I commute about 6 miles each way between Brooklyn (home) and Manhattan (work). I've been raving about it to everyone I know because it's legitimately changed my life. It feels amazing, saves money, keeps me in much better shape, gives me more energy at work. It's slightly faster than the subway, and significantly faster than driving/cabbing at rush hour.
I also love that transit time is very consistent (even relative to the subway, which has lately been wonky). It's great to arrive for our morning standup exactly 7 minutes early, rather than having to pad in 30 minutes of unproductive dead space in case the subway has some problem.
NYC bike paths have gotten pretty good over the years, such that I can use protected lanes for ~70% of the trip, and dedicated lanes for >90%. No accidents yet but several close calls, mostly with pedestrians. New York streets are crowded and aggressive, but the speeds are low and drivers are relatively vigilant.
The consistency is a vastly underrated quality of bike commuting. One amazing thing I've found is I'm more likely to do social events after work, even ones that are a great distance, if I don't have to worry about traffic.
For example, sometimes after I work I bicycle 90 minutes to San Jose and don't think twice about it. If I had my car it would PROBABLY take 45 minutes, but I honestly have no idea. Or I could go home, and drive to the train station, and catch the train, then walk. But the bike gives me the freedom to not worry about schedules and also not stress about delays.
It sounds so silly to prefer to ride for twice as long as I'd drive and consider that a "win", but there's some kind of psychological block to dealing with traffic and the fact that a 15 minute drive instead takes 45 or 30 or 50 or 60 minutes.. but when the bicycle ride takes 90 minutes with or without traffic, it's so much more appealing.
Yeah, subway being "wonky" lately is putting it lightly.
I'd love to bike to work. When I lived back in Europe, I used to bike every day to work and back. However, biking in NYC is just insanely dangerous in comparison. I'm really surprised how people do it at all. There aren't real bike paths, and you're supposed to bike on the road right next to all the cars. That's constantly being just one small mistake away from injury/death. I just don't want that risk.
Just be aware that heavy exercise near significant car exhaust is fairly bad for your lungs. If you go a moderate pace it's not that bad, but if you like going all out a face mask is a good investment.
NYC bike commuting is great. In manhattan, the west side and central park paths are the best - I could do 90% of my commute on them and basically avoided cars except for the side streets. I commuted 5 miles and would often beat the subway time-wise. It's a great way to wake up too, you start the day off feeling good
I have been commuting from Queens to Midtown manhattan for over 2 years now. In the beginning, I was super scared of all the cars and pedestrians.
However, now the situation is a lot better compared to few years back. More bicycling on the road mean the pedestrians, cabs and cars know how to behave.
To a lot of people who think it is dangerous, it can be remarkably non-dramatic affair. With better bike lane markings, traffic that is moving very slow, and more bicyclist on the road, it has never been a better time to start riding in NYC. With experience, you develop almost telepathic sense about the people and cars around you and how to anticipate their moves. If you were scared before, try now and take it easy the first few months while you get used to it.
This is similar to my experience—6 miles between Brooklyn and Manhattan. The protected lanes are surprisingly dangerous when there’s no separate turn signal for cars. Compare 1st Ave to 8th Ave for an example. That said, it still feels way safer than biking in the suburbs, where cars will go 40 mph around a blind corner because there’s not much traffic.
Bikes have few problems with traffic because entire rights-of-way are dedicated to a tiny constituency. As bicycling gains popularity, I fully expect bike lanes to exhibit the same traffic problems as car lanes. You’ll still get more throughout from the space, but with a density of bikes meeting or exceeding the density of cars, traffic will certainly become a thing.
Now, as always, it’s a good idea to arbitrage and take advantage of underutilized infrastructure, but I wouldn’t expect the underutilization to last.
I'm at my 12 year of every day bike commuting. Before I commuted 10 km each direction, now I'm at 6 km. If I have activities after work, I ride to them too. So my total ride length is a fair bit longer than what my commute is.
The public transportation network here in Stockholm is good, but wouldn't even consider cramming myself into a packed subway train or bus. Even at this time of the year when it's -5 degrees celcius and snowy I really enjoy my daily rides.
