Cycling

[Smellincoffee]

Recently I purchased a used mountain bike, for both leisure and commuting. I only live three miles from work and two miles from grocery stores, so it seemed like a good idea. The handlebars keep coming loose, though, so now I know why I paid more for my pump ($16) than I did for the bike ($15). I'm very interested in bicycle commuting, and have for the last few months been researching the ways cycling is promoted in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Portland (Oregon). I live off a busy highway, so the first quarter of any of my route would require riding off-road, hence a mountain bike and not a road bike.

Do you cycle? What do you use your bike for? Does your community support cycling as a transportation option?

 

[Old Hippy]

I use it for recreation, mainly just for exercise, and for trips to the library etc. with planning it is possible to get to most places on good bike paths, so Usaully a group of friends will organise a coffee meet up, Sunday mornings, not exactly touring but fun and healthy anyhow.

 

[Dachs]

I don't have obligations close enough to my place of residence to reasonably be able to bike there. I do still bike fairly regularly for exercise, though.

I sort of toured for while several years ago, but the group that did that broke up in high school/college, so.

 

[shadowplay]

I enjoy cycling recreationally on trails, but with the way motorists around here ignore anything on the road not on 4 wheels, you're taking your life into your hands if you attempt riding a bike on the streets, particularly during rush hours. I'd never do it, but lots apparently do.

 

[History_Buff]

Just got a decent road bike last year, really loving exploring the path system near my places. Can't wait till it warms up and I can get back to it.

I keep telling myself I'll ride it to work someday, but that's 30km one way, and then I'd be so sweaty I'd have to shower once I got there.

 

[Tee Kay]

I don't ride often. Where I live is generally too hilly (read: I am a weakling). Also, sharing the road with cars is scary.

 

[History_Buff]

Also, sharing the road with cars is scary.

Also, this. I'm rather glad we have a great path system here, although they don't really go too many useful places for commuting. When I'm driving, I'm basically never sure how to handle the situation, so I'll usually just happily treat them like a car and just go all slow like behind them. Throws other drivers into a rage, but they can go suck an egg.

 

[Borachio]

Wow! Bicycles are the thing. I wish I did still ride. But my quack told me to stop riding in case I fall off and break something. I have thought about getting a tricycle, as they're nicely stable, and you can get them with electric motors too. But I fear I'd have too much trouble even with one of those.

But yeah. Motor vehicles are a real menace. In residential areas there really should be a blanket 20mph limit. Which would make cycling very much safer. I really look forward to the permanent demise of the petrol engine. Where on earth does everybody think they're going all the time? Up and down my road nearly all day long. It's not as if I really live on the way to anywhere.

 

[Leifmk]

For many years I used a bicycle as my primary mode of personal transportation, and did not own a car. Not really practical in my current situation, unfortunately.

Still have a bicycle but rarely get an opportunity to ride it anywhere these days. Hopefully when the kids are a bit bigger we'll be able to go on bike rides together.

 

[azzaman333]

My knees are not a fan of cycling.

 

[peter grimes]

I commute to work most days. There are bike lanes, but they aren't necessarily safe. Cars and trucks veer into them at will.

I like to think it keeps me from coming into contact with as many fellow New Yorkers disease vectors

It takes me just about the same amount of time as the subway door-to-door; but commonly the bike is faster. If the trains are especially crowded, or there's a malfunction, then the train may take 45 minutes. Even when I'm super tired, or there's a storm, the bike rarely takes more than 30 minutes.

This is my 4th bike in 12 years. Each time, I've roughly doubled what I've spent. This one cost $200 in ride-away condition. I have since put on fenders.

I like the mountain bike frames because the roads here can be really rough. I'd be worried about one of those delicate little Pista frames failing. Scary thought. But I hate how much these frames weigh.

I lock my bike on the street while I'm at work, but at home I bring it upstairs. Twice I've had some kids mess with my bike outside the apartment building, and now that I'm spending a couple hundred I don't want to risk a loss.

 

[Silurian]

Just got a decent road bike last year, really loving exploring the path system near my places. Can't wait till it warms up and I can get back to it.

I keep telling myself I'll ride it to work someday, but that's 30km one way, and then I'd be so sweaty I'd have to shower once I got there.

You could consider driving part way.

This would be especially good if you work somewhere the traffic is bad and or parking is expensive. In many city centres a bike is quicker so you may be able to get to and from work more quickly and as well as it being cheaper.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I don't ride often. Where I live is generally too hilly (read: I am a weakling). Also, sharing the road with cars is scary.

Rolla is an extremely hilly town as well which does limit some of the parts of town I can get to on a bike. However, for work, grocery shopping and going to school, I can manage (even if it's a full-blown workout every trip).

I have a road bike that I originally bought for recreation (some of the best biking areas in the USA are near where I lived in Southern Illinois along the Mississippi river), but it sat in storage for a couple of years when I moved out here. Then our second car broke down and all of a sudden I needed cheap transportation.

I've added a few things to the bike now that I commute with it. I added a kickstand, a rack on the back, a reflector on the seat post, changed the seat out for something more comfortable and added a rear-view mirror.

The drivers here are not that great and everyone parks on the side of the road, so I often ride on the sidewalks (I know it's bad to do that but whatever) because I don't feel safe in the middle of the road.


You do have to make sure your seat is comfortable and well adjusted though as I've read that frequent bike use can lead to erectile disfunction as it cuts blood flow or something. Not sure if it's true, but it worries me nonetheless.

 

[Camikaze]

Cycling is something I would do more of if there were more dedicated bike paths in nice places. Bike paths here are generally really narrow things in the gutter that suddenly and randomly merge with the left car lane.

 

[classical_hero]

Right now I can't due to my health issues,but once i am better I would first start off back using a bike recreationally and then use to go to work, since it is not that far to travel by bike.

 

[ace99]

I hate you people, get off the roads. Roads are for cars.

 

[CaptainF]

Whenever driving is not required (grocery shopping or trips out of town) I use my bike. My town has lots of very well maintained bike paths and wide bike lanes. I can get anywhere around town in about 20 minutes tops.

Motorists are very respectful of cyclists in my area, many of them will give you a wide berth when passing, even if you are in the bike lane. If there is no bike lane, such as on smaller side streets, they simply follow behind you until there is an opportunity to pass. I feel sorry for y'all that have to deal with road raging a-holes.

My bike is nothing special by any means, just a scrappy early-90's Bianchi commuter that I got 5 years ago for $125.

 

[Leonel]

I got a very nice and fancy bike with disc brakes and rode it about quite a bit in April and May around the Seattle area before I ruptured my spinal disc that put me out of commission last year so I haven't had much chance to ride it as much as I would have liked. I'm way better this year so I hope I can get back on the saddle and do my 20 mile biking excursions again this summer.

 

[peter grimes]

I hate you people, get off the roads. Roads are for cars.

Sounds like you're a raging motoracist!

 

[Leonel]

I hate you people, get off the roads. Roads are for cars.

This is a bike path, sir. Cars aren't allowed. How'd you even get past the barriers?