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Commuting by Bike
As Mountain Biking by 198 starts to really expand its horizons and step further into the world of road biking and commuting by bike, I wanted to get some thoughts from you guys. I recently posted some similar questions to my twitter crowd (@mtbby198) and the responses were so good that I decided we needed to do the same thing here.
Commuting by bike is taking the world by storm as budget cuts continue to sweep the nation. In the interest of keeping the bills down, commuting by bike is a great alternative to jumping in the car everyday. Add to that…commuting by bike is great for your health and overall well being. For many, commuting by bike has already been apart of their daily regiment and the rest of use are struggling to catch up.
So…
Lets hear from you guys. In the comments section below, I want to get some of your thoughts on bike commuting.
Do you currently commute by bike?
If yes…
- How often?
- How long of a distance?
- Do you use a specific commuter bike, or do you ride your road or mountain bike?
If no…
- Why are you not currently commuting by bike?
- Are you planning on commuting by bike in the future?
- What would change your mind about your current situation with commuting by bike?
And, of course, any other information you would like to add is always welcomed. Thank you for taking the time to provide Mountain Biking by 198 with your responses. We greatly appreciate it!
Image by: placid casual
Do you want to become a faster rider?
Becoming faster on the road requires some sort of program or focus if you want to beat your buddy at the next sprint. Luckily for us, the crew over at My Cycling has put together an incredible workout and ride program that will get you over that speed hump and at the front of the pack or first over the sprint line. This affordable and extremely comprehensive program is exactly what you are looking for to bring the speed out of your legs and against pavement whether you are a recreational rider or racer.
8:51 am
Yes
2-3/week, depends if there is surf but minimum of 2
17km one way so 34 Total, This is to work, but I always include a MTB ride after so daily total can go up to 60-80 km’s
I ride my mountainbike, as always go mtbing after, Would use a road bike if I had one but spend too much money on other stuff
9:11 am
no
as much as I want to, our house is far from school that I’ll be sweating a lot when I reach there.. It’s so hot here in our country (Philippines) that either if you ride fast or slow, you’ll still end up sweating a lot.. though might try it when I finish building my new commuter rig (I’m currently using a FR/DH bike, yay), then maybe I’ll be commuting more pften then..
9:49 am
As soon as the New England weather allows I am on my bike to work. About 20 miles round trip and I ride my mountain bike because the office is way out in the woods and I can jump onto a trail during lunch or right after work. I do keep a clean t shirt at work in case of major road surprises.
It makes me look forward to going to work. The early morning is so cool and clean smelling. – It’s great.
11:39 am
Yes.
I’d estimate over the last year, probably on average 4 out of 5 days, but that’s rounding up from like 3.7.
In don’t even consider riding in the rain, and don’t ride even if the roads are wet. I will ride in the cold, though, no problem. But in Mississippi, it’s not like the cold lasts that long.
Distance is an easy 1.6 miles one way.
I use a mountain bike (Trek 6500, from 2001) converted to single speed (32x17t) specifically for commuting. I’m thinking of going to the 44×17, though, since topping out at 90rmp = about 14mph… Also I have yet to put slicks on the bike (now has Hutchinson Piranhas). I think that would go a long way and be a smart move. I haven’t done this yet because I held the idea of also mountain biking on that bike. But having a new(ly built) Scott Scale, I never do that.
JayDub (the king of “more than you wanted to know” answers).
11:42 am
You gotta love Jay’s answers, they are like reading a tech manual. Excellent.
12:37 pm
I commute as often as I can! Usually the only times I’m not on the bike is if extenuating circumstances dictate the need for a car, in the winter if the temperature dips below -20°, or if I’m starting to feel a little burnt out from training/commuting.
My commute is around 16 km, or 10 mi for you US folks – I live at the top of a huge hill, so it takes me about ~35min to work and around ~40min on the way home.
When I started commuting I used my mountain bike, but when my wife got into road cycling I used that as an excuse to pick up a cross bike (Specialized Tricross)… I find it to be the perfect commuter, since a third of my commute is off road and it allows me to put some beefier/studded tires on in the winter. It’s neither as light or as fast as a road bike, but it’ also great for road-based training rides.
4:03 pm
Yes! I’ve been doing it for 2 years now.
