[Nathang]

Here's something of a lifestyle survey, how many people ride their bikes to work every day that it's not raining?

I find that there is a very big difference in riders I run into, based on whether they ride every day or not. People who only get to ride on the weekend have a very hard time finding time to ride enough, they always seem in a tizzy to create a worthwhile weekend trip, because they are ride-deprived and frustrated.

The lady checking me out at Home Depot, says she wishes she had a chance to ride, she bought her Sporty a year ago, part of the reason she's working 2 jobs is to pay for it, and she never finds time to ride. I tell her, she could ride at least 3 times a day, to workA, then to workB, and then home. At least. And her daily grind would be diminished some, because for part of her day she'd still be buzzing from the ride in, and for part of the day she'd be buzzing about the ride home.

We don't get any snow or much ice in Dallas, it doesn't rain much, and when it's cold, it is rarely under 30, years between the teens and never ever below 0.

If the forecast says rain, I compare several online sources that do hourly forecasts, if I find that both commute times are 30-40% or less, I ride. I leave a cheap rain suit at work, in case I don't see it coming, and I carry one in a shoulder bag fairly often. I don't leave the house on 2 wheels if the roads are wet, because of the muddy splash. As much construction, and as many dirt and gravel haulers as there are on Dallas roads, I'd look like one of those Chinese terra-cotta warriors statues before I got to work.

I can't say riding in traffic is the best riding, but I can say the ride to work and the ride back home becomes the highlight of my day. I joke the the best reason to go to work, is getting to ride there and back.

Fact is, when the weekend comes, I don't have an overwhelming need to go riding, hell, I've already spent nearly 10 hours and ridden over 600 miles this week.

 

[CUPCAKE]

Good Write Up Nathan! I wish I could ride to work, but I have to wear nice clothes, and I find that riding to work in Outfit A..then Changing into Outfit B (Not to mention my hair is a lovely mess when I get off the bike) and then changing back into Outfit A before the ride home...gets a little much. Not to mention, I work for a home builder, in the Model Home..so occasionally I have to take realtors/customers..to see lots, specs, etc in the neighborhood...and I could just see it now:

"Sure ma'am, I'll take you and your client to the lot, now I only have a solo seat on my bike, so one of you will have to sit on my shoulders, and the other needs to stand on the shocks...you guys ready??":rofl:

Anyway, I wish I could, but in the job I currently have, it doesn't work!!! So we make up for it in the evenings and on the weekends if we can.

We are definitely lucky here in the state of Texas for our year round riding, given the right gear to wear!

 

[raebear]

As long as there is no rain or snow forecast and no salt on the roads I ride. When it is exceptionally cold, (20-30 degrees at 6am is a little bitter and work is less than a mile away) I may forego the to work thing but try and get a evening ride in. Don't get to ride every day but a least a few times a week. If I can't put on at least a couple hundred a month somethings wrong. Bought it end of July put on about 3000 already. A ride, even a quickie is very stress relieving although a quickie to the store is usually ends up being 45 to an hour.:rofl:

 

[TurboRoadster]

I ride and if it rains, I take a company car home

 

[Nathang]

Well, If you use your personal car to take customers in, I hope you're getting more compensation than just mileage. At to dressing nice, there are coveralls you might wear, provided you don't have to wear a skirt. Actually, it seems the First Rule of Texas Dress code should apply, Nice jeans and boots are good enough for church goin' and weddings and funerals and just about any event you can think of.

 

[TC-88]

I ride to work most every day.I have 3 bikes licensed for the street and I use them.I look forward to riding just like mentioned above.Towards the end of the day I get my stuff ready and start looking at the bike,I keep which ever one parked directly at my door so I can look at them them during the day,sometimes checking,lubing and polishing them.
I like the ride in the am mostly.I like to watch people,most are real miserable,sittin in their little economy cars and rediculous looking SUV's,a cheap 7/11 coffee in one hand and a cell in the other.I like the look on the snobby ladies faces when I flip my shield up and they notice,sometimes w a gasp,that I'm not a punk out terrorizing the roads.
Besides watching the show when in traffic I have a pretty decent ride on a nice 4 lane highway and can usually cruise way past the speed limit.
I get alot of comments from other riders when out and about that they see me commuting nearly everyday.Some join me at times.
I think the next best ride to work would be in a helicopter.
:ride

 

[Tel]

I ride to and from work at least 3 times a week. Unfortunately sometimes I have to use my car at work, which can be really annoying.

