Comments on: Commuters Require Less Sick Days

By: Tim

Tim — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:55:58 +0000

I guess I am really lucky. My company has purchased a group membership at a gym right next door, so we pay half-price; even less if we pay for a whole year all at once. My firm has also dedicated a little-used conference room for parking our bikes. I park my bike and just walk across the hall to the showers in the morning.

A gym membership in Phoenix is almost a necessity in the hot, summer months when even late night temperatures can hover above 100 degrees F. For about four months out of the year, when I get off work I circuit train or ride the stationary bike. In the late fall, winter and early spring I get to take a wonderful, comfortable bike commute.

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:12:38 +0000

I dont think its fair to take away the gym membership in place of the bike commute bonus. For me personally – and there are tons of ppl just like me – my office is 35 miles up the highway, OR 40 miles along busy streets with long stretches of sidewalk that remain unplowed in winter. There are colleagues of mine, on the other hand, who live a town or two away from work, and a handful of them do indeed bike to work. With that said, the company does sponser a membership to a gym, which i attend 3-5 days a week religiously.

The parking space my car sits in, was there a LONG time before my car showed up to sit in it. Forcing me to pedal 40 miles, twice a day, isnt gonna happen. I cant crank out 80mile days 5 days a week. If I lived close to work, I’d be all for it. But my point is, employees should have a choice.

By: RoadKill(er)

RoadKill(er) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:04:44 +0000

I am lucky that my employer provides a gym membership close to work, and safe inside bike parking. Now I just need the snow and bad school bus drivers to cooperate, and I’ll be back to bike commuting.

By: Rob E.

Rob E. — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:32:23 +0000

Paragraph 2, sentences 2 and 3 are hard for me to follow, but I gather you’re proposing a company give you money to bike to work instead of paying for your parking and gym membership? My work pays for none of those things as it is. I bike and bus to work, avoiding parking fees, but because I would have to pay for a full gym membership to have access to a morning shower, I mostly only bike home, taking the bus in the morning. I do wish my employer provided access to showers, but I do have free access to public transportation because of them. So they’re halfway there by providing financial incentives to not drive, provided you’re on a bus route, but it would be nice for them encourage health as well by ensuring that I didn’t have to start work a big, sweaty mess on the days that I bike in. Some day I may break down and get a gym membership just for the shower access, but on that day I will be paying to bike commute, rather than being paid to do it.

By: NoTrail

NoTrail — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:37:08 +0000

With all the layoffs and the freeze on all pay raises, I’m not about to ask my boss for any cash for riding to work.

I’m just pleased that I have shower facilities, a locker room, and that they don’t mind me leaving my bike in the empty cube next to mine.

By: jdb

jdb — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:35:12 +0000

I’m extraordinarily fortunate in this regard – my company provides a $100 “transportation stipend” that can then be used for the transportation option of our choice.

They also cover 1/2 the monthly fees at a nearby gym, so we are making out like bandits in this respect.

These are they types of things that have kept me at this company for 8 years!

By: Luis Patricio

Luis Patricio — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:24:46 +0000

In my company we made a research to evaluate the bike-commuting feasibility.

It was a surprise! Lots of employees would like to bike if it was a little easier…

Unfortunately, with all the pro arguments the employers just ignored our requests, even the simplest ones.

By: Arleigh

Arleigh — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:02:12 +0000

David –

I think its more about giving that person an option and maybe I didn’t state that in the above article. Maybe someones work out weekly is riding to work so they would opt to have the benefits of a gym membership put towards facilities and such.

By: Arleigh

Arleigh — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:01:23 +0000

James – thanks

By: David Schloss

David Schloss — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:38:57 +0000

Don’t think about removing one health benefit for another. It should be gyms AND cycling commutation to work. Many areas aren’t feasible for large-scale cycling-to-work programs in winter months, and there’s nothing wrong with going to the gym for health. (In fact, cycling isn’t a weight-bearing exercise, so there are many health issues cycling won’t help with at all.)