Yeah, I might have been unclear. I've been cycling for a few years before that and that was the first time I touched a car. The driver DID look straight at me though, seemingly noticing me, so I was really confused when she started speeding up anyway.
In my experience it is not necessarily safe to assume that someone looking straight at you implies that they have noticed you. People can be quite distracted by both the environment or the insides of their own heads.
Worse, some take eye contact as meaning you know they are there and are prepared to get out of the way of what-ever manoeuvre they are about to perform!
Before my latest office move (it is not so close that messing around with the shed and locking up the bike at work and changing clothes if needed in bad weather add up to more than cycling saves over walking at a brisk pace) I rode to work for years, 3.5 miles each way for the most part, and while I've had a few near misses (the worst being a bus that halfway through overtaking me decided to shuffle in nearly sandwiching me between the bus and the road-side railings) I've never actually been touched by another vehicle. I'm on city roads, though small city (York, UK) rather than somewhere even more hectic than London, but here I'd say cycling to work is no less safe than walking.
I've been biking to work for a bit more than two years now. Same distance to work and not even any close calls with cars. I do ride quite carefully though and make very sure that they see me and stop before I ride out in front of one.
I always try and make eye contact with drivers at junctions which has worked well for me until a couple of weeks ago when someone looked straight at me then pulled out right in front of me. We didn't collide but it was very close.
Cycled to work, weather permitting, for last 3 years. Got hit (more like nudged, but enough to cause a fall) by a car twice - nothing major only because I know how to tumble & roll. It easily could have been much worse.
I cycled every day for 7 years all over the San Francisco Bay Area without ever once being hit by a car or getting a door prize. I didn't run red lights and I maintained situational awareness at all times. And I was one of those guys who rode in the middle of the car lane even when a bicycle lane was available.
I do this to "take the lane"; essentially, if I'm in the middle of a lane, there is some reason why I want that lane — usually my own safety due to some other hazard, or perhaps I'm going to make an upcoming left — and I want/need drivers near me to essentially give me the same respect they'd give a car.
Typically, the idea is that I would like drivers behind me to not pass me in the same lane that I'm in — that is, I'm trying to avoid having a driver do the typical half-assed job of passing by trying to squeeze their SUV in the same lane as me. (i.e., if you want to pass me, use another lane, not this one. If there isn't another lane: tough, I'll be out of your way ASAP — I don't like having a car behind me any more than a driver likes having a biker in front of them.)
> Wouldn't this slow the traffic.
Sometimes, yes. For me, most of the routes I take the car traffic moves at approximately the same speed or slower. If there's a huge speed difference and traffic is much faster, I'll usually avoid left turns and use a crosswalk to "turn", if I think that's safer. (Which has its own tradeoffs: one has to be very careful and ensure that drivers in the lane next to you are going to actually stop at the crosswalk before you enter it. Just because the light is red hardly means anything, and a lot of drivers will overshoot the stop line if they don't think anyone is going to be in the crosswalk when they do so.)
Yea I never understood how cyclists are expected to make left turns. If there is a bike lane is in the right corner, how and when are they supposed to get into left turn on only lane. I can't even imagine cyclist making yeild left on red, thats absurd amount of risk to take. Left on arrow are not very common, imagine trying to make a fast turn on your bike while a speeding car is coming right at you.
Only safe way to make a left turn is to get off the bike and do it like pedestrians.
You do it just like a car. Merge from the lane to the turn lane. Signal your move. Stop in the intersection if you need to yield. Take your time waiting for an appropriate gap, then turn left. Don’t worry about cars behind you, they would have to wait for their own gap anyway.
Behaving like a car as much as possible makes you more predictable, and keeps everyone out of trouble. I stop at red lights too.
If traffic is light and not too fast, I just signal, merge into the turn lane, and turn as if I were a car. If it's a multi-lane road, that means "taking the lane" for a bit. I try to minimize that, but it happens.
If traffic is heavy or fast, I will signal, pull off to the side, and cross like a pedestrian.
Generally speaking, I try to be as "car-like" and predictable as possible.
Bright flashers even in the day time. Slowing and waiting for an opening to get over in the center or turn lane, and obviously signalling. It's best to get over when everyone is slowing or stopping for a red so you have more time and space to maneuver into the turn lane. If you make it obvious you're turning to a slow car behind you they serve as decent protection from any cars arriving at an intersection that might otherwise not see you. It feels dangerous at first but you get skilled at it the more you ride.
Personally, for bike lanes I love the protected turns I saw in Germany. A separated bike lane will cross an intersection with a dedicated light. On the far side of the intersection, there will be a fork in the path with another dedicated bike signal to cross the road you were parallel with. I'll see if I can find an example.
There's also the "Copenhagen left". Which is, pull over to the _right_ into the crosswalk of the intersection where you want to go left. Wait for the light to change. (Google it for a picture.)
In Australia, we call this a "hook turn" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_turn . Cars must do it in a limited number of intersections to avoid blocking trams. Cyclists are allowed to make a hook turn in any intersection (unless signposted otherwise). Edit - in Australia we drive on the left side of the road - so it's opposite to Denmark / US / Most the rest of the world.
I'd argue it could be marginally safer to do it the way the other person suggested: like any other vehicle is supposed to, from the left turn lane.
If you think merging across lanes is scary, do it sooner. The more time you give yourself and the people around you to process the maneuver, the easier it gets.
One you know the road, you can even exit an earlier intersection in a way that makes you magically end up in the right lane to begin with.
Sure it slows traffic, but it's not really the bicyclist's fault if the bicycle lane is filled with unloading delivery trucks or the city planners made it too narrow.
Thank you. As both a biker and a driver, I appreciate this. Too many bikers don't do this, and I've witnessed too many close calls for those that don't. I've been heckled by other bikers for stopping at red lights, so I know that sometimes this can be a pain to actually stick to.
I've been biking for ~2 years, and I have had one very very close call, where I had to actually dodge a car, but I wasn't really in control of the situation. Scared the crap out of me, because I did not see him coming. I've had many other incidents where situational awareness let me see the idiot coming in advance enough that I was able to just easily avoid the collision.
(The close call I had was an idiot in lane 1, which was a straight/left lane, who decided to turn right. The only right turn lane is lane 4: he cut off a lane of traffic, the bike lane, and the right-turn only lane. I had to take the right "with" him, essentially, or I would have hit him, and I could feel the traction in my back tire slipping the entire time from the huge amount of braking I was begging for.)
Been biking to work for 4 years now and never had a close call with a car, but I try to avoid roads as much as possible. Luckily there is a bike trail that goes roughly in the direction I need. That said, there is one section where riding with the traffic is unavoidable and I hate it. I especially hate one particular stoplight that is on a sensor and the sensor is not strong enough to pick up my bike.
I should point out that I ride in the suburbs and road traffic goes much faster than what I can sustain on a bike. Most roads are 35 or 45mph and hilly/curvy, so they are terrifying to cycle on.
I have been doing it for ~15 years, and hit 4 times. I'd say if anything it's more common in your first year or two before you gain the experience to be able to predict driver actions by subtle signals.
Yes, it's an anomaly. I've been a recreational cyclist for many years, and commuted on and off for years when I lived about 12 miles from the office (close enough to walk now). I've never been hit by a car, but have had a few close calls. Almost all of those were at intersections, where I had the right of way, but a car didn't see me and decided to proceed.
Basically, if you are cycling on the road (and that includes bike lanes that aren't protected/separated), you have to assume cars don't see you. Ride defensively all the time. That will minimize accidents at intersections.
Nothing you can do about getting run down from behind (other than not ride a bicycle). But, that's rare.
Agreed but only up to a point. I can easily spend 5 minutes in the queue for the lights near my flat (a lot of buses and lorries on that road so I can't always lane split safely), and I was delayed much longer once because police had closed the road after a collision.
Turning round at a road closure is much easier for a cyclist and often they can be very quickly bypassed by becoming a pedestrian and walking your bike via an alternative route.
Most of my commute is along more cycle-friendly routes (not separate paths, but quiet roads) but I've got a "last mile" at both ends (from home onto the route and from the route to work) that runs across quite busy main roads, since ultimately I live on one of those.
I don't whatsoever. I live 4 miles from the office, and I take about 14 back roads to get to it. I still have to cross 3 major roads without a light or anything to help me. San Jose is not bike friendly at all.
I bike to work about 50% of the time. I live in San Jose where traffic is very heavy. I have to cross three roads without a light, and how long that takes really varies a lot. Some days I can wait for up to 5 minutes per road, making my cycle commute just as variable as my drive commute.
Yeah, my ride is about 3 miles each way, so it's pretty easy. I live in the Boston area, so at times the weather can be rough, but it's manageable. If the roads are passable, I can ride (though it is in the 50s today here and expected to get near 70 tomorrow!). In the summer, when it's hot, I leave the house as early as I can manage. After eight years of daily bike commutes, the only serious accident I've had (i.e., injury-causing) was caused by another cyclist, not a car.
You would think so, but my commute to work is a little over 3 km and I used to drive a car to work, until I realized how ridiculous that was. I know co-workers who live even closer and still they drive.I live in a small town, but people still use cars for everything although we have good bike roads.
I went from a 16 km bike commute to a 3 km one, and 3 km isn't far enough. I usually leave early to spend a little more time on my bike. On an average day the morning ride is the best part of my day.
3km is not so much. From spring to fall I also use my bike for going to work. One way is 21km and it feels great. Often In the morning I would like to make an extra round.
If anything, it's a little bit short. At that distance, IMO it's more convenient to just pedal slowly while wearing cotton to avoid the hassle of having to shower at work.