Everyday of the week, as long as its not raining.
My course is 4km long, downhill in the morning and uphill in the final of the day.
I use my old mountain bike.
5:56 pm
I don’t exactly “commute” because I don’t have a regular job, but as a freelancer I ride everywhere in Seattle on my Titus ti hardtail. I *used* to commute when I worked downtown at The Seattle Times, but on a road Trek. The hoot was cycling in on snow days when most of the staff couldn’t get into work at all.
10:37 pm
Yes.
* 2 to 3 times a week, depending on weather conditions (I won’t ride in the rain; traffic here [Philippines] is dangerous enough on sunny days);
* roughly 10km (~6mi), one way; so about 40-60km (~25-40mi) per week;
* I’ve just recently converted my hardtail MTB into a rigid SS for full-time commute duty (but still running fat tires for some cush); but it’s my only usable bike, so it was what I used for commuting even with front suspension and gears;
* I get to the office in roughly half the time on my bike compared to driving by car or taking public transport.
11:11 pm
2+ days in the winter, 3+ the rest of the year. 13 miles round trip on a Trek hybrid bike and when the weather is good I extend the ride home by another 12 or so. I run full fenders year round and cyclocross tires in the winter. Planning on buying a steel single speed road specific bike before summer hits!
11:53 pm
Incredible feedback! This is exactly what we were looking for. Sounds like you guys really get out there and put some miles in during the week.
We are going to start reviewing commuter bags very shortly…so hopefully the commuter gear reviews will help you guys out.
Keep the responses coming!
9:17 am
Starting to, weather permitting (I find rain, road biking, and cars don’t mix well). 22mi each way on a road bike. Will use a CX bike when it finds it’s way into my stable later this year.
1:55 pm
i usually commute 5 days a week (mtb usually, but sometimes either road or tt, depending on what i’m working on at the time). it’s a short ride, only 20-25 minutes (depending on the bike). but then i try to swim at lunch, too.
3:02 pm
I commute 2-3 days a week from Monrovia to Glendale CA, its ~20 miles each way. I ride an old steel colnago with campy 8 speed… totally bombproof. I have to say that for how perfect the weather is here the cycling infrastructure in LA sucks!
1:29 am
commute most of the time or take the bus. work 2 jobs so a couple times a week I’m back and forth and back, maybe 10mi max. Nirve single spd cruiser with baskets for groceries, books, bike gear, records, etc.
6:46 pm
When the weather’s not frigid, and I have a good parking spot (don’t have to move for alternate side parking rules) I take the bike to school (2 miles away). I also try to squeeze in about two trips a week to work, which is a 7 mile ride, one way. I have a specialized globe centrum single speed.
1:57 am
I was commuting by bicycle (dedicated road bike) regularly for some time (when it was a 7 miles each way); dropped that after some mechanical problems put the bike out of condition for a while and never got back into the habit; since then, my office moved from Austin to Round Rock (15 miles each way taking the Interstate, longer for cycling-safe routes), out of my unassisted range.
I’ve ordered an Optibike, and intend to make it my primary/full-time commute vehicle. My employer (Dell) has policies friendly to folks cycling to work — bikes allowed in the cube farms (for those that don’t trust the bike racks outside) and free use of the showers in the gym for commuting cyclists.
The Opti is very much able to play mountain bike on the weekends (brakes, suspension, &c. are parts developed for downhill), but the tires I’ve ordered it with are principally street-centric.
9:33 am
@Charles
That is really cool they are so commuter bike friendly at Dell. Being able to store the bike inside and have a source for self-cleaning is a gigantic plus in the decision to commute by bike or not.
2:57 pm
I do not ride through the wintyer due to Icy streets; however once spring hits I ride to work every chance I get last year was just over 100 times and the distance is 10km each way. We have managed to get our employer to sponsor us so every Km we commute to work end up as a $.10 donation to Habitat for Humanity at the end ofthe year. I ride an old mountain bike I purchases an 1986 and use saddlebags to carry everything I need
9:04 pm
Just bought a Trek 7.3FX for the purpose of riding along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago on weekends and doing 5mi (round trip) to my office downtown in the loop. Our company allows us to lock bikes in the building and has a full gym and showers on site in the office, so don’t have to worry about being funky after the ride. Looking forward to it.