It cuts commuting time in half and I shave off another two hours of sitting without moving a day.
If possible, I highly recommend bike commuting. Get a good bike (with gears) and rack mounts for bags. Gravel/adventure bikes are fun to ride and work well on all surfaces. Supple 650b tyres are all the rage these days. They will give you plenty of comfort while sacrificing very little when it comes to performance[1].
Tomorrow I'll be going to the outskirts of town with work. Then it's 50 km. I already look forward to that workday adventure. :)
I commuted by bike for years in NYC and frankly I do not recommend it. The traffic has always been bad but it’s now significantly worse, and the bike lanes that exist make riding even more dangerous. You are always within reach of parked cars doors, and the lack of a physical barrier on most lanes means they are often driven over by cars.
Perhaps worst of all, even faulty bike lanes give cyclists a sense of entitlement and false security. The fact remains the roads were not built for cycling and cars always win in a battle for space.
I’d love to see bike-only roads, routes, or such. But until there is both proper segregation and consequences when cars kill cyclists (there are currently none) it’s a death wish.
Every day I see eager young cyclists riding with no helmet, no lights, and not infrequently without brakes (on fixies) and I am compelled to yell out my advice on working harder at staying alive.
I'd hate to ride anything 'supple' on my commute path, which includes a lot of debris and broken bottles.
I do miss riding on smaller wheels though. 26" was much nicer to get rolling than 700c, and there's a lot of stop-start. 26" rigid bike are extinct now though it seems.
Only thing keeping me from commuting year round is lack of studded tires. I'll have to fix that until next year, because as I'm standing here, hoping for a train that's not jam packed, I really miss cycling.
I've been cycling to work in downtown LA for nearly 8 years, 4 miles each way. I'm faster than a car over that commute. The weather is fantastic, and I am physically in great shape. Mental benefits are huge.
I've gone about 15,000 miles in dense urban environments without any accidents of any kind. There are a number of keys to this:
- Think like a driver -- it helps to be a good driver first
- Think, period. Don't listen to music, pay attention.
- Don't ride in the door zone. Don't let drivers make you ride in the door zone. If you need the lane, take the lane. It's your right.
- Use flashing lights on front and back, at all times of day. Nobody else except emergency vehicles is allowed to have flashing lights. There's a good reason: they are unmissable and very distracting.
- Wear brightly colored shirts and a bright colored helmet.
- If you don't wear a helmet, don't worry about it, it doesn't mitigate that much risk. The exercise benefits of biking do way more to increase your life expectancy than skipping a helmet does to reduce it.
I cycle around 3 times the distance he does daily to and from work in London. I've been doing this for 5 years. It's probably fair to say I take more days off than he does though (I leave the bike at home if going for a drink).
I suppose the same could be said for any form of regular exercise, but it makes such an improvement to how I feel when I get to work, and my general well-being. The pollution in London has always been a bit of a concern, however I hope the exercise outweighs this for the most part. I save around £8 a day by not taking the train.
I wish more people would give it a go. More people riding would result in better and safer infrastructure here. I do however, regularly see people get knocked off bikes and can understand the perceived risk and reluctance from others to try it. I'm envious of cities such as Copenhagen with great safe infrastructure, and where riding is the norm.
I've always used a bike to go to work, but now I'm in Mexico City. Too many cars, too much air pollution. Cycling here is bad for your health.
The public bicycle sharing system is really good and cheap. Some parts of the city are bike friendly. But the air quality is just so bad. The trucks that spew black smoke continuously. The buses that have never been controlled in 50 years. The SUVs traveling at 100 km/h on the lanes reserved for buses and bicycles. All the cars idling and honking in traffic after 6PM. It's really depressing. This city would be such a beautiful city without all those cars and trucks.
Between where and where? A lot of the obvious routes are terrible, but you can go a long way in this city zigging where everyone else zags.
Avoid the bike lanes for the most part, though. You're probably in more danger in one of our bike lanes than out of one, due to all the morons blithely going the wrong way in them.
