Unexpected Commuting Benefits

Only very recently have I gathered the nerve to both ride to work and to do urban riding at all. While I still prefer my trails and country roads, I suddenly find myself far more willing to ride places I would have rejected the very idea as little as 2 months ago. I am still cautious, and I am still very new at this, but there is something pretty cool about this process.

This was an unexpected and unquantifiable outcome of my starting to ride to work a mere once a week, and I am curious if others have found other unexpected benefits of commuting.

It's been a long time since I've commuted in traffic, or ridden in urban traffic at all, but I do remember that, and I'm not surprised it's happened to you. You have to believe you are a tank. That confidence carries over. :)

During the first 10 years of returning to cycling nearly daily, I learned to ride routes that combined both bike paths, bike lanes and just streets with no lanes in heavy, congested downtown areas of Toronto. All of this car traffic, combined with high volume pedestrian crowds pouring out of light rapid commuter trains, subway system and buses into downtown. It does train a cyclist mentally how to ride with alot of cars and people crossing /jamming near around you.

Much more congested than Vancouver.

So whenever I go back to visit and cycle in these conditions, it's a slight shock: I used to ride in that type of traffic when commuting? But I've come to appreciate it's easier as a cyclist to ride in congested slow moving traffic vs. fast downtown congested traffic with all 4 lanes going 1 way as found here in Calgary. Just imagining make left-hand lane switches over multiple, one-way lanes, doesn't thrill me at all. (In fact, I avoid it if I can during peak car traffic hrs.)

As a comparison, Toronto has over 2.5 million people with more people living and working in its core (1 million people working in downtown and midtown, including those from the suburbs). If anyone tells me that dedicated bike paths are useless under these car street conditions, they have to be crazy. A busy bike path is still preferable than dealing with that and also avoid stopping at many more multiple traffic light intersections. Someone counted the total number of traffic light intersections she had to negotiate over a 10 km. bike ride --over 25 different traffic light intersections. But half of her route was avoided through using dedicated bike paths.

If I didn't combine a ravine park bike path from the suburbs, to join up street route remainder into downtown, I would have to contend with over 50 different traffic light intersections since I had a 16 km. ride one way. (We counted.)

Even now where I live, I could ride downtown on streets to work since it's very early in the morning and quiet. But that means 10+ different traffic light intersections for only a 4 km. bike ride. So I go on a bike path and only contend with 3 traffic light intersections after getting off the path. It's just so much more pleasant and closer to Nature on a path.

Calgary has 1.2 million people but less people pouring into downtown to work compared to Toronto.

It helps a cyclist's confidence to cycle comfortably under common conditions : urban street, country and some dedicated paths.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

It's been a long time since I've commuted in traffic, or ridden in urban traffic at all, but I do remember that, and I'm not surprised it's happened to you. You have to believe you are a tank. That confidence carries over. :)

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I will remember this: I am a tank, I am a tank!

We have something called the Cultural Trail downtown that is for mixed use. Here is a photo and here is a website that discusses it. I think that the existence of something like this makes it much easier for me to do this,

I still won't ride in traffic during the evening rush, but then again, I am quite new to this commuting thing.

Shooting Star, thanks for sharing your experience. I am having fun considering different routes to and from work, though a few very large sewer projects have really limited my choices until they are finished later in the year. My in-bound route is one I wouldn't consider any later than 5:30am...

You and I have done things in reverse order. When I first started riding as an adult, my rides were mostly in and around downtown Indy, sometimes at rush hour. From there, I started doing club rides that really ran the gammit in terms of traffic. Then I moved to a mostly rural area and have grown unaccustomed again to riding in traffic again. I did an urban ride a few weeks ago and was more unnerved than I expected to be.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

This was an unexpected and unquantifiable outcome of my starting to ride to work a mere once a week, and I am curious if others have found other unexpected benefits of commuting.

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I could write a book. SO many unanticipated benefits!

