Comments on: When your bike is faster than your car http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/ Tips, Hints, Reviews and Safety for Bike Commuters Mon, 20 May 2013 04:36:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Josh in Chicago http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28641 Josh in Chicago Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:05:54 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28641 When I lived in the burbs I never sat in traffic because I was always going the opposite direction. I can't imagine anywhere out there being faster on a bike. Now I live and work in the city, and can beat any driver (following most of the traffic laws) to any point in the city. I am 20 minutes quicker than the train and who knows hom much faster than traffic over my 10 mile commute through city streets. I usually keep track of cars and dont seem to ever get out of eyesight of passing cars, they always get caught up at lights and I dont see them usually more than once. When I lived in the burbs I never sat in traffic because I was always going the opposite direction. I can’t imagine anywhere out there being faster on a bike. Now I live and work in the city, and can beat any driver (following most of the traffic laws) to any point in the city. I am 20 minutes quicker than the train and who knows hom much faster than traffic over my 10 mile commute through city streets. I usually keep track of cars and dont seem to ever get out of eyesight of passing cars, they always get caught up at lights and I dont see them usually more than once.

]]> By: Miss Moppet http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28569 Miss Moppet Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:54:46 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28569 My commute varies depending on the building I'm working in...Anywhere between 4 miles and 8 miles one way. The first part is through "street-car suburb" areas that are high density but largely residential...Easy and pleasant. The home stretch involves an 18th-century downtown with a lot of one way streets, horse and carriage tours, WALKING tours, and frustrated delivery drivers in large trucks. It is always an adventure, and a major time-suck. Still, generally, the bike takes about the same time as the car, especially when you factor in parking. There are those wonderful times, though, when I can get out of a congested area and into an alley or less busy street and beat the traffic snarls. Often space is so tight that I actually hop off my bike and jog it along the sidewalk or through a crowded pedestrian crosswalk to get to my alternate route...Not glamorous from a cycling perspective but much safer for the crowds of oblivious tourists looking UP at historical markers or DOWN at their maps. (I'm not knocking them, by the way...It is awesome to live in a place where people WANT to visit!) My commute varies depending on the building I’m working in…Anywhere between 4 miles and 8 miles one way. The first part is through “street-car suburb” areas that are high density but largely residential…Easy and pleasant. The home stretch involves an 18th-century downtown with a lot of one way streets, horse and carriage tours, WALKING tours, and frustrated delivery drivers in large trucks. It is always an adventure, and a major time-suck.

Still, generally, the bike takes about the same time as the car, especially when you factor in parking. There are those wonderful times, though, when I can get out of a congested area and into an alley or less busy street and beat the traffic snarls. Often space is so tight that I actually hop off my bike and jog it along the sidewalk or through a crowded pedestrian crosswalk to get to my alternate route…Not glamorous from a cycling perspective but much safer for the crowds of oblivious tourists looking UP at historical markers or DOWN at their maps. (I’m not knocking them, by the way…It is awesome to live in a place where people WANT to visit!)

]]> By: Joe G. http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28455 Joe G. Tue, 24 Apr 2007 14:48:24 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28455 My commute is very short, but going through Old Town and the one way streets and stoplights takes anywhere from 10-20 mins to get 1.5 miles to work by car. This morning it took 7 minutes from home to work, only stopping at one light, and not running any stop signs, etc. It is rather nice to get to work energized by biking and saving 10+ minutes. My commute is very short, but going through Old Town and the one way streets and stoplights takes anywhere from 10-20 mins to get 1.5 miles to work by car. This morning it took 7 minutes from home to work, only stopping at one light, and not running any stop signs, etc. It is rather nice to get to work energized by biking and saving 10+ minutes.

]]> By: Fritz http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28418 Fritz Tue, 24 Apr 2007 05:15:26 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28418 My multimodal commute (combined bike+bus+train+bike) takes about the same amount of time as driving. But the time I spend on the bus and train is time to relax or sleep or read or do email or blogging or watching video podcasts ;-) My multimodal commute (combined bike+bus+train+bike) takes about the same amount of time as driving. But the time I spend on the bus and train is time to relax or sleep or read or do email or blogging or watching video podcasts ;-)

]]> By: Warren T http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28389 Warren T Mon, 23 Apr 2007 19:38:35 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28389 Made me think of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X70GiK5OJ1E Made me think of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X70GiK5OJ1E

]]> By: csh kemyooter http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28387 csh kemyooter Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:49:00 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28387 Bikes always win here in Seattle - no matter what time of day or what part of town. Plus, you save more than just time while riding (basically everything you mentioned in your previous post) and you develop sexy legs. Like I said bikes always win! Bikes always win here in Seattle – no matter what time of day or what part of town. Plus, you save more than just time while riding (basically everything you mentioned in your previous post) and you develop sexy legs. Like I said bikes always win!

]]> By: Apertome http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28386 Apertome Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:46:02 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28386 My morning commute is about the same as if I drove, but in the evenings, cycling is faster. I can go a more direct route on my bike, going some places where cars can't drive, and with fewer stoplights. It's also a lot more pleasant on a bike. My morning commute is about the same as if I drove, but in the evenings, cycling is faster. I can go a more direct route on my bike, going some places where cars can’t drive, and with fewer stoplights. It’s also a lot more pleasant on a bike.

]]> By: RC in Halifax http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28383 RC in Halifax Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:14:34 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28383 My commute is typically about the same or slightly quicker than the same trip by car leaving at the same time of day. If the main roads were wide enough for me I'd always be significantly quicker than the same trip with a car. Whenever there is a semi-major to major accident or a bad snow storm my trip is also very much quicker than driving. My commute is typically about the same or slightly quicker than the same trip by car leaving at the same time of day. If the main roads were wide enough for me I’d always be significantly quicker than the same trip with a car.

Whenever there is a semi-major to major accident or a bad snow storm my trip is also very much quicker than driving.

]]> By: dorkus http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28380 dorkus Mon, 23 Apr 2007 16:41:53 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28380 I am quicker than a car every day--there's a large park, apartment complex, and strip mall in the middle of my commute by bike. If you're in a car, navigating the strip mall parking lot is a disaster, cars aren't allowed in the park, and there are speed bumps at the apartment complex. Plus there are some one-way street issues, which I avoid by going through the park. This is in Boston, so streets are NOT nice grids. Like this on a bike: work---------------PARK---------------------->home 8-10 min If I were driving: work--\ lights--| \ PARK | |---->home 15-20 min \ | \ /-----| \stoplight-------/ I am quicker than a car every day–there’s a large park, apartment complex, and strip mall in the middle of my commute by bike. If you’re in a car, navigating the strip mall parking lot is a disaster, cars aren’t allowed in the park, and there are speed bumps at the apartment complex. Plus there are some one-way street issues, which I avoid by going through the park. This is in Boston, so streets are NOT nice grids.

Like this on a bike: work—————PARK———————->home 8-10 min

If I were driving: work–\ lights–|
\ PARK | |—->home 15-20 min
\ |
\ /—–|
\stoplight——-/

]]> By: wolfy http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-28376 wolfy Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:41:05 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/04/23/when-your-bike-is-faster-than-your-car/#comment-28376 @ rush hours it's a wash. But I almost always commute on off hours. 10:00 am and 6:30 pm. Better if I have to drive and safer when I ride. -M @ rush hours it’s a wash. But I almost always commute on off hours. 10:00 am and 6:30 pm. Better if I have to drive and safer when I ride.

-M

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