5 ms·

I commute by bike year-round and have been for three years. Every day lately I think about going back to an EV - I had a leased Leaf for commuting to my previou

by jpm_sd 8y ago

I commute by bike year-round and have been for three years. Every day lately I think about going back to an EV - I had a leased Leaf for commuting to my previous job. I'm getting tired of being a second class citizen on the road, tired of near-misses with people staring at their phones while driving, and tired of not being able to carry much of anything. I have panniers but it doesn't do much good for quick trips to the hardware store or the supermarket on the way home. (edit: I am in the US)

blacksmith_tb 8y ago
Hmm, you could rent/carshare an EV and try your commute for a few days to see how it compares. I have been commuting by bike for 15 years, and any time I try to drive instead I am much more annoyed by being stuck in traffic...
- ip26 8y ago
  There's definitely some kind of behavioral strangeness in the equation. I am unequivocally happier & feel better when I walk or bike to work. I hate, hate, hate traffic & bad stoplight timing. And yet, the lure of taking the car is always lurking in the corner of my mind.
  - dsfyu404ed 8y ago
    Taking the train for a few years taught me to enjoy rush hour traffic in the same way that working crappy minimum wage jobs taught me to enjoy the BS that goes on in white collar workplaces.
ip26 8y ago
You have to plan a little in advance, but I have a little Burley utility trailer that expands my ability to make trips to the hardware store. For the supermarket, the key (aside from adequately sized panniers) is to make many small trips, buying food for tonight & tomorrow instead of for the next two weeks.
- jgust 8y ago
  I've found the added benefits of 1) not buying stuff I shouldn't eat because it takes up precious space and 2) I waste less food because I buy what I need that day/tomorrow instead of what I think I need 6 days from now.
TulliusCicero 8y ago
Please, you're not a second class citizen on a bike in the US. You're really more like third class; second class would be walking, where at least you have physically separated lanes most places and your own signals.
- throwaway5250 8y ago
  Bicyclists are allowed to terrorize pedestrians with impunity. And indeed, you can easily get a ticket for jaywalking, but you'll never get one for riding a bicycle against traffic, failing to stop at a stop sign, etc.
  - SamBam 8y ago
    Oh boo... let's not start a pro-/anti-bike fight. The data and conclusions here are interesting enough and can be discussed without that.
    - throwaway5250 8y ago
      I was merely pointing out that the parent poster's characterization of bicyclists as third-class citizens is wildly counterfactual.
      - TulliusCicero 8y ago
        It's not. Just look at the infrastructure investment. Bikes are lucky to get an order of magnitude less money than walking, or two orders of magnitude less money than cars. Cities spend a few tens of thousands striping a handful of haphazard miles of painted bike lanes, then spend hundreds of millions widening freeways, then pat themselves on the back for how bike-friendly they are. It's absurd. It's true that many cyclists behave poorly, but look at countries like Denmark or the Netherlands where they actually support biking, and the cyclists there behave normally. Almost like people don't respect a system that clearly doesn't respect them. Take a Dutch person and ask them to bike in the US, and see how quickly they either adopt the aggressive habits of American cyclists or just give up entirely.
jchrisa 8y ago
I have an e-bike and the difference it makes is qualitative. Instead of being slower than driving, it is faster because I skip traffic jams. Instead of feeling like a drag on days when I am tired, the bike makes me feel like Superman. If you haven't tried an e-bike, it's a game changer.
- stefs 8y ago
  i've got good legs and can usually do that with my non-electric 2-speed road bike, even though i observe all red lights and other traffic rules. the only downside is i get slightly sweaty and have to change at the office, which adds ~5 minutes to my 20 minute bike commute. ... which takes about 2/3s of the time public transport takes, which is, again, probably slightly faster than driving to office (without counting the time it'd take to find a parking spot, which would probably double the commute). interestingly, for me, riding at a relaxed pace is pretty much as fast as going as fast as possible, as red light luck is such a big factor.
rangersanger 8y ago
I'm an avid cyclist, I typically ride about 50 miles a week for pleasure. But, I've been walking about 2 miles to work for the last 3 years. I'd much rather ride my bike, but after close call after close call, and even intentionally threatening behavior, I stopped riding and started exclusively walking. Also in the US, and I follow the law very carefully when riding. Doesn't matter. I've had things thrown at me, been coal-rolled, been tailgated by large trucks honking, been screamed at by little old ladies telling me pay my taxes. The infrastructure isn't there, and well meaning bike lanes make it worse by encouraging bad and unpredictable behaviors. There are bad cyclists out there. there are many more that try to follow the rules. There needs to be an investment in infrastructure, maintenance, education and enforcement. Until then, I'll keep walking to commute and riding for pleasure.
nwatson 8y ago
I appreciated the SF Bay Area for great biking access in almost any place/town there. I had a 3+ year job in SF starting in 2001 where the office was mostly a meeting place and people worked from home-or-coffee-shop all the time. I took advantage and would ride Caltrain from San Mateo to San Francisco or elsewhere several times a week and would alternate work / biking. I got to know SF, Peninsula quite well. I'd go to Berkeley / Oakland some times too. I was productive too -- biking was a perfect break to clear and open the mind. I've commuted to other jobs in SF Bay Area by bike too, but none quite a fun as that 3 year stretch. I moved to Winston Salem, NC 5 years ago and thought that I would in no way do bike commuting here. I actually tried it though starting in March this year and I've been surprised it's actually worked out OK -- drivers are a lot more considerate than I'd expected, and I haven't had many close calls. The law is quite explicit on clearance for bikes. From home to my co-working space is 9 or 10 miles. I'm hanging out at Camino Bakery downtown right now working, and will bike to my daughter's ballet lesson soon. Bike commuting isn't hugely popular here but it's growing, and the Bird scooters have really caught on around downtown and the several universities in the area, so I think there will be increasing awareness of alternative commuting modes here. I think for some motorized e-scooters will be more practical than bikes. ... I'd just like to see the "Idaho stop" legalized. EDIT: Idaho stop

by jpm_sd 8y ago

blacksmith_tb 8y ago

Hmm, you could rent/carshare an EV and try your commute for a few days to see how it compares. I have been commuting by bike for 15 years, and any time I try to drive instead I am much more annoyed by being stuck in traffic...

