Commuting bike (was Gas Prices - merged)

[2big2ride]

I was listening to the radio on my way in to work today and the gas prices in the area are at an all time high!
Another thing I heard is that we as the Washington/ Baltimore area have the 6th longest commute time of 29 minutes in the country. The average commute is 24 minutes.
What is your commute?
How many people her are taking steps on saving gas or commuting by other means of transportation?
I'm not preaching here at all....Unfortunately I have a full size pick-up that guzzles the gas...For financial reasons (paid off, and almost two kids(2nd due in JUne)and one income) It will be my vehicle until the wheels fall off. Until then, I will make every effort to limit my use of the truck and use our family car for most trips. My commute is around 35 minutes. Although, I will be starting to drive half way to work and ride in the other 12 miles. Also I'm looking forward to my company's move only 11 miles from my house in June!

[tsteele999]

My commute is 14 miles each way, takes about 30 minutes or so from my door to the shop. If there was a reasonable way to ride a bike down Old Bridge Road in Woodbridge and across the bridges for 95 or Rt 1 into Fairfax, I think I would ride in. I don't see the government of PW county spending any $$$ on bike lanes any time soon.

It was a surprise for us, moving here from CA, where all the major city streets had dedicated lanes. If you think your gas is expesive though, try the bay area.

[martin]

I try to look at things on the bright side - you know how much a gallon of Gas costs in Peru? almost five bucks! In Argentina it's a bit more...

I know gas has gone up considerably over the past year or so, and even more now. But, we take it for granted that we, overall, pay much less for gas then the rest of the world...

Unfortunately this is catching up to us. It pisses me off that I live about 1.5 miles from a convenience store and I have to hop on my car to get there. Not because I'm a lazy fat ass, but because doing so in a bike would endeanger my life.

The US needs to change "it's cultrue" and we need to get back to building sidewalk friendly communities which allow people to walk and bike to most destinations. Until we do that we're going to be dependent on our vehicles and slaves to the gas pump.

We've already decided, our next car: a hybrid...

[martin]

I don't see the government of PW county spending any $$$ on bike lanes any time soon.

I think PW county does have a plan now... I'm pretty sure major thoroughfares that are bieng built or in the planning process have contingencies for bike lanes. I know the new 234 extension has one, as well as the Spriggs rod rebuild.

I live a couple of miles from the forest and would love to hop on the bike to get there, however, doing so now would mean riding on the narrow lanes of Minnieville and Spriggs - 1 step away from suicide...

[tsteele999]

I think PW county does have a plan now... I'm pretty sure major thoroughfares that are bieng built or in the planning process have contingencies for bike lanes. I know the new 234 extension has one, as well as the Spriggs rod rebuild.

I live a couple of miles from the forest and would love to hop on the bike to get there, however, doing so now would mean riding on the narrow lanes of Minnieville and Spriggs - 1 step away from suicide...

I know what you mean, I live off of Old Bridge, and while it's not too bad up here at the end near PWP, going down towards 123 is awful. I really want to try a loop of riding out towards Clifton on Yates and back up 123 to Old Bridge, but traffic is never light and at some places there isn't even a white line on the edge of the road.

We are lucky to live within walking /riding distance of 2 grocery stores, Blockbuster, fast food etc, and that was one of the reasons we are staying in this area, we just bought a bigger house in this subdivision.

[riderx]

I was listening to the radio on my way in to work today and the gas prices in the area are at an all time high!
Another thing I heard is that we as the Washington/ Baltimore area have the 6th longest commute time of 29 minutes in the country. The average commute is 24 minutes. I heard even worse. On WBAL last night they said we were #2 in the country with an average of 30.2 minutes.

[kipig]

My commuting options:

1. By car (the least direct and relatively pleasant driving route) - 42 miles RTin 60-90 in minutes.
2. By car (the more direct but least pleasant route) - 30 miles RT in 90-120 minutes.
3. By bike (most direct, most pleasant) - 28 miles RT in 120 minutes consistently with options to add distance (typically 45 miles) on the return trip.
4. By Metro (crap shoot) - usually 120 minutes including walks to/fro.

