I bought a bike for commuting to work last summer, when gas prices were peaking. I used it few times per week through the fall, and then stopped after DST ended, because I am a scaredy cat about riding in the dark. Since the time changed again this spring, I have only ridden a couple of times. I guess the reduction in gas prices also reduced my motivation.

For me, it’s a 15 mile round trip (with a shower available at the office), mostly on quiet streets, until I get right into downtown Austin. Each direction takes about 40 minutes, so it’s about an hour with showering and changing (but no other work-out time required on those days). I have a pannier bag for my purse, lunch, work clothes, pack towel, and riding-home clothes. I carry a big zip-lock bag for the sweaty riding-to-work clothes; the pack towel dries on the handlebars during the day. I don’t find that the pannier slows me down. I’d hesitate to carry a laptop, though.

There was one factor that significantly affected my choice of bike: hills. People who are avid bikers no doubt take them in stride, but I am a wimp. And my house is about 200 ft higher in elevation than my office. Going to work, that is no problem, but coming home, it can be a long, slow slog. When I was considering biking to work, I knew that the prospect of pushing up hill at the end of a long work day might deter me from even getting on the bike in the morning. So, to give myself a psychological boost, I bought an electric-assisted bike. Mainly the motor pushes while I pedal, but I can also twist a throttle for pure electric power. Generally, the motor means I can ride in one gear higher than I would without it. So, when I’m in first gear with the electric bike, I would otherwise be walking. And I do get down to first gear on some of the homeward hills. I say that this is a psychological boost, because the bike frame itself is much heavier than a regular bike, and the battery and motor add more weight. So it may be a wash as far as total effort required. But on the emotional level, it’s what works for me.

I do a 25 mile round-trip a couple of times a week. I really enjoy the fresh air, the chance to do some exercise and catch up on the ever increasing mountain of podcasts waiting for my
ear!

Last week I thought I’d try a ‘little’ detour to circumnavigate a lung-busting hill in the middle of the ride in. Now – I’m not sure if the ‘Trans Pennine Trail’ signs I followed (a walkers / cyclists route in the UK) had been tinkered with, or my own internal compass went haywire, but after fours hours of performing ever-decreasing circles – I passed the same pub three times and it wasn’t open on any of those three passes or I’d have been in and ordering something strong! – I rang into the office, booked the day as holiday and made the long trek home.

My colleagues now leave written directions for me so that I can find the toilets, the kettle and the meeting rooms around the building so that I don’t go MIA again!

We don’t have shower facilities in our office building but I heartily recommend baby wipes – they truly are the sweaty cyclist’s best friend.

Love the blog / podcast – keep up the good work.

I guess I’d better give you the Dutch perspective, even if I am an exiled Brit.

I bike 15 km (9 miles) each way most days; not for ideological reasons but because I like cycling and hate sitting in traffic. Cold doesn’t bother me, nor a bit of rain, but for ice and heavy rain I take the car.

I can do it in 45 minutes on a sport cycle, but then I get to work soaked in sweat; to get there and keep my co-workers as friends takes me an hour. But I found a cheat; I have an electric bike and can do it in 40 minutes and still arrive fresh.

I can recommend electric bikes; they (at least here in NL) are battery-assisted; this means that there is a sensor on the pedals, and the motor power is a percentage of the pedal power. Stop pedalling and the the motor cuts out. So I get the exercise-equivalent of about a 5-mile bike ride (each way) as I cruise through the woodlands and past the cows and horses in the fields. I call it ideal!

— Derek

My company also has a workout facility with showers and that seems to be less complicated, but well worth the hassle of dragging around the workout bag.

If you can make it work, the payoffs are endless.

On the days that I do choose to bike in, I either ask my wife to drop off our son or I head out after dropping him off. I also don’t bike the entire 27 miles. My wife’s office is about ten miles from our home, so I drive to her office and park there. I then bike the 17 miles from her office to mine. For reference, I live in eastern San Jose, and my office is in Palo Alto. My wife’s office is in downtown San Jose.

The route I take has bicycle lanes over about 90% of the route (for those familiar with the area, Homestead Rd and Foothill Expwy are much of my commute), so that definitely helps in terms of safety. I also keep a repair kit in a little bag under my bike seat. My company provides laptops, but if I know I’m going to bike, I keep it at work. I also make sure I have a change of clothes locked up at work as well. I have a hydration backpack to store water and snacks, so with that and a helmet, I’m all set.

My office has showers and provides towels, and I can be done with that inside of 15 minutes. My office also provides lunch service, so I’m good there too.

To me, the main reasons I like biking to work is that it is good exercise, and I am also doing something to reduce my carbon footprint. Regarding carbon footprint, my family schedule doesn’t allow me to make use of public transportation; all of the express bus routes to Palo Alto are done by the time I drop off my son. Also, given the distance, biking to work on a daily basis isn’t feasible. But, I’m trying to do what I can.