Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

How much does bike commuting factor into your moving decisions?

Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.
View Poll Results: How much does bike commuting factor into your moving decisions?
it's priority #1
10.42%
it's a top 3 priority
64.58%
it's a top 10 priority
16.67%
it's a minor consideration
4.17%
it's no consideration at all
4.17%
Voters: 48. You may not vote on this poll

How much does bike commuting factor into your moving decisions?

Old 10-24-17, 04:23 PM
  #1  
Steely Dan
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
 
Steely Dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,402

Bikes: I have five of brikes

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 201 Post(s)
Liked 78 Times in 31 Posts
How much does bike commuting factor into your moving decisions?

my wife and i are looking to move our family into a larger home (our current 2 bed/1 bath condo is starting to feel a little tight for our family of 2 adults and 2 toddlers).

we have found two prospective properties that will both suit our needs space-wise, but they're in two different locations. they are very similarly priced, with generally similar features, and both in great neighborhoods.

property A is only a few blocks away from our current home, my bike commute would be virtually the same as it is now.

property B is located several miles away in a different neighborhood and would add about ~3 miles to my current 5 mile one-way commute. it would also likely change the route from a mainly city side-street route to a mainly MUP one.

the issue is that my wife and i both like property B better, but i'm struggling with whether or not i like it better enough to offset the longer commute i would have. i know a 3 mile one-way increase doesn't sound like much, but that's roughly 20-25 minutes of additional commute time per day, and time is something that i just don't seem to have enough of these days. is it worth sacrificing that time each and every day to get the property we prefer? i don't know what to do.

my wife works from home so she has no daily commute.


what about you guys? how much do you prioritize bike commuting potential when moving to a new home?

Last edited by Steely Dan; 10-24-17 at 04:27 PM.
Steely Dan is offline  
Old 10-24-17, 04:40 PM
  #2  
no motor?
Unlisted member
 
no motor?'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 6,193

Bikes: Specialized Hardrock

Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1376 Post(s)
Liked 432 Times in 297 Posts
After my office moving closer several times and my commute shrinking from 6 to 2 miles I'm going to be moving further away from the office and end up with a 6 mile commute again. The commuting time was a small factor in things, but overall I'm going to be better off after I move and that will outweigh any negatives from the longer commute. And the longer commute will take me right past my current home, so the ride wont be much different.

Last edited by no motor?; 10-24-17 at 04:58 PM.
no motor? is offline  
Old 10-24-17, 04:52 PM
  #3  
VRC
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 105
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Do you like property B 20 Minutes more?
Are you going to work the same place forever?
How about proximity to the kids' future schools?
I couldn't bike to work at all before moving...it was basically a nice surprise.
If we moved again, it would be a factor but I don't think I'd be splitting hairs for 3 miles.
VRC is offline  
Old 10-24-17, 04:59 PM
  #4  
mercator
In the wind
 
mercator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Calgary AB
Posts: 1,337

Bikes: Giant TCR Advanced Team, Lemond Buenos Aires, Giant TCX, Miyata 1000LT

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 172 Post(s)
Liked 120 Times in 54 Posts
If the new place is still under 10 miles from work, that sounds like a pretty manageable commute.
mercator is offline  
Old 10-24-17, 05:00 PM
  #5  
Viich
Hack
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,251

Bikes: TrueNorth CX bike, 88 Bianchi Strada (currently Sturmey'd), 90's Giant Innova (now with drop bars), Yess World Cup race BMX, Redline Proline Pro24 race BMX Cruiser

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 343 Post(s)
Liked 181 Times in 127 Posts
I'd be on 'practical to bike commute' side - I seldom biked to work before I moved to where I am - basically because I was doing 7-10 running workouts per week, and had free parking - my own spot, actually. (I was in a position that rotates every 2 years - not going to happen again, at least for some time)