One was the amount of fitness I have gained over 6 years of commuting. Just a few miles a day, less than 10 a lot of days, but EVERY SINGLE DAY, turns out to be a powerfully effective way to gain fitness.

This has happened to me too. I rode to my hairdresser today, after commuting to work. Almost 13 miles total. A few months ago, I would have thought that was insane.

I'm MUCH more confident on the roads now thanks to commuting. I feel I'm more aggressive in traffic situations and take the lane or assert my right to the road more than I did when I just rode for sport. I feel like I can handle myself a lot better now than I ever did before.

Of course, yesterday on my commute I nearly got t-boned at an intersection when a truck with a stop sign apparently thought that the stop sign was optional. I thought to myself "do NOT kill me with 3 days left in the school year- kill me in August- NOT May." ;) Is it weird that that was my first thought?

I'm not a tank.

I'm a tender and fragile being on a lightweight metal frame that amplifies the output of my limited organic power generators.

When traffic is crazy, I walk on the sidewalk. At busy intersections I get off and cross in the crosswalk.

Pretending you are a tank puts a lot of faith in drivers to see you and treat you like a tank.

In all honesty, if a driver hit me while I was riding in a tank, they'd total their car. If they hit me while I was on a bike, they'd barely notice. It is up to me to be the adult in the situation, gauge the risk, and proceed accordingly.

Don't trust them an inch.

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Don't trust them an inch.

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A cyclist really can't trust drivers. We are against a 1 ton machine.

Besides, nowadays it's the added danger of people on their cell phones, texting, etc. Which never existed 30 years ago. In a sense, driving was abit safer back then.

For workplaces I've been, since I returned to cycling 20 yrs. ago, I've requested to start work earlier than others just so I can avoid heavy traffic and slide into the work groove in a more pleasant way.

And leave work abit earlier to beat the rush hour because I started work earlier. Even half hr. earlier makes a noticeable difference to a cyclist.

So for over 6 different employers, I've started work at 8:00 am, some other employers at 7:30 am. Then I can leave at 4:00-4:30 pm, depending on employer's rules.

which means I get into work BEFORE 7:30 am to change, get a coffee, etc.

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One was the amount of fitness I have gained over 6 years of commuting. Just a few miles a day, less than 10 a lot of days, but EVERY SINGLE DAY, turns out to be a powerfully effective way to gain fitness

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Quite true Melavi. It doesn't make me a superwoman in the summer immediately, but I was pleasantly surprised for the short very cold winter rides I did several times per week for work and for weekend grocery shopping, that this type of incremental cycling helped me deal mentally, with cycling long hills and longer distances faster in spring /summer.

I learned to ride in urban Cleveland. Granted, on a college campus, but it was still high-traffic, and spent the next year in a similar area. I rode early in the morning or in the evening after rush hour, so traffic wasn't bad, but it was a lot denser than the trails I've been riding on for the last year. ;) Now that I look back on it, I have to wonder what on earth I was thinking, and how I didn't end up as a hood ornament.

I'm still not entirely willing to ride on some of the roads around here, because they're high traffic density as well as high speed, and unlike Cleveland, drivers aren't used to seeing cyclists or pedestrians.

There's a lot to be said for confidence and taking the lane when you need to, and most drivers aren't out to get you, but there are a lot who aren't quite paying attention...

I didn't mean trusting them. Not one bit. Not as far as I can throw them.

I meant the self-confidence to ride assertively, which is actually much safer. Assertive riding is predictable riding, behaving like a vehicle with equal rights and responsibilities with all the other vehicles out there. It's when you act like a car sometimes and a pedestrian some other times and something that's neither fish nor fowl the rest of the time, that's what not only angers motorists, it confuses the ones who are trying to do the right thing.