10km or so is about perfect IMO. Long enough that it's worth the hassle to get sweaty and have a "real ride", but short enough that you still do it on days where you have a packed schedule.
But even better is a 2km commute. Walking is by far the most pleasant way to get to work.
I'd definitely recommend it. I had a 2km commute I walked for about a year, and then a similar length commute for half a year I rode by bike. In the time I walked, my fitness was really bad and I'd get pretty winded even by a small sprint (I didn't do any other sport). When I switched to bicycling, my stamina quickly improved, even tough it was not a long distance + I had the freshness impulse as described in the article.
Most people in the states with that short of a commute probably still drive, and I don't blame them (because biking in most American cities is absolutely awful).
Or at least a non-hostile infrastructure. Until last June, I biked to work, year-round, for 18 years. (I didn't even have a car.) My job moved and I've commuted by car, even though I am slightly closer to the office. Part of my potential cycling route has dedicated bike lanes, sharrows, and even a parallel trail; but, part of it is on a busy state road, with no shoulders and often a half-mile backup for the left turn I need to make. (Yet another part is essentially a two-lane, unlit, country road; but, I can deal with that.)
I have not yet ruled out cycling altogether; but, I think I need a better, if longer, route.
Oh, I've done it before. Biking to work was my primary method of transportation when I was in the bay area. By American standards, my route was pretty decent, which means that by any sane, objective standard it was trash. I got hit by cars twice the last year before I moved to Germany. Once I had my son on my bike, that was especially fun.
I was willing to take some risk, but expecting the average person to is unreasonable. Getting around shouldn't involve serious risk to your person. We'd never accept using "painted walk lanes" everywhere, and yet that standard is considered "pretty good" for biking. It's absurd.
That's the argument for mixed zoning: having offices (plus some retail, medical practices etc) within a 5km radius of home is entirely possible. It's easier in a dense urban environment, but as this post shows, you can even do it with single-family homes with a generous garden.
Of course there are still some people who need to use a car or public transport for commuting, especially if you're a couple both invested in specific careers (and can't, say, just transfer and teach at a different school).
I live about the same distance from work as the writer, and I've been cycling to work since early October. I would have thought that such a short bike ride wouldn't have much of a health benefit, but I feel more energetic and my blood pressure is noticeably lower than it was a year ago.
Short distances on a bicycle are actually healthier than longer distances. Long distance cyclists tend to have issues with losing bone and muscle density.
One that fits your butt. Basically you want to have your weight on the sit bones, not the tissue in between. Seats come in different widths and shapes to accommodate different shaped butts.
Custom ones can be made after they scan your pelvic region. Essentially, there's a depressed, or cutout section in the middle with two pads in parallel which should support your bones as the other poster mentioned.
i don't know, i know i have a bad one, as after 15+ mins of cycling, when i get off the bicycle... can't describe it differently.. my balls sleep... and i can describe that that is not a pleasant feeling. e.g. 10 fold worse then a sleeping foot or leg.
Speaking as a sometime ultra endurance participant I have to say this is misleading. Bone density loss only significantly affects those who practically live on their bikes, such as professional road racers. And even then it is easily attenuated by visiting the gym.
conclusion: what a lovely route, choosing to cycle it isn't even a decision, especially as the other options seems to take longer. The author is super lucky and I'm jealous. I cycle to work too, but in a busy city.
Totally agree - what a nice route to get to work. From what I could see, it looks like a lot of long, straight and - most importantly! - flat routes. Perfect for nice easy cycling.
I sometimes run to work, but never ever run home as in London it is downhill to get to the centre, but uphill to get back out to the suburbs :)
I cycle to work in a busy city too, but fortunately the city I live in has a lot of parks and my route goes straight through one. It's really nice, especially on summer mornings. Would highly recommend.
If I had a bike route to work, I'd take it over driving my car, even if the bike route takes longer and/or is further away. Mr. Money Mustache (https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/06/13/bicycling-the-saf...) wrote that riding bike is equivalent to printing money, and he has calculated that riding one mile is equivalent to gaining 1350 seconds of life.
Unfortunately, I currently live in part of Florida where the roads are not designed for bikes. I once lived in the east of Bay Area, where it was so much more bike-able.
Very nice seeing that much nature before and after work, I cycle to work but it's all within the city. It's great, but I would love to see more trees and water.
I cycle around 3 times the distance he does daily to and from work in London. I've been doing this for 5 years. It's probably fair to say I take more days off than he does though (I leave the bike at home if going for a drink).
I suppose the same could be said for any form of regular exercise, but it makes such an improvement to how I feel when I get to work, and my general well-being. The pollution in London has always been a bit of a concern, however I hope the exercise outweighs this for the most part. I save around £8 a day by not taking the train.
I wish more people would give it a go. More people riding would result in better and safer infrastructure here. I do however, regularly see people get knocked off bikes and can understand the perceived risk and reluctance from others to try it. I'm envious of cities such as Copenhagen with great safe infrastructure, and where riding is the norm.
I live in London and I'd love to cycle to work, but the infrastructure (for my route) just isn't there. And for people who aren't experienced cyclists, it is even worse as lack of confidence actually leads to more accidents.
I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the route to work a cycling route planner gave me in London was. There are less nice parts at the beginning and end (as I get onto and off the cycle-friendly streets), but the majority of the route (some on Q2, some on quiet 20mph roads with no specific cycling provision) is not bad.
https://www.cyclestreets.net/ is one such planner that may have bike only shorcuts that aren't marked on other map sources (it's based on OpenStreetMap and feeds cycle specific data back I believe).
Maybe try it? Once I started cycling in London there was no looking back, even if I had to be on busy roads. Many residential roads in London are very quiet during the day so there may be a windy circuitous route that is very pleasant to be on. Or a busy direct route that is not as bad as you think. When theres a proper cycle lane that's nice but it is by no means vital.
Absolutely true. Once you're confident, you realise how to get good infrastructure anywhere: share the road with motor vehicles if the dedicated infrastructure sucks.
Sure, some people will hate you for that, but I prefer disliked over smeared onto pavement any time of the day.
I cycle commute in London every day and you don't need dedicated cycling infrastructure. It's great to use if it's there but otherwise you make do. Rather than trying to take the most direct route, I cut through small laneways and alleys and ride through a couple of parks. Get on a bike and start exploring. There's nothing more soul crushing than London's public transport during peak hour.
Yet you have quite some cyclists that ride in crazy traffic among double deckers and fast cars. Most of them wear neon yellow clothing. Is it required by law?
I have a face mask (Respro City) that filters out a good part of the particulates. Those are of course only part of the pollution and the mask does look a bit silly.
I'm quite an anxious person and even just the thought of cycling in London puts me off it.
I've looked at the route map and most of it is on incredibly busy roads, including Henleys Corner (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henlys_Corner) one of the busiest junctions.
Getting home at 17:00? I don't even get off work until 17:30, and if I'm lucky I get home before 18:30. Even cycling I'd only shave maybe 15 minutes off my commute, and if I'm really lucky I'd make it home alive.
I wish I lived somewhere with more sustainable work hours and bike-friendly traffic. I'm totally drained when I finally get home.
8:30. My hours aren't all that terrible, but after burning the candle at both ends for the better part of a decade of grad school, I'm a little worried about burning out.
Cycling might help with the burn-out. The exercise is good for you. Getting out of a stressful drive is good for you. Etc. Even if the ride is a bit longer, it's probably a net positive. Especially if you end up at the gym or jogging anyways - you get to double-count the bike commute as part of your workout.
You didn't mention riding after dusk as a problem, but there are plenty of good bike light options available now. LEDs and batteries have come a long way in the last 5-10 years and small, rechargeable lights are now powerful enough to provide adequate lighting for nighttime commutes (some are even bright enough for daytime use - so cars see you better).
Thanks for the lighting tips. I'm actually taking some urban cycling classes next month. I think at this point I need knowledge and confidence to make cycling a part of my commute.
I live about the same and walk. It's fantastic. Coming from a 12 mile (30-40 minute) drive, with occasional bike commuting, it really was a game-changer for my sanity. It helps that I walk across a golf course, so it's fairly quiet and green (vs city streets).
I sometimes walk in but since I only work in the winter I never get to do it in the summer so spending 30 minutes in cold, wind and rain is not that nice. On the odd occasion I do walk I bring the dog with me and kill two birds with one stone, his walk and my commute!
I'm at my 12 year of every day bike commuting. Before I commuted 10 km each direction, now I'm at 6 km. If I have activities after work, I ride to them too. So my total ride length is a fair bit longer than what my commute is.
The public transportation network here in Stockholm is good, but wouldn't even consider cramming myself into a packed subway train or bus. Even at this time of the year when it's -5 degrees celcius and snowy I really enjoy my daily rides.
It cuts commuting time in half and I shave off another two hours of sitting without moving a day.
If possible, I highly recommend bike commuting. Get a good bike (with gears) and rack mounts for bags. Gravel/adventure bikes are fun to ride and work well on all surfaces. Supple 650b tyres are all the rage these days. They will give you plenty of comfort while sacrificing very little when it comes to performance[1].
Tomorrow I'll be going to the outskirts of town with work. Then it's 50 km. I already look forward to that workday adventure. :)
I've fallen thrice (that I can remember). Two of these times was when I was stupid enough to ride on ice with slicks. The third time I tried to pull some fancy trick up a curb (just stupid). So, I've scratched my jeans. Other than that: nothing (touch wood). Nowadays I run studded tyres in the winter and they're crazy effective.
