What Do You Mean “You Don’t Have a Bike”?!
Mustachianism has many facets. It’s a lifestyle and a fake religion all in one. And it is packed with an unlimited number of deep and interesting nuances, which is why you and I still have something to talk about after 13 months of this blog’s existence and 224 published articles.
But if I had to strip it down as far as possible, down to just one single action, and I wasn’t allowed to talk about anything else, the choice would still be simple: “Ride a Bike”.
It’s a simple concept which expands to an infinite degree as you think about it more, which we’ll do in just a few paragraphs. But by understanding how important this core concept is, you’ll understand why I get so excited at moments like the one in the following story:
I was outside talking to one of my neighbors last week. We were making the usual small talk, discussing the beautiful weather we’ve had this spring, the minor hardships with keeping our lawns and gardens green in the absence of rain, and various other across-the-driveway filler chitchat.
Then the topic of gas prices came up. This girl was hoping that we would not see further increases in the price of gasoline this summer, since her budget was already stretched tight.
I expressed some appropriate fake sympathy, but emboldened by my secret life as Mr. Money Mustache, I decided to at least see how this unsuspecting person would respond to a taste of Mustachian advice.
This particular lady recently bought a V8-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee, and she happens to work at a company that is exactly 0.5 miles from our street. Yet she drives to work – every single day.
“You know, I only have to buy gas every 2-3 months for my car, because I just bike everywhere. With your work less than a 5 minute bike ride from here, have you ever considered walking or biking?”
“Yeah! I’ve noticed how you guys always bike, and I think that’s pretty cool”, she said. “Yeah… I should really bike to work. It’s just that, you know, I don’t really have a working bike right now”.
I’ve had nearly the same conversation with many people in recent years, so I’ve learned to remained calm on the outside when I hear excuses like this. But inside I could only scream “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T HAVE A BIKE!?!?!?“
The concept is so foreign to me because it is so illogical. How can anyone with sufficient mental capacity to pass a driver’s test, or indeed to dress themselves in the morning, not realize the folly of living a life that includes a working car, but no working bike?
Bikes are virtually free, and require no insurance, registration, license, parking spaces, or any other hassle. They are so easy to own, and so incredibly useful and beneficial, with absolutely no drawbacks whatsoever to ownership. And yet somehow, there are adults out there – millions of them, a majority of them in the US – who don’t even have a bike.
My neighbor is paying thousands of dollars a year to idle around town in a 300 horsepower truck that gets 12 miles per gallon in the city, even while her body is crying out for extra exercise that it is clearly not getting enough of.
Even crazier is that there are readers of this blog who are sort of on board with leading a more natural and rich lifestyle, and are interested in the idea of maybe trying a bit of bicycling someday, but just haven’t gotten around to it because, you know, they don’t have a bike, or they have an old squeaky one with a broken gearshift or some flat tires. Or perhaps they have managed to convince themselves that their car-based lifestyle is justifiable, and maybe that bike fanaticism that Mr. Money Mustache displays can just be ignored and they’ll just follow the rest of his advice, while ignoring the bike parts.
It’s time for this silliness to come to an end. You must ride a bike. We all must. It’s not a weird fringe form of transportation that only people in Portland and Colorado do. It’s just simply the way we all get around for moderate intra-city distances.
The reason this rule is so hard and fast and set in stone, is that the bike secretly does more than just getting you around town. If it were as simple as multiplying your bike miles by 50 cents and saying “Therefore every twenty miles you bike saves you ten dollars of driving costs”, it would be a purely financial decision. Then you could weigh biking and driving against your other lifestyle choices and come up with a balance that still lets you save 50-75% of your income, ensuring financial independence at an early age. But no, biking is not just about the money.
Biking is also more than just a form of exercise. If you follow my advice and start biking around when convenient, you’ll find that you end up cycling for perhaps three hours a week. You could say “that’s just the same as visiting the gym for three one-hour cardio workouts each week. If I do that, THEN will you get off my back about the biking?”