It's as non-subtle a thing as taking the lane, and also as subtle a thing as the message you send with your body language. I don't believe in eye contact (along your lines of not trusting them), I've experienced too many times when someone's looked me straight in the eye and taken my right of way anyway - but the ones who do look me in the eye are getting the message that I will run you over if you take my right of way. Obviously I won't, and couldn't if I tried, but people who see them do respond to that kind of body language message on a visceral level.

Assertive riding also means trusting yourself. Hesitation costs you precious microseconds in a dangerous situation. Hesitation also, on that visceral level I mentioned, invites other road users to take your right of way and infringe on your lane. Trusting yourself is no different from the "flow" people talk about in competition, where mind and body are totally in sync and you instantly see and execute your next move.

IMO, it's just as dangerous not to trust yourself as it is to trust other road users. Even more dangerous, honestly, because hesitation can put you in a ditch on your head when there aren't even any other vehicles around.

Absolutely. I have seen so many people get into dangerous situations by not being assertive, or by making up their minds too late. Or even put others into dangerous situations. Just the other week I was coming down a hill, and the cyclist in front of me decided for no particular reason to suddenly slow down, waive her right of way and let a car turn in from a driveway into the road in front of her. The driver was looking only at her, and not at me approaching right behind her, which meant that suddenly I too had to come to almost a full stop.

Catrin,

I would caution you a bit about the Cultural Trail. It is a nice thing to have in the city (at a cost of $50 million for a 7.5 mile trail, it darn well better be :rolleyes:), but I do think it poses problems because it is, in actuality, a glorified sidewalk and, as a sidewalk, it poses some potential hazards for cyclists. I'll give you a for instance. If you were traveling east by bike on the Trail as it parallels North Street and approaches Delaware, you could very easily get hit by vehicle that is turning left--and that is totally oblivious to your rearward approach--onto Delaware. And you may have trouble even seeing what that eastbound traffic is doing because there are cars parked alongside the trail, as well as westbound traffic. Some of the streets that parallel the Trail only allow cars to turn left when they have a green arrow and Trail users have a red light, but not all of the intersections offer that protection. I'm afraid that some Trail users who aren't used to riding on the street at all will assume that it offers more protection from traffic than it actually does.

IndySteel - good call on being cautious with it. Depending on the time of day I won't always use it, and I am trying to be especially careful downtown anyway about stopping and looking before I ride out into traffic or cross the street. Out on my empty country roads I am more likely to look "on the move" as it were, but thankfully urban riding is so new to me that I am being extra cautious.

What makes it even cooler to use it is that my agency was involved in the initial planning stages :)

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Originally Posted by Tri Girl

Of course, yesterday on my commute I nearly got t-boned at an intersection when a truck with a stop sign apparently thought that the stop sign was optional. I thought to myself "do NOT kill me with 3 days left in the school year- kill me in August- NOT May." ;) Is it weird that that was my first thought?

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Not at all, I think you do have to make peace with the fact that any idiot at any time can kill you (even though it's unlikely) and after a while you just get used to that. "meditation at gun point", as it was said in a bike article I read a few days ago.

I remember one time I was so excited that I had apricot rugelach pastries at home, and my first thought when turning onto Kent Ave was "I am going to be so pissed if I get hit in traffic, I need to eat those pastries if I'm going to die happy" and the casual honesty of that thought did kind of scare me...

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Originally Posted by BodhiTree

When traffic is crazy, I walk on the sidewalk. At busy intersections I get off and cross in the crosswalk.

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It is always an option to get off the bike and become a pedestrian. If you are in a traffic situation that is more than you are comfortable with, that is probably a good option.

However, pedestrians have higher fatality rate per hour than either bicyclists or motorists. Pedestrians get hit as much in the crosswalk as out of it.

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Originally Posted by BodhiTree

Pretending you are a tank puts a lot of faith in drivers to see you and treat you like a tank.

In all honesty, if a driver hit me while I was riding in a tank, they'd total their car. If they hit me while I was on a bike, they'd barely notice. It is up to me to be the adult in the situation, gauge the risk, and proceed accordingly.