How hostile are the drivers in Stockholm? Bay Area drivers aren’t super friendly to cyclists (to be fair, plenty of cyclists also behave like assholes, cutting in front of cars and crossing intersections when they shouldn’t.) My biggest concern during a year of using my bike to commute was making sure I didn’t get ran over by a car taking a turn, because signaling is not always their forte.
cutting in front of cars and crossing intersections when they shouldn’t
What drivers who have never used a bicycle don't even consider is that as a cyclist you are extremely mobile and have a much better overview of the road. A cyclist can cross an intersection on red with little danger, a car attempting the same would be murderous.
In countries like the Netherlands most everyone has biked to school from the age of 6 before they are turned loose in a car at 18, there is much better mutual understanding between car drivers and bike riders over there.
It is NOT OK to go through red lights, whether in a car, on a bike or on foot. The rules are the rules and we should all abide them.
It happens all the time in London where bikes go through red lights and weave through pedestrians (sometimes at speed) who are crossing the road. Pedestrians are even worse - and often walk or run across red lights and almost get hit from a bus, car or bike. It’s madness!
> It is NOT OK to go through red lights, whether in a car, on a bike or on foot.
Actually, it depends.
Just last week, I learned that it is perfectly legal to jaywalk in Germany, IF it does not interrupt flowing traffic or endanger anyone. Also, you must take the shortest path (orthogonal to the lanes) when crossing a road. (§25 Abs. 3 StVO)
I jaywalk all the time. It's just ridiculous to wait at a red light when the street is completely empty.
I bike to work everyday and I don't follow the rules of the road, and neither should other cyclists.
In a system designed for cars, it's just false piety and won't keep you any safer.
The one rule I do follow is that I am courteous and polite to everyone, drivers and pedestrians alike, and I remain hyper alert to everything that is going on around me.
IMO The point of the rules are to remove as much subjection and interpretation to how road users should behave as possible.
For example, what should the rules be when overtaking other riders? Should I overtake on the outside or the inside? We know that having a rule on overtaking makes it much safer.
Courteous and politeness are great, but a lot of people don’t drive/ride/walk like that. What happens then?
But following the rules makes you predictable in terms of what actions you're going to take and makes it easier for other road users to interact with you in a predictable manner.
I think the main problem is that we have traffic control devices that most people don't follow. For example, stop signs at roadways where yield signs would suffice. Traffic lights which don't switch to blinking mode when traffic volumes are low.
But there are situations where not following the rules makes things more dangerous for those involved. For example, a driver stopping to allow someone to make a left turn in front of them. That can be seen as a courteous gesture, but the car the next lane over that doesn't stop ends up broadsiding the vehicle making the left turn. In this case, just following the rules of the road would have prevented a crash like that.
I many places is is allowed and even encouraged for cyclists to go through red lights and stop signs. It's called the Idaho stop [0]. It's believed to be safer than waiting at the red light provided that the intersection is clear. Consider that rear-end collisions are the most common cause of cyclist fatalities [1].
This worries me. What if the intersection is clear but the joining roads are blind (as is often the case in old European cities). Could I cross the red light, get hit and then claim “well I was just following the Idaho stop... I’m not at fault here. The intersection was clear when I set off”?
I’m surprised about it being safer, and would be interested to see some stats on it. It could be more common in the US where cities are grids because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a near miss where a cyclist almost got rear ended in London. However, I do see a lot of cyclists getting cut off by buses and cars on corners and at junctions.
A cyclist can cross an intersection on
red with little danger
Unfortunately, the 30% of riders who can't do this competently spoil things for the 70% of riders who can.
I don't own a car and I cycle thousands of miles a year, so I'm very much on the side of cyclists over motorists - but last year, as I walked across a pedestrian crossing with a green light, I was hit by a bicyclist running a red light - who promptly fled the scene without so much as an apology.
This kind of thing creates strong, memorable emotional responses people are keen to share. If I'd been more seriously injured, or if the fall had broken my expensive consumer electronics, or if I wasn't a cyclist, or if an infirm relative had been in the accident instead of me, even more so.
This being the case, it isn't realistic to convince other road users to approve of cyclists running red lights; getting them to do so is as unlikely as that last 30% of riders spontaneously becoming competent.
I don't find them to be very hostile. A lot of drivers are extremely stressed (particularly in the morning) and unfocused though. I always try to expect them not to see me at all and I pick safer roads over marginally shorter roads.
Some cyclists get very worked up by ill behavior from motorists, getting into dangerous situations to prove their point. Motorists are protected by a >1000 kg shield of metal, so I try just get on with my day.
I find Bay Area drivers (Palo Alto) area to be polite, almost to a fault. I've had a few aggro assholes, but normally the problem is they're unpredictably nice.
For example, if a car passes me 50 feet before a stop sign and then either has their right turn signal on or otherwise indicates a turn (turns the wheels to the right as they stop), I often just pull in the lane behind them so there is no confusion about whether I'm going to get run over or not... but it seems to more often CAUSE confusion, because they're waiting for me to go by them on the right, which I appreciate the courtesy, they have the right of way.
I often have the same issue at 4-way stops; if they arrive before me and I slow to a stop and put my foot down, THEN they start waving me on and want me to go before them. Of course if I were to blow the stop sign, other people could potentially be annoyed by that. But only about 20% of drivers go before me when I arrive after them and stop and put my foot down.
Also, sometimes I try to pull into the "gaps" between parked cars to allow a car behind me to pass, if there is lots of space and I will not need to pull back into the lane for awhile.... but too often indecisiveness and timidity on the part of the driver mean now I'm having to negotiate my way back into the lane with a car still behind me.
Marathon Winter has more studs. They're placed closer to the edge of the tyre and it's debatable how much difference if it makes if you don't lean into the curves. I try to lean less on frozen ground, so I suspect they would be pointless for me.
Studded tyres actually works best on ice. Theoretically, if snow covers the ice they could be ineffective. I myself have not found this to be a problem.
I use the same tires in winter as in summer (normal city bike tires). But I ride them at much lower pressure (under 2bar vs 3.5bar in summer). Then they don’t slip at all.
Marathon Winters are the only ones that seem to be effective against the copious amounts of sharp stones used here in winter to sand all cycleways. Otherwise I have managed without studs the previous winters. But five flats during 250km of riding was too much.
Yet another vote for them. After I tried my first set of Schwalbes, I've never looked back. They are terrific. (Marathon Plus MTBs, btw - works brilliantly on gravel, in moderate mud, snow and ice.)
Only thing keeping me from commuting year round is lack of studded tires. I'll have to fix that until next year, because as I'm standing here, hoping for a train that's not jam packed, I really miss cycling.
I agree. I biked in today after it snowed maybe 4 inches last night. If i had studded tires it would have been nicer but my slicks do pretty well. And really if there is ice few tires will really protect you from slipping.
The thing that gets me is roads that are sort of driven on. Heavily trafficked roads are great because cars usually expose the bare concrete and roads with no cars are great because you can ride through powder no problem. But when a few cars have created ruts...it make steering very difficult. I don't know if different tires help with this or if that's just the way it goes when you're total mass is <200 lb.
Studded tires make a significant different in ice, and can help to get our of those ice ruts as well. I went down enough times in the ice to move to carbide studded snow tires and it helped a lot. My bike commute is a lot farther now though (~20 miles) so I have downgraded to a fair weather cyclist.
I've been mostly biking to work for years now, on an island off the northwestern coast of Norway.
I have found that studded tyres are more of an annoyance than an asset on 99 out of 100 winter days.
On anything but wet ice, regular tyres do surprisingly well - to the extent that I've felt no need for studs at all during quite literally thousands of kilometers of riding in the snow - yes, grip is not as good as on asphalt, but then again - studs will not magically make the road bare; they only give you a bit of extra margin under very specific conditions - wet ice, basically.
On wet ice, studded tyres will just postpone the inevitable. You WILL topple. On those days, I just jump in the car.
Additionally, the noise of a set of properly studded tyres is enough to drive me nuts, though obviously YMMV.
Thanks for this! I biked many years throughout the year to work in Finland but after series of bronchitis hitting me on consecutive winters I quit winter biking. I'm thinking maybe I could try again - and given your analysis I'll not let my lack of winter tyres stop me :)
Just avoid slicks (d’oh!) and you’ll likely be fine. The only concession I’ve made to winter conditions is riding at slightly lower tyre pressure to get a larger contact surface. In snow it doesn’t make much of a difference, but on ice it works wonders.
As for the bronchitis, I’ve luckily steered clear - but a colleague of mine who had it good and hard a couple of times swear that since he started wesring a mask, he hasn’t had even a hint of it.
I commuted by bike for years in NYC and frankly I do not recommend it. The traffic has always been bad but it’s now significantly worse, and the bike lanes that exist make riding even more dangerous. You are always within reach of parked cars doors, and the lack of a physical barrier on most lanes means they are often driven over by cars.
Perhaps worst of all, even faulty bike lanes give cyclists a sense of entitlement and false security. The fact remains the roads were not built for cycling and cars always win in a battle for space.
I’d love to see bike-only roads, routes, or such. But until there is both proper segregation and consequences when cars kill cyclists (there are currently none) it’s a death wish.
Every day I see eager young cyclists riding with no helmet, no lights, and not infrequently without brakes (on fixies) and I am compelled to yell out my advice on working harder at staying alive.
> Don't ride in the door zone. Don't let cars make you ride in the door zone. Take the car lane instead.
Please don’t do this. During the time that I commuted on a bicycle, it was very frustrating when other cyclists didn’t follow the rules of the road (zipping through stop signs is another example). It causes resentment in drivers. This leads to aggressive behavior towards cyclists.
I don't know the rules of the road for NYC. Where I'm from though, you are supposed to take the lane. Quite frankly, it's insane not to take the lane, since people think they can pass you in their car, while staying in the same lane.