I commuted by bike (6km one way) in Tel Aviv, Israel and it was awesome. Great route, bike lanes/parks and a (tiny, but who cares) shower in the office. Did that for one year straight, just like the person in the article.
Now I'm living in Singapore, a city that has a traffic problem and tries to reduce the cars on the streets. You'd think they would welcome bikes, but riding a bike here sucks. Big time. It's basically unbearable.
There are no sidewalks to speak of on a lot of roads. Often the sidewalks are divided in two segments of different heights. Tables will be on the sidewalk, garbage bins will block it.
Riding on the road - the norm in my home country - is discouraged by every local I've met, both bike fans and car drivers. You can ride the bike in this city, sometimes, in some places. But it's a pain in the rear to use it for commutes and a very, very bad experience around the central part of Singapore. Park connectors/outward regions are fine, but the traffic infested center is no place for a bike, which is quite sad..
What I'm trying to say is: I agree that the article describes a great way to live, something I dearly miss. I believe that this isn't possible for a lot of people though, in spite of the benefits it would provide to them and their surroundings.
Agreed but only up to a point. I can easily spend 5 minutes in the queue for the lights near my flat (a lot of buses and lorries on that road so I can't always lane split safely), and I was delayed much longer once because police had closed the road after a collision.
As a counterbalance to all the positivity, I cycle to work and don't enjoy it or feel much benefit from it. In comparison, driving is so much more comfortable (especially in bad weather) and a bit quicker.
Driving is much less mentally taxing. It's nice to be able to just... drive down the road without constantly worrying about doors being open or cars pulling out from driveways/side streets without seeing you.
I've never been hit by a car and I want to keep it that way, so my eyes are constantly scanning everything.
I live about the same distance from work as the writer, and I've been cycling to work since early October. I would have thought that such a short bike ride wouldn't have much of a health benefit, but I feel more energetic and my blood pressure is noticeably lower than it was a year ago.
Short distances on a bicycle are actually healthier than longer distances. Long distance cyclists tend to have issues with losing bone and muscle density.
I bike everyday to work in the South Bay, Silicon Valley area. Everyone I talk to here can't imagine life without a car, but I haven't had any issues; lots of bike paths here, and all groceries and the gym are just minutes away.
Sometimes when it rains I carpool, and I see how annoyed and irate most drivers get when commuting. So I don't regret not owning a car.
The downside is not being easily able to take day trips, so I still might buy one some day.
I also lived in the South Bay and found ZipCar and/or renting a car for day, weekend and even week long trips worked fine (which one is cheaper depends on your age and whether you can get a discount through your employer or whatever). There was enough "Neighborhood" rental places around to be easily accessible by bike. A weekend was on the order of $60-180, and so even doing this every weekend only adds up to $3k-9k per year.
Which freeways do you cross under/over? How do you do it safely?
I'd happily ride on trails or small streets (and have) , but most of the regular commute riders I know do ~30mi rt a day... most of them doing it more than 5 yearrs have been in an injury accident. Maybe cyclists talk about accidents more than divers, but the percentage certainly seems higher.
Same here, I've biked to work pretty much every day since I moved to South Bay (except for rainy days, I'm not hardcore).
I'm lucky because there is a nice trail that I can ride on for the majority of my ride. But it's a little sad that the South Bay has so many built-in advantages for bike commuting (good weather year-round, mostly flat) but so little good bike infrastructure.
Cycling to work is normal here in the Netherlands, especially in the cities.
Given a few times when I've been sick, I've ridden almost every day to work and back (8km), regardless of the weather (and the Dutch weather is famous for being rubbish).
I'm a cyclist at heart so really enjoy the daily commute along the canals, back streets and cycle paths of the city.
To be fair, even the nightclubs have cycle parking - and an attendant present too for security.
I wish we had the bike culture in the US that exists elsewhere. Twice in my life I have regularly commuted to work a reasonable distance by bike and each time the habit was punctuated by being hit by a car. I feel safer walking than I do on a bike here.
conclusion: what a lovely route, choosing to cycle it isn't even a decision, especially as the other options seems to take longer. The author is super lucky and I'm jealous. I cycle to work too, but in a busy city.
