# What would it take for you to commute on a bicycle?



## Stelmaria (Sep 30, 2011)

So most of us in the west tend to laugh at this idea, but why? In some cities (eg Amsterdam, Copenhagen) a majority of local trips are done on bicycle.

What would it take for you to commute on a bicycle?


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## Adythiel (Jun 28, 2012)

A new job.


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## sleepyhead (Nov 14, 2011)

I do commute on my bike sometimes. My partner commutes on his bike every day. My city is slowly getting better at building bike infrastructure but it's been slow, which is unfortunate because I live in a very flat, even grounded city. I biked in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Barcelona last year and my city would be perfect for a mix of how Barcelona and Berlin set up their bike lanes and bike lights. The amount of cyclists who commute has increased hugely in the last 10 years here, but drivers have a lot of animosity towards bikes and I would feel a lot safer if real, separated bike lanes were set up but instead most of the bike "lanes" in my city are simply painted on the road next to the curb (about a meter out) and many cars drive right in the bike lane, and the bike lane often doubles as a bus lane. It would make so much more sense to put the bike lanes over some of our old railroad tracks or to create a lane on some of our huge boulevard's or to actually put a concrete barrier between the road and the bike lanes (this has been done on one single street in my city). 

So to answer your original question, better bike routes with proper, safe lanes separated from motor traffic. The fact that it's snowy and -35celcius in the winter doesn't help either.


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

I live in a very bike friendly city. But my job is in another city, so I walk a mile, ride the bus, and walk another mile to my place of work, then reverse the trip at night.


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## The Nth Doctor (May 18, 2012)

A job, and a bike.


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## Stelmaria (Sep 30, 2011)

So for you all who don't have a local job, what would it take for you to do regular shopping, errands etc by bicycle?


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## Adythiel (Jun 28, 2012)

A totally different city where the places I go to shop/run errands/etc. aren't so far and there are FAR fewer nasty hills.


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## Snakecharmer (Oct 26, 2010)

I have to take the interstate to go almost everywhere around here, so traveling via bike would not be practical or safe.


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## MsBossyPants (Oct 5, 2011)

Snow Leopard said:


> So for you all who don't have a local job, what would it take for you to do regular shopping, errands etc by bicycle?


I work from home. If I had a job that was close(ish) to home, I would cycle there. 

I cycle for exercise - have for a long time. I actually just got a new bicycle a few weeks ago. The streets all around my home are striped with bike lanes. It's hilly where I live so I get a great work out.

Whenever possible I try to incorporate a trip to the market into my workout. I fitted my bike with a large handlebar basket so that I can hit the store on the way home. Rather than leaving my outgoing mail for my letter carrier or driving to the post office, I bike them to the post office. I try to use my bicycle whenever possible for short errands. Sometimes, I'll pack a lunch and a book and cycle up to my local Starbucks and read there outside under the patio umbrella, and then run errands. 

I love cycling. It's environmentally friendly, saves me money and keeps me fit.


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## Sovereign (Aug 19, 2011)

A dedicated bike lane and a commute of less than 5 miles.


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## HamsterSamurai (Jun 28, 2012)

If it was impractical to commute by car, such as if I didn't have one or it was prohibitively expensive. I spent a year with only a bike, but there is so much that has to be done in a short time frame that I need the speed of motored transport. I would switch back if the bus system was more regular (some busses come very ten minutes, some every fifteen, some twenty, thirty, fourty... every hour and a half? How am I supposed to keep track of that!?) Plus I feel disgusting everytime I take the bus; smelly and goo on the seats and floors even when they are just starting a route. Maybe if there was more genuine respect for bike/bus commuters. There is a gas station on almost every block, but only a dozen bike shops in the whole city. 

I worry about being on my way to work and realizing that my tires are not properly inflated or something else is slightly out of tune... well that's going to be an hour and half expedition to and from the shop, more if I need to leave my bike there, and it's not like they are going to give me a rental while my bike is in the shop, and I can't wait till tomorrow morning to take care of it like I probably could with a car.. so if I don't have some alternative I'm just stuck.