ip26 8y ago
There's definitely some kind of behavioral strangeness in the equation. I am unequivocally happier & feel better when I walk or bike to work. I hate, hate, hate traffic & bad stoplight timing. And yet, the lure of taking the car is always lurking in the corner of my mind.
- dsfyu404ed 8y ago
  Taking the train for a few years taught me to enjoy rush hour traffic in the same way that working crappy minimum wage jobs taught me to enjoy the BS that goes on in white collar workplaces.

ip26 8y ago

You have to plan a little in advance, but I have a little Burley utility trailer that expands my ability to make trips to the hardware store. For the supermarket, the key (aside from adequately sized panniers) is to make many small trips, buying food for tonight & tomorrow instead of for the next two weeks.

jgust 8y ago
I've found the added benefits of 1) not buying stuff I shouldn't eat because it takes up precious space and 2) I waste less food because I buy what I need that day/tomorrow instead of what I think I need 6 days from now.

TulliusCicero 8y ago

Please, you're not a second class citizen on a bike in the US. You're really more like third class; second class would be walking, where at least you have physically separated lanes most places and your own signals.

throwaway5250 8y ago
Bicyclists are allowed to terrorize pedestrians with impunity. And indeed, you can easily get a ticket for jaywalking, but you'll never get one for riding a bicycle against traffic, failing to stop at a stop sign, etc.
- SamBam 8y ago
  Oh boo... let's not start a pro-/anti-bike fight. The data and conclusions here are interesting enough and can be discussed without that.
  - throwaway5250 8y ago
    I was merely pointing out that the parent poster's characterization of bicyclists as third-class citizens is wildly counterfactual.
    - TulliusCicero 8y ago
      It's not. Just look at the infrastructure investment. Bikes are lucky to get an order of magnitude less money than walking, or two orders of magnitude less money than cars. Cities spend a few tens of thousands striping a handful of haphazard miles of painted bike lanes, then spend hundreds of millions widening freeways, then pat themselves on the back for how bike-friendly they are. It's absurd. It's true that many cyclists behave poorly, but look at countries like Denmark or the Netherlands where they actually support biking, and the cyclists there behave normally. Almost like people don't respect a system that clearly doesn't respect them. Take a Dutch person and ask them to bike in the US, and see how quickly they either adopt the aggressive habits of American cyclists or just give up entirely.

jchrisa 8y ago

I have an e-bike and the difference it makes is qualitative. Instead of being slower than driving, it is faster because I skip traffic jams. Instead of feeling like a drag on days when I am tired, the bike makes me feel like Superman. If you haven't tried an e-bike, it's a game changer.

stefs 8y ago
i've got good legs and can usually do that with my non-electric 2-speed road bike, even though i observe all red lights and other traffic rules. the only downside is i get slightly sweaty and have to change at the office, which adds ~5 minutes to my 20 minute bike commute. ... which takes about 2/3s of the time public transport takes, which is, again, probably slightly faster than driving to office (without counting the time it'd take to find a parking spot, which would probably double the commute). interestingly, for me, riding at a relaxed pace is pretty much as fast as going as fast as possible, as red light luck is such a big factor.

rangersanger 8y ago

I'm an avid cyclist, I typically ride about 50 miles a week for pleasure. But, I've been walking about 2 miles to work for the last 3 years. I'd much rather ride my bike, but after close call after close call, and even intentionally threatening behavior, I stopped riding and started exclusively walking. Also in the US, and I follow the law very carefully when riding. Doesn't matter. I've had things thrown at me, been coal-rolled, been tailgated by large trucks honking, been screamed at by little old ladies telling me pay my taxes. The infrastructure isn't there, and well meaning bike lanes make it worse by encouraging bad and unpredictable behaviors. There are bad cyclists out there. there are many more that try to follow the rules. There needs to be an investment in infrastructure, maintenance, education and enforcement. Until then, I'll keep walking to commute and riding for pleasure.

nwatson 8y ago

I appreciated the SF Bay Area for great biking access in almost any place/town there. I had a 3+ year job in SF starting in 2001 where the office was mostly a meeting place and people worked from home-or-coffee-shop all the time. I took advantage and would ride Caltrain from San Mateo to San Francisco or elsewhere several times a week and would alternate work / biking. I got to know SF, Peninsula quite well. I'd go to Berkeley / Oakland some times too. I was productive too -- biking was a perfect break to clear and open the mind. I've commuted to other jobs in SF Bay Area by bike too, but none quite a fun as that 3 year stretch. I moved to Winston Salem, NC 5 years ago and thought that I would in no way do bike commuting here. I actually tried it though starting in March this year and I've been surprised it's actually worked out OK -- drivers are a lot more considerate than I'd expected, and I haven't had many close calls. The law is quite explicit on clearance for bikes. From home to my co-working space is 9 or 10 miles. I'm hanging out at Camino Bakery downtown right now working, and will bike to my daughter's ballet lesson soon. Bike commuting isn't hugely popular here but it's growing, and the Bird scooters have really caught on around downtown and the several universities in the area, so I think there will be increasing awareness of alternative commuting modes here. I think for some motorized e-scooters will be more practical than bikes. ... I'd just like to see the "Idaho stop" legalized. EDIT: Idaho stop