I ride 2-3 days per week mostly just to get more time on bike otherwise wasted sitting in traffic. It probably amounts to 3500 miles or so per year. I can't say I really do it to save gas money since I usually pump money right back into the local economy via bagle and coffee purchases. Guess I've been lucky with traffic so far. Lots of close calls, but no accidents.

[drevil]

I'm really spoiled in that I have a short commute to my office office (as opposed to my home office), but I still drive because I drop off my wife at the Metro, which is across the street from my work. If I can convince her to ride her bike to the Metro station, I'd never drive to my office.

Riding to my office - as hard and fast as I can with my head tucked down - takes about 8 minutes if no mallards get in the way.

[martin]

I guess I'm pretty lucky...

I work out of my house, so my commute is pretty shor :0

But, I do venture into DC several times a week for various reasons, particualarly for school (finishing Grad school) and for regular client meetings.

On a good day I can bee downtown in under 45 minutes. I live in Dale City/woodbridge. We moved here from Mntgomery County for two reasons - traffic and property prices. We saved (and have made) a bundle by buying our house in PW County - There's no way we could have bought a comparable property in Montgomery County for the same price.

Traffic from our home in MoCo to DC was horrendous - as horter communte would take us nearly twice as long as it does now - we were told it would be worse from PW to DC - Oh how wrong people were...

A 10 minute jump to the Commuter lot, a brief wait for a couple of people to walk up for a ride and 35 minutes later I'm smack in the middle of DC.

Soon I'll be working downtown thouh and I will have to make the trip there every day. In that case, I'll pack my iPod, latest issue of Bike and go stand inthe slugline to get a ride in. I'll save gas and stay sane...

If I could ride I would...

[markie]

I feel pretty lucky. My job just moved from College Park to Bethesda. I live in Woodley Park so now I can cycle to work via Rock Creek Park to the Capitol Crescent Trail. The cycling commute is about 10 miles, it tends to take me about 40 minutes. I get to work feeling absolutely fantastic.


So in the last two weeks I have only driven twice and those were nights where I needed the car to go to a cycling destination.

The biggest problem I have now is that it is hard for me to justify keeping the car. But, it is the only way to get out to the good mountain bike places. But, keeping the car just to go cycling seems crazy, it also makes cycling one expensive hobby.

[riderx]

The biggest problem I have now is that it is hard for me to justify keeping the car. But, it is the only way to get out to the good mountain bike places. But, keeping the car just to go cycling seems crazy, it also makes cycling one expensive hobby.What about when Lulu wants to go to Target?

[gaz]

I work near Dupont Circle, but live in Falls to the Chizza. My commute is a maddening slog down 50 every morning that eats gas (and my Jetta drinks naught but Premium), and the trip back in the evening is just as bad. I go through at least a full 14.5 gallon tank a week.

In a couple of months though, I'll likely be moving into the District, up near the Cathedral, and can start riding to the office. Of course this means that making the 6:30pm rides at Wakefield will be damn near impossible... and it also means that I'll have to buy more bike stuff so I can build me a commuter bike!! :-D

[RetroG]

I'll be risking my life with a daily commute (2 wheeled) thru SE MoFo D.C.!!!

Now you'll start to really see the manufacturers getting on the Hybrid bandwagon.

[markie]

What about when Lulu wants to go to Target?

Well we lived in D.C. for 4 years without a car before.

Back then we only shopped in local non-chain stores. We were careful to generate less than 1lb of trash each week and we used the recycled toilet paper that rubs your ass like sandpaper.

[drewdane]

I'm lucky in that my son's daycare is downtown, which allows me to use 66 coming in from/returning to Falls Church. It's about 40 minutes, including dropping The Girl off at school, The Wife at Metro, and The Boy at daycare.

Even better, our back yard opens onto the W & OD - if The Wife ever starts telecommuting, she'll be able to take care of getting The Girl to school and I'll be able to throw The Boy into the trailer and ride the 10 miles or so to work. Score!!!

