A 10K (6 mile) bike commute doesn't take that much longer than a car.
One of the first things I discovered last year when I started bike commuting was that it only took about 25 minutes of riding time to get down to work from home. When I drive into work, it generally takes 15-20 minutes depending on traffic and the route I choose. A few months into the summer after finding better routes and getting into decent shape I actually managed to get my riding time below 19 minutes a few times. Nowadays I consistently make the ride into work in the 22 minute range without riding too hard. Considering I don't have to find a parking spot and can ride almost all the way to my office, it's only marginally slower than driving into work.
The shortest route is not necessarily the quickest.
Case in point look at the following two routes on this map:
The orange route takes a slightly shorter, more direct path to where I work at Gonzaga University, while the blue route heads west for a while before turning north. The blue route actually only turns out to be about 300m longer (slightly less than 1/5 of a mile) than the orange because of various twists and turns, yet it's easily two minutes faster given the same level of exertion because of the long straight downhill from 29th to Riverfront Park.
When choosing bike routes look for things that play to a bike's strengths and flexibility vs. a cars. Dedicated bike/pedestrian paths like the Centennial Trail are a fun and relaxing change of pace from the usual car heavy arterials and side streets. And remember it's okay to add a little distance if it makes for a more efficient and uninterrupted ride.
Bikes encourage you to take the long way home.
My ride back home from work is usually at least 10 minutes longer than the ride to work because of the big hill I have to climb when coming back, but often times I like to take the longer more scenic routes that I've found. In the evening I don't usually have time constraints that are quite so pressing so I can enjoy tooling around and just exploring the city and countryside a little bit more before going home. I couldn't have taken this picture of the Spokane River from my car or if I had ridden straight home.
You don't need special bike clothing to ride your bicycle to work.
While I regularly wear mountain biking shorts into work (and change when I get there), I've done a fair amount of experimentation with standard clothing and confirmed that for relatively short commute length rides everyday clothing can be perfectly fine. Coming home during summer time does tend to be more of a workout, so I tend to at least throw on a t-shirt before I leave, but it's not an absolute necessity.
You can buy some pretty nice bike gear for the price of a tank of gas these days.
I just filled up my gas tank again for the first time in over a month and it was almost $50. My wife's rig typically costs at least $75 to fill. Just off the top of my head you can easily get some biking shorts, a decent headlight/taillight combination or a new cycling rain jacket in that price range. Bike gear can certainly add up quickly, but it's going to last a lot longer than another 12 gallons of unleaded and it's not going to get turned into yet more pollution.
You don't need an expensive bike to commute and have fun.
Last fall I got to experience building up a single speed winter beater bike through Pedals 2 People (a local Spokane non profit organization that promotes community bicycle use) and it was a complete blast. I learned a lot about putting together a bike and more importantly found that riding the Norco Cherokee beater was still just as fun to ride as my usual Trek hybrid. The Norco is also much better suited for snow riding so I put it to quite a bit of use towards the end of last year and during the winter months. I also used it to commute some while the weather was still good and found the return back up the South Hill actually wasn't that bad with only one gear. In some ways it was even a little liberating to have a cheap bike to try crazy off road stuff that I wouldn't try with my Trek. And of course it's always good to have a back up bike just in case.
Bikes build community and connect people.
When you ride your bike, the opportunity for positive interactions in your community are far greater than when you're driving around in an isolated metal box on wheels. I've met and gotten to know a bunch of cool people through my bike and this blog that I never would have otherwise.
Looking beyond the individual level, Bike to Work week here in Spokane was awesome this year. The turnout was really good and the local business community really embraced the week long event as well. Since then I've been seeing and interacting with more cyclists on the road all the time. I'm really excited and optimistic about the direction I'm seeing in the Spokane community as more people get on board with the fun and benefits of cycling.
Some good points there.
The shortest route often is not the quickest.
I was a messenger in Dublin, Ireland for almost 7 years. Dublin, being an old city has an ancient core with post medival expansion and planning, thus, the city has few long straight runs, with the exception of a few streets on the outskirts and along the river/canal.
One of the most important lessons a messenger learns is to plan a route taking the traffic signals into consideration. An unbreakable red light will add minutes to your trip.
Secondly, the wind direction is also a huge consideration; on a blustery day a 2 mile trip with a strong headwind will take as long as a 3 mile trip with the same wind behind you. Planning the trip to aviod headwinds when possable, by zigzagging through small streets or slipstreaming large vehicles severly reduces trip time and exertion.