Traffic lanes are rarely wide enough for two vehicles to travel side by side with sufficient space between them.
For example, on a street with 10 foot wide lanes, a 6 foot wide car would have a margin of 2 feet on either side of it and 4 feet between it and a car in the adjacent lane. For buses that are 8.5 feet wide, they have about 0.75 feet on each side and 1.5 feet between them and another bus in an adjacent lane.
A cyclist is about 2 feet wide at a minimum. To have a 2 feet of space on each side, they need a lane that's 6 feet wide. To have 0.75 feet on each side, they need a lane that's 3.5 feet wide.
For the car and bus examples above, neither can leave enough space in the lane while they're in it for a cyclist. So the only way to safely pass one is to change lanes.
The UVC (Uniform Vehicle Code) that most states base their traffic laws on states that bicycles do not have to keep as far right as practicable when the lane they're in is a substandard width lane. They further go on to define a substandard width lane as one where a cyclist and another vehicle cannot travel safely side by side with both vehicles within the lane.
You are mistaken about what the rules are in most states. To take one example, in California, you own the lane and cars cannot pass unless they can give you three feet of clearance.
I don't care how much resentment it causes that should never result in aggressive behavior towards cyclists.
As if one cyclists behavior should or could influence a vehicle operators behavior towards other people sharing the road. Utterly ridiculous. Anybody that is not capable of keeping their emotions bottled up to the point where they will take out their frustrations on unprotected bags of fluid from within a ton+ of armor should be relieved of their license.
If you can't safely pass your place is clear: behind the other traffic.
Cycling in NYC is highly dependent on the bike lanes on your route. There are good stretches of quality bike lane here and there (especially in Brooklyn), however there are parts of e.g. Chinatown that I would not recommend on a bike.
I would add to that list the entirety of Queens, where I regularly see people cycling down Northern Boulevard. I'm not familiar with roads in other cities to compare it to, so you'll have to use your imagination when I say: it's very dangerous.
Commuted for years, also Brooklyn to Manhattan about the same distance. Had to stop due to back issues but I can echo all the OP’s benefits.
Biking is somewhat dangerous in NYC, and every other American city. I agree with OP that NYC drivers are generally very good though. It’s the bikers responsibility to bike as though drivers are -trying- to kill you. First heard that advice when riding motorcycles and it’s stuck with me.
I’ve been in a few spills on my bike. A big one with a pedestrian who strolled into a protected high speed path at prospect park. Another one with an invisible pothole at night in park slope. The last was pure user error, riding tipsy from my local bar home :)
Generally, riding in nyc, like walking in nyc, is a unique skill set. You really MUST be able to do things like look behind you while riding, and it’s quite helpful to be able to accelerate to near traffic speeds. Of course you must assume any car door can open at any time. Route planning also goes a long way; it’s usually worthwhile to take a slightly longer route to stay on smooth streets or protected lanes. Extra wide one-way streets in Brooklyn are generally quite good for cyclists as well.
Cycling in NYC can be fun, healthy, and might eventually help push the city into better accommodating non-vehicular traffic. But it's also particularly dangerous, there is no getting around that.
I'm not sure that a story of one experienced rider being struck and killed invalidates the common sense argument that more experience is better than less experience.
I did not mean to impress that the techniques I mentioned above, if mastered, would result in 100% safe riding.
As far as biking being particularly dangerous in NYC, you'd need stats like miles traveled vs fatalities for a number of major cities to make that determination. It might be more dangerous in NYC, but it might not.
have been riding in NYC for past 2 years. I do agree that bike lanes give you a false sense of security. You have to remain vigilant at all times. It's not that stressful. For me, I have come to enjoy riding in the city now. You need time to develop the sense of various moving objects around you.
I did about ten years from the late 90s through the 2000s tapered off in 2011 but I will say.. knees.. oh my knees.. they are simple small things and they each have a say in what I do
I'd hate to ride anything 'supple' on my commute path, which includes a lot of debris and broken bottles.
I do miss riding on smaller wheels though. 26" was much nicer to get rolling than 700c, and there's a lot of stop-start. 26" rigid bike are extinct now though it seems.
Parent is suggesting combining 650b/27.5" wheel sets with large volume 27.5" tires. This gives you an outer wheel diameter near a 700c wheel. Something like this Durano 27.5 x 1.10 tire [1] and sealant would make for a bomb proof commuter.
>There are about 250 work days in a year in Baden-Württemberg, excluding weekends and public holidays. Of those I was missing for 34 days for vacations, being sick and doing home office. On 11 days I used public transportation, on 5 days a car. That leaves 200 days on which I cycled to work.
I used to have a standard 9-5 gig and then I'd work at a bike shop during the week nights and on the weekends. I started biking in after a co-worker suggested it.
I was pretty surprised. The ride was about 20-25 minutes, mainly through your standard US suburbs so not hard at all. I rode to work 3-4 times a week and then on Saturday or Sunday.
I didn't change anything in my routine except for biking. I lost about 8 pounds, my blood pressure dropped and my already healthy cholesterol levels dropped another 4 points. I had more energy when I got to the shop and then had more energy when I got home. I was more willing to work on various projects when I got home instead of plunking down in front of the tv after being exhausted from a long day at the shop.
I had more energy when I got to the shop and then had more energy when I got home.
I envy you people. I've been cycling to work for about six months now, and while I enjoy it and it probably does me good, I don't feel more energized. Exercise has always left me drained.
I wish we had the bike culture in the US that exists elsewhere. Twice in my life I have regularly commuted to work a reasonable distance by bike and each time the habit was punctuated by being hit by a car. I feel safer walking than I do on a bike here.
I bike commuted 20 miles round trip in West Michigan for a time. I stopped because I was tired of getting coal-rolled and having fast food soda cups thrown at me from cars.
Bike commuting is great if you don't live near rednecks.
I've always used a bike to go to work, but now I'm in Mexico City. Too many cars, too much air pollution. Cycling here is bad for your health.
The public bicycle sharing system is really good and cheap. Some parts of the city are bike friendly. But the air quality is just so bad. The trucks that spew black smoke continuously. The buses that have never been controlled in 50 years. The SUVs traveling at 100 km/h on the lanes reserved for buses and bicycles. All the cars idling and honking in traffic after 6PM. It's really depressing. This city would be such a beautiful city without all those cars and trucks.
Between where and where? A lot of the obvious routes are terrible, but you can go a long way in this city zigging where everyone else zags.
Avoid the bike lanes for the most part, though. You're probably in more danger in one of our bike lanes than out of one, due to all the morons blithely going the wrong way in them.
Great route! Maybe it isn't necessary in temperate climates, but the most important point is that he has showers at work. In tropical countries it is a must. If more workplaces had showers a lot more people would cycle to work.
I would say it's necessary in all climates - in colder climates you wrap up warmer, which means the same amount of sweat. On shower availability - all the companies (big and small) that I've worked for in Glasgow and London have had showers and cycle parking.
I've only had a shower in one of the places I've worked in the last 15 years I've been biking to work. I think the need for a shower is a common misunderstanding. One thing that helps immensely is having an entirely separate, bike specific set of clothes to wear in, and then you can change in a bathroom or dark room if needed.
I live in Chicago (so freezing and very hot at times in the year) ride 11 miles (~18km) each way, almost every day. I keep a pair of shoes, and a towel at work. I take a shower before I leave in the morning, and put deodorant on when I get to work. I rarely need the towel unless it's very hot in the summer. I have a space over a heater I dry out my clothes away from other people. (If anything, having a place to store bike clothes is more important than a shower IMO). I considered that I might be immune to my own smell, but I've had people ask me things like "How come you don't smell bad after riding" and honest friends I've asked and been told no. (The same friends that will happily tell me my outfits look ridiculous)
I find that packing my clothes to change, toiletries, and then unpacking and trying to shower and change in the shared shower at work to be very time-consuming, and cuts I find that packing my clothes to change, toiletries, and then unpacking and trying to shower and change and we shared shower that were to be very time-consuming. Do you consider the time in the office while showering and changing as part of your workday, or do u work additional time To make up for it. And do you change back To bike clothes for ride home?
Showering and dressing at home is much quicker, saves at least 15 minutes a day.
Interesting to see comments about bike commuting in Stockholm and London since I tried it in both cities. Commuting by bike in Stockholm is a breeze even if you are biking in parts of the city with lots of traffic. Its also a beautiful city which adds to the experience.
I have tried to commute by bike in London but its to scary for me. I think it would be fine if you can find a path through residential areas, but for me thats impossible. Biking in the central parts of London I feel that a slight lapse in concentration could end up with a very bad accident.
I found biking in London much easier than in many large European cities, especially since a large fraction of drivers keep enough space on the left for bikers to pass, making commute fast even in heavy traffic. In France or Belgium on the contrary, you often have to slalom between cars, either on the left or on the right.
I wouldn't say it's much safer in London, but definitely a little more than Brussels for instance, where many small streets are a nightmare.
I have a short commute to work, only 2.2 miles each way, but I have been doing it for the last 2 years every workday, under any conditions. From the very beginning I told myself, no excuses. I also realized that if I wanted to stick to it, I would want to be comfortable and not miserable, so I bought gear for the rainy days and winter weather, and a nice backpack to carry everything I need. I live in a big city, so driving and parking is always a challenge... it's nice not to worry about it where to park and how bad is the traffic.
I commuted by bike (6km one way) in Tel Aviv, Israel and it was awesome. Great route, bike lanes/parks and a (tiny, but who cares) shower in the office. Did that for one year straight, just like the person in the article.
