Bike would be vastly preferable, though it
depends on weather. I've heard SAP allows fully remote work, so I am wondering
why are you commuting to office anyway? You can save 1h/day for living your
life easily.

~~~
def-
In our team we don't do full remote work, I don't know about other teams. You
can occasionally do home office. I prefer being in the office for work for
these reasons:

    
    
      - different space for work and private life makes it easier to separate them
      - being able to simply chat with colleagues a bit
      - looking over problems together more easily
      - get out of the house for a while, have a more regular daily routine
      - free lunch ;)

------
blakesterz
Very nice. I always think the second best thing to working remotely would be a
job I could ride my bike to every day.

------
parliament32
I've been walking to work (2km, 20 mins) every day for almost a year now, rain
or shine. Previously I drove about an hour to get to work. There's a huge
difference in alertness and energy when I sit down at my desk... early morning
exercise is well worth it.

------
kayoone
I am so jealous. I did 7000km in the last 2 1/2 years commuting to and from
work, which i love and totally agree with most of the benefits that you
mentioned, however i do all of this in Berlin city traffic. Really jealous of
your route through nature!

------
ePierre
I like to ride my bike to work because it's much faster than taking the bus
(20 minutes versus 40+ minutes) . However, when it rains, I take the bus. And
it rains quite often where I live (Taipei).

Any advice from fellow bikers? Clothes to wear, gear to get, etc.

~~~
def-
I take a towel with me to dry my exposed body parts. I use Vaude softshell
jacket (Posta) and pants (Tirano), but they are more for colder weather. In
summer I'd prefer to switch clothes after arrival. There are also overpants
and overshoes for the rain, but personally I don't like them because they make
you sweat more.

------
wffurr
I think that's amazing that a small-ish town or city in Germany has such great
public transport and bike routes. That all seems to be limited to much larger
cities in the US.

------
Tomte
The bike is great. VSF fahrradmanufaktur. Used to be an organisation, run by a
few hundred smallish bike shops who worked together, but was bought up by a
company later.

Still great bikes. Steel frame, sensible parts that work well together (none
standing out as a customer magnet and coupled with lower-quality other parts),
sensible prices. And a really beautiful color scheme.

I have a very similar one as the author (or maybe the same?). But I really
should have gotten the sister model with hub gear and chain case.

------
edotrajan
Cycling to Work in India, since this new year. No gears. Basic cycle + 3 locks
+ Air pump = $90USD. 15Kilometers.

Already saved $20USD/ month.

Never going back to Automobiles again. My friends are also trying to start
biking to commute after I've made it. Many thought I'd go back to MotorBike
after 1 week but I persevered and it's a joy riding the bike.

Highly recommend to people in Indian Metro, just add 10 minutes to average 7km
commute. Happy riding !

~~~
Karrot_Kream
Which city in India?

~~~
edotrajan
Chennai, Tamilnadu

------
perilunar
How bizarre that his bike path cuts across an airfield (with traffic lights
and a boom gate) instead of going around it. Never seen that before.

------
NotQuantum
I've got a relatively short bike commute that takes around 20 minutes. By car
it's a bit more due to traffic. I get some serious benefits from biking
everyday. I'm always alert and awake when I get to work, I get the bare
minimum exercise in for the week, I don't have to drive my car.

I'd highly recommend biking to work if your local infrastructure is
accommodating.

------
lflux
I've been biking to work every day for over 6 months now, though mine is
considerably shorter - 2 miles in SF. I got tired of being stuck on cramped
muni trains not going anywhere and figured I could use a little exercise every
day.

~~~
jteppinette
What is your opinion on cycling in the city. I live in SOMA and haven’t
started riding yet. I used to ride all the time in GA, but it definitely seems
more dangerous out here.

~~~
gregcoombe
When I lived in SF I would ride pretty everywhere. The SF Bike Coalition is
one of the most effective lobbying organizations I've ever seen, and they've
done a huge amount to transform the city to make it bike friendly. In return,
the number of people biking has really skyrocketed in the last 10 years. There
are often good bike lanes along routes, and sometimes they are even separated.
They have a pretty good map that shows you bike lanes, so you could use that
to plan out some routes while you're getting familiar.

Anecdotally, the motorists are more aware of bikes now than they used to be
(just because there are more of them), but you still need to ride pretty
defensively.

------
rshetty
I also have been cycling for 2 years now everyday. 100kms average every week.
Never have felt more enthusiastic and energetic at workplace. Helps
concentrate on the work, beats bad traffic and gives a very good exercise
overall

------
csytan
When I was living in NYC, cycling to work in the summer was the best part of
my day. It took me ~30 mins to get from the Upper West Side to the office in
Alphabet city. Commuting by subway would take ~50 mins.

------
jordache
that short of a commute? that's a no brainer for cycling to work.

~~~
TulliusCicero
Most people in the states with that short of a commute probably still drive,
and I don't blame them (because biking in most American cities is absolutely
awful).

~~~
jordache
true. I should caveated my statement - that short of a commute w/ dedicated
bike infrastructure? That's a no brainer.

~~~
5555624
Or at least a non-hostile infrastructure. Until last June, I biked to work,
year-round, for 18 years. (I didn't even have a car.) My job moved and I've
commuted by car, even though I am slightly closer to the office. Part of my
potential cycling route has dedicated bike lanes, sharrows, and even a
parallel trail; but, part of it is on a busy state road, with no shoulders and
often a half-mile backup for the left turn I need to make. (Yet another part
is essentially a two-lane, unlit, country road; but, I can deal with that.)

I have not yet ruled out cycling altogether; but, I think I need a better, if
longer, route.

------
fmariluis
Very nice seeing that much nature before and after work, I cycle to work but
it's all within the city. It's great, but I would love to see more trees and
water.

------
matt_the_bass
Where I live, we have a lot of “salmon” I.e. people biking against the traffic
(the wrong way). They’ve been my biggest danger. I’ve hit them more than once.

------
spacehunt
I'd love to cycle to work, but the terrain and the density plus the weather
here in Hong Kong means it just won't work.

