Bike to work myths debunked
I've heard lots of times, from friends and family: "You bike to work? You're crazy." Whether or not I am crazy is up to debate, but not because I ride to work. I often hear myths regarding why you shouldn't ride to work or anywhere else. I am here to dispel some of those myths and get you on your bike this Friday for National Bike-to-Work Day.
Myth #1 — It's too expensive to buy a bike.
Well, chances are most folks have a bike in their garage or can get one cheaply. Garage sales have them cheap and you could always join The Bike Project to get one cheaply, as well as learn to maintain it. Please oil the chain and make sure the bike is in good repair before attempting to ride to work.
Myth #2 — There's too much traffic.
Thousands of folks ride to work in New York City. If there is not too much traffic there, then Champaign-Urbana is going to be a breeze. Check out CCB's bike maps for finding a low traffic route.
Myth #3 — I'm not in good enough shape to ride.
That is one of the main reasons you ride to work. The first day might be tough but you have to stick with it. You will find that it will get easier and easier the more you do it. The benefit is improved health. Research shows that you can cut the chances of heart disease in half by cycling regularly.
Myth #4 — It will take too long.
Well, in Champaign-Urbana, depending on how far your commute is, where you park, etc., it can actually be quicker to bike. I can usually outrun the MTD busses on my 2.75-mile commute from my work to home. (Dear Brown route drivers: please don't use this as incentive to drive faster to beat me.)
Myth #5 — It won't matter to the earth; besides, only hippies ride to work.
Actually, it can make a difference, and people of every walk of life are doing it for various reasons. For the environment, every four miles a commuter bikes instead of drives, you are keeping approximately 15 pounds of pollutants out of the atmosphere. If you ride six miles a day, you could keep 22.5 pounds per day out of the atmosphere and over a year, it will add up.
Myth #6 — I will inhale more pollutants from cars riding my bike to work.
Actually, according to studies in Europe, drivers in cars were exposed to two to four times greater pollution than cyclists. Taking side streets, when possible, helps this ratio even more.
Myth #7 — I won't save much money.
Take gas, wear and tear on your car and parking, which if you have to pay for it, can be significant. If you go cheap and only get what you need as far as the bike goes, you can save quite a bit of money each year.
Myth #8 — I'll be all sweaty when I get to work.
Try riding at a more leisurely pace. It tends to be cooler in the morning so I don't sweat hardly at all in the morning commute ... unless I decide to try to "break" the speed limit on the speed check next to the stadium on Fourth Street. If you do get a little perspiration, baby wipes can work wonders for a quick cleanup.
Myth #9 — I have to run errands so I can't take my bike.
You can add a rack to your bike or use a trailer. It is amazing what you can take on a bike with little effort.
Myth #10 — It's raining, I can't ride today.
Use fenders for your bike and rain gear for you. If you get to work and it is raining, take the bus home — MTD even has racks for your bike. You could always skip the days that the weather is poor and still ride the good days.
————
So there you have it, most of the excuses eliminated. Get out and start riding your bike to work and enjoy the benefits of improved health, less stress, saving money and the earth in one easy step. However, riding to work one day is not going to accomplish much. It needs to be a sustained effort over time to achieve these benefits.
19 comments
What about
Myth #11—- It is seriously like -15 degrees out.
We will cover myth #11 in about November when we look at cold weather cycling. I am going out on a limb here but the weather looks more wet than cold for the forseable future.
You will be all sweaty.
But the market has a great solution for this problem—showers. In crowded metropolitan areas, with square-footage at a premium, it’s easier to install a shower than a parking deck.
Companies that want to encourage health and community spirit can offer them even in the absense of a congestion problem. I’ll bet Volition has a shower. Does Volition have a shower?
Kathy
I have 2 children to deliver to a high school that is 10 miles from my home and 10 miles from where i work. They need to be a school at 8. I need to be at work at 8:30.
Lindsey
Volition has multiple showers, and I just directed the entire company to this article. HI GUYS. NO EXCUSES.
Geonz
the high schoolers can’t ride their bikes to school? Or are they not to be trusted to arrive?
No, not everybody can do it… but an awful lot of people stick “problems” out there as excuses to fail, not problems to be solved.
Great article, Todd. I’m the ideal guinea pig for this topic—early 30s, sorta-but-not-really in shape, stubborn and set in my ways. Just last month I decided that the exercise benefits/potential savings justified beginning to bike work. This is the first time in a while that I’ve done so (certainly since I’ve had longer than a 0.8-mile commute to work). My current job makes perfect sense for this experiment. Here’s why:
1) I live 2.9 miles from job. The path I’ve chosen is a relative breeze. I ride a one-way street (State or Randolph) for about a third of that commute. Otherwise, I’m mostly on streets without what one would call “heavy” traffic.
2) I’ve got fenders and a rear rack on my bike. I carry a pannier to transport small things to and from work or to pick something up from the store on the way home. The fenders keep my shoes and pants clean, which is good since I have to look presentable at my job.