Don't trust them an inch.

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If I had this attitude I'd never bicycle or walk. I wouldn't even ride in a mere car, I'd have to have an SUV for the "protection" of its glass & steel cage. Better yet I'd never leave my house.

The risk of dying in a car is about the same or a little higher than on a bicycle, per hour traveled. Learning the actual relative risks helps us put our perceived risk into perspective. It also gives us control to manage our risks. I ride an arm's length or more from the edge of the road, I take the lane if it is too narrow to share comfortably, I obey traffic rules & regulations, I use appropriate lane positioning at intersections, I stay off sidewalks, and I wear a helmet. These practices decrease my risk of a crash by over 90%.

In a car, I only drive sober, I don't drive & text or drive & talk on a cell phone, and I wear a seat belt. I don't know the statistics on all of those but I know driving sober decreases my risk of dying in the car by 30%.

I don't trust motor vehicles to watch out for me or to see me, I watch out for myself and assume that a vehicle about to turn might not see me.

Sorry if this is a rant, and I probably read a lot more into this than you intended, it just sort of triggered something for me. Rant over! :)

Melalvai, I think that was an excellent post, thank you.

Catrin, I have found so many benefits to utility cycling (I don't have a commute). I love not paying to park, and I love being able to leave the bike right outside wherever I'm going. I love being able to take off-road short cuts that take me through green sections and having the option to stop for a bit along the way, or to go for a coffee without worrying about going over on the meter. Most of my journeys are under 2 miles each way, and driving such short distances is pretty bad for the car and the environment, whereas cycling (or walking) them is very good for me. So I feel pretty happy mentally about riding these journeys whenever I can, as well as physically.

Actually I drive so seldom that when I do I am flabbergasted by the time and effort it takes to transport and maneuver and park a car in an urban environment. Don't get me wrong, we have a car, and are totally dependent on it to be able to go kayaking, or xc skiing in most areas, or to get to the mountain areas we enjoy hiking or skiing in. But then we have a definite plan, and drive from A to B and park. We use it very rarely for shorter trips like shopping or errands, and when we do my stress level goes through the roof. It is so worth it for us to run minor errands with a bike, or by public transport, even if it may take a bit more time.

I agree, shooting star. I have experimented with morning cycle times. My ride is more enjoyable and safer (less cars) if I go out early. My goal is Also to arrive at
730 for an 800 shift.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

A cyclist really can't trust drivers. We are against a 1 ton machine.

Besides, nowadays it's the added danger of people on their cell phones, texting, etc. Which never existed 30 years ago. In a sense, driving was abit safer back then.

For workplaces I've been, since I returned to cycling 20 yrs. ago, I've requested to start work earlier than others just so I can avoid heavy traffic and slide into the work groove in a more pleasant way.

And leave work abit earlier to beat the rush hour because I started work earlier. Even half hr. earlier makes a noticeable difference to a cyclist.

So for over 6 different employers, I've started work at 8:00 am, some other employers at 7:30 am. Then I can leave at 4:00-4:30 pm, depending on employer's rules.

which means I get into work BEFORE 7:30 am to change, get a coffee, etc.



Quite true Melavi. It doesn't make me a superwoman in the summer immediately, but I was pleasantly surprised for the short very cold winter rides I did several times per week for work and for weekend grocery shopping, that this type of incremental cycling helped me deal mentally, with cycling long hills and longer distances faster in spring /summer.

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Confidence riding in the dark. I never rode in the dark before setting out for that first commute 2.5 years ago. I learned a lot about what is and is not a good light setup really quick. Confidence riding in traffic. This is also partly due to thinking through visibility and lighting. Have a 'SEE' light, have a 'BE SEEN' light. Have two BRIGHT tail lights, reflective tape, reflective vest, BikeGlow, Lightweights. I've shined my blinking Stella, on the helmet, into drivers eyes on many occasions; just turn my head a little... Yep, ride your car defensively, ride the bike offensively and defensively and know when to use each. Yes, don't trust the drivers; they are busy with their coffee as they exit the Mcdonalds. Take the lane when needed (I have to do this several times each way); I never had the guts to do that before.