Now I'm living in Singapore, a city that has a traffic problem and tries to reduce the cars on the streets. You'd think they would welcome bikes, but riding a bike here sucks. Big time. It's basically unbearable.
There are no sidewalks to speak of on a lot of roads. Often the sidewalks are divided in two segments of different heights. Tables will be on the sidewalk, garbage bins will block it.
Riding on the road - the norm in my home country - is discouraged by every local I've met, both bike fans and car drivers. You can ride the bike in this city, sometimes, in some places. But it's a pain in the rear to use it for commutes and a very, very bad experience around the central part of Singapore. Park connectors/outward regions are fine, but the traffic infested center is no place for a bike, which is quite sad..
What I'm trying to say is: I agree that the article describes a great way to live, something I dearly miss. I believe that this isn't possible for a lot of people though, in spite of the benefits it would provide to them and their surroundings.
It's actually really nice to bike in Singapore, provided you can shower at work.
I cycled every day for a month along a mix of park connectors (cycle paths) and two and three lane roads.
I only had one close pass from a car because on nearly all roads they have a whole extra lane to use to pass you in so if you ride assertively (in the middle of a lane) they just go around you.
And the park connectors are beautiful, fast tarmac with no cars at all. With some creativity you can link them up to create a great commute to most places. My route home went past a Riverside pub - I was on segregated cycle lanes the rest of the way home so I could easily stop for a beer with little risk.
You do usually arrive soaking wet from sweat or the rain. But that's a minor inconvenience compared to being cold! Biking in Singapore is warm, fast, and safe - much better than most places I've commuted.
NO its not...I grew up here and lived and worked abroad in in UK and US for a few years so I can attest to the difference weather makes...especially the humidity. (I cycled in both here and abroad.)
And no one seemed to mention...two wheeled transport is great, until it rains. And if you have never been to Singapore, Malaysia or the tropics you haven't seen real rain yet.
BTW...in SE Asia, the two wheeled transport of choice is the motorbike. The roads (and motorists attitudes) weren't designed for LOW speed traffic.
Singapore is pretty light on motorbikes compared to places like Hanoi.
I cycle year round in London and would rather cycle commute in Singapore. Once you are acclimatised to the humidity it's not that big a deal, and it's always similar so it's easy to plan for.
You do have to pull off the road to wait out a real tropical rain storm... but so do motorbikes. That's why they have shelters for then under the today bridges.
All these places are ace compared to most US cities, though.
Ignoring that I don't have showers at work - some oversight that I dearly miss: I believe that you're not correct.
I cannot get to work via park connectors. Actually I probably have the 'best' way to work already: I'm already in CBD and the distance is small. But .. the city is not ready for bikes. Not at all. There are no bike lanes around my place. The one I found was about 200m long (yay!!) and used by pedestrians exclusively, every time I came there (yay!!!! I can try to ring my bell or push them over. That will help the bicycle community!).
Singapore is a great place. Singapore for bicycles sucks. Do not ride bikes here. Singapore doesn't care, they are not prepared and in general they offer no place to ride safely.
- fast: No. Maybe. Let's hope that you don't ignore traffic lights: There are so many places that don't even care about bikes (underpasses/overpasses exist, but are hard to reach or less friendly to bikes by requiring you to ... wait for an elevator). You can understand the layout of the city, start riding and you will end up stranded. You will need to backtrack. The city hates bikes.
- safe: Yeah ... No. Singapore is not insane, but it's crazy enough. People don't understand turning signals. Drivers instead like to push into the direction they want to go, expecting everyone around them to follow along. This is, with no pun, in traffic terms a Little India.
I personally am fine to drive a bike here and being a nuisance, but most people don't do that. Literally everyone on the road is an asshole, some of these assholes drive Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini or whatnot. You do NOT want to scratch those stupid idiot's cars with your bike.
Traffic in Singapore is a huge and utter mess. Do not ride a bike here unless you're convinced that it's a good idea...
Ride where? I can easily find a nice "let's have a pick-nick" route for me and the gf.
But I'm comparing this city to the article, to the idea of commuting to work. My work is in the central district of SG. I _cannot_ ride there without cursing. I actually did find a couple shortcuts and ways etc, but still: It's a PITA. No bike lanes. Shitty sidewalks. There's no way to ignore these issues.
A lot of the cities in SE Asia weren't even planned with cars in mind, hence narrow roads and lack of space. And then you have these giant freeways springing up haphazardly that bottle necks into these tiny roads. THe result is slow moving traffic yet is just too dangerous for pedestrians, let alone cyclists. The locals rely on motorbikes when they want to beat traffic.
Yes, crazy motorbikes are certainly popular. But then, while they might be fun: They have nothing to do with the "I used my body to get to work" article.
I think we agree that this is a shitty idea in SG. Motorbikes might be fun and are certainly popular, but they're not related to the subject at hand.
A friend of mine recently got one, and she likes it a lot. Her commute is more than mine (nine miles over some of the hillier parts of Boston), so the electric assist makes it easier for her to get to work efficiently without excessive overheating.
I have one and it is fantastic, I can dress for the destination as it's easy to ride without getting drenched in sweat. Also I'll take a pleasant or safer route even if it extends the journey. I'm usually doing 100+ miles a week on it.
The only downside is it does need more maintenance than my normal bike, chains only last for about 1200 miles for instance.
I was hoping that someone more knowledgeable would answer this. I think they best community to look at is Endless Sphere[1] but you could also check out /r/ebikes[2] (although I warn you you that they are all about making DIY bikes that are unnecessarily powerful in my opinion.
Then there's electric bike review[3]. He's reviewed an incredible number of different bikes.
I was thinking about an ebike to help battle the wind. I can manage the hills between my house and the office, but I never take my bicycle if the forecast projects 13 mph or higher wind. I hate the wind and it feels like I'm always riding into it.
I did 24km one way in hilly terrain for a few months last year. The ebike was really a god send in that situation. Track is here: http://cyclehikemap.eu/view.php?id=95
Cycling to work is normal here in the Netherlands, especially in the cities.
Given a few times when I've been sick, I've ridden almost every day to work and back (8km), regardless of the weather (and the Dutch weather is famous for being rubbish).
I'm a cyclist at heart so really enjoy the daily commute along the canals, back streets and cycle paths of the city.
To be fair, even the nightclubs have cycle parking - and an attendant present too for security.
6km one-way isn't very remarkable here indeed, in terms of distance I would consider it a short bike ride. I'm cycling ~8km each day myself now, but I have colleagues who do ~15km one-way each day, which I would consider on the high end for a bike commute.
I agree with the sentiment of the article though, which is that cycling to work basically has only advantages if the weather is good. When it's raining or particularly windy I still take the car, but on all other days I greatly prefer cycling. No traffic, no problems finding a parking spot, it wakes you up in the morning, makes you hungry (in a good way), saves money, and for me it basically eliminates the need to allocate any extra time for additional exercise.
This is a huge plus -"basically eliminates the need to allocate any extra time for additional exercise."
I live too close to work for the ride to be any sort of exercise now (1 km). I certainly like the speed, but sometimes I miss when I had a 40km round trip commute (down the beach for 90% of it no less!). I could eat whatever I wanted and still be in great shape.
Of course, that was when I got hit by a car, and my ribs still ache some mornings 8 years later.
any using e bikes? I keep pondering it, it's ~20km for me to commute one way. Luckily there's bike path nearly the whole way, but seems on the edge of being practical. One advantage is there is no extra charge for taking a bike on a train if I end up with bike troubles.
I bike everyday to work in the South Bay, Silicon Valley area. Everyone I talk to here can't imagine life without a car, but I haven't had any issues; lots of bike paths here, and all groceries and the gym are just minutes away.
Sometimes when it rains I carpool, and I see how annoyed and irate most drivers get when commuting. So I don't regret not owning a car.
The downside is not being easily able to take day trips, so I still might buy one some day.
Which freeways do you cross under/over? How do you do it safely?
I'd happily ride on trails or small streets (and have) , but most of the regular commute riders I know do ~30mi rt a day... most of them doing it more than 5 yearrs have been in an injury accident. Maybe cyclists talk about accidents more than divers, but the percentage certainly seems higher.
My direct door-to-door commute is 19mi. Takes me about 50-55 minutes. None of it is on bike paths.
I take Foothill from the cupertino border all the way to menlo Park.
I can also go into cupertino and take the bike path to the edge of the 101 (close to the PA airport).
If you want to make it longer, you can take Stevens Canyon to Foothill. This makes the commute 30mi but also less traffic and much more challenging to ride.
I would say on average I commute to work about 3 days a week during the summer. I just don't like commuting back in the dark during the winter.
In terms of accidents, I've had none. I had 2 close calls over the course of 3 years. One was a complete jerk and one was due to the sun angle (something you need to be aware of as a cyclist too).
Bay Area is really awesome for riding to work. Foothill is busy but also gets a lot of rider traffic so drivers tend to be more patient.
I also find that a lot of it is up to you, some riders ride like the road belongs to them.
The bay area was a weird dichotomy to me. I used to live in Berkeley and work in Newark. I'd bart to Fremont, then cycle the last five miles. I got screamed at and swerved at by jerks in brodozers on a routine basis.
Once I was able to avoid the south bay life became far more pleasant.
fremont ave., stevens creek trail, sunnyvale saratoga, homestead, and stevens creek blvd. are what I frequent most. I'm never on the road (going somewhere on my bike) for more than 25 minutes.
for safety, i guess i just try to follow the rules of the road (i'm not perfect though, coming from a background of not knowing how to drive).
I've never had an issue with general QoL while reading, people generally seem pretty considerate.
There are multiple bike bridges/undercrossings across 237.