3) I sweat. A lot. I sweat sitting still sometimes. So far, so good on the bike, however. I bring a small towell with me to work (in said pannier) and wipe off the brow upon arrival. Within 10 minutes, I’m good to go at my desk. Luckily, my employer has a shower, too. So when the weather heats up I will leave 15 minutes earlier and shower if needed. But I don’t think that will be a concern for me because ...
4) My ride is only 16-18 minutes long. So I’m not on the bike forever, and I take Todd’s advice and ride at a more leisurely pace. (By the way, it took me, on average, 9 minutes to drive to work. So my commute time has basically doubled and there’s no WPGU to listen to, but so what?)
5) I’ve already calculated that I saved about $45 in a month, or the cost to fill up my tank twice.
6) While I dropped $500 on a new Trek bike, Todd is right about the options of buying used. You can get a really retro-looking used 3-speed for $300 on craigslist. Or if you’re not too particular about the style of your ride, you can find far cheaper used options than that. Having commuted now I can safely say that a 3-speed would be fine for this town. I have a 21-speed and only use about 4-5 of those speeds regularly on my commute.
7) I’m lucky in that my employer has a cafeteria, so I don’t have to worry about being stranded at work without a car to travel to eat lunch. But most people can get around this by packing a lunch (and carrying it in said pannier). On some days I bike the 0.5 miles to a few dining options around my office and eat out. That’s an extra mile of riding per day!
8) I’ve found that I’m now biking to places other than work, too. The commute to downtown Champaign is only 1.5 miles and there’s nothing more fun than flying down State St. to get home after a night on the town. (Of course, I do this when not heavily intoxicated, with a helmet and blinky lights.)
9) I’m still a fairweather rider. I haven’t ridden in rain yet, and don’t expect I will for the forseeable future. Still, I’m biking to work 3-4 days a week. That’s 30 minutes of daily exercise that I wouldn’t have otherwise received. (I’m too stubborn to use my employer’s workout facility. That’s another obstacle to tackle down the road, I suppose.)
Conclusion: If I can do it, so can you.
20 miles is a bit much to ask of a lethargic teenager, Sioux.
Instead, let’s all pile on Kathy for living unsustainably far from anything.
I loooove riding to work. I even like playing dodge the pedestrian (I work on campus). I do really hate getting to work all sweaty, but I’m trying to tell myself I don’t need to break any speed records and just leave 5 minutes earlier. (It takes me a few minutes less to bike than it does to drive, especially when I don’t have to fight for a parking spot.)
Since I usually work until late at night, there’s no bus to take me home. Luckily, I have day hours over the summer so my goal this summer is to ride Mr. Bicycle or take Mr. Bus every day. Sorry, Mr. Car.
Rick
To help with the perspiration I carry my office shirt (rolled) in my saddle bag. I wear a bright t-shirt while I ride. Once at the office I cool down then take off the t-shirt and put on my office shirt. This allows me to have a nice clean, dry office shirt and a bright, high visibility shirt on the bike.
For those ready to try riding even in the rain (I like riding in the rain!). Try a rain cape (Google image search). I have a cheap one from Campmor. It works great for lighter rains. For the heavy rains you need pants and booties too. Fenders aren’t enough in pouring rain.
Every dollar I spend to use my bike is five dollars (even more) that I save on using my car or motorcycle. I don’t go crazy but I never worry about getting gear that will keep me riding.
I always wear wrap style glasses. Dark glasses in the day and clear (safety style) at night. They keep wind and dust out of my eyes. As a motorcyclist I learned never to ride without eye protection. I recommend them on the bike too. Dust in the eyes can be a real hazard in traffic.
Cynthia
I will not drive my children to high school or even middle school and I certainly will not buy them a car. In both Champaign and Urbana students who live 10 miles from school are entitled to a bus pass. My kids either take the bus or ride their bikes. It is good for kids to learn how to use the bus system and it gives them independence to stay for after-school activities or get to other places they need to go without being driven. It is better for their health, the environment, and the budget.
Now my daughter is in college. Her grandmother offered to buy her a car. My daughter turned the offer down and asked for a new bike.
H
I live 25 miles from work. I am 7-8 miles from any major roadway that gets me to work and lots of my travel is rural with much farm implement traffic. Additionally, I frequently drive upwards of 60 additional miles for appointments. Not everyone lives IN CU.
Indeed.
Pile on H, too.
I have an entire rain suit, but my socks and shoes still get soaked in heavy rains when I bike to work. I’ll look into Rick’s suggestion above about getting some booties.
pedaleveryday!
listen up! you all bitch and moan about how hard everything is, just go out and do it, truely a fantastic means of transport is your friend the bike!!! So i ride my bike everyday of the year everywhere I go all the time no excuses, rain, snow, wind, slush, and of course traffic!!! You must be aware of your environment around you and if you are not, a bike is no place for you nor is a car. You must respect every the fact that people do not pay attention!, so be very careful and get out there and ride your bike!!!
