Healthy Transportation

Bicycle Commuter in New York City :) 

We do not live in a sunny place like Florida... biking to work might sound crazy in Seattle right? Its not for the faint of heart, but it is good for your heart! Lets take a look at a commuting option that can save you $4K or more per year in some cases...

Rain, Sleet, Snow Oh My!

Truth be told, I don't like cycling in rainy weather. The only time I have ever ridden my bicycle in the rain is where the rainy weather caught me by surprise. I do not ride my motorcycle in the rain either. Wet pavement is slippery = dangerous for two wheel vehicles. Fortunately bicycles don't go very fast with a normal cyclist commuter riding them. This means that traveling in the rain on a bicycle is intrinsically safer than rainy commuting on a motorcycle.

It Might Be For You

If you commute less than 10 miles one way to work and encounter a lot of traffic and have to pay for parking, then a bicycle might make a lot of sense as a transportation alternative. It can feel great to pass up stop and go traffic on your bike. Using the bike will also give your muscles and heart and brain a good work out. Yes, I said brain a good work out. It turns out that exercise of all kinds is great for the brain. Our brain is connected to our body with our nerves and chemicals in our blood stream. When we move it stimulates our brain. Walking, Hiking and Biking are all good ways to stave off memory loss, to improve sleep and to stay fit and healthy. People that exercise regularly are more productive, more efficient and report improved mood. Physical activity increase memory retention and cognitive performance. People that exercise regularly report improved sex and improved sleep. With driving there are a lot of hidden costs. With cycling there are a lot of hidden benefits!

Try The Bus First

Taking the bus would make for a good start to transition away from using you car. The bus is going to be slow like a car in traffic (takes about an hour for most riders), but on the bus you can space out, listen to music, read, write, browse the web (special equipment required), have a conversation, enjoy the scenery and not think about driving or parking. Also when you take the bus you will end up doing a little bit more walking then if you only used your car in most cases, which can give a lot of people that little bit of extra cardio/ movement that can help them achieve their fitness goals. You can use your bike with the bus too. Most buses have a bike rack so you can bike to work and take the bus home or visa versa. It can be fun to have your bike at work for your lunch break too, especially if the weather is nice! Oh, one of the coolest things about taking the bus: no DUI hazard. You can stop after work to your local micro-brew and enjoy some of the local's finest ale, lager, lambic or stout: I am a well know beer enjoyment enthusiast. As far as I am concerned, beer consumption can be a form of carb-loading for next day cycling :) My hyper efficient metabolism has a hard time keep on the mass, so beer is not only a pleasure to taste, it also helps to keep up my limited heft :P
Bus riding for beer safer ~ Yet another good reason to avoid driving!

Disclaimer

I am not going to say that riding a bicycle in the rain is a great idea, but there are people who commute year round here in Seattle Wa on cycles.  The truth is we actually get a lot of not rainy overcast cool days, an a surprising amount of sunlight if you actually look at the facts. http://priusblack.blogspot.com/2012/05/seattle-is-sunny-truth.html

There was an interesting write up in the Seattle Times (newspaper) about this subject of year round bicycle commuting that is worth a read if you are interested in this subject.

Click on the link below and check out the article :)

http://blog.nwjobs.com/careercenter/rolling_to_work_winter_bike_commuting_not_for_faint_of_heart.html