101 has bike bridges just south of 237, another in Palo Alto (which I use every day), and another up between Willow and Marsh roads in Menlo Park, then another in Belmont. There's also a 101 undercrossing that is seasonal, just south of the bike bridge in Palo Alto.
Those are just the areas I know.
It is truly an amazing place to ride. Generally flat, very nice weather. Even in the rain I don't mind the ride, but I have to wear waterproof shoes, and I bought waterproof pants and a jacket.
Same here, I've biked to work pretty much every day since I moved to South Bay (except for rainy days, I'm not hardcore).
I'm lucky because there is a nice trail that I can ride on for the majority of my ride. But it's a little sad that the South Bay has so many built-in advantages for bike commuting (good weather year-round, mostly flat) but so little good bike infrastructure.
I also lived in the South Bay and found ZipCar and/or renting a car for day, weekend and even week long trips worked fine (which one is cheaper depends on your age and whether you can get a discount through your employer or whatever). There was enough "Neighborhood" rental places around to be easily accessible by bike. A weekend was on the order of $60-180, and so even doing this every weekend only adds up to $3k-9k per year.
When I was living in NYC, cycling to work in the summer was the best part of my day. It took me ~30 mins to get from the Upper West Side to the office in Alphabet city. Commuting by subway would take ~50 mins.
Cycling to Work in India, since this new year. No gears.
Basic cycle + 3 locks + Air pump = $90USD. 15Kilometers.
Already saved $20USD/ month.
Never going back to Automobiles again. My friends are also trying to start biking to commute after I've made it. Many thought I'd go back to MotorBike after 1 week but I persevered and it's a joy riding the bike.
Highly recommend to people in Indian Metro, just add 10 minutes to average 7km commute. Happy riding !
410 comments
[ 3.6 ms ] story [ 307 ms ] threadWorse, some take eye contact as meaning you know they are there and are prepared to get out of the way of what-ever manoeuvre they are about to perform!
Before my latest office move (it is not so close that messing around with the shed and locking up the bike at work and changing clothes if needed in bad weather add up to more than cycling saves over walking at a brisk pace) I rode to work for years, 3.5 miles each way for the most part, and while I've had a few near misses (the worst being a bus that halfway through overtaking me decided to shuffle in nearly sandwiching me between the bus and the road-side railings) I've never actually been touched by another vehicle. I'm on city roads, though small city (York, UK) rather than somewhere even more hectic than London, but here I'd say cycling to work is no less safe than walking.
Probably saccadic masking https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccadic_masking
to avoid getting doored?
Wouldn't this slow the traffic.
Typically, the idea is that I would like drivers behind me to not pass me in the same lane that I'm in — that is, I'm trying to avoid having a driver do the typical half-assed job of passing by trying to squeeze their SUV in the same lane as me. (i.e., if you want to pass me, use another lane, not this one. If there isn't another lane: tough, I'll be out of your way ASAP — I don't like having a car behind me any more than a driver likes having a biker in front of them.)
> Wouldn't this slow the traffic.
Sometimes, yes. For me, most of the routes I take the car traffic moves at approximately the same speed or slower. If there's a huge speed difference and traffic is much faster, I'll usually avoid left turns and use a crosswalk to "turn", if I think that's safer. (Which has its own tradeoffs: one has to be very careful and ensure that drivers in the lane next to you are going to actually stop at the crosswalk before you enter it. Just because the light is red hardly means anything, and a lot of drivers will overshoot the stop line if they don't think anyone is going to be in the crosswalk when they do so.)
Only safe way to make a left turn is to get off the bike and do it like pedestrians.
Behaving like a car as much as possible makes you more predictable, and keeps everyone out of trouble. I stop at red lights too.
If traffic is light and not too fast, I just signal, merge into the turn lane, and turn as if I were a car. If it's a multi-lane road, that means "taking the lane" for a bit. I try to minimize that, but it happens.
If traffic is heavy or fast, I will signal, pull off to the side, and cross like a pedestrian.
Generally speaking, I try to be as "car-like" and predictable as possible.
Personally, for bike lanes I love the protected turns I saw in Germany. A separated bike lane will cross an intersection with a dedicated light. On the far side of the intersection, there will be a fork in the path with another dedicated bike signal to cross the road you were parallel with. I'll see if I can find an example.
https://bikeeastbay.org/protectedintersection
https://bikeeastbay.org/sites/default/files/images/Alta%27s%...
If you think merging across lanes is scary, do it sooner. The more time you give yourself and the people around you to process the maneuver, the easier it gets.
One you know the road, you can even exit an earlier intersection in a way that makes you magically end up in the right lane to begin with.
> I didn't run red lights
Thank you. As both a biker and a driver, I appreciate this. Too many bikers don't do this, and I've witnessed too many close calls for those that don't. I've been heckled by other bikers for stopping at red lights, so I know that sometimes this can be a pain to actually stick to.
(The close call I had was an idiot in lane 1, which was a straight/left lane, who decided to turn right. The only right turn lane is lane 4: he cut off a lane of traffic, the bike lane, and the right-turn only lane. I had to take the right "with" him, essentially, or I would have hit him, and I could feel the traction in my back tire slipping the entire time from the huge amount of braking I was begging for.)
I should point out that I ride in the suburbs and road traffic goes much faster than what I can sustain on a bike. Most roads are 35 or 45mph and hilly/curvy, so they are terrifying to cycle on.
Basically, if you are cycling on the road (and that includes bike lanes that aren't protected/separated), you have to assume cars don't see you. Ride defensively all the time. That will minimize accidents at intersections.
Nothing you can do about getting run down from behind (other than not ride a bicycle). But, that's rare.
10km or so is about perfect IMO. Long enough that it's worth the hassle to get sweaty and have a "real ride", but short enough that you still do it on days where you have a packed schedule.
But even better is a 2km commute. Walking is by far the most pleasant way to get to work.
If I drive to work I get to work tense and/or angry.
If I bike I get there over-stimulated, and need some time to drop into the zone.
If I walk I get there relaxed and already in the zone.
I have not yet ruled out cycling altogether; but, I think I need a better, if longer, route.
Or I could just do it, and others see and hear your experiences, and are more likely to do it themselves/consider it 'normal'.
I was willing to take some risk, but expecting the average person to is unreasonable. Getting around shouldn't involve serious risk to your person. We'd never accept using "painted walk lanes" everywhere, and yet that standard is considered "pretty good" for biking. It's absurd.
Of course there are still some people who need to use a car or public transport for commuting, especially if you're a couple both invested in specific careers (and can't, say, just transfer and teach at a different school).
I ride a little slow (not aggressive), because Boston traffic and I figure the quickest way to get to where I'm going doesn't involve a hospital trip.
I really enjoy it and it does improve my mood.
I sometimes run to work, but never ever run home as in London it is downhill to get to the centre, but uphill to get back out to the suburbs :)
Unfortunately, I currently live in part of Florida where the roads are not designed for bikes. I once lived in the east of Bay Area, where it was so much more bike-able.
I suppose the same could be said for any form of regular exercise, but it makes such an improvement to how I feel when I get to work, and my general well-being. The pollution in London has always been a bit of a concern, however I hope the exercise outweighs this for the most part. I save around £8 a day by not taking the train.
I wish more people would give it a go. More people riding would result in better and safer infrastructure here. I do however, regularly see people get knocked off bikes and can understand the perceived risk and reluctance from others to try it. I'm envious of cities such as Copenhagen with great safe infrastructure, and where riding is the norm.
http://brouter.de/brouter-web/#zoom=13&lat=51.5097&lon=-0.12...
Sure, some people will hate you for that, but I prefer disliked over smeared onto pavement any time of the day.
I've looked at the route map and most of it is on incredibly busy roads, including Henleys Corner (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henlys_Corner) one of the busiest junctions.
I wish I lived somewhere with more sustainable work hours and bike-friendly traffic. I'm totally drained when I finally get home.
You didn't mention riding after dusk as a problem, but there are plenty of good bike light options available now. LEDs and batteries have come a long way in the last 5-10 years and small, rechargeable lights are now powerful enough to provide adequate lighting for nighttime commutes (some are even bright enough for daytime use - so cars see you better).
The public transportation network here in Stockholm is good, but wouldn't even consider cramming myself into a packed subway train or bus. Even at this time of the year when it's -5 degrees celcius and snowy I really enjoy my daily rides.
It cuts commuting time in half and I shave off another two hours of sitting without moving a day.
If possible, I highly recommend bike commuting. Get a good bike (with gears) and rack mounts for bags. Gravel/adventure bikes are fun to ride and work well on all surfaces. Supple 650b tyres are all the rage these days. They will give you plenty of comfort while sacrificing very little when it comes to performance[1].
Tomorrow I'll be going to the outskirts of town with work. Then it's 50 km. I already look forward to that workday adventure. :)
[1] https://janheine.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/12-myths-in-cyclin...
I don't recommend riding without a helmet or hövding, but this article gives you some insights into the risks of riding a bike in cities: https://www.vox.com/2014/5/16/5720762/stop-forcing-people-to...
What drivers who have never used a bicycle don't even consider is that as a cyclist you are extremely mobile and have a much better overview of the road. A cyclist can cross an intersection on red with little danger, a car attempting the same would be murderous.
In countries like the Netherlands most everyone has biked to school from the age of 6 before they are turned loose in a car at 18, there is much better mutual understanding between car drivers and bike riders over there.
It happens all the time in London where bikes go through red lights and weave through pedestrians (sometimes at speed) who are crossing the road. Pedestrians are even worse - and often walk or run across red lights and almost get hit from a bus, car or bike. It’s madness!
It means that when the traffic light shows red and you want to turn right, the traffic light works like a "STOP" sign instead.
