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Biking has been a popular mode of transportation since the late 19th century. Oddly, however, the majority of Americans have never really embraced the bike as a suitable commuting method. Part of this is due to the sheer expansiveness of American cities. With many people living in suburbs and working downtown, biking just isn’t seen as a viable option. Another problem is how ill-suited American roads are for bike traffic. Bike lanes and paths are a rare find in many cities and most people aren’t willing to get on streets with aggressive, sleepy and distracted rush hour drivers.
Even with these obstacles, however, commuting to work by bicycle is still possible and shouldn’t be ruled out. Below are a few ideas you might consider before hopping into bumper to bumper traffic again.
Google Maps
Without a doubt, Google is one of a bicyclist’s best tools. Recently Google Maps has introduced a new feature that will actually map the best possible bike route from one destination to another. Using Google’s extensive knowledge about… well… everything, Google Maps can introduce bikers to new routes and bike lanes that they may otherwise have never known about.
To test out the feature, I tried to think of a city considered to be pretty reliant on car traffic. The first one that came to mind was Dallas, Texas. As anyone who has ever been to Dallas can attest, highways and 45mph streets are by far the dominant means of transport. Moreover, the city is one of the most expansive in the nation with suburbs located over forty miles from downtown. So I tried mapping out the route from Allen (30 miles north) to downtown Dallas and expected to find a pretty tough ride. To my surprise, even this supposedly bike-neutral city had a fair number of routes. Almost all of the suburban biking was on roads with established bike lanes. Getting into the city, there was actually a bike path that stretched more than ten miles. Only towards downtown did I find that a bicyclist would need to use the same lanes as car traffic.
Public Transport
Obviously, there’s a glaring problem with my Allen-Dallas route: no right-minded individual is going to bike thirty miles to work. So that leads me to my next point which is public transportation. Unfortunately, public transportation has a pretty bad reputation in some cities It often doesn’t have enough stops in enough places. Even if you could get into downtown on the train, your office might be more than a mile away. In a suit, tie or heels that sort of distance spells out disaster.
That’s where a bike could come in handy. Instead of walking fifteen blocks from the train stop to the office, you could just hop on a bike and coast there. Again I’ll turn to Dallas as an example. If you were trying to get into downtown from Allen, you could ride your bike to the nearest D.A.R.T light rail station in Plano (25 miles out), hop on the train with your bike, speed past the bumper to bumper traffic clogging the north-south highways and get into downtown half an hour later. Bike a little ways to the office after that and you’ve got yourself a pretty pleasant commute.
Baskets and Work Clothes
One of the major complaints about biking to work is the unavoidable sweat that riding entails. There are a few good ways, however, to mitigate the sweat problem. First and foremost, don’t wear your suit on your bike. Change into your work clothes in the work restroom. While it might not be the most pleasant sensation (everyone hates restroom floors, I know) spending sixty dollars on gas every week isn’t the most pleasant sensation either.
To carry your clothes, deodorant, briefcase, etc. you could invest in a bicycle basket. Any bike shop should have baskets available for the back and front of your bike. Or perhaps you could try leaving your work clothes at work and simply change when you arrive in the morning. In your basket you could also carry some body wipes or a wash cloth. If used as soon as you get to the office (before you change into your work clothes) having something to dry off with can make a big difference in how you feel and smell the rest of the day.
In conclusion, everyone should give bike commuting another chance. Biking burns calories, doesn’t burn gasoline and, without a doubt, is a more fulfilling way to start and end the work day than an SUV. While our cities and roads may not be designed for pedal pushers, with a little creativity bicyclists can find their place in the morning rush hour and live healthier, more eco-friendly lifestyles.
Guest Author
Greener Ideal strives to help you live your life in more sustainable ways with green living tips, healthy recipes and commentary on the latest environment news.The views expressed by guest authors are their own and may not reflect those of Greener Ideal.
Bicycling significantly reduces your carbon footprint. If you drive 10 miles to work every day in a car that gets 22 miles per gallon, hop on your bike instead and you'll save 1,863 pounds of CO2 emissions (according to the EPA), an amount equivalent to about 5% of the average family of two's yearly CO2 emissions.
Commuting by bike eliminates fuel costs, parking fees, and public transportation expenses, saving money while also reducing your carbon footprint. Bike commuting significantly reduces carbon emissions compared to traditional modes of transportation.
It will add up over time. If you ride just 10 miles each week on average over the course of a year, you'll save $299. Double your miles and now you're saving close to $600. You might even discover that you're able to accomplish your fitness goals through biking alone.
Bicycle riding uses minimal fossil fuels and is a pollution-free mode of transport. Bikes reduce the need to build, service and dispose of cars. Bicycle riding conserves roadway and residential space, thereby providing opportunities for less concrete and more plant life in urban areas.
We conclude that research points to four important components of high commute satisfaction amongst cyclists: 1) A high degree of commuting control and 'arrival-time reliability'; 2) Enjoyable levels of sensory stimulation; 3) The 'feel better' effects of moderate intensity exercise; and 4) Greater opportunities for ...
For example, a sub $1000 bike with rim brakes, basic components, and cheap tires is going to feel clunky, sluggish, and might not stand the test of time. A $2000 bike with better components like hydraulic disk brakes and a lightweight carbon frame will feel all-around better than the latter.
If riding at an easy intensity, you can get from your front door to the office in less than 30 mins each way then I would say just crack on and start commuting to and from work. You will get an extra ~5hrs of training a week but as that is broken up into smaller chunks you should be fine.
Either way, you can work a 20-mile ride into even the busiest schedule on a regular basis, and you'll still have plenty of energy left to deal with the rest of your day. Twenty miles is long enough to justify putting on all that Lycra, yet it's short enough to do in sneakers and jorts.
Biking 10 miles a day will probably take a beginner cyclist around an hour to complete. So, it's really not too bad. I know, not everyone wants to bike that far every day. Yet, given all the health benefits, it is well worth it.
Mental health conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety can be reduced by regular bike riding. This is due to the effects of the exercise itself and because of the enjoyment that riding a bike can bring.
While riding, your body will draw the stored fat and carbohydrates to fuel your efforts. As your heart rate increases and muscles are pushed, your metabolism boosts, continuing to burn calories even after you've dismounted.
But redo the statistics as a percentage of those commuting, and they don't look much better. The 0.54% of US commuters who usually made the trip by bike in 2022 was the same as in 2019 but well down from 2014 and not far above the 0.5% measured in the decennial census way back in 1980.
Astonishingly, for a study commissioned to promote a bike show, cycling came out on top. In all, 36% of the women asked found men who cycle attractive, against 17% for football and 14% for rugby.
First the bicycle is the cheapest mode of transport which does not require petrol or diesel. In these days of fuel shortage this is decided advantage. It is small, light, convenient and draws its power from the rider. There are no parking problems.
Not only is a bike much cheaper to purchase than a car, but a bike's only required fuel is a pedal stroke. Riding a bike for daily transportation is beneficial for both the earth and your health.
This muscle activation not only burns your calories but also contributes to your long-term weight loss efforts. So, cycling is not just about burning calories during the ride but also about the lasting changes it brings to your metabolism and body composition.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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