rumrunn6

something so great about the prospect of commuting by bike, the fear, the courage, the anticipation, the preparation, the questions, the bikes, the reactions from colleagues, the feeling of accomplishment when to get there, and when you get home the 1st time. I used to have it pretty cushy with a shower a semi private place to hang stuff to dry. I'm sure there's someone else out there with GORGEOUS facilities that is just dying to give it a try. who are you?

Leebo

First? Doesn't everybody commute year round? Got 6 trips tough trips in February.

TenSpeedV2

First commute? I already have 437 miles of commuting so far this year.

rumrunn6

oh sorry, I meant first EVER! :-)

scroca

This morning was my first commute of March 11, 2015.

Looking forward to my first commute of March 12, 2015. But that won't be until tomorrow.

mgw4jc

lol.

I won't get my first commute of spring until it is officially here on March 20. But I have ridden either to or from work about 70 times this year.

Jim from Boston

Like most responders to this thread, I am a veteran, year-round commuter, but I still get twinges of the feelings you describe, though I don’t pay much attention, unless the ride was challenging.

Speaking of GORGEOUS facilities, I posted in the context of a “Describe Your Commute” thread,

Buffalo Buff

Um, I've been bike commuting the entire year :|

New_IA_Rider

Yesterday was my first-ever commute. Today was my second-ever. YAY SPRING!

dogfather69

I wish I could commute, I have a 23 mile ride one way. Unfortunatly I have to be at work at 7 am (still dark). I figure I would need to leave my house by 430 am. I dont think my coworkers would appreciate the cycling aroma that I would bring, since I dont have a place to shower

bigbenaugust 

My first commute of the year was 2 January.

The only days I have skipped so far were the ones the office was shut down for snow-- and there's only been one of those. I love the South.

bconneraz

you nearly described my situation perfectly; I just went over 1100 miles commuting for the year. I don't have to leave until 530am; thankfully the ride to work is for the most part, down hill. Going home is the fun part.

So, get out there and try it!

rumrunn6

haha Jim yes you would, wondering how many hate you, only kidding

Parking: inside about 100 feet from my desk, directly through a door from the outside

Cleanup: shower facilities; place to hang clothes, and a table fan available to dry; for most of the time I wear surgical scrubs

Amenities: coffee shop and cafeteria on site; almost all my personal service needs like barbershop, dentist, dry-cleaner/tailor, supermarket and drugstore, and good take-out restaurants are all within walking distance of work, or a short hop on the bike; bike shop two blocks away

rumrunn6

right on man, every spring brings new commuters

gummylick

I'm gearing up to try my first ever commute! I've scoped out a route and it looks great, but there's one small pass I have to make a small pass through some trees that worries me. I'm going to go with some friends and clear the wood debris so I can pass through easier. I ran into a curb in the dark a couple weeks ago, so I just got my bike out the shop today!! I've added a stronger headlight to my gear and asked the shop to upgrade my grips to Ergon gp2. Loving the feel of them!

rumrunn6

very cool. got a rear strobe too?

gummylick

Yep! The cheaply set I bought actually had a decent rear light and the new set comes with another smaller one I'll probably just add to the back, too.

TransitBiker

My first ride was january 1.

- Andy

baldilocks

I commuted to work for the first time from my new house. The commute from the old house was kind of dangerous because of a stretch on the highway. Rode my MTB through snow and ice. Only had to walk 20 feet because the path on the bridge wasn't safe. I'm hooked and hope to ride in all but the wettest weather.

ZoomZoomGal

i haven't done an official commute yet because the roads are still icy and cruddy at the edges and my tires aren't good enough for that kind of surface. plus i have to make good use of the bus pass i bought for March so i don't feel i wasted the money. i did run some errands yesterday in the neighbourhood though! first time on the bike this year and man did it feel great. was a solid 4 months of no biking at all and i felt like a bird freed from a cage!

last year i was able to start daily commuting on April 7th. had to stop November 7th due to weather/snow. i hope i can make at least 7 months again this year

Leebo

Couple of thoughts. Multi mode commute. Drive or take the bus/train part of the way. My commute is 18 miles one way. In good weather that is only 15 minutes longer by bike. No shower, got a private bathroom? I wash up, full soap and wash down in the sink. Or shower at a nearby gym type place. Lots of options, no excuses. We won't let you off the hook.

ZoomZoomGal

so yesterday morning i said 'to heck with getting my money's worth out of my bus pass, i want to ride my bike!'

to and from work yesterday, and so far to work today. ahhhhhhh! dang that feels good. the wind whipping in my face might not be so fun on the way home today, but hey, it makes one feel alive to fight mr weathermaker and win.

it's only 60 blocks each way, and other than one long climb of a hill, nice and easy ride. my record to work is 14 minutes, and that was last season in the peak of fitness. yesterday i did it in 17, and today in 18 minutes. not bad for start of season i think.

ussprinceton

I've been riding since February

Hypno Toad

Be very careful! Bike commuting it very additive and can lead you to do crazy things! Proof: Me biking to work on Jan 5 at -15F:



I started bike-commuting to college in the late 80s. Took a number of years off when our daughter was born. Got back to it slowly around 2005 with only the sunny days a couple times a summer. By 2009, I bought a new commuter-bike and was biking most days in the summer. Then around 2011 I made the plunge into winter-biking. Now I bike to work nearly every day, only exceptions are for logistics (need a car to haul stuff or get somewhere far away) and for ice - Ice is no problem for me and my bike, but the cars I share the road with, they have a hard time keeping in control on the ice.

My office has no showers, I use a store room as a locker room, and air-out my bike gear on a hook behind my office door. My co-workers still like to tell me I'm nuts, but generally accept that I'm gonna bike to work.

There are many 'reasons' to bike (save money, healthier, save environment, etc), but the top reason is FUN!

icyj

Been there! Not sure I had a smile on my face though when I got to work, nor could I produce a smile if I tried...