 

[Nas3car]

For about a year i rode only a bike. I ride all the time. I havnet if its raining when i get up but for the most part i am on the V-Rod. One reason i try to stay off it in the rain is there is at least one cager wreck on my trip to work. Try to keep from that. I need to change at work anyway. Dont like wearin the greasy uniforms home.

 

[VROCK SE]

Ride While Working!

Sometimes I ride while working. I have Jobs that are spread all over the State. And I will ride A new job to see where I need to setup my Truck, and look for locations,etc. It helps out alot to do a Pre-Ride over a job. And it saves alot of gas to ride the bike. It is also very helpful on some of the Backwoods country roads where There are limited places to turn a Truck and Trailer around.

 

[jechols8]

If the forcast is below 40% chance of rain I ride to work.

 

[hogdon]

I drive a truck for a living (local), and you ain't gonna get me behind the wheel unless I'm getting paid for it. If I can't ride my bike, I usually won't go. I live in the high desert, not much rain or snow but it does get bloody hot in the summer and equally cold in the winter. My commute is only 17 miles each way so no matter what the temps are doing, I can make due.
don:ride

 

[2kflhr]

I ride every chance I get. I work for Duke-Energy at the three nuclear statoins. McGuire is 20 miles, Catawba 59 miles, and Oconee 180 miles. I commute to McGuire (mostly ride back and forth). At Catawba I usually drive the 2 ton truck back and forth so riding is out. When I work at Oconee I'm usually there for 3-4 weeks and haul my bike down to ride to work and all over the South Carolina foothills.

 

[RAT]

Everyday, unless Snow, Salt, ot Lower than 27 degrees..

 

[Nathang]

I have a mate at work who also has to make the tough daily choice
of riding the Twin Cam or the Quad Cam?
Some days you want Torque, some days you want HP.

Told me he was moving to a new house,
because his ride to work wasn't long enough! :ride

Guess I need to steal his line, in a couple of months a move will change my trip from 32 miles each way to about 45 miles.

 

[Karlos]

I did for 2 years, but got sick of doing the Superman thing in the work bathrooms twice a day.

 

[brentley]

I've been car-less for about 6 months now... I really enjoy my 15 minute ride to/from work everyday. It would be about 25 minutes in the car, though... :rofl:

 

[REEFTEACH]

Sometimes

I try to ride on Fridays, weather permitting. The students think its pretty cool. I would ride more, but the newborn and 3 Year Old need to be picked up/ dropped off durring the week.
In college my car broke (familiar story I'm sure) so I rode through the winter, carefully, in the snow on an old '81 Honda CX 500. Great Bike!

 

[sfarson]

I try to ride on Fridays, weather permitting. The students think its pretty cool. I would ride more, but the newborn and 3 Year Old need to be picked up/ dropped off durring the week.
In college my car broke (familiar story I'm sure) so I rode through the winter, carefully, in the snow on an old '81 Honda CX 500. Great Bike!

I think anything showing students you're a real-world person, even participating in activities they think is cool, does much for the classroom.

 

[Daniii]

Almost every day. If its raining, or really gonna rain, I'll take the car. It was 40F on the V-Gauge riding to work this morning.. Had the overpants and FXRG jacket plus liner today. But its only 15 miles.

 

[RAT]

Almost every day. If its raining, or really gonna rain, I'll take the car. It was 40F on the V-Gauge riding to work this morning.. Had the overpants and FXRG jacket plus liner today. But its only 15 miles.

40 degrees is Warm here..