I used to have a standard 9-5 gig and then I'd work at a bike shop during the week nights and on the weekends. I started biking in after a co-worker suggested it.
I was pretty surprised. The ride was about 20-25 minutes, mainly through your standard US suburbs so not hard at all. I rode to work 3-4 times a week and then on Saturday or Sunday.
I didn't change anything in my routine except for biking. I lost about 8 pounds, my blood pressure dropped and my already healthy cholesterol levels dropped another 4 points. I had more energy when I got to the shop and then had more energy when I got home. I was more willing to work on various projects when I got home instead of plunking down in front of the tv after being exhausted from a long day at the shop.
>There are about 250 work days in a year in Baden-Württemberg, excluding weekends and public holidays. Of those I was missing for 34 days for vacations, being sick and doing home office. On 11 days I used public transportation, on 5 days a car. That leaves 200 days on which I cycled to work.
I have a short commute to work, only 2.2 miles each way, but I have been doing it for the last 2 years every workday, under any conditions. From the very beginning I told myself, no excuses. I also realized that if I wanted to stick to it, I would want to be comfortable and not miserable, so I bought gear for the rainy days and winter weather, and a nice backpack to carry everything I need. I live in a big city, so driving and parking is always a challenge... it's nice not to worry about it where to park and how bad is the traffic.
Let me make some Spanish propaganda. Riding a bike in Valencia is awesome, as there is a cheap bike sharing service (Valenbici) and lots of bike lanes. The city is flat, it never snows and it rains just a couple of weeks a year, making it perhaps the best bike city in Spain.
Great route! Maybe it isn't necessary in temperate climates, but the most important point is that he has showers at work. In tropical countries it is a must. If more workplaces had showers a lot more people would cycle to work.
[+] [-] nsedlet|8 years ago|reply
I also love that transit time is very consistent (even relative to the subway, which has lately been wonky). It's great to arrive for our morning standup exactly 7 minutes early, rather than having to pad in 30 minutes of unproductive dead space in case the subway has some problem.
NYC bike paths have gotten pretty good over the years, such that I can use protected lanes for ~70% of the trip, and dedicated lanes for >90%. No accidents yet but several close calls, mostly with pedestrians. New York streets are crowded and aggressive, but the speeds are low and drivers are relatively vigilant.
[+] [-] rconti|8 years ago|reply
For example, sometimes after I work I bicycle 90 minutes to San Jose and don't think twice about it. If I had my car it would PROBABLY take 45 minutes, but I honestly have no idea. Or I could go home, and drive to the train station, and catch the train, then walk. But the bike gives me the freedom to not worry about schedules and also not stress about delays.
It sounds so silly to prefer to ride for twice as long as I'd drive and consider that a "win", but there's some kind of psychological block to dealing with traffic and the fact that a 15 minute drive instead takes 45 or 30 or 50 or 60 minutes.. but when the bicycle ride takes 90 minutes with or without traffic, it's so much more appealing.
[+] [-] tomca32|8 years ago|reply
I'd love to bike to work. When I lived back in Europe, I used to bike every day to work and back. However, biking in NYC is just insanely dangerous in comparison. I'm really surprised how people do it at all. There aren't real bike paths, and you're supposed to bike on the road right next to all the cars. That's constantly being just one small mistake away from injury/death. I just don't want that risk.
[+] [-] scosman|8 years ago|reply
- I save $1700/yr on transit (Toronto TTC Pass). Savings would be even higher if I drove (parking costs, maintenance)
- Massive health benefit from of turning 3hr/week of commute from sitting into cardio: https://theconversation.com/cycling-to-work-major-new-study-...
- Others: Time savings, commute consistency, happiness
[+] [-] Retric|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gnarcoregrizz|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nirajshr|8 years ago|reply
However, now the situation is a lot better compared to few years back. More bicycling on the road mean the pedestrians, cabs and cars know how to behave.