Actually, it depends.
Just last week, I learned that it is perfectly legal to jaywalk in Germany, IF it does not interrupt flowing traffic or endanger anyone. Also, you must take the shortest path (orthogonal to the lanes) when crossing a road. (§25 Abs. 3 StVO)
I jaywalk all the time. It's just ridiculous to wait at a red light when the street is completely empty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_stop
Treating a red light as a stop sign is different from behaving as if it's not there.
In many provinces of Canada, motorists can turn right on a red light after coming to a full stop.
In a system designed for cars, it's just false piety and won't keep you any safer.
The one rule I do follow is that I am courteous and polite to everyone, drivers and pedestrians alike, and I remain hyper alert to everything that is going on around me.
That's the only rule you need.
For example, what should the rules be when overtaking other riders? Should I overtake on the outside or the inside? We know that having a rule on overtaking makes it much safer.
Courteous and politeness are great, but a lot of people don’t drive/ride/walk like that. What happens then?
It depends how many people are around, and on the entire situation.
I've had sketchy situations when stopping at stop signs. The drivers in my area don't expect cyclists to stop at stop signs, since most don't.
So in that case following the rules made me more unpredictable, and confused everyone involved.
But there are situations where not following the rules makes things more dangerous for those involved. For example, a driver stopping to allow someone to make a left turn in front of them. That can be seen as a courteous gesture, but the car the next lane over that doesn't stop ends up broadsiding the vehicle making the left turn. In this case, just following the rules of the road would have prevented a crash like that.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_stop
[1] https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/how-get-killed-bike-your-ch...
I’m surprised about it being safer, and would be interested to see some stats on it. It could be more common in the US where cities are grids because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a near miss where a cyclist almost got rear ended in London. However, I do see a lot of cyclists getting cut off by buses and cars on corners and at junctions.
I don't own a car and I cycle thousands of miles a year, so I'm very much on the side of cyclists over motorists - but last year, as I walked across a pedestrian crossing with a green light, I was hit by a bicyclist running a red light - who promptly fled the scene without so much as an apology.
This kind of thing creates strong, memorable emotional responses people are keen to share. If I'd been more seriously injured, or if the fall had broken my expensive consumer electronics, or if I wasn't a cyclist, or if an infirm relative had been in the accident instead of me, even more so.
This being the case, it isn't realistic to convince other road users to approve of cyclists running red lights; getting them to do so is as unlikely as that last 30% of riders spontaneously becoming competent.
Some cyclists get very worked up by ill behavior from motorists, getting into dangerous situations to prove their point. Motorists are protected by a >1000 kg shield of metal, so I try just get on with my day.
For example, if a car passes me 50 feet before a stop sign and then either has their right turn signal on or otherwise indicates a turn (turns the wheels to the right as they stop), I often just pull in the lane behind them so there is no confusion about whether I'm going to get run over or not... but it seems to more often CAUSE confusion, because they're waiting for me to go by them on the right, which I appreciate the courtesy, they have the right of way.
I often have the same issue at 4-way stops; if they arrive before me and I slow to a stop and put my foot down, THEN they start waving me on and want me to go before them. Of course if I were to blow the stop sign, other people could potentially be annoyed by that. But only about 20% of drivers go before me when I arrive after them and stop and put my foot down.
Also, sometimes I try to pull into the "gaps" between parked cars to allow a car behind me to pass, if there is lots of space and I will not need to pull back into the lane for awhile.... but too often indecisiveness and timidity on the part of the driver mean now I'm having to negotiate my way back into the lane with a car still behind me.
I rode a couple of kilometers on an iced lake some weeks ago without trouble.
There's also the more expensive Marathon Winter: https://www.schwalbe.com/en/spike-reader/marathon-winter.htm...
Marathon Winter has more studs. They're placed closer to the edge of the tyre and it's debatable how much difference if it makes if you don't lean into the curves. I try to lean less on frozen ground, so I suspect they would be pointless for me.
Studded tyres actually works best on ice. Theoretically, if snow covers the ice they could be ineffective. I myself have not found this to be a problem.
The thing that gets me is roads that are sort of driven on. Heavily trafficked roads are great because cars usually expose the bare concrete and roads with no cars are great because you can ride through powder no problem. But when a few cars have created ruts...it make steering very difficult. I don't know if different tires help with this or if that's just the way it goes when you're total mass is <200 lb.
I have found that studded tyres are more of an annoyance than an asset on 99 out of 100 winter days.
On anything but wet ice, regular tyres do surprisingly well - to the extent that I've felt no need for studs at all during quite literally thousands of kilometers of riding in the snow - yes, grip is not as good as on asphalt, but then again - studs will not magically make the road bare; they only give you a bit of extra margin under very specific conditions - wet ice, basically.
On wet ice, studded tyres will just postpone the inevitable. You WILL topple. On those days, I just jump in the car.
Additionally, the noise of a set of properly studded tyres is enough to drive me nuts, though obviously YMMV.
As for the bronchitis, I’ve luckily steered clear - but a colleague of mine who had it good and hard a couple of times swear that since he started wesring a mask, he hasn’t had even a hint of it.
Perhaps worst of all, even faulty bike lanes give cyclists a sense of entitlement and false security. The fact remains the roads were not built for cycling and cars always win in a battle for space.
I’d love to see bike-only roads, routes, or such. But until there is both proper segregation and consequences when cars kill cyclists (there are currently none) it’s a death wish.
Every day I see eager young cyclists riding with no helmet, no lights, and not infrequently without brakes (on fixies) and I am compelled to yell out my advice on working harder at staying alive.
I've gone 15,000 miles safely in dense urban environments because I am heads-up about the 2 main threats: intersections, and the door zone.
http://gothamist.com/2017/04/28/nypd_bike_lane_tickets.php
Please don’t do this. During the time that I commuted on a bicycle, it was very frustrating when other cyclists didn’t follow the rules of the road (zipping through stop signs is another example). It causes resentment in drivers. This leads to aggressive behavior towards cyclists.
For example, on a street with 10 foot wide lanes, a 6 foot wide car would have a margin of 2 feet on either side of it and 4 feet between it and a car in the adjacent lane. For buses that are 8.5 feet wide, they have about 0.75 feet on each side and 1.5 feet between them and another bus in an adjacent lane.
A cyclist is about 2 feet wide at a minimum. To have a 2 feet of space on each side, they need a lane that's 6 feet wide. To have 0.75 feet on each side, they need a lane that's 3.5 feet wide.
For the car and bus examples above, neither can leave enough space in the lane while they're in it for a cyclist. So the only way to safely pass one is to change lanes.
http://ktla.com/2013/09/23/gov-brown-signs-law-requiring-car...
Please do. Being doored isn't something you want to have happen to you; and can have pretty life changing results if you're unlucky.
If you're in a car and you can't pass if someones riding out of the door zone then you probably don't have room to pass anyway.
As if one cyclists behavior should or could influence a vehicle operators behavior towards other people sharing the road. Utterly ridiculous. Anybody that is not capable of keeping their emotions bottled up to the point where they will take out their frustrations on unprotected bags of fluid from within a ton+ of armor should be relieved of their license.
If you can't safely pass your place is clear: behind the other traffic.
Here's what cement dividers on Norther Boulevard protect riders from (scroll down for photos): http://qns.com/story/2017/12/07/poorly-designed-hastily-cons...
Biking is somewhat dangerous in NYC, and every other American city. I agree with OP that NYC drivers are generally very good though. It’s the bikers responsibility to bike as though drivers are -trying- to kill you. First heard that advice when riding motorcycles and it’s stuck with me.
I’ve been in a few spills on my bike. A big one with a pedestrian who strolled into a protected high speed path at prospect park. Another one with an invisible pothole at night in park slope. The last was pure user error, riding tipsy from my local bar home :)
Generally, riding in nyc, like walking in nyc, is a unique skill set. You really MUST be able to do things like look behind you while riding, and it’s quite helpful to be able to accelerate to near traffic speeds. Of course you must assume any car door can open at any time. Route planning also goes a long way; it’s usually worthwhile to take a slightly longer route to stay on smooth streets or protected lanes. Extra wide one-way streets in Brooklyn are generally quite good for cyclists as well.
I don't mean to fear monger, but I suspect that confidence is just as dangerous as ignorance when you're on a bike in NYC. Very experienced cyclists also end up dead: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/nyregion/cyclists-death-s...
Cycling in NYC can be fun, healthy, and might eventually help push the city into better accommodating non-vehicular traffic. But it's also particularly dangerous, there is no getting around that.
I did not mean to impress that the techniques I mentioned above, if mastered, would result in 100% safe riding.
As far as biking being particularly dangerous in NYC, you'd need stats like miles traveled vs fatalities for a number of major cities to make that determination. It might be more dangerous in NYC, but it might not.
Doesn't that count as DUI where you live?
I do miss riding on smaller wheels though. 26" was much nicer to get rolling than 700c, and there's a lot of stop-start. 26" rigid bike are extinct now though it seems.
[1] https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/racing_tires/durano...
Wish we had this here.
As a software engineer, the requirements are fairly trivial compared to pretty much every other developed nation in the world.
I was pretty surprised. The ride was about 20-25 minutes, mainly through your standard US suburbs so not hard at all. I rode to work 3-4 times a week and then on Saturday or Sunday.
I didn't change anything in my routine except for biking. I lost about 8 pounds, my blood pressure dropped and my already healthy cholesterol levels dropped another 4 points. I had more energy when I got to the shop and then had more energy when I got home. I was more willing to work on various projects when I got home instead of plunking down in front of the tv after being exhausted from a long day at the shop.