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## nádej (Feb 27, 2011)

I would love so much to do this and I've done it for a previous job, but...currently I would need some less-dangerous roads. There is a bike lane for part of the commute, but not for the part that probably would benefit most from it. I live less than 3 miles away from my office, so I'd love to do it, it's just too dangerous right now.


Also my job requires me to go on home visits pretty often to see clients. I do need my car for those, as I have to bring a ton of paperwork with me, look presentable, and sometimes bring children with. Also sometimes the travel time to those visits is over an hour - even in a car!


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## ThatUglyGirl (Jun 18, 2012)

I've been considering this lately, for my health, for recreation, and for transportation. Thing is, I need a sturdy, reliable bike that can hold my weight. Those are usually hella expensive and I be broke. I hope I can have one by the end of the year, though.


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## Dolorous Haze (Jun 2, 2012)

I'd ride a bike to school if I didn't feel like I was going to be killed by a lorry or a car every three seconds.

Also, I have to wear a skirt for school. It's awkward riding a bike in my uniform. And there's nowhere to keep the bike when I'm in school.

Also, I don't have a bicycle...so if you give me a free one, I might use it? Although I walk most places anyway, so it wouldn't really make a difference to the environment if I opted for a two wheeled death trap rather than my two feet.


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## Devin87 (May 15, 2011)

Riding a bike home at 11pm for 20 miles on a street with a 1/2 inch shoulder, lots of blind curves and no street lights while already being sore from running back and forth over my 1/2 mile area for my 12.5 hour shift just doesn't sound sustainable. Or safe.


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## fotomoose (Sep 21, 2011)

All it takes is pressure to your local government representative. Get bike lanes installed and watch as road fatalities drop sharply. (I say that as if it's an easy thing! haha) But living, as I do, in Sweden where bike lanes are standard on almost every road I find it hard to imagine not being able to cycle somewhere.


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## Garee (May 2, 2012)

I feel for bikers, growing up in the sprawling South auto traffic rules. However my city is slowly urbanizing and is requiring more bike lanes for new road construction or when a road gets reconfigured. Charlotte, North Carolina where I live just started a new bike sharing program, however the tourists don't seem to know traffic laws either, almost running people over on the sidewalks and such. The thing about a city finally embracing bikers is the new influx of bike lanes aren't well connected to each other. The older parts of city lack bike lanes still, and not every street can be widen or reconfigured for them for cheap.


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## Tad Cooper (Apr 10, 2010)

A good bike and cycling lessons or a place to practice. I suck at cycling (I nearly ran down a bunch of people on a bike in University).


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## voicetrocity (Mar 31, 2012)

+Being able to fit everything I'm departing with/ will be returning with on a bike.
+Destination under 3 miles away.
+Area that's safe for cycling .
+Nice weather (If I'm going to work, I don't want to be all sweaty and gross from heat by the time I get there).

I was able to bike ride/walk to one of my jobs, and I much preferred it.


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## Gray Skies (Dec 27, 2010)

It would take someone paying me to move somewhere else to ride my bike for commuting / everyday purposes. The closest grocery store is about 15 miles away and would require me to bike on the shoulder of a major US highway for most of the ride.


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## qwertygirl432 (Sep 5, 2012)

Living within a big city instead of on the suburbs. I go to school in downtown LA, and commute from a place about 30 minutes outside of it. Unless I want to be even more late every day, I will keep driving/taking public transport.

But If I had gone to school in NYC, or SF, I would have gotten a bike or walked.


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## TJSeabury (Nov 23, 2010)

Snow Leopard said:


> So most of us in the west tend to laugh at this idea, but why? In some cities (eg Amsterdam, Copenhagen) a majority of local trips are done on bicycle.
> 
> What would it take for you to commute on a bicycle?


Not having to bike through a dangerous ghetto. (I don't live there but its in between.) :\ Otherwise, me, bike, everyday.


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## Fumetsu (Oct 7, 2015)

...wait, WTF was a thread several yrs old on the front page


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## Stelmaria (Sep 30, 2011)

Fumetsu said:


> ...wait, WTF was a thread several yrs old on the front page


It's all part of my darstardly plan to get a �� added to the smiley list.


