Frequently Asked Questions

Commute By Bike -- WIth Your Car  -  Can't ride the whole way? Compromise.  By Jennifer Sherry

The group-ride conversation turns to "going green." You desperately want to slip in that you do your part for the environment by riding your bike to the office. Instead you list unfortunate reasons for having to drive each morning.

You may not be able to get from point A to point B by bike, but there are ways to get from A-and-a-half to B, or any other combination thereof. If you're not willing or able to ride the whole way, compromise.

Bring a few changes of clothes to the office when you drive there on Monday morning. Commute back and forth by bike Monday evening through Friday morning. Drive home Friday after work.

Drive partway (preferably beyond that dangerous stretch of highway), park your car and ride the remaining distance to work. Go home in reverse.

For those of you ready to use the but-I-don't-have-a-rack excuse, here's how to creatively configure your bike so it fits into the back seat of your sedan:

Spread a Neat Sheet ($9; theneatsheet.com) or other protective cover over the back seat.

Remove the front wheel (on disc-brake bikes, be careful not to squeeze the levers; doing so could jam your brakes).

Lower the saddle.

Gently load the bike rear-wheel first so that the greasy drivetrain isn't facing the back seat.

If your cables are long enough, flip the handlebar 180 degrees for a better fit.
 

The Bike Collective Network has a directory that lists many of the bicycle co-op's in the United States.  These are excellent resources for buying good quality used bikes, learning about bicycle maintenance, and are helpful for answering many questions specific to cycling in your town.

1. It's time to get kids riding:  In just one U.S. generation: The percentage of kids who walk or bike to school has dropped from 50% to 15%.  Childhood obesity has tripled.

2. Bicycle commuting beats sitting in traffic:  Each U.S. rush-hour auto commuter spends an average of 38 hours a year stuck in traffic.  This costs the U.S. more than $78 billion in lost productivity and wasted fuel.

3. More cycling means less dependence on foreign oil:  10% of global oil production goes toward fueling America’s cars and trucks.  The U.S. could save 462 millions of gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips.

4. Riding a bike is cheaper than driving a car:  On a commute of 10 miles, bicyclists save roughly $10 and spare the air 10 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Calculations They also burn 360 calories!  Based on gas prices of about $4/gallon, the annual direct cost of owning, operating, and driving a passenger car roughly 15,000 miles is nearly $14,000. (It costs roughly $120 a year to maintain a bike.)

5. Biking can help you live longer:  Bicycling for transportation can reduce mortality by 35 to 40%. 6. Bicycling is good for the economy:  The U.S. bicycle industry sold $6.1 billion in bicycles and equipment (retail value) in 2007. 

6. Bicycling is good for the economy:  The U.S. bicycle industry sold $6.1 billion in bicycles and equipment (retail value) in 2007.