Hey. Ride your fucking bike to work!

[nickwm21]

For those of us that don’t pretend to work from home....



It’s fun dodging bum shit zippin thru Pioneer Square at 4:30am.

11.5m - takes me 50min cruising. 3rd time on the bike commute this month, trying to get two days a week through the summer.

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Wes Mantooth]

I biked to work nearly every day all year round when I lived in Boston. Shorter commute than yours but nice to be outside a little bit and way faster than any other mode of transportation. Just can get tough in rain or extreme heat if you don't have a locker room or somewhere at work to change and store clothes. On hot days I would always start sweating profusely the second I walked in the building and then you're just that inexplicably sweaty guy the rest of the morning. Makes you good at track stands and quickly dodging obstacles too

[Benneke10]

I had a similar commute a few years ago, such an unpleasant ride. The section from Pioneer Square to South Lake Union is horrendous. I would frequently supplement with the light rail.

I have bike commuted extensively in DC, LA and the Bay Area, the north-south commute in Seattle is so much worse and more dangerous. Stay safe.

[toast2266]

Commuted for years. Used to be able go for months without driving.

Now the commute sucks. Pretty sure I'd get smoked by a car within a month or two.

[westoxified]

yikes, that looks brutal. i take the Ogden heel-toe express. way more entertaining.

[Dantheman]

Not uncommon to ride in 5 days a week. Sometimes weather or field work gets in the way. Only 8 miles RT, I actually wish it was a bit longer, ~30 minutes each way would be perfect. I figure I probably average around 1600 miles per year. I started 4-5 years ago after thinking about it for years and was hooked immediately. I've only nearly died once.

[bagtagley]

Now the commute sucks. Pretty sure I'd get smoked by a car within a month or two.

Yep. My commute used to involve 2 miles of decent singletrack with 1/4 mile of road on each end. Now, it's a busy 2 lane highway with no shoulder. I know a guy that does it, but he's weird and kinda dumb. At peak traffic, you basically never don't have cars passing you.

There's a long-term plan to build a "trail" from beyond my burg to town. It will get done, but it's gonna be 20 years before it's a true, roadless option.

[nickwm21]

I had a similar commute a few years ago, such an unpleasant ride. The section from Pioneer Square to South Lake Union is horrendous. I would frequently supplement with the light rail.

I have bike commuted extensively in DC, LA and the Bay Area, the north-south commute in Seattle is so much worse and more dangerous. Stay safe.

Thanks. My morning ride is early-early. I get to work before 5:45am... So I feel safe cruising thru downtown then... Going home I stay east, up in Cap Hill, then drop all the way down to Alaska on Yesler.... IE: going around the heart of Downtown, not through it, avoiding IPhone zombies and blocks of red lights ... I’d say 50% of the commute either direction is on protected bike lane so those zones feel safe... Seattle has been doing a somewhat decent job of adding protected bike routes when they repave/restripe...

I can’t believe you bike commuted in LA. I sold my road bike when I lived in LA.... the most bike unfriendly place I’ve lived.

The best bike commute I’ve had is from Leucadia to Oceanside. 10mi of beachfront cruising. Only a little climbing when you dip down into the lagoons....

[johnnyg82]

I miss my bike commute, I haven’t made that run since July 2019. Happily though, my toddler likes the bike seat, so I still get to ride most days.

[shirk]

Yes, and for your groceries, and for errands, and to well...just ride.

I've commuted year around here in Vancouver for the last 6-7 years. Before that I'd ride till mid November and it would be dark and raining when I went to leave work and I'd just take the bus home and the bike would get stranded at the office till late February.

Now it's work from home...so I ride with the two kids on the back of the cargo bike to drop them off at school/daycare then ride back home. Happens rain or shine all year round unless there is snow (maybe two days a year). My kids don't know any different, I've been dropping them off by bike since they were a year an half old, just buddle up in the pouring rain and get-r-done.

[Boissal]

I worked at the U of U for over 10 years and drove there maybe 20 times total as the parking situation is beyond fucked. They gave us a free bus pass which allowed me to avoid sketchy winter riding but the bulk of my commuting was on a 1970s Fuji single speed a grad school buddy sold me for $50. I rode thousands of miles on that thing and was in the best biking shape I've ever been since the U (and especially the cancer institute I spent most of my time at) sits at the top of the SLC foothills. I eventually switched to the road bike when I moved further down into suburbia and the commute got from 8 to 14 miles.
New job is 3.3 miles from the house and it's almost too close to be enjoyable. We're moving to the W side though and I'm struggling to find a decent path to get there on the bike, it's looking like 12 or so miles but lots of sketchy high-speed roads without a wide shoulder...