To a lot of people who think it is dangerous, it can be remarkably non-dramatic affair. With better bike lane markings, traffic that is moving very slow, and more bicyclist on the road, it has never been a better time to start riding in NYC. With experience, you develop almost telepathic sense about the people and cars around you and how to anticipate their moves. If you were scared before, try now and take it easy the first few months while you get used to it.
[+] [-] dietrichepp|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dte22|8 years ago|reply
I would love to bike, but no showers at my current workplace :/
[+] [-] closeparen|8 years ago|reply
Now, as always, it’s a good idea to arbitrage and take advantage of underutilized infrastructure, but I wouldn’t expect the underutilization to last.
[+] [-] agumonkey|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|8 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] unicornporn|8 years ago|reply
The public transportation network here in Stockholm is good, but wouldn't even consider cramming myself into a packed subway train or bus. Even at this time of the year when it's -5 degrees celcius and snowy I really enjoy my daily rides.
It cuts commuting time in half and I shave off another two hours of sitting without moving a day.
If possible, I highly recommend bike commuting. Get a good bike (with gears) and rack mounts for bags. Gravel/adventure bikes are fun to ride and work well on all surfaces. Supple 650b tyres are all the rage these days. They will give you plenty of comfort while sacrificing very little when it comes to performance[1].
Tomorrow I'll be going to the outskirts of town with work. Then it's 50 km. I already look forward to that workday adventure. :)
[1] https://janheine.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/12-myths-in-cyclin...
[+] [-] subpixel|8 years ago|reply
Perhaps worst of all, even faulty bike lanes give cyclists a sense of entitlement and false security. The fact remains the roads were not built for cycling and cars always win in a battle for space.
I’d love to see bike-only roads, routes, or such. But until there is both proper segregation and consequences when cars kill cyclists (there are currently none) it’s a death wish.
Every day I see eager young cyclists riding with no helmet, no lights, and not infrequently without brakes (on fixies) and I am compelled to yell out my advice on working harder at staying alive.
[+] [-] HumanDrivenDev|8 years ago|reply
I do miss riding on smaller wheels though. 26" was much nicer to get rolling than 700c, and there's a lot of stop-start. 26" rigid bike are extinct now though it seems.
[+] [-] kqr|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] trevyn|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] KarenSatantsby|8 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] sandover|8 years ago|reply
I've gone about 15,000 miles in dense urban environments without any accidents of any kind. There are a number of keys to this:
- Think like a driver -- it helps to be a good driver first
- Think, period. Don't listen to music, pay attention.
- Don't ride in the door zone. Don't let drivers make you ride in the door zone. If you need the lane, take the lane. It's your right.
- Use flashing lights on front and back, at all times of day. Nobody else except emergency vehicles is allowed to have flashing lights. There's a good reason: they are unmissable and very distracting.
- Wear brightly colored shirts and a bright colored helmet.
- If you don't wear a helmet, don't worry about it, it doesn't mitigate that much risk. The exercise benefits of biking do way more to increase your life expectancy than skipping a helmet does to reduce it.
[+] [-] reti|8 years ago|reply
I suppose the same could be said for any form of regular exercise, but it makes such an improvement to how I feel when I get to work, and my general well-being. The pollution in London has always been a bit of a concern, however I hope the exercise outweighs this for the most part. I save around £8 a day by not taking the train.
I wish more people would give it a go. More people riding would result in better and safer infrastructure here. I do however, regularly see people get knocked off bikes and can understand the perceived risk and reluctance from others to try it. I'm envious of cities such as Copenhagen with great safe infrastructure, and where riding is the norm.
[+] [-] ggregoire|8 years ago|reply
The public bicycle sharing system is really good and cheap. Some parts of the city are bike friendly. But the air quality is just so bad. The trucks that spew black smoke continuously. The buses that have never been controlled in 50 years. The SUVs traveling at 100 km/h on the lanes reserved for buses and bicycles. All the cars idling and honking in traffic after 6PM. It's really depressing. This city would be such a beautiful city without all those cars and trucks.