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

edit: didn't realize this thread was so old. never mind


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## catharsiis (Mar 27, 2017)

A bike.

Actually, I've been considering buying one. I biked a lot as a kid, and I sort of miss it. It's faster than walking, and a good method of exercise. The only thing that would suck, would be having to go up hills.

But I also haven't started driving yet, so....


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## Stelmaria (Sep 30, 2011)

cuddle bun said:


> edit: didn't realize this thread was so old. never mind


It's still relevant, c'mon!


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## Eefje (May 8, 2017)

A *good* bike and anything that doesn't exceed the 30 km mark xD


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

I dislike breathing car exhaust and I dislike crazy unaware SUV drivers who pass within 4 inches of me while everyone "normal" passes on the other side of the road. So I would want a fully dedicated bike/pedestrian path to work - or a short ride on almost-deserted streets if they are shared.

And a job where it is normal to look unkempt because I can't picture my hair cooperating with humidity/wind/helmet. I also fully expect to have a red helmet mark on my forehead for most of the day because that's just how my skin reacts to the tiniest pressure (dermatographia)

And a job that's 1000x better than my current one because I currently commute from my bedroom to my office in my pajamas - it's hard to beat that.

Basically I can't picture this working except under extremely unusual circumstances.


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## pilgrim_12 (Aug 18, 2012)

A hell of a lot of extra time and effort, plus an infrastructure change to support bicycle traffic instead of motorized vehicle road sharing which is inherently deadly.


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## attic (May 20, 2012)

Hm... I have been thinking about this some this summer, that and shorter showers are my next areas of improvement environmentally speaking. Plus it is nice exercise. I used to need a bicycle, because mine tend to get stolen as soon as I use them a few times. So that is something that could help, if I could put the bicycle somewhere safe while working/studying/errands. I have tried to pick a bike this time that is old, but not vintage-old, so as to not attract theives as much, if standing next to other bikes it is likely the theif will pick another. I think this is a big problem for making people ride bikes more, it is expensive if you have to buy a new bicycle every year.

Secondly I need to get in better shape, because it is 16-17km to my school, and uphill a large part of the way, google maps thinks it will take about an hour, but perhaps more like 1.5h for me, perhaps 2 home, as it is mainly uphill. But I could start with groceryshopping and little exploration-rides in the area, and perhaps go to the city in the weekend.

thirdly, clothes, weather here is often rainy, and unreliable, figure out how not to always come to school soaking wet.

fourthly, psychological thing: it would help if buscards were paid per ride, rather than monthly. One can do that, but it is a huge difference in cost, and if already having the monthly card, it is easy just use that, now that it is paid for and all, instead of taking the bike and feel like you saved some money on the busticket.


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## Fleetfoot (May 9, 2011)

I bike to work. Living in one of the hilliest cities in the country and having a fairly unfriendly societal view on cyclists makes it incredibly annoying to commute, but it's free. 

I drive for things like groceries, if I were to get a basket I might consider biking for those.


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## crazitaco (Apr 9, 2010)

What would it take? I'd have to live somewhere else, bicycling is not much of an option here. Everything is spread out too far, there are no dedicated bicycle lanes, the summer heat+humidity is dangerous, and drivers are not conscious of bicyclists which leads to them getting hit and killed sometimes.


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## dulcinea (Aug 22, 2011)

I'm getting my biking endurance up in order to do just that. I've been out of shape for a while; getting back into it


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## Caveman Dreams (Nov 3, 2015)

When I lived in Nottingham (UK) I used t commute on a bicycle as the city was Bicycle friendly so I ended up doing approx 9 miles a day (work and back) at a minimum on top of the gym and martial arts.

However where I live now, although it would be the same difference, it would be an easy ride to work as it is 4.7 miles of solid downhill, however I would probably need a month off just to build up the muscles and endurance to cycle home as it is 4.7 miles sold uphill and one of the hills being particuarly nasty, just walking up it is a killer. Im not saying Im a fitness machine, but I know people to order Taxi's up that particular hill.

Also the shower at work is quite Gopping so I wouldnt want to use it for hygiene reasons.


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