[sethschmautz]

My commute is ~20 miles each direction, temperature is currently 35 in the mornings and 55-60 in the evenings. Layering is key so you're warm enough in the morning and not overheating in the evening. In general, I try to ride one direction each day 4 days a week which can cut my driving down by 1/3 or 1/2 and I still get to see my kids in the evening. I also have a shower at work, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.

I live in the same general area as Toast does and used to commute on my roadbike. Replaced that with a gravel bike last year and commuting has become fun (and safe) again. Here's a picture from one of my routes.

Seth

[mall walker]

In general, I try to ride one direction each day 4 days a week

this is like one of those logic problems with the wolf and the sheep and the boat. how do you ride only one way? multiple bikes? drive the car monday morning, ride back, ride in tuesday morning, drive back...?

[Peruvian]

How I picture nick

[zartagen]

I picked up a Craigslist road bike this winter for $200 and use it for my 5 mile commute. It's 10 minutes to drive, and 5-10 more to bike depending on direction. Most of it is on a rural road with a massive shoulder/ bike lane with about a mile on bike paths. Almost zero cars at 5:45 am. I have a headlight, headlamp, and blinking tail lights on my seat post and backpack, but it's getting brighter in the mornings now.

[Boissal]

Beauty!! I'd buy a gravel bike in hot minute if this was one of my commuting options! Well, try to anyway.
The shoulder on most streets in SLC looks to be just about as janky but I see fewer assholes driving 50 mph while on the phone in your pic.

[toast2266]

I live in the same general area as Toast does and used to commute on my roadbike. Replaced that with a gravel bike last year and commuting has become fun (and safe) again. Here's a picture from one of my routes.

That does look fairly pleasant. I think you have a better route than me - I did the gravel back roads thing for a bit. But it adds a bunch of mileage, takes twice as long, and while there's less vehicles, the vehicles that I do see are mostly rednecks in pickup trucks that are inclined to pass me as close as possible.

Turns out its a lot more enjoyable to drive to work and then use all the time I save to go ride my mountain bike somewhere fun.

[dan_pdx]

I'm probably well over 15k commuting miles after 16 years of a 7-mile round trip almost every workday. WFH really put a damper on that, and I'm not expecting to get back to it anytime soon. Too bad, because even a short commute like that gave me a base fitness level, especially when I was towing the pooch to work with me (he was chill enough that he got office privileges).

[Dantheman]

Too bad, because even a short commute like that gave me a base fitness level

I'm not sure how much it really helps my endurance, but the assdurance benefits are huge.

[muted reborn]

3.5 mile commute here in SLC, 3.25 of that is bike paths going through Hidden Hollow park, Sugarhouse Park and using the S-Line and Parleys Trail. No complaints except it's too short.

I could even stop by Whole Foods and grab Overlanding points if I'm feeling wild and carefree.

[abraham]

For those of us that don’t pretend to work from home....



It’s fun dodging bum shit zippin thru Pioneer Square at 4:30am.

11.5m - takes me 50min cruising. 3rd time on the bike commute this month, trying to get two days a week through the summer.

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

If you ever want a beer or anything on the way home I'm just across the Montlake bridge, probably working at home 2-3 days a week for a while.

My commute is almost all bike path, cross 520 and take it to Redmond. I've gotta stop at the gym where our production space is to shower since I sweat easily.

[grskier]

I'm transitioning to the office and plan to bike commute the days where I'm there consecutively. What I learned on my first commute was the messenger bag with the laptop and a change of clothes wasn't ideal on the way up the valley.

[RootSkier]

I'm only 2.7 miles. It's so short I get blue balls, but I still do it. I can stretch it out to 3.2 if I go the "long way" on a bike path and then through the U of MT campus, which often has nice scenery.

[dan_pdx]

I'm not sure how much it really helps my endurance, but the assdurance benefits are huge.

Towing my dog up the hills on my route was great for leg strength - made the first few days of snowboarding each year much less painful. I always thought it helped with base fitness, but maybe I was just younger at the time.

[mall walker]

3.5 mile commute here in SLC, 3.25 of that is bike paths going through Hidden Hollow park, Sugarhouse Park and using the S-Line and Parleys Trail. No complaints except it's too short.

I could even stop by Whole Foods and grab Overlanding points if I'm feeling wild and carefree.

geez. I ride that for fun sometimes on the road bike