I envy you people. I've been cycling to work for about six months now, and while I enjoy it and it probably does me good, I don't feel more energized. Exercise has always left me drained.
Bike commuting is great if you don't live near rednecks.
The public bicycle sharing system is really good and cheap. Some parts of the city are bike friendly. But the air quality is just so bad. The trucks that spew black smoke continuously. The buses that have never been controlled in 50 years. The SUVs traveling at 100 km/h on the lanes reserved for buses and bicycles. All the cars idling and honking in traffic after 6PM. It's really depressing. This city would be such a beautiful city without all those cars and trucks.
Refs:
- air quality: https://air.plumelabs.com/en/year/mexico
- ecoBici: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EcoBici_(Mexico_City)
- "Car ban fails to curb air pollution in Mexico City" http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38840076
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-4599572/Avoi...
Avoid the bike lanes for the most part, though. You're probably in more danger in one of our bike lanes than out of one, due to all the morons blithely going the wrong way in them.
I live in Chicago (so freezing and very hot at times in the year) ride 11 miles (~18km) each way, almost every day. I keep a pair of shoes, and a towel at work. I take a shower before I leave in the morning, and put deodorant on when I get to work. I rarely need the towel unless it's very hot in the summer. I have a space over a heater I dry out my clothes away from other people. (If anything, having a place to store bike clothes is more important than a shower IMO). I considered that I might be immune to my own smell, but I've had people ask me things like "How come you don't smell bad after riding" and honest friends I've asked and been told no. (The same friends that will happily tell me my outfits look ridiculous)
Showering and dressing at home is much quicker, saves at least 15 minutes a day.
I have tried to commute by bike in London but its to scary for me. I think it would be fine if you can find a path through residential areas, but for me thats impossible. Biking in the central parts of London I feel that a slight lapse in concentration could end up with a very bad accident.
I wouldn't say it's much safer in London, but definitely a little more than Brussels for instance, where many small streets are a nightmare.
Now I'm living in Singapore, a city that has a traffic problem and tries to reduce the cars on the streets. You'd think they would welcome bikes, but riding a bike here sucks. Big time. It's basically unbearable.
There are no sidewalks to speak of on a lot of roads. Often the sidewalks are divided in two segments of different heights. Tables will be on the sidewalk, garbage bins will block it.
Riding on the road - the norm in my home country - is discouraged by every local I've met, both bike fans and car drivers. You can ride the bike in this city, sometimes, in some places. But it's a pain in the rear to use it for commutes and a very, very bad experience around the central part of Singapore. Park connectors/outward regions are fine, but the traffic infested center is no place for a bike, which is quite sad..
What I'm trying to say is: I agree that the article describes a great way to live, something I dearly miss. I believe that this isn't possible for a lot of people though, in spite of the benefits it would provide to them and their surroundings.
I cycled every day for a month along a mix of park connectors (cycle paths) and two and three lane roads.
I only had one close pass from a car because on nearly all roads they have a whole extra lane to use to pass you in so if you ride assertively (in the middle of a lane) they just go around you.
And the park connectors are beautiful, fast tarmac with no cars at all. With some creativity you can link them up to create a great commute to most places. My route home went past a Riverside pub - I was on segregated cycle lanes the rest of the way home so I could easily stop for a beer with little risk.
You do usually arrive soaking wet from sweat or the rain. But that's a minor inconvenience compared to being cold! Biking in Singapore is warm, fast, and safe - much better than most places I've commuted.
And no one seemed to mention...two wheeled transport is great, until it rains. And if you have never been to Singapore, Malaysia or the tropics you haven't seen real rain yet.
BTW...in SE Asia, the two wheeled transport of choice is the motorbike. The roads (and motorists attitudes) weren't designed for LOW speed traffic.
I cycle year round in London and would rather cycle commute in Singapore. Once you are acclimatised to the humidity it's not that big a deal, and it's always similar so it's easy to plan for.
You do have to pull off the road to wait out a real tropical rain storm... but so do motorbikes. That's why they have shelters for then under the today bridges.
All these places are ace compared to most US cities, though.
I cannot get to work via park connectors. Actually I probably have the 'best' way to work already: I'm already in CBD and the distance is small. But .. the city is not ready for bikes. Not at all. There are no bike lanes around my place. The one I found was about 200m long (yay!!) and used by pedestrians exclusively, every time I came there (yay!!!! I can try to ring my bell or push them over. That will help the bicycle community!).
Singapore is a great place. Singapore for bicycles sucks. Do not ride bikes here. Singapore doesn't care, they are not prepared and in general they offer no place to ride safely.
- warm: Sure, no argument here. Very warm..
- fast: No. Maybe. Let's hope that you don't ignore traffic lights: There are so many places that don't even care about bikes (underpasses/overpasses exist, but are hard to reach or less friendly to bikes by requiring you to ... wait for an elevator). You can understand the layout of the city, start riding and you will end up stranded. You will need to backtrack. The city hates bikes.
- safe: Yeah ... No. Singapore is not insane, but it's crazy enough. People don't understand turning signals. Drivers instead like to push into the direction they want to go, expecting everyone around them to follow along. This is, with no pun, in traffic terms a Little India.
I personally am fine to drive a bike here and being a nuisance, but most people don't do that. Literally everyone on the road is an asshole, some of these assholes drive Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini or whatnot. You do NOT want to scratch those stupid idiot's cars with your bike.
Traffic in Singapore is a huge and utter mess. Do not ride a bike here unless you're convinced that it's a good idea...
Yes, I love biking as well. That's just an example of something very, very, very close already :)
There are some oddities to riding in Singapore, but once understood I found it a very enjoyable place to bike.
But I'm comparing this city to the article, to the idea of commuting to work. My work is in the central district of SG. I _cannot_ ride there without cursing. I actually did find a couple shortcuts and ways etc, but still: It's a PITA. No bike lanes. Shitty sidewalks. There's no way to ignore these issues.
Singapore has nice places to bike. Not in CBD.
I think we agree that this is a shitty idea in SG. Motorbikes might be fun and are certainly popular, but they're not related to the subject at hand.
The only downside is it does need more maintenance than my normal bike, chains only last for about 1200 miles for instance.
Assume an average speed of 15 mph will still take me an hour though...
Then there's electric bike review[3]. He's reviewed an incredible number of different bikes.
[1]https://endless-sphere.com/forums/ [2]https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/ [3]https://electricbikereview.com/
Given a few times when I've been sick, I've ridden almost every day to work and back (8km), regardless of the weather (and the Dutch weather is famous for being rubbish).
I'm a cyclist at heart so really enjoy the daily commute along the canals, back streets and cycle paths of the city.
To be fair, even the nightclubs have cycle parking - and an attendant present too for security.
I agree with the sentiment of the article though, which is that cycling to work basically has only advantages if the weather is good. When it's raining or particularly windy I still take the car, but on all other days I greatly prefer cycling. No traffic, no problems finding a parking spot, it wakes you up in the morning, makes you hungry (in a good way), saves money, and for me it basically eliminates the need to allocate any extra time for additional exercise.
I live too close to work for the ride to be any sort of exercise now (1 km). I certainly like the speed, but sometimes I miss when I had a 40km round trip commute (down the beach for 90% of it no less!). I could eat whatever I wanted and still be in great shape.
Of course, that was when I got hit by a car, and my ribs still ache some mornings 8 years later.
http://itAlmostNeverRains.nl: 90% of rides is dry, 10% slightly or worse wet.
Sometimes when it rains I carpool, and I see how annoyed and irate most drivers get when commuting. So I don't regret not owning a car.
The downside is not being easily able to take day trips, so I still might buy one some day.
I'd happily ride on trails or small streets (and have) , but most of the regular commute riders I know do ~30mi rt a day... most of them doing it more than 5 yearrs have been in an injury accident. Maybe cyclists talk about accidents more than divers, but the percentage certainly seems higher.
My direct door-to-door commute is 19mi. Takes me about 50-55 minutes. None of it is on bike paths.
I take Foothill from the cupertino border all the way to menlo Park.
I can also go into cupertino and take the bike path to the edge of the 101 (close to the PA airport).
If you want to make it longer, you can take Stevens Canyon to Foothill. This makes the commute 30mi but also less traffic and much more challenging to ride.
I would say on average I commute to work about 3 days a week during the summer. I just don't like commuting back in the dark during the winter.
In terms of accidents, I've had none. I had 2 close calls over the course of 3 years. One was a complete jerk and one was due to the sun angle (something you need to be aware of as a cyclist too).
Bay Area is really awesome for riding to work. Foothill is busy but also gets a lot of rider traffic so drivers tend to be more patient.
I also find that a lot of it is up to you, some riders ride like the road belongs to them.
Once I was able to avoid the south bay life became far more pleasant.
for safety, i guess i just try to follow the rules of the road (i'm not perfect though, coming from a background of not knowing how to drive).
I've never had an issue with general QoL while reading, people generally seem pretty considerate.
Those are just the areas I know.
It is truly an amazing place to ride. Generally flat, very nice weather. Even in the rain I don't mind the ride, but I have to wear waterproof shoes, and I bought waterproof pants and a jacket.
I'm lucky because there is a nice trail that I can ride on for the majority of my ride. But it's a little sad that the South Bay has so many built-in advantages for bike commuting (good weather year-round, mostly flat) but so little good bike infrastructure.
At least these guys are trying: https://bikesiliconvalley.org/
Already saved $20USD/ month.
Never going back to Automobiles again. My friends are also trying to start biking to commute after I've made it. Many thought I'd go back to MotorBike after 1 week but I persevered and it's a joy riding the bike.
Highly recommend to people in Indian Metro, just add 10 minutes to average 7km commute. Happy riding !