Do you care that bike commuting is good for the environment?
#26
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I started bike commuting because I could. I enjoyed biking before I had kids, then slowed down for a bit. I discovered cargo bikes and began using bikes for more stuff. Now I commute by bike as much as possible for health reasons. When you're looking down the barrel of a stroke or heart attack, you tend to start looking for ways to improve your life. I already ate pretty well, but I found ways to eat better. I already exercised occasionally, now I exercise almost every day. I moved closer to work so I have even fewer excuses not to ride. I added e-assist so even if the bike is loaded down with groceries, I can still zip around in a timely way. I have better clothes for all-season riding. I'll even plan daily trips for biking and utilize my cargo bike and up-close parking to my advantage.
Help the environment? Cool. Not die in my late thirties/early forties? That's where it's at and the biggest reason I started bike commuting
Help the environment? Cool. Not die in my late thirties/early forties? That's where it's at and the biggest reason I started bike commuting
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Absolutely I care that it's good for the environment. It's not why I started bike commuting, and not the main reason I kept it up for the first few years. But it's important to me to put my principals into action, even with small effect.
I went for years without ever driving into work, and when on some day I found myself on the edge of deciding to drive I would think "why not just save another day of destruction?"
I went for years without ever driving into work, and when on some day I found myself on the edge of deciding to drive I would think "why not just save another day of destruction?"
#28
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As equally important as any other reason, for me.
Wish cagers could appreciate and respect the contributions....
Wish cagers could appreciate and respect the contributions....
#29
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If I didn't care about the environment, I would have gotten my motorcycle licence and be riding a vespa.
#30
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My vote barely counts. I barely count in the grand scope of things. Whether or not I ride a bike to work has so little impact on the environment that for all intents and purposes, it is completely irrelevant. In a hundred years, no one will remember me or have heard of me or know anything about me. Maybe sooner.
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Yes, I care. For me, it's part of the overall experience of bicycle commuting. I really love being on my bike and moving myself from point A to point B using my energy. I have a free last line on my Road ID, so I wrote: "I am my own engine." I love that. I also love the idea that I'm getting a 50 minute workout twice a day for only 25 minutes each way. It takes me 25 minutes to drive to work, so it makes the workout very efficient.
This leads me to the green factor with bike commuting. I dislike waste in general, so I try to use things only when needed and possibly beyond their original intended use. As a result, I love the efficiency that bike commuting provides for me (time efficient workouts) and to the environment. I purchased a touring bike for bike commuting and figured I could use the bike for both purposes. But to justify this to my wife, I analyzed how long it would take for the bike and other gear to pay for itself instead of the costs of using my car. Between the bike, tires/tubes, panniers, racks, fenders and bike clothing, commuting three times a week would pay for itself in two years and commuting twice a week would pay for itself in about three years.
Perhaps I've gone off on a tangent on this sleepless night, but I love the whole aspect of bike commuting. Eventually I'll start bike commuting three times a week and perhaps even four days a week. Due to my schedule and various locations, I can't bike commute on Thursdays; I need to drive
This leads me to the green factor with bike commuting. I dislike waste in general, so I try to use things only when needed and possibly beyond their original intended use. As a result, I love the efficiency that bike commuting provides for me (time efficient workouts) and to the environment. I purchased a touring bike for bike commuting and figured I could use the bike for both purposes. But to justify this to my wife, I analyzed how long it would take for the bike and other gear to pay for itself instead of the costs of using my car. Between the bike, tires/tubes, panniers, racks, fenders and bike clothing, commuting three times a week would pay for itself in two years and commuting twice a week would pay for itself in about three years.
Perhaps I've gone off on a tangent on this sleepless night, but I love the whole aspect of bike commuting. Eventually I'll start bike commuting three times a week and perhaps even four days a week. Due to my schedule and various locations, I can't bike commute on Thursdays; I need to drive
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#34
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My vote barely counts. I barely count in the grand scope of things. Whether or not I ride a bike to work has so little impact on the environment that for all intents and purposes, it is completely irrelevant. In a hundred years, no one will remember me or have heard of me or know anything about me. Maybe sooner.
I care that riding my bike is good for the environment, but since my other option was the bus, it didn't actually make much difference, except to me and my health.
#35
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Well does it really matter what the intent is so long as the effect is beneficial?
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On mornings when I'm hung over from late night hockey, the illusion that getting on the bike might save the world can be handy.
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Work is the curse of the drinking classes - Oscar Wilde
Work is the curse of the drinking classes - Oscar Wilde
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#37
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I don't really care too much, mostly I care when I hear somebody tell me they drive an electric car to work to save the environment.
It's even worse, most cars are well over 3000lbs now and most trucks are over 5000lbs.
Before getting out the scourges, take a step back and look at scale. There has been about 1 billion bicycles made up to now. At an average of 30 lb of metal apiece, that would be 15,000,000 tons of metal. That’s a lot but it pales in comparison to that used in cars. Just GM has made 500 million cars at an average of about 2000 lbs each. Let’s say 80% of that is metal or about 1600 lb. That’s 400,000,000 tons of metal mined and refined. Ford and Chrysler have similar counts so that 1.5 billion cars or 1.2 billion tons of metal.
Bicycles have used 1.25% of the metal used for cars. Or, to put it another way, the total output of bicycles in history is equal to fewer than 18,000,000 cars or about a quarter of the number of cars made in one year. It took about 120 years to make a billion bicycles. We bicyclists don’t contribute a lot to the issues of the day.
Bicycles have used 1.25% of the metal used for cars. Or, to put it another way, the total output of bicycles in history is equal to fewer than 18,000,000 cars or about a quarter of the number of cars made in one year. It took about 120 years to make a billion bicycles. We bicyclists don’t contribute a lot to the issues of the day.