[Squirrel Girl]

The biggest problem I have now is that it is hard for me to justify keeping the car. But, it is the only way to get out to the good mountain bike places. But, keeping the car just to go cycling seems crazy, it also makes cycling one expensive hobby.Tell me about it. I live out in the burbs. So I don't have a problem justifying a vehicle. BUT. I have a 4WD pickup. Probably 70% of my driving is carting my bike to a trailhead. I am shopping for a used Honda Civic (Accord, Toyota Corolla, etc) that's in halfway decent shape yet not too new and expensive. Anybody trying to get rid of one?

[Squirrel Girl]

Next week when Daylight Saving Time kicks in I hope to cycle to work again. Unfortunately I need that recumbent, tandem mountain bike to get through the perennial lake that lies in the way on my route around the Pleasant Valley Golf Course. My road alternatives are: 1) old Braddock Road which is VERY narrow, no stripes, hugely dangerous, also partly underwater, uneven pavement, etc., or 2) US 50. The advantage of 50 is that is has graveled shoulders so you probably won't get killed and you get a really great feeling of superiority as you sail past all the backed up traffic. It just isn't a very pleasant ride.

[langer]

i'm about 16 miles from work, at the most it's 30 minutes driving time. i live in baltimore so it's a reverse commute up to towson via 83, never any traffic going north...southbound is another story. riding to work is about 50-60 minutes depending on my energy level. it can be quite a hairy commute. i have to cut across the city from canton to calvert st, take calvert up to lafayette and then falls road up to seminary avenue. all of this during downtown rush hour. it's a nice ride going up to lutherville, the majority is uphill. lucky for my patients, there's a shower at the office!

[riderx]

We were careful to generate less than 1lb of trash each week and we used the recycled toilet paper that rubs your ass like sandpaper.You weighed your trash? Does that include the toilet paper? And the CO2 cartridges? :D

[UpOnTwo]

I feal pretty luckly also. I get to ride my bike to work any day I choose as long as the weather is OK, meaning no snow,ice, or heavy down pour. I never had this option until about a year ago and it's always a blessing to get out early and ride.

[saxman]

Unfortunately to get a single family house in MoCo, you have to move pretty far out. My commute went from 0.5 miles to 4.5 miles when the office moved, to 14 miles when I bought a house.

Four years ago, I traded my 1985 Toyota LandCruiser for a 1999 Toyota 4Runner. As much as I miss my old '85 Landcruiser, it was eating me out of house and home...11 mpg on high test! While the 4Runner is not the world's most efficient vehicle, it gets at least 50 - 60% better mileage than the Landcruiser and runs on regular unleaded. To me it's the best trade off of versatility and efficiency. Most of the time these days we use my wife's Corolla for errands and family outings. The Corolla is 50 - 70% more efficient than the 4Runner.

I'd love to ride to work, but it's practically suicidal to try riding down Routes 124 & 115 in the morning. I am always astounded at the bike rides that I pass on those roads...it's dangerous. We lived a couple years in California when I was a young boy, but I distinctly remember the wide bike lanes that abounded everywhere. Those lanes are a very rare item around here, and when they are here, drivers' seem to not respect them.

I don't think I could live with recycled TP. Growing up, my parents only bought Scott Tissue. While it wasn't recycled, it sure felt like sandpaper. I was only too glad to get out on my own and use softer TP. We finally got my folks to give it up, too about 10 years ago. They used the same brand of toilet paper (Scott's) since 1961!

[markie]

(Scott's) since 1961!

Shit! I bought that stuff by mistake a couple of weeks ago. I only used it once.

I was kidding about being environmentally friendly. I think most attempts to be responsible are so peacemeal that it is just a piss in the Atlantic. I mean I spend two hours driving to and from Frederick most weekends to go ride a bike.

