Part Way & Part Time bike commute !

[Crankin]

My commute used to be 6.7 miles, a good uphill on the way in. It was enough of a ride round trip that I didn't have to ride more to feel like I exercised that day and it didn't matter when I left work or home, because it was all very rural roads.
When I moved, my commute went to 14.7 miles. At first I drove to a shopping center, parked, and rode from there, about 8 miles. Then I would take a long way back to my car, so I could get in an 18-20 mile ride for the day. Once I figured out a way to cross a major highway and shorten the trip a bit (my first attempt was 17.8 miles one way), I started doing the whole commute. My issue was finding a way to cross the highway that didn't lengthen my commute and navigating one intersection that is a slight uphill, that I really don't like. It turned out that there are hardly any cars there at 6:15 in the morning! On the way home, there is traffic and one slightly scary left turn, but I've handled it.
I only commute 1-2 days a week and I feel like I am doing my part. If more people did partial commutes or rode on some days, I think it would make a big difference. I make a lot less car trips now, and I ride my hybrid to make quick trips into town for errands, but I know that going grocery shopping on my bike is not realistic for me.
There are a lot of rabid "Prius" types in my town and they are very condescending to people who don't do what they do. It really irks me.

[GLC1968]

My husband used to do the half-commute. His work was 30 miles from home, so he'd drive out of the city that we lived in and parked at a park. Then he'd ride the rural roads for 18 miles or so into work (and then back at night). He did this 2-3 times a week and you better believe it counted!

I had a 14 mile commute through a ton of scary traffic. On days that I couldn't go in super early and stay super late to avoid said traffic, I did my own version of the half-commute. I'd drive to work in the AM with my bike on my car. Then I'd bike home that night and then back in the next day. Then I'd drive home. This had two unexpected benefits too...1 ) I had a place to keep my bike locked (my car) and 2) I could NOT blow it off in the morning. I had to get up to ride because I had no car and no other way to get to work! This was great when I was going through lazy periods!

We just moved and my drive to work is now only 4 minutes (I haven't paid attention to miles, yet). My bike commute should be a piece of cake! DH's is the same distance in the opposite direction, so once we've unpacked all the biking gear, we're gonna be full time commuters!!! Yay!!!

Oh, and I'm also of the mind-set that ANY biking in place of driving is a GOOD THING.