10:14 pm
I quit smoking recently and bought a Specialized Rockhopper Disc to celebrate a new life style so I removed the mountain tires and plugged in some Geax Roadster Asphalt tires and now I ride every day unless the weather tells me no. I live in an historic neighborhood and it’s a great ride especially in the early mornings. It’s a 3 mile round trip from door to door but being such a short commute I generally take the long cut so my total ride per work day averages 10+ miles.
7:13 am
Great job on quitting smoking. As an ex smoker…I can tell you that quitting improves your lifestyle tremendously. Keep it up!
3:45 pm
3 Days a Week, 12 miles one way. I've ridden my antique 40 Bianchi/Campy bike until a recent accident. Now I'm riding my hybrid Montaque BiFrame folding bike as a backup.
Now that it's the rainy season in Northern California, I'm looking for a Hybrid with Disc Brakes that can take fenders and a rack. I need to be able to safely negotiate leaf covered asphalt.
Any ideas? I'm thinking of perhaps Trek Portland.
6:21 pm
Have you checked out the Giant? They have one that looks pretty cool too.
10:12 pm
Twice a week, 44km back and fort (uphill and downhill). Riding a hard tail GT Chucker mountain bike on asphalt road. Wish I could buy a road bike for the fast and easy road travel.
And yes, I'll be bathing in sweat when I arrived at the office so I have to bring lots of clothes to change. ^_^
7:59 am
Great job on the commute!
7:10 pm
I commute every day by bicycle and I love it! It's been on/off, condition-dependent for the last 5 years, but in the last 2 I haven't driven to work once. My current commute is short (8mi round trip) but I have various errands that usually bump up the mileage. 95% of the time it is on a fixed gear, which has definitely made me a stronger rider on my road and mt bikes, plus track standing at lights is fun. Sacramento is very flat and the weather is usually mild, but with solid rain gear, I've actually really enjoyed commuting in the last few storms we've had, I just leave shoes at the office. It's awesome to show up and see the bike racks totally empty
4:31 am
Normaly commute 2 to 3 times a week dependant on the weather ,
22km there 22km back dodging all the crazy new zealand drivers,
riding a 1991 Kona Cinder cone ( no suspension on this old girl ).
great way of getting out on your bike ,and to get fit for those weekend rides.
11:48 am
I checked out the Giant Seek (0,1,2) as well as the Trek Portland, Specialized Vienna and a few others at various local stores. None of them seemed to be exactly what I wanted. Sadly, it seems like stores are specialized towards either high end Road Bikes or high end Mountain Bikes and don't care about commuter bikes. So, the selection was either minimal or non-existent (“We can order it for you!”) I try to shop at bricks & mortar stores to keep the local economy going and also, because for many things I really do want to see what I'm getting and for after market support.
I finally ended up buying (with a credit card) the Speedster R2 from http://www.fezzari.com without kicking the tires first. They do have a 30 day trial period. (Be cautious of dealing with any website on the internet that doesn't take Credit cards. We got burned buying a non-bike item with a check. DUMB!)
I'm happy to say that it is a SWEET bike. I really love it. At 23 pounds, it makes my 1 hour commute (one way) much nicer. Since they don't deal through dealers, they offer a much better value than the other bikes I looked at. In addition, they offer some great looking road and mountain bikes. If I was in the market for one of those, I would definitely order from them.
Some minor quibbles: I ordered various upgrades, but they forgot to ship a couple of items, but they fixed that. The fenders I ordered didn't work out, so they will take them back.
Other than that, I'm extremely happy with my Speedster R2. (Note, the web page shows the bike in Red, but it's actually Black.)
http://www.fezzari.com/products/index/Speedster...
The Speedster R1 looks pretty good too, but at a lower price point.
2:57 pm
We just got in the Breezer Finesse to review. In the higher price point for commuters but a pretty cool bike. Even comes with a carbon Ritchey post.
3:30 pm
Definitely the Breezer Finesse is a bike that I would have considered before I bought the Speedster R2. I'm not sure how to compare the weights: The Breezer Finesse weighs 28 lbs, but I think that includes Fenders, Dynamos, Racks, Kickstand, and lights whereas the Speedster R2 comes in at 23 lbs. I'm also not sure about the Price.
