My Motivation

Why do I do it?

I started to bicycle commute mostly to get in shape, but also to avoid waiting for the bus. I used to bus to school three times a week, and then drive two times when I went to work. I stopped bussing and started biking, but I still drove to work twice a week during the school year.

For my old school commute, 5 miles away, the average commute times were:

  • Car - 30 minutes, but parking isn't free, and you have to walk up a really steep hill to get to class.
  • Bicycle - 40 minutes, ten of which is used to change clothes.
  • Bus - 60 minutes, most of which is waiting for the bus (1 transfer required).
For the old work commute, around 19 miles away, my average commute times are:
  • Car - 30 minutes in the morning, 50-70 minutes in the evening
  • Bicycle - 80 minutes both ways, plus I require a shower at the end
  • Bus - Despite Metro's excellent service to North Seattle and downtown, the cross-lake service is terrible. At least 90 minutes both ways with two transfers.
For my latest work commute, around 10 miles away, my average commute times are:
  • Car - 20-30 minutes, most of which is picking up Leah :)
  • Bicycle - 50 minutes, plus a few minutes to change on either end
  • Bus - Don't know yet, but it doesn't look pretty.
I also used to work out three times a week for 30 minutes before I started bicycling.

By biking, I'm saving some time, parking money, and gas money. For my old work commute, I used to to a "bike in, drive home, drive in, bike home" cycle which worked really well.

My goals are to: HAVE FUN, get in shape, save on gas, help the environment a little, and encourage others to bicycle commute. I can commute twenty miles to work, without any special training or even a fancy bike, so it should be encouraging to those will shorter distances. Good luck!

The Area

I lived in Seattle, WA near Northgate and work in downtown Seattle. The places I bike in Seattle are relatively flat (no mountains) and typically paved. This makes the bicycle a sensible alternative to other forms of transport. Note that I now live in Bellingham, Washington and telecommute.