My commute is just under 20km (~12 miles) - I'd prefer not to get much further.
Viich is offline  
Old 10-24-17, 05:58 PM
  #6  
alan s 
Senior Member
 
alan s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 6,977
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1496 Post(s)
Liked 189 Times in 128 Posts
Choose the one that is a better investment.
alan s is offline  
Old 10-24-17, 06:19 PM
  #7  
mcours2006
Senior Member
 
mcours2006's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,198

Bikes: ...a few.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2009 Post(s)
Liked 405 Times in 231 Posts
From the information given I'd personally take B. Yes, three miles is an extra 25 minutes per day, but you can also look at it as 25 minutes of extra exercise that you probably wouldn't be getting, and a round trip of 16 miles per day isn't all that exorbitant.

Second, you're an MUP. That's rather ideal that you don't have to contend with traffic, even if it is side street traffic.

Last and perhaps most important of all, you like the property better.
mcours2006 is offline  
Old 10-24-17, 06:52 PM
  #8  
wipekitty
vespertine member
 
wipekitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Land of Angora, Turkey
Posts: 2,476

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 687 Post(s)
Liked 220 Times in 163 Posts
I once drove to work for about nine months. It was awful and I hope to never do it again.

I'm fine with public transit, walking, cycling, or a mix of the three, but the last thing I need to do when I'm half awake in the morning or exhausted in the evening is operate a large machine. The bike commute is my favorite, because I like cycling, and it helps me wake up and/or relax.
wipekitty is offline  
Old 10-24-17, 08:41 PM
  #9  
blackieoneshot 
Junior Member
 
blackieoneshot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: N Richland Hills TX
Posts: 126

Bikes: 1984 Schwinn Voyager SP, 1984 Lotus Legend Compe, 1989 Bridgestone RB-1, 1973 Monark, 2015 Surly Pacer

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 29 Post(s)
Liked 18 Times in 5 Posts
....my wife and i both like property B better....

Easy choice.
blackieoneshot is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 06:29 AM
  #10  
Phil_gretz
Zip tie Karen
 
Phil_gretz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Posts: 7,006

Bikes: '13 Motobecane Fantom29 HT, '16 Motobecane Turino Pro Disc, '18 Velobuild VB-R-022, '21 Tsunami SNM-100

Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1465 Post(s)
Liked 1,542 Times in 806 Posts
We did it...

...my wife and I repaired, repainted, re-bathroomed, re-decked, re-landscaped, and recarpeted a suburban home two years ago so that we could sell it pronto. Did that. We sorted, gave away, junked, donated and sold about 1/3 of our possessions.


Then my wife found a suitable house that is 8.75 miles from my work location. We met the sellers and accomplished a private sale in less than 60 days.


I now am a full time bike commuter, in my 3rd year. Gone is my daily 2.5 hours in the car routine.


Oh, and @Steely Dan, I would recommend property B. 8 miles is a warmup.


Best thing we've ever accomplished together.

Last edited by Phil_gretz; 10-25-17 at 06:31 AM. Reason: Edit to recommend B
Phil_gretz is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 06:35 AM
  #11  
hyhuu
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NoVA
Posts: 1,421

Bikes: Specialized Allez Sport

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
We moved to where my wife thinks we should. Luckily, ours is next to a nice bike path that would take me straight to work (about 25 miles) away.
hyhuu is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 08:01 AM
  #12  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
I applied my answer toward moving to another employer (rather than home) {top 3 priority**

regarding where I live, after having stayed in one place for 27 years & raising two adult children (gotta be a better way to express that) We're glad we chose to be close to our town center & schools. we both commuted by car when we got married & moved to where were are now. we tried to keep the car commute to approx 30 min. which, in our area, works out to be a decent bike commute too (mileage wise)!
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 08:33 AM
  #13  
prathmann
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Bay Area, Calif.
Posts: 7,239
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 659 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 6 Posts
I voted for 'top 3 priority' but would probably opt for house B in your scenario assuming that there's really a significant preference for it other than the commute distance. I've always considered the commute distance&character but the work location has ended up moving around some after we chose a house location. First house we bought was when we were in a temporary work location and picked a spot about 8 miles from that location but only 4 miles from the likely future location. Our current house was only about a 2 mile commute along a MUP but the work location then changed to be about 6 miles in the other direction along the same MUP.