I will say that my commute is much nicer on a 23 lbs bike than a 40 lbs bike! I also like the shifters I got with the Speedster R2: I can shift up/down and brake without moving my hands, and with a stretch, I can ring my bell. I also upgraded to Dura Ace components, so shifting is really smooth.
No buyers remorse yet!
7:57 pm
We just got in the Breezer Finesse to review. In the higher price point for commuters but a pretty cool bike. Even comes with a carbon Ritchey post.
8:30 pm
Definitely the Breezer Finesse is a bike that I would have considered before I bought the Speedster R2. I'm not sure how to compare the weights: The Breezer Finesse weighs 28 lbs, but I think that includes Fenders, Dynamos, Racks, Kickstand, and lights whereas the Speedster R2 comes in at 23 lbs. I'm also not sure about the Price.
I will say that my commute is much nicer on a 23 lbs bike than a 40 lbs bike! I also like the shifters I got with the Speedster R2: I can shift up/down and brake without moving my hands, and with a stretch, I can ring my bell. I also upgraded to Dura Ace components, so shifting is really smooth.
No buyers remorse yet!
5:34 pm
Yes, since Nov., really enjoying it!
I bike 4-11 mi to the bus & 4 mi home from bus.
I use my mountain bike with studded tires. Currently “in-between cars”, so bikecommuting 4days/wk. Review some safety stuff, really any bike will do!
1:49 pm
How often?
Everyday, except when anything goes wrong with my job. i work at home so i dont go commuting but rather going somewhere and get back to my home. usually at morning and afternoon
How long of a distance?
6 miles one way
Do you use a specific commuter bike, or do you ride your road or mountain bike?
Im using a old road bike frame, converted to fixie
5:13 pm
About 3 times a week. 7 miles each way. I have a park system that starts across the street from my apartment and goes all the way to the town I work in. Paved trails the whole way with some parallel single track off road that I will hit up on the way home sometimes if I’m feelin saucy. I hit up a separate single track on my days off
10:46 pm
I commute daily (and sometimes lunch and back) at about 2 miles one-way (lately it’s over because of construction that has me taking a different route). Most of the time I take my Giant Bowery in fixed gear, but I have been riding my CAAD9 because of a worn out rear tire (and too indecisive to order a replacement for it). The Giant (and its tires) probably has more miles on it than any of my other bikes — it’s been on 2 MS-150s and has been my daily rider for most of the last 5 years of owning it. I used to drive (a car) when it rained, but in the last year I started to ride in anything (it hardly snows in San Antonio, but it can get cold and a little rainy).
12:45 am
I guess I had a leg up on this commuting thing
back in the 80′s and early 90′s i was a bike messenger, first in San Francisco then in L.A. (dont do it there!!!)
Ian I got used to riding all day every day. Now as a general automaton I have a mere 2 bikes, one is an Iron Horse 5.0 Maverick and the other and old 80′s club fuji, steel frame, set up as a single speed with bull horn / aero bars. that’s what Im riding today, though time is spent equally between my single and my iron horse. My commute is simple 5 miles to the train, 15 min on the train and 1 mile downhill to work. Afternoons are the opposite. the weekends I ride to the store, for food, for fun with my wife. Last weekend it was 40 miles around the valley, in 3 weeks it’s a half century with the wife and I’ll be riding the single speed. the Last 33 mile 2 weeks ago (with some serious uphills) i used the 24spd iron horse. I have a fixie frame showing up, sometime this week and I will build that into a single speed for yet another fun way to commute.
This week is after all ride your bike to work week. though as of today (monday) i have not seen an increase in bikes on my companies campus.
time to go home now… yeah!!! more riding!!!
9:20 pm
?How often? 4 days a week, (I work from home on fridays)
?How long of a distance? 4 miles each way. I usually get 8-12 miles a day depending on where I go after work.
?Do you use a specific commuter bike, or do you ride your road or mountain bike? I use my Kona MTB. I have 2 wheel sets, One for road(road tires/road casette), one for trails(MTB tires/MTB casette). I also added areo bars because head winds in colorado can be killer. I use a real bike head light for night riding, and road all winter long. I only missed a few days of riding this past winter.