you summed it all up brother man!!

 

working sucks, biking there made it a bit more enjoyable.. good way to wind down after a days work too.

 

2 DUI's..can't drive..lol It's all good though, havn't had a drink in over three years and now I can afford nice bike stuff and I dropped 30 pounds.:thumbsup:

 

I commute because there's no way I could ever allow myself to become one of the many pale, stressed out, fat co-workers my office is full of. Working out is a way of life for me, and if I can do it while commuting, it shortens my day by killing two birds with one stone.

Saving money? Nah. Now I want to buy a dedicated commuter - a Salsa La Cruz. By the time I build it and outfit it with lights and what not, I'll have spend at least a year or two's worth of gas. Go figure...

 

I'm too proud to wait for busses, transfer busses, etc. And I don't make enough to pay for parking. I can also beat my times on either of those forms of transportation on my bike, if I'm just going downtown. When I'm going further, depending on where and what I'm doing, I may drive or I may ride my bike.

I race and do a lot of riding just because I enjoy riding. So it's also more time spent riding.

 

i don't own a car- and don't really want to either. so bike it is. i could catch the bus- but why? everyone is miserable and sick so i'd rather travel solo

 

I love to ride...

plain and simple. Yes it's good for me, good for the envrionment, etc. But it's just the joy of being on a bike for me. The sounds, the stuff you see that people in their four wheeled CO2 belchers miss, the different routes I can take on the bike that I couldn't in a car. I even enjoy interacting with traffic, dodging the road junk, etc. Yeah it's irritating when some jerk zooms around and pulls a right turn in front of you. But it's almost like a sport, if you do it right and get home safely inspite of texting teens, harried soccer moms, all the chatty Cathies on cell phones, irritated executives, and dumb ass delivery drivers, it gives you a satisfaction that you've played the odds (so to speak) and come out on top again. And the list could go on and on. I love to ride, and it's all part of it. :thumbsup:

Good Dirt

 

I just commute as a way to enjoy my bike. I enjoy riding some of the urban spots on my way.. Just good fun before I start my day.

 

I live in City area. Car is useless during peak time. I could have ride a motorbike but I saw too many fat motorbiker in my country. So ride a bicycle will have the best of both world in keeping fit. Public transport in my country is packed. A 4-8miles journey, riding Bicycle will have complete freedom in time and faster than public transport.

 

You all pretty much hit the nail on the head. I'll also add that on a bike you experience things you wouldn't normally see or hear or smell in a car on on a subway train. You never know what random item or occurrence you're going to happen across and sometimes it's a once in a lifetime experience. I was going to start a thread about an experience on this morning's commute, but I'll just go ahead and add it to this one.

Late last night I heard some rumblings in the distance and didn't really connect it to anything, until I got up a few times during the night and saw some flashes. When I went to leave the house this morning I discovered that not only had it rained, but the thunderstorm was still going on! Here in the Bay Area, thunderstorms pass overhead only on rare occasions and this one was pretty far away so I wasn't too worried. Riding to work early on nearly empty streets in the clear, fresh air I witnessed several, HUGE lightning bolts accompanied by sky-splitting peals of thunder. This is the kind of thing I'll probably never experience in this exact form again and it makes me realize exactly why I ride my bike to work; not so much to save money or the environment, but for my own selfish need to satisfy my desire for visceral entertainment.

 

For me

For the last 8 years its become a given. It lets me work through the stress of work and keep some kind of exercise regiment during the work week. Its also a great way to explore new routes or long after work rides.

Some days i smile in the early morning sun and others i say to myself dude WTF are you thinking. I see, smell and hear things you cant riding the bus or driving. The bus is DEPRESSING and spending beer money on parking? NOT

 

although changing my clothes and stuff can be bothersome I enjoy it and it's less stressfull because I can crank at the speed I want without restrictions like slow drivers and traffic lights. I save money and last year I was saving even more. and it can be actually faster with the gridlock and sometimes without it.