It'd be a shame to go for house A just for the shorter commute and then have your work location move.
prathmann is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 08:39 AM
  #14  
furiousferret
Senior Member
 
furiousferret's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Redlands, CA
Posts: 6,313
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 842 Post(s)
Liked 469 Times in 250 Posts
I'd go with B, 8 miles isn't that bad...for me. If you commute for fitness reasons, its not bad but if that's your mode of transportation it may be on the tail end of acceptable. Regardless, it can't be more than an hour round trip.
furiousferret is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 09:43 AM
  #15  
Steely Dan
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
 
Steely Dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,402

Bikes: I have five of brikes

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 201 Post(s)
Liked 78 Times in 31 Posts
Originally Posted by VRC
Do you like property B 20 Minutes more?
that's what i don't know. perhaps a few commuting test runs are in order.



Originally Posted by VRC
Are you going to work the same place forever?
forever is a profoundly long time, but barring unforeseen circumstances, i certainly see myself staying at my current job for at least the next 5 years and beyond.



Originally Posted by VRC
How about proximity to the kids' future schools?
both properties are within a 1.5 block walking distance of good quality K-8 neighborhood schools.




Originally Posted by alan s
Choose the one that is a better investment.
they're similar enough property types in similar enough neighborhoods that neither one is anywhere close to being obviously better than the other from an investment perspective.




Originally Posted by mcours2006
Second, you're an MUP. That's rather ideal that you don't have to contend with traffic, even if it is side street traffic.
i'm not sure that the MUP in question is actually better than my current city side-street route. the MUP runs along a canal and is crossed by extremely busy streets every half mile that have obnoxiously long traffic light cycles. i've ridden the MUP in question in the past with mixed results of being able to pace my riding to the timing of the traffic lights.

again, some test rides could probably help me sort some of this out in my own mind.
Steely Dan is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 09:44 AM
  #16  
wphamilton
Senior Member
 
wphamilton's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Posts: 15,280

Bikes: Nashbar Road

Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2934 Post(s)
Liked 341 Times in 228 Posts
When I moved, the commute was a top-3 factor, but I rent an apartment. Buying, it would likely be lower in the list.

My commute is 8 miles door to door, 5.x miles if I don't take the Greenway. That's pretty similar to your choices - most of the time, I choose to take the 8 miles with the Greenway. The commute time is about the same either way.
wphamilton is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 10:03 AM
  #17  
alan s 
Senior Member
 
alan s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 6,977
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1496 Post(s)
Liked 189 Times in 128 Posts
Sounds like you are in a good position. If it’s a buyer’s market, throw in a low bid on one or the other and see if you get any movement. If the sellers know you have viable options, you should get at least one to come down in price. If it’s a seller’s market, you are SOL.
alan s is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 10:24 AM
  #18  
acidfast7
Banned
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: England / CPH
Posts: 8,543

Bikes: 2010 Cube Acid / 2013 Mango FGSS

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1053 Post(s)
Liked 41 Times in 36 Posts
Pretty low on the priority list.

Last house I offered on (before the one I bought) was one the market one day, shown to 7 sets of people, every set made an offer by the next day.

The winner came in at £100K over asking price with an all-cash offer.

Next house, we put an offer on within a few days.

Needless to say, decent places are off the market really quickly in Southsea.

