“Why?” Chapter 1 REASONS FOR COMMUTING BY BIKE
“I use it as a training ride to get in my workout. Plus gas is so expensive, [biking] saves me $200 to $300 a month.” MIKE WEILAND Software Developer Austin, TX
“I started due to gas prices. Now that gas prices are down I still commute by bike... ...because I like it.” ANTHONY COLEY (right) Huntington Beach, CA
“I’ve been commuting to work on the Christiania [trike]. I started riding it more regularly when I was taking the girls to school, then it just seemed more convenient with all the cargo space and ease of locking up. I don’t even mind the ride home up the hill so much any more!” ANDREW CONWAY US Managing Director, Ciclismo Classico holidays Arlington, MA
“The subway has crowds of people, stale underground air, and boredom. The car is probably the quickest way to work, but it is so variable, due to the unpredictability of traffic congestion. Plus, there’s the cost and unavailability of parking. Bike and public transit take about the same time for me, but transit is also variable, whereas the bike ride varies only with my energy level.” DARREN BUCK (That’s his bike on the left, an old French road bike converted into an upright singlespeed). Marketing Specialist, US Department of Transportation, Washington, DC.
“No one can get to work faster than I get to work on my bike. The bus was taking 40+ minutes. Cars are slightly faster at 30 minutes and $15-20 a day. I bike to work in 20 minutes, awake and ready to go. Interacting with the environment is key. And I get 40 minutes of riding in every day with no time taken from my day. Now I get to really see the city I live in and take in some fresh air. It’s transformative. You eat better, you look better, you feel better. I can’t imagine not biking to work any more.” GARY GROFF Vice-president, New Resource Bank San Francisco
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