Biking to your job.



Norjak71

New Member
Apr 29, 2016
15
0
1
38
Romeo, Michigan
With the weather starting to warm up around my area I was thinking about starting to bike to my job. What's the furthest distance anyone has covered to get to theirs if they do so? Mine is about five miles, so I'd be looking at a 10 mile trek round-trip. I don't really get time to exercise as much as I'd like to so what better way to do it than getting to and from work. I have a lot of sidewalks to use and I wouldn't have to be on the main-road for that long.

Should I try this out for a few months or try to do it every other day. The last thing I want is to get burned out and lose my love for cycling as I enjoy it as a fun activity on the side and not necessarily for travel purposes. Thoughts?
 
We have a sizzling summer now due to the accompanying drought and even if I haven't noticed, I'm sure the bikers who ride to work are taking the public utility vehicles now. The media, particularly the tv networks, are issuing warnings on a possible heat stroke because of the extreme heat. But I guess there are still riders and mostly those who cannot afford the fare.
 
Totally! You can save gas, stay in shape, and you could qualify for a tax cut based on you biking to work instead of driving. It's worth while if you have the energy, just don't forget to bring an extra pair of clothes as you might get drenched in sweat.
 
I would say 10 to 15 miles. And not through a highway, these are very dangerous for bikers. It's pretty convenient, as long as your place's environment is pleasant around to provide you of a de stressing trip towards your job.
 
With the weather starting to warm up around my area I was thinking about starting to bike to my job. What's the furthest distance anyone has covered to get to theirs if they do so? Mine is about five miles, so I'd be looking at a 10 mile trek round-trip. I don't really get time to exercise as much as I'd like to so what better way to do it than getting to and from work. I have a lot of sidewalks to use and I wouldn't have to be on the main-road for that long.

Should I try this out for a few months or try to do it every other day. The last thing I want is to get burned out and lose my love for cycling as I enjoy it as a fun activity on the side and not necessarily for travel purposes. Thoughts?

5 miles is no time at all on a bike, I use to get to work 5 miles each way daily by foot. You'd be looking at a 20-30 at a casual-slow pace. Do it on good weather days, no point in getting to work soaked. I think most who even remotely like cycling wouldn't get burnt out from riding 10 miles 3-5 days a week. I'd love to ride in daily, but 32 miles each way, weather dependent, changing clothes, sweating,etc... would be too much. Lastly, sidewalks aren't for cycling, they are for pedestrians. Cyclist use the road and its illegal in many places to sidewalk ride.
 
Yes, it's a great idea to ride your bike to work everyday - unless you want to look professional. Don't get me wrong, you get your exercise, you get fresh air, and you save money on gas - but if you're a professional, you might want to arrive by car, not a bike. Think about it. A Fortune 500 company, your co-workers arriving in cars, and you arrive on a bike. Kinda doesn't breed confidence in your work, right?
 
I started out my love of cycling by biking to work. I bike 4 miles each way so 8 miles total and I say go for it! I think if you love biking you won't get burned out, you'll feel invigorated when you get to work and better when you get home. You'll get the exercise in you need, especially if you work at a desk job like me! I'd say try it every day for a couple of weeks and if you find that too much to scale back, but I found I actually wished my work was farther away! Good luck!
 
As ZXD22 points out thing is once you arrive at work you might be dripping with sweat. Your co-workers may not like it.

That said I know people who ride their bikes to work every day. Some go up to 8 miles on way and they don't sweat at all because they've done it for a while and their bodies have got accustomed to it. Initially it might be hard for you but the more you do it, you'll get used to it.
 
Absolutely, riding is a great way to get to work. And five miles each way should not be a problem physically, unless you've got some difficulties you haven't shared with us. Some things to consider: If you're prone to sweating, will you have a way to clean up when you get to work? Are you required to wear a suit on the job? These factors will help dictate what you wear to get there. (Getting home is not such an issue, I would think!).