Since I’m so familiar with Dublin and the outlying areas, I have a few different mental maps of the city, depending on the weather conditions and the wind direction.
Great writeup!
Just a little shout-out to my adopted home, Spokane. I moved here from Seattle a year ago, and I can’t believe how much safer it is to get around this town on a bike. In Seattle, which is supposedly a bike friendly city (snort), I had close calls with aggro drivers almost daily. Out here, I haven’t had a single one in the last year. Drivers are a thousand times more considerate in Spokane.
Now if only we could get the broken glass cleaned up along Upriver Drive, huh?
See ya out there!
Yes, good post! I enjoyed reading it.
This was almost creepy for me to read. I started commuting by bike when my car got trashed by a drunk driver. This whole article could have probably come straight out of my mouth without ever deviating from the truth, though the money ive saved on gas has been going towards paying back college loans rather than bike gear.
Absolutely right on all seven counts. I’ve been riding the 10km to work and back for almost 6years now. (On good days when the roads are dry even in Ontario’s snow-bound winters.) I love it! I can especially connect with your scenic route home philosophy. I often find myself taking routes I’ve never ridden before when time is not an issue.
Excellent points and they match my experiences as well. I get home (9 mile commute) just as quickly whether riding or taking STA. Driving gets me home about 10 minutes earlier but then I have to pay for parking. This year my wife joined me in commuting. She has an extra mile to her work and she’s enjoying it. It’s a twice-daily workout that’s part of our day which beats having to take time out for exercise. Taking the long way is so refreshing. Sometimes I go across Rutter Parkway to Nine Mile and take the Centennial Trail in. You can’t experience anything like that in a car. How many people can say they have fun going to and from work?
Thanks for the kind words and great comments guys. I’m glad you liked this post.
Kenny, this may freak you out, but if I had college loans to pay off I would use the money I saved on gas to help pay them off as well.
hey, just wanted to say it was nice to read your article. I stumbled-upon it!
I live in Spokane too. I live up by you
Great post !
I gave up car transport over three years ago, using my bike for business, doing the shopping, etc. Get yourself a trailer because it really is useful.
One of its great benefits to me is as a stress reliever. Pump the legs to expel all worries.
No petrol, no road tax, no MOT, no insurance, no parking charges, no traffic jams, just the freedom of the road.
It’s got to be a winner !
In the UK drivers as a whole have no concept of safe driving with cyclists, so I keep off the main roads and learnt all the quiet local streets and bike routes. As you say it is all to do with planning.
Keep it going
I live in what is supposed to be a bike friendly town and the only reason it takes me a similar amount of time to work is that it’s 3 o’clock in the morning. Forget making that time at 8 or 9 AM. On the way home I use our world famous hike and bike trail which easily makes it twice the time. I haven’t ridden in a couple of weeks because of this. Oh and my inexpensive bike is getting shredded to pieces.
Great Points. The last one is my favorite. They close a road in our big park every weekend here in San Francisco and it is amazing what happens when cars are moved out of our public space.
i do a lot of walking. I have learned from watching people riding bikes, that they like to get in cars ways, and feel that they own the road or that cars should respect them so much that they must slow down to the bikers speed.
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I can’t wait until this Georgia heat dies down a bit. Georgia is hilly (at least, northern piedmont region is), but that makes all the more fun when you are going down it.
Here are my top 10 reasons to commute by cycle.
http://felfoldi.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/top-10-bike-commut/
David, thanks for stopping by. 100km is definitely a pro-redhead blog as my wife and daughter are as well
. I like your list- you’re right about 35mph on a bike always being fun.
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Great article!
Love your post!! My #8 is the superiority complex over my co-workers when I walk in every morning with my helmet under my arm. Hahahaha. Especially if I rode in the rain.
My beater commuter bike was stolen a month ago and while I decide on a replacement, I started using my full suspension mountain bike. While it takes me a little longer, I do find it’s kind of fun on my way home to jump pot holes and stuff.
Julie, I read RocBike pretty regularly so it was cool to get a plug from you guys. Thanks!
LolaMac, Thanks for the kind words. I enjoyed your blog when I went to take a look so I’ve added you to my regular blog reading rotation.
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Thanks, Jason. Great post!