Tony C
‘H’ and ‘Kathy’ - Biking to Work ain’t for everyone. That said, it will work for a lot of folks within CU metro area.
I actually downgraded my commuter bike when I got to CU since everything seems to be within 3 miles of my place (< 1 mile to downtown Urbana, 3 miles to downtown Champaign). Most of my commutes are on a 3-spd Huffy with baskets that I picked up for $10 at a yard sale a couple of years ago.
Back when I lived in CT, none of my commutes were < 3 miles and most were 5-10 miles. I needed a much speedier cyclocross bike that could handle big hills and crummy roads. That one now spends most of its time hung up in the garage. Compared to almost anywhere I’ve been, there’s nowhere easier to bike commute than CU.
Yeah Bikes!!!
Learn to fix your own at www.thebikeproject.org.
kyle
The “bikes are too expensive” idea is an obvious myth if the person who says it owns a car. My car died two years ago and I replaced it with a bike, the cost of which (even loaded with some extras) has more than been made up by the elimination of insurance payments, not to mention gas, upkeep, and the extra spending that I always did because I would drive to more places where I’d spend money. (it was also much easier, practically and psychologically, to stop for fast food while driving.) Even buying a new mid-range quality commuter bike (my Trek + rack, baskets, and fenders cost ~$700) will be quickly offset by the diminishing costs of gas, even if you keep the car. Plus you don’t have to carve time out of your schedule for exercise, b/c you get it on your commute.
I do sympathize with doughkeeper: b/c I don’t drive, I don’t listen to the radio as much either (though my station of choice was usually NPR).
Greg
I commute by bike 3+ miles each way every day to campus and have for 3 years now. I do it every day all year long in (almost) all weather conditions—the exception being when there’s ice on the road or if there’s a lightning storm. The key to cycling in the rain is good rain gear and the key to the winter is dressing like a marshmallow. I know a thing or two about bikes (I own four), but the one I commute on is a real junker because (1) you don’t need a nice bike to commute and (2) I can’t take my bike in my building and I don’t want a nice bike stolen or left out in bad weather. When I need to do repair work on it, I take it to the Bike Project and tune things up on the cheap. I’ve also got baskets on the bike, so I can pick up groceries on the way home or carry things around. My commute is faster than the bus and not much slower than driving (and much less frustrating).
People don’t have to completely give up their cars to become bike commuters. I have one that I drive occasionally, but it’s nice to not rely on it. I think the commitment to commute every day by bike can be intimidating. Commit to biking every Monday or something like that and most people will find they enjoy it so much that they’ll end up doing it more often or switching over entirely. And even if it just stays Mondays, I’m still behind you 100% for two reasons. (1) If everybody drove one less day a week, it would be great for the environment. (2) You won’t be that idiot driver who doesn’t understand cyclists.
he bikes
I’m late to the conversation but loved the piece and wanted to add a bit. As someone who has biked to work for three years here, I have a few comments on the myths, suggestions, etc.:
<span style=“font-size: small;”>1. NYTimes had a piece that gave a new government estimate for owning a car at $3500/year (fuel, insurance, depreciation, etc.). My wife and I went from two to one when I started really biking, so we apparently have saved $14,000 or so (more than most of the commenters have noted). I work at UIUC, so I’ve also not spent $400/year on a parking pass (and I spend less than $400/year on biking for clothes, equipment, repairs, upgrades, etc.). I’ve saved A TON of money (well, in pennies) each year from biking. </span>
<span style=“font-size: small;”>2. I swear by having rain gear both at home and at work. Once in a while I’ll forget to check the weather (especially when it looks glorious out in the morning but afternoon showers come). Riding in the rain is easy as long as you have the gear. A simple rain coat and pants at home and at work actually isn’t too expensive and you’ll always be ready.</span>
<span style=“font-size: small;”>3. I do bike in the winter, but I will say to you that there are 4-9 days a year when I won’t bike at all and a backup plan is in order. For me, these are either high winds + rain, or icy roads. Some days it just doesn’t make sense. Once I just called a cab ($9 every few years isn’t much), and other times I got a ride. </span>
<span style=“font-size: x-small;”><span style=“font-size: small;”><span>4. A nice pannier is well worth the investment. I rode around with a backpack forever with a garbage bag inside in case of rain, and when I upgraded to a nice Ortlieb office pannier I never looked back.</span></span></span>
<span style=“font-size: x-small;”><span style=“font-size: small;”><span>5. Following on the last comment, I genuinely believe that money spent on my bikes is a great investment and I never say no. I’ve added new tires, gone to a different rack system (from the wire baskets that were heavy and bruised fruit), etc. There’s something about bikes that make people feel that nothing should cost more than $20, but those same people will spend $800 on a car repair without a second thought. Budget for some nice gear, repairs, upgrades, or even a new bike with a fraction of the money you’ll save. </span></span></span>
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Why wait ‘til 3 pm?
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hey, if hair ain’t gon’ be over your head, my jokes may as well be.
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Very inspired Photochops as well….
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