The island is small (9mi2) so it doesn't make a difference really from a biking perspective. Also, the Southsea market is really hot right now, so I don't worry about it.
acidfast7 is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 10:28 AM
  #19  
Steely Dan
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
 
Steely Dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,402

Bikes: I have five of brikes

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 201 Post(s)
Liked 78 Times in 31 Posts
Originally Posted by alan s
Sounds like you are in a good position. If it’s a buyer’s market, throw in a low bid on one or the other and see if you get any movement. If the sellers know you have viable options, you should get at least one to come down in price. If it’s a seller’s market, you are SOL.
it's definitely a buyers market in chicago right now. property B has been on the market for many weeks. property A just came on this past weekend, so it may take a while before they start playing ball, but property B might now be ripe for the picking.

we were told property B is owned by a couple going through a divorce who just need to unload the property so that they can move on with their settlement and lives. it seems awfully ripe for a low-ball, i just need to get comfortable with the commuting situation.

Last edited by Steely Dan; 10-25-17 at 10:32 AM.
Steely Dan is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 10:30 AM
  #20  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7287 Post(s)
Liked 2,364 Times in 1,382 Posts
If you can't commute by bike, can you ride at other times?
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 10:32 AM
  #21  
essiemyra
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Merrimac , MA
Posts: 1,358
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 76 Post(s)
Liked 117 Times in 80 Posts
I chose top 3 priority. When we moved to where we are now. I would only look at homes that I was able to bike commute from. So the longest distance we looked was 10 miles. Something someone told me when we were buying this house(our first purchase after 32 yrs of renting) was buy what you love so you will not have buyers remorse. That being said this house was not perfect in that I loved everything about it, but I love my commute to work enough that it totally makes up for it.
essiemyra is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 10:36 AM
  #22  
Steely Dan
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
 
Steely Dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,402

Bikes: I have five of brikes

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 201 Post(s)
Liked 78 Times in 31 Posts
Originally Posted by noglider
If you can't commute by bike, can you ride at other times?
not much. with a 1 and 3 year old at home, commuting is how i get in >90% of my riding. sometimes i load the rugrats into the burley for weekend rides, but that's about it these days for recreational rides.

toddlers demand an extreme amount of a parent's (former) free-time.

Last edited by Steely Dan; 10-25-17 at 11:33 AM.
Steely Dan is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 12:41 PM
  #23  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7287 Post(s)
Liked 2,364 Times in 1,382 Posts
True. My kids are grown and gone, but I remember. But there must be a way, somehow. If you move and end up driving to work and back, does that free up any time?
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 12:46 PM
  #24  
DiabloScott
It's MY mountain
 
DiabloScott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Mt.Diablo
Posts: 9,991

Bikes: Klein, Merckx, Trek

Mentioned: 70 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4311 Post(s)
Liked 2,954 Times in 1,601 Posts
I would definitely not like living too far away to commute by bike.

But the difference between 5k and 10k is no biggie.

Friend of mine does 30k each way almost every day... that's a commitment... but his kids are grown.
DiabloScott is offline  
Old 10-25-17, 01:06 PM
  #25  
Steely Dan
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
 
Steely Dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,402

Bikes: I have five of brikes

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 201 Post(s)
Liked 78 Times in 31 Posts
Originally Posted by noglider
True. My kids are grown and gone, but I remember. But there must be a way, somehow.
well, there's always A way, (such as waking up at 4:30am to go on a ride before the kiddos wake up), but there's not always a convenient way.



Originally Posted by noglider
If you move and end up driving to work and back, does that free up any time?
driving in the city at rush hour is more or less a wash (if not even slower in many cases) vs. biking. if i worked a night shift or some other really odd schedule, perhaps, but at 8:00am and 5:00pm, you ain't getting anywhere in chicago much faster than a bicycle for short haul distances.

besides, the idea of giving up bike commuting terrifies me.

becoming a bike commuter nearly a decade ago completely and radically altered my life for the better. i lost 70 pounds my first year, losing the weight made me MUCH more health and fitness conscious overall, being more fit gave me more confidence with the ladies, being more confident with the ladies led to meeting the woman of my dreams, which led to us getting hitched, which eventually led to the two most wonderful, adorable, and lovable (and pain in the ass) little munchkins i've ever known.

so yeah, i'd really, really rather not give it up.

Last edited by Steely Dan; 10-25-17 at 01:09 PM.
Steely Dan is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.