[ou98dtbiggs]

I llive in Arlington and It is very easy to get to anywhere in the City I need to. For work I bike there, but need to do it more often, it takes 30 minutes but I end up taking time dressing and getting ready to go, summer is easier with less clothes shorts jersey. I also bike to school (Grad classes) at GMU I have a route that is around 40miles round trip that is a loop. I think it really helps to ride to work, I know for the winter it is good I will ride to work in the morning and put some extra miles in like 25-33 and then at night do a hill route that is like 13 so that I can have a good workout . I think the key to commuting and biking in a metropolitian area is streets, I have the most trouble is the more I go to suburbs and have to ride on roads that have no shoulder and cars are going 50 while on streets there are bike lanes or on street parking that gives you some space, and the cars are going slower.

my 2cents

[skiandmtb]

I drive about 8 miles each way (Silver Spring to Bethesda), and am looking into buying a cyclocross bike. I figure that's the best, maybe it even will whet my appetite to try road biking! I think I'll start another thread in "gear talk" to canvas for recommendations.

L.J.

PS The big question is am I really going to commute to be there by 7am?

[skiandmtb]

Partly due to gas prices, partly to figure out a way to get in better shape, I'm starting to toy with the idea of commuting to work via bike (8 miles each way.) Looking into options, I was thinking of a new or used cyclocross bike. My MTB is a Stumpy FSR, not sure if it's a great choice for commuting. Anybody have any recommendations?

L. J.

[ou98dtbiggs]

I ride a Bianchi Axis it is a great commutter cyclocross bike. I ride in the winter time on dirt roads on a different wheelset, and to work I ride 28mm 36 spoke with liners bombproof wheels no flats in a 1.5. Get a cross you will like it. I got a Bianchi cause my rode bike is a Bianchi so I knew it would fit.

-D

[halfinch]

road frame w/ flat bar would be my reccommendation. get something that will allow wide rubber, say a cx or touring frame. make sure it has eyelets which would allow the most options for rackes and whatnots.
as for who to buy from, i like kona, bianchi, and always drool at IF and salsa..

i own an older bianchi volpe which is used for roading and commuting. nice classic steel frame, cantibrakes and can run close to a 44mm tire..

[martin]

Fixed gear track bike with front brake. Drop or bullhorn bars - according to preference.

The fixed gear component will make you earn those eight miles. Before you know it your legs will thank you for it - You'll learn to track real good as well :)

[old_bashturd]

I have a Karate Monkey frame comming I'm going to build into a commuter. Wanted something I could put skinny tires on for the commute part, then mount knobbies to experience te offroad 29'er thing. I also wanted the option of going SS, fixed, disc, v-brake etc etc. The KM can do it all.

[skiandmtb]

I found a used Kona Jake the Snake with 500 miles on it. Anybody familiar with it?

[Balto Charlie]

Hey folks: I've been bike/train/bike commuting for years. Complicated...somewhat but once you get hooked you'll never get into the cage again. I dread the days I have to drive(1-2 days a month). I now prefer riding my bike in rain/sleet even snow to driving to work. I prefer riding flat bar to drops. Better visibilty. Tires are really important. Give up comfort for puncture resistance, Schwalbe marathons and Specialized Amadillo Nimbus are 2 of the best. I run 26x1.5 nimbus on an old Gary Fisher mnt bike. 1000's of miles and no flats!!! I carry my stuff in a backpack(Deuter), others prefer panniers, some like messenger. I don't get the messenger bag thing, too lopsided. Panniers are a must if you do drops, better weight distribution. If you go to panniers you need longer chainstays so your heel won't hit them. Winter lights, lots of them everwhere. No shower at work, use baby wipes. Fenders make most rainy days a joy to ride so make sure your bike can handle them, many can't. but with a little ingenuity you make make 'em work.
I ride from my home in Catonsville to the MARC station in Relay(6miles), train to Beltsville where my 2nd bike is waiting, 3 mile ride to work. Takes longer than the car BUT I ride 18 miles(or more) and read a book for 25 minutes. Sometimes it's the best part of my day. Charlie

[Parrishdk]

I found a used Kona Jake the Snake with 500 miles on it. Anybody familiar with it?
Kona Jake, good bike, unless it's a 52 or a 54 and then you should pass and tell me who's selling it LOL :rolleyes:

[skiandmtb]

Waited too long to bid on Ebay...someone "Bought it Now" Darn. Don't worry, it was a 56cm anyway. (They do have a 54cm one on auction now...)