Do you have bike lanes or safe routes you can take? Always have lights and bell for commuting, and a tough Kryptonite U-lock for parking it. Better still if you can bring it inside.

The type of bike you ride is important. I saved up for a Dutch-style city bike, with fenders, chain guard, upright sitting position, and built in lights for all weather and times of day. Get on it and ride. After a year not taking public transit/parking & gas costs, I had recouped the cost of the bike. Btw, my commute is a bit shorter than yours, but I use the bike for shopping, visiting, chores, etc., and ride almost year-round in Toronto, where snow and rain are challenges, but not insurmountable ones. Happy riding!
 
I just can't deal with the sweat to ever bike to work. Especially in the warmer months where I would need to find a shower near my work. I guess in the colder in months, it would be doable.
 
I don't think that you'll get burned out or lose your love for cycling by riding to work. On the contrary, you may even become more passionate for cycling as you're spending more time on your bike. Don't worry about it, just start riding to work and you may even discover a few fun routes on your daily route.
 
Totally! You can save gas, stay in shape, and you could qualify for a tax cut based on you biking to work instead of driving. It's worth while if you have the energy, just don't forget to bring an extra pair of clothes as you might get drenched in sweat.
I agree with you. It helps in saving money altogether.
 
I just can't deal with the sweat to ever bike to work. Especially in the warmer months where I would need to find a shower near my work. I guess in the colder in months, it would be doable.
So, you like the cold months? Why are you uncomfortable in warmer weather?
 
Commuting to work by bike while is popular, its not for everyone though. You can save money, and you can gain fitness from doing it, that's for certain but a lot depends on what job you've got aswell.

If your cycling to work and its quite a distance, do you really want to be then stuck sat in an office all day without a change of clothes or having a shower? 5 miles as in how far the OP said is fine, but when it starts to get nearer to 10 then it's something that needs thinking about.
 
With the weather starting to warm up around my area I was thinking about starting to bike to my job. What's the furthest distance anyone has covered to get to theirs if they do so? Mine is about five miles, so I'd be looking at a 10 mile trek round-trip. I don't really get time to exercise as much as I'd like to so what better way to do it than getting to and from work. I have a lot of sidewalks to use and I wouldn't have to be on the main-road for that long.

Should I try this out for a few months or try to do it every other day. The last thing I want is to get burned out and lose my love for cycling as I enjoy it as a fun activity on the side and not necessarily for travel purposes. Thoughts?
I say go for it. Why not? As long as your job isn't too strenuous or physically demanding then it shouldn't really be a problem. Five miles each way isn't that bad at all, especially if riding a bike. At one time I was actually walking five miles each way to work and back. It wasn't that bad but what annoyed me the most was that walking that far is so time consuming. In the end I bought a bike and cycled to work and back every day, it saved a lot of time in addition to being better exercise than walking.
 
I think that a lot of people will like the idea of cycling to work, but it does take a lot of preparation aswell. You have to have the right weatherwear for the conditions and plan your route, and that could increase your journey time.

It takes a bit of getting used to at first, especially if your used to just jumping in the car, but if you stick with it, it's worth it in the end and you do get to work feeling more energised.
 
I really want to start cycling to work because I don't drive but I have a fear of cyling near traffic! My job is about 4 miles away so it takes forever to walk it but I can't seem to get the confidence to try cycling it.
 
Something that Corzhens said rang out to me. We are just beginning a summer that is supposed to be a real scorcher, from what I've been hearing. In order to not give yourself heat exhaustion or heat stroke, it might take a few rest breaks along the way in order to re-hydrate, or just enjoy some shade for a few minutes. If I were planning to commute to work on my bike, I think I'd have to plan for that and leave earlier than what I think it should normally take me to ride that five miles. In other words, give yourself extra time in case you do get too warm and need a break. It is hot already here in Michigan and summer hasn't even started yet, so I can imagine some of the other, more southerly states are going to be horribly hot over the next few months. For that reason alone, I would think twice about commuting on bike. Or perhaps I'd just do it on cooler, overcast days or something.