How often do you ride to work?

[tharley]

I've commuted a few times, but for the most part I have to drive. Part of my job is driving across town several times per day for various meetings. At some point, I want to leave my car at work and commute to home/work regularly,... this will hopefully start sooner than later- I have to be more confident and less lazy. Haha.

The few times I've done it, I've used my panniers w/ all of my goodies, but wore my work clothes to & fro- 1.5 mi downhill from home.

[salsabike]

Never, because my work site is 26 miles away. Wish I could.

[jezbael]

I work in 5 different places throughout the week... a couple just a few km's from home, and one 12.5 km's from home. When I first bought my "real" bike a few years ago, my goal that summer was to try commuting to my far workplace at least once. For me, that was the longest solo ride I'd ever done. Sometimes psychological barriers are harder to overcome than physical ones! So, my tips:

- believe in yourself
- give yourself way more time than you think you would need, so you aren't anxious about being late
- use panniers: you can pack way more and they feel way less cumbersome than something on your body
- graciously accept all the shocked compliments from your coworkers who would never do it themselves

[tulip]

I work from home, and have for the last three years. Before that, however, I commuted by bike 14 miles each way year round, three times per week. So I put that as my answer to your poll.

I may begin to work from an office again, and I will only consider positions that are accessible by bike. By accessible, I mean distance and safety. There are often alternate routes to the ones people typically drive; it just takes some time to figure them out. And those alternate routes may be slightly longer in distance than the car routes. I always found that figuring out bike route options was a great way to learn the city.

[jdubble]

It's only a 2.5 mile bike ride, so I pretty much ride every time I go to work, but I only work part time (2 days a week). So I put several times a week.

No tips. My commute is short enough that it doesn't warrant any special gear or clothes, other than rain pants if it's really coming down.

[Serendipity]

I've commuted a few times, but for the most part I have to drive. Part of my job is driving across town several times per day for various meetings. At some point, I want to leave my car at work and commute to home/work regularly,... this will hopefully start sooner than later- I have to be more confident and less lazy. Haha.

tharley, that's exactly what I do and for the same reason. Usually commute 2 or 3 days a week weather permitting which means April to October, more or less. I draw the line at riding in the snow AND cold!

[BikingNurse]

Rain, shine, wind. (we are in a storm advisory right now and I'm not looking forward to riding home in it. & worried about my 8 year old riding home in it as well) I only live 1 mile from work, but when it's nice I usually will make it 3-5 miles each way.

The thing I use is a buff to keep the wind out of my ears. I love this thing it has so many different uses for it. I can make it into a hat to cover my head and ears (yes I helmet) but I can also make it go over my head, ears, and nose too to keep the dirt out of my lungs.

[Zen]

Work?
What is this work of which you speak?
Silly earthlings.

[sfa]

I answered a few times per month, year round.

That's currently a big lie--it's what I used to do before my husband's new work schedule made commuting by bike impossible (me: work starts at 8:30, 13 mile commute; DH: work starts at 7 a.m. Last child's bus arrives at 8:35, so right now I put that child on the bus and tear hell-for-leather to work in my car and hope to arrive only a half hour late).

Yesterday he had a job interview for another night shift job, though, so if he gets that I can go back to commuting by bike. I'd still only be able to do a day or two a week at most (too many after-school/work activities--when I commute by bike, I get home too late for these) but that's better than nothing!

Tips on packing/cleaning:

• Baby wipes and powder are my friends and are all I need for getting cleaned up for work even on hot summer days--I have access to a shower/fitness center at work but really don't use it (it's nice to know it's there, though).
• One bottle cage holds water, the other holds coffee. I'm more likely to reach for the coffee at traffic lights.
• I pack my stuff in two small panniers (designed as front panniers), ostensibly to balance the load, but really it doesn't need balancing--I'm just a little compulsive and like how the bike looks more balanced with two panniers instead of one larger one.
• I always pack my bag the night before so I don't have to run around in the morning finding my stuff. Actually, I do that when I'm driving too, so I guess this doesn't count as a tip.
• Find alternate routes. The one you drive might not be the one you bike, and I discovered last year (when they closed the road I normally ride on for construction and detoured everyone onto the freeway nearby) that having an alternate alternate route is good too! Now that alternate to the first alternate is my preferred route--the road I discovered is flatter, wider, and quieter!

I think the fact that I'm really wracking my brain, trying to come up with tips to share, tells me that this isn't that big of a deal. Getting over the mental block that kept me from starting to commute by bike was the hardest part. The actual commuting is just a nice morning (and evening) ride that is really the best part of my day!

Sarah

[MomOnBike]

Um, I walk to work. I live close enough, one mile round trip, that the bike Stuff (helmet, locks, etc.) is just more work than walking.

When I had the job 2 miles away, I rode unless the roads had icy ruts in them or I needed the car after work for some reason. I would guess I rode pretty close to 90% of the time.

DH bike commutes, again, as long as the roads are clear - even on the day after he ran a marathon. He's pretty hard core that way.

[GLC1968]

You need an option for "not as often as I should!"

My commute is 19-21 miles each way depending on route. I would do it more, regardless of weather...if I had more time. It's just so difficult to give 3 hours per day to commuting to work. It's hard enough to give up 1 hour per day (when I drive)! It's not a very good excuse, I know...so my true answer is 'not as often as I should'.

I miss the 1.5 mile commute that I had for the first 4 months we lived here...

[Biciclista]

I figured out a couple years ago that i needed to keep riding to work even in the dead of winter because the longer i was away from it, the harder it was to get back on the bike.
In December and January, I averaged 1 commute a week, but now it's May and I bike commuted 4 times this week.