Riding a bike that weighs double what my road bike weighs has improved my meager endurance to almost sub human levels (I was never athletic even as a child), and my legs aren't flabby anymore. A co worker mentioned that from behind, I look like a little girl because my rear is so small.

I find I am more alert at work, and more alert and 'alive' in general. Energy level is higher all day whether I rode or not. Kinda like I feel younger. I feel better but I can't say exactly what it is; breathe easier, head feels clearer, think clearer; does this make sense? BP is lower that's for sure, heart rate is lower. Maybe that's it?

Lilacs. Shouldn't have been unexpected, but I just didn't realize what a pleasure it would be to ride past a row of lilacs in bloom on the way to work - I wouldn't have picked up that scent from my car, let alone been enveloped by it.

I meet a lot of nice people while biking to work. I think its because I am wearing a dress and a smile. People dont expect to see happy people so early in the morning.

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Originally Posted by Rina

I meet a lot of nice people while biking to work. I think its because I am wearing a dress and a smile. People dont expect to see happy people so early in the morning.

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In all the years I've biked to work, I've never had the opportunity to "meet" people properly while cycling.

I have met 1 person who is involved in cycling as part of her job in the bike parking area. So we share info., etc. over lunch at times. So that is great.

Then other cyclists in the bike parking area are like me, in a hurry to change/leave work, etc. Including the few cyclists at work, who I recognize by name and vice versa.

I haven't "met" people either - not in the usual sense - but I smile and say hi to other bikers and early morning walkers and joggers, and there's a feeling of shared experience (maybe just in my head, but judging from the answering smiles I don't think so)

1-I can get up at 4:40 am to ride my bike to work, but not on days I have to drive
2-I am in a better mood on the days I ride.
3-I drink more water on the days I ride - no caffine (drive days start out with an ice tea from McDonalds)
4-I am sleeping like a rock, even on days I do not ride
5-My clothes are fitting better
6-I swear I am getting a little more respect from the staff I supervise and other co-workers (except for those who think I am crazy to bike at my ripe old age of 57)
7-Higher self esteem
8-I get more done on the days I bike
9-Spunkier and wittier
10-Wardrobe issues...like black shoes are at work...oops! Started to split my clothes so the things I leave at work are better for mixing and matching

I have to wonder what this list will be like come November <G>

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Originally Posted by deanywalker21

1-I can get up at 4:40 am to ride my bike to work, but not on days I have to drive
2-I am in a better mood on the days I ride.
8-I get more done on the days I bike

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+1 on all these!!

Also- I handle stress and stressful situations better on days I ride.

My husband and I both drive and both commute. One of the interesting things I've observed is how much cycling I've done and how that's changed me as both a driver and a cyclist. I am often pointing out things that he and I can do that can make us more predictable cyclists to drivers. This is in turn making both of us a better driver and a better cyclist.

My commutes in the PNW and Austin are very different from each other, but they both teach me a lot. We also ride almost all the time in Austin in general, so we get to experience other traffic or riding situations that make us much more aware of traffic flow and different situations.

I bring my clothes back and forth to work each day, but I think as the summer wears on in Austin I might have to pack extra clothes in and not have to carry my messenger bag every day, it makes me really warm. We get lunch brought in 2 days a week, so I can skip carrying those days.

That reminds me, eating. I eat much better when I bike because it's challenging to get anywhere (in either of my locations) by bike in a fair amount of time (or safely). I pack my lunch and that means I choose much healthier food for myself, tons of fruit & veg.

I was surprised to find how much commuting has improved my general cycling strength, too. My Austin route is hilly, my PNW route I often sprint. ;) Both are about 6 miles each way.

Love this thread! Great idea.