 

Additional saddle time improves my chances at impotence.

 

Dont forget the TAX deduction

what is it like $ .15 a mile..hey wait that will add up.

 

I love to pedal. Doesn't have to be fast, it doesn't have to be far. I don't have to pass anyone and I don't mind being passed. I find sheer joy in turning my cranks, even when I'm grimacing a particularly hard climb, even when threading mad city traffic, even soaked wet in an unexpected downpour. Commuting on a bike is just another way to experience my passion.

 

So does everyone commute with their mtn bike?
i used to but i sold my beater bike and i fixed up an old 10-speed road bike.
its fun to ride

 

I have a mid-80s road bike. It's got a rack and folding wire baskets. They're heavy, but awesome when I want to carry tools or groceries.

 

So does everyone commute with their mtn bike?

No.
Grab a beer and a sandwich and cruise the "Post Your Commuter" sticky. Big variety and very interresting.

I commute by bike because I enjoy it. It`s a good motivation to get out the door when I leave home and a good cooldown time after work. Although it easilly COULD save me money, in reality I spend a lot more on unneeded bike crap than I would spend on the extra gas/car maintenance.

 

So does everyone commute with their mtn bike?

Mine is a singlespeed mountain bike with fat slicks and gearing that is tall for climbing on trails. I'll switch tires and gearing for the winter.

My commuting options:
- car: a bit faster than bike. All the stops at traffic lights during commuting hours make me grumpy.
- bus: would have to switch buses on the way. Probably slower than bike. I don't like to sit, or stand, on a bus.
- walk: a bit far to do it often
- bike: relatively fast, puts me in a good mood. Not that great in wet weather but even then I get a feeling of having accomplished something.

 

So does everyone commute with their mtn bike?
i used to but i sold my beater bike and i fixed up an old 10-speed road bike.
its fun to ride

Rigid, chromo 26" MTB bike with road tires and fenders, that's my daily commuter!

 

I'll play


1 I get to work just as fast as driving since I have a really nice 10 mile bike path directly from my house to my work with very few stops and no traffic.

2 Don't have to pay for parking

3 Allows me to justify upgrades to all of my bikes to the wife since: a) I'm not paying for gas and b) "I need it to get to work honey"

4 Gets legs in shape for ski season

5 lose weight

 

I started commuting to school/work 3 weeks ago. Initially, I started riding because 1). I didn't want to pay for the university parking permit (price goes up every dang year), 2). I wanted to stay in shape after getting into shape backpacking 200 miles in the Sierra Nevada, and 3). save wear and tear on my car since my commute is only about 3 miles each way.

Now that I have been commuting by bicycle every day (and "commuterized" my mtb), I love it! I had no idea how happy it would make me. My attitude has improved so much; I am happy when I get to work; I am happy when I get home. So now the main reason I commute is because it makes me feel great

Now my only complaint is, why didn't I start riding sooner??

 

Now my only complaint is, why didn't I start riding sooner??

There are a lot of us that feel that way. Oh well, better late than never!

 

Real question is: Why don't they (bike) commute?

I started last year, because I needed more miles (training). Once, twice a week, now up to 3 (riding my motorcycle to work on the other 2 days) and planning to go 4-5 times a week this winter. It's 16mi each way and I'm excited like a kid when I jump on the bike in the morning or go back home in the evening.

Many co-workers think it's impossible or not practical to do. they are wrong.

 

Many co-workers think it's impossible or not practical to do. they are wrong.

That's exactly it, mindset is nine-tenths of the law. Last night I was thinking about all the years before I had a car (or a bike for that matter) when I didn't have a lot of money and was working multiple part-time jobs. It would take me an hour to go from one jobsite to another on the bus, a distance that takes only 15 minutes in a car. Why the hell didn't I just get a bike and ride? I did it every day through senior year of high school. I had a co-worker who rode quite far every day. I guess it just didn't occur to me, for some reason. I could just kick myself for not doing it sooner, but at the same time I always say that it's better late than never!