An inspiring and true account of bicycle commuting benefits. Enjoy your ride and say hi to SF for me! I ride every day and plan to keep on keepin on.
(Also, I recommend the SFBike Coalition sfbike.com. In my recollection, they’re a good resource in SF.)
I’ve been promoting use of motorcycles and sccoters for a long time to reduce the commuting “footprint”, but now I’m ready to take it one step further. Articles like this one are helping to get me motivated! i did the first commute last week and my late 40′s body was sore for 4 days!!! Hope to pedal twice this coming week, and three times the next, and eventually every day. The one thing I think you missed: bicycle commuting can add the benefits of fitness without expensive gym memberships or taking too much time out of the day!
Now here is number 8: After a smooth ride in the morning, you are much more balanced, and thus concentrate and work better.
I have been commuting to work by bike 3 days a week for 3 years now and have never looked back.
Best regards from Dusseldorf, Germany.
I used to live in Spokane 5 years ago before I moved to Austin, TX. I commuted by bike only a few days a month while I worked up past Huckleberry’s Natural Foods on the South Hill and lived in the Downriver area along NW Blvd. I thought the South Hill was a killer and never rode when it was wet, or cold (black ice)! Then I moved to Austin and it is even more hilly than Spokane, but I get to ride all the time since there is no winter weather here and have been able to get rid of my car. Do you have bike tires with studs on them? My bike cross-country tire treads didn’t do to well on Spokane’s winter snow/ice.
Paul, the South Hill is definitely tricky to deal with during winter. I have studded tires for my main bike, but I don’t have a route down the hill that I’m totally comfortable with once the roads get icy or we get heavy snowfall (like we did a lot last winter). It’s an issue I plan to work on more this winter now that I’m a little more experienced.
The only thing that I might add is that it would probably be wise to invest in some mud guards & a chain guard for commuting. I live in PA and, while we don’t get as much rain as Spokane, we do get our fair share. Also, once you get grease on your pants, they’re pretty much shot.
Marc, good point. Fenders are a must here in Spokane once you get past September. A chain guard would be a good addition for any commuter bike as well if you’re going to be wearing regular pants when you’re riding.
Very good points, one thing I know people in my town need to remember is that the average car is about a ton or two heavier that a biker, so move over and don’t hold up traffic
I have been cycle commuting for 45 years, I never could understand why people who travel 4 or 5 miles to work don’t do it. Its good exercise, saves money and where I live in London its a damn site faster than taking the tube.
Like someone else who posted, I live in Spokane (and already knew about your blog) but found it via StumbleUpon–pretty funny.
A point that expands on your item about the long way home:
Biking teaches you things about your city you would not otherwise learn.
I’ve been bike commuting for 5 years and have learned Spokane all over again as a bike commuter.
As one of the oddities I wouldn’t have gotten from a car, I’ve learned a lot about the smells of the city (mostly GOOD, I hasten to add).
Spokane has the beautiful Spokane River running right through the heart of downtown, and in the summer it smells so beautiful and green and watery to ride alongside the river. (Shameless plug: For more on the river, go to http://www.friendsofthefalls.org)
My route takes me past the Four Seasons Coffee roasting plant, so I get the slightly burnt smell of coffee every so often, and there are Italian restaurants with wonderful roasting garlic scents.
Passing through neighborhoods in the spring, I’ll smell some beautiful flowering plant–sometimes some of our many beautiful lilacs, sometimes something I don’t recognize.
I’ve learned how friendly most of the cyclists are–practically everyone gives a little wave or head nod going by across the street.
I’m also pleased to report that I’ve learned we’re mostly pretty considerate people, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.
–barb
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Unfortunately I live too far away from work to bike these days, but at my previous home I also found that it didn’t take much longer to ride than it did to drive. And riding is so much more enjoyable! Fresh air and exercise beats sitting in traffic any day.
When I biked I’d usually just change my biking shorts/pants when I got to the office and wear my regular work top. If you’re in decent shape getting too sweaty to wear the same clothes isn’t really a problem, I find. Unless you have a really long ride or a lot of hills I guess.
Another thing I think is important when choosing a route is safety. At my old place, I could have ridden a direct route on the road with no bike lanes or taken the community trail which was about 8-10 minutes longer but came with a much lower risk of getting hit by a car. It looks like you considered this when choosing your routes as well… Side roads and trails tend to have fewer stops and much nicer scenery too.