Refs:
- air quality: https://air.plumelabs.com/en/year/mexico
- ecoBici: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EcoBici_(Mexico_City)
- "Car ban fails to curb air pollution in Mexico City" http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38840076
[+] [-] sumo89|8 years ago|reply
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-4599572/Avoi...
[+] [-] kqr|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] maw|8 years ago|reply
Avoid the bike lanes for the most part, though. You're probably in more danger in one of our bike lanes than out of one, due to all the morons blithely going the wrong way in them.
[+] [-] kilroy123|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] darklajid|8 years ago|reply
Now I'm living in Singapore, a city that has a traffic problem and tries to reduce the cars on the streets. You'd think they would welcome bikes, but riding a bike here sucks. Big time. It's basically unbearable.
There are no sidewalks to speak of on a lot of roads. Often the sidewalks are divided in two segments of different heights. Tables will be on the sidewalk, garbage bins will block it.
Riding on the road - the norm in my home country - is discouraged by every local I've met, both bike fans and car drivers. You can ride the bike in this city, sometimes, in some places. But it's a pain in the rear to use it for commutes and a very, very bad experience around the central part of Singapore. Park connectors/outward regions are fine, but the traffic infested center is no place for a bike, which is quite sad..
What I'm trying to say is: I agree that the article describes a great way to live, something I dearly miss. I believe that this isn't possible for a lot of people though, in spite of the benefits it would provide to them and their surroundings.
[+] [-] cesis|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] lmm|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nmeofthestate|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] HumanDrivenDev|8 years ago|reply
I've never been hit by a car and I want to keep it that way, so my eyes are constantly scanning everything.
[+] [-] rconti|8 years ago|reply
I prefer to bicycle, but I also love driving, and of course the car is always more comfortable.
[+] [-] KarenSatantsby|8 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] billsmithaustin|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] acomjean|8 years ago|reply
I ride a little slow (not aggressive), because Boston traffic and I figure the quickest way to get to where I'm going doesn't involve a hospital trip.
I really enjoy it and it does improve my mood.
[+] [-] lj3|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] abyssin|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] monaghanboy|8 years ago|reply
Sometimes when it rains I carpool, and I see how annoyed and irate most drivers get when commuting. So I don't regret not owning a car.
The downside is not being easily able to take day trips, so I still might buy one some day.
[+] [-] dbaupp|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kurthr|8 years ago|reply
I'd happily ride on trails or small streets (and have) , but most of the regular commute riders I know do ~30mi rt a day... most of them doing it more than 5 yearrs have been in an injury accident. Maybe cyclists talk about accidents more than divers, but the percentage certainly seems higher.
[+] [-] gregcoombe|8 years ago|reply
I'm lucky because there is a nice trail that I can ride on for the majority of my ride. But it's a little sad that the South Bay has so many built-in advantages for bike commuting (good weather year-round, mostly flat) but so little good bike infrastructure.
At least these guys are trying: https://bikesiliconvalley.org/
[+] [-] comprev|8 years ago|reply
Given a few times when I've been sick, I've ridden almost every day to work and back (8km), regardless of the weather (and the Dutch weather is famous for being rubbish).
I'm a cyclist at heart so really enjoy the daily commute along the canals, back streets and cycle paths of the city.
To be fair, even the nightclubs have cycle parking - and an attendant present too for security.
[+] [-] sulam|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jacknews|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] at-fates-hands|8 years ago|reply
I was pretty surprised. The ride was about 20-25 minutes, mainly through your standard US suburbs so not hard at all. I rode to work 3-4 times a week and then on Saturday or Sunday.
I didn't change anything in my routine except for biking. I lost about 8 pounds, my blood pressure dropped and my already healthy cholesterol levels dropped another 4 points. I had more energy when I got to the shop and then had more energy when I got home. I was more willing to work on various projects when I got home instead of plunking down in front of the tv after being exhausted from a long day at the shop.
[+] [-] trs80|8 years ago|reply
Wish we had this here.
[+] [-] dagurp|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zawerf|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ibdf|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jxub|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] neves|8 years ago|reply