Nope, I still won’t get off your back, because it’s even MORE than the money and the exercise.
A bike-based lifestyle is an all-encompassing change for the better. It’s like rolling back the past hundred years of humanity’s clueless paving-over of the surface of the Earth, without having to sacrifice a single benefit of modernization. It’s like shedding all of the stress and responsibility of adulthood that have crusted over you and going back to being eight years old again.. without losing an ounce of that golden power and freedom that comes with being an adult.
A bike is actually an automatic life balancing machine, passively creating harmony in your life better than even the bossiest life coach could hope to do. You’re automatically forced every day to venture just a tiny bit out of your Comfort and Wussiness Zone. Suddenly you are blessed with the opportunity to use your mind and actually strategize just a bit each time you venture out… “How will I dress for the weather?”… “what will I be carrying with me?”.. “what food and drink will I require for this journey?”.
With the tiny daily overhead of this planning, you become a more thoughtful person in general. The Edge of the Planner starts to creep into the other areas of your life: “I heard this new TV show is really good. Maybe I’ll relax and watch a few episodes… WAIT.. on second thought, maybe I’ll look at my to-do list and use this time for something ELSE! Aha.. I see I was supposed to look into re-financing my mortgage. I hate making those calls, but I’m going to do it. I’m a PLANNER now, no longer a passive observer of life.”
The challenge of biking also automatically limits the amount of time you spend uselessly circling the retail establishments of your town: “Do I really need to go out to the store to pick up that bottle of shampoo today? It’s a pretty long ride, and I’m going to need to go tomorrow to get bananas anyway. I’d better put it on tomorrow’s list. And I’d love to check out the shoe store someday, because I love just browsing through the shoes.. but that’s way on the other side of town. Surely there is something else I could do closer to home that is more valuable.”
All from just a 25 pound collection of aluminum and rubber you can lift with one arm. Becoming a regular cyclist really is that good – conduct your own interviews with bikers if you think I’m just making all of this up. They will agree – cycling is being Alive.
So when it comes down to the excuse of “I just don’t have a working bike right now”, you can see why I become so frustrated. Not biking because you don’t have a bike is like letting the excrement pile up on your bathroom floor because “I just haven’t flushed the toilet recently”. JUST GET A DAMNED BIKE!! IT’S SO EASY!!! It’s too important to let laziness prevent it from happening!
How to Buy a Bike:
This is an area where MMM readers will rightfully diverge, depending on their expertise and interest.
My own recommendation: the important part is not where you get the bike, or how much you pay for it, it is simply that you have a reliable, working bike at all times so you never miss out on any possible riding opportunities. The cost of even a moderately expensive bike is tiny compared to the benefits it will bring, which is why I think it’s fine for people to buy brand-new bikes from a local bike shop or from an online store like Nashbar or Performance bikes, if that will increase their chance of having a working bike sooner.
Cautious beginners don’t need to mess around trying to find values on Craigslist, and they definitely don’t need to buy a $20 bike at a garage sale, hoping to someday get it working well despite having no mechanical knowledge. These people need a instant gratification bike that will work reliably for long enough to get them hooked into the biking habit. This is a machine they will hopefully spend many hours riding every month, so it’s important that it works smoothly, comfortably, and does not fail at its job of getting them around.
As your skill with mechanical things and your interest and experience with bikes increases, so does the value of looking for used ones. Some retail stores like Play it Again Sports, and community sharing websites like Craigslist, can prove to be a gold mine in this area. And the best used bikes are often found by asking your most bicycle-savvy friend where they would get a used bike if they were shopping.
This guide by MMM reader Bakari Kafele provides a nice tutorial on how to shop for a used bike: http://biodieselhauling.blogspot.com/2012/01/buying-bikes-from-craigslist.html
When shopping for a new bike these days, I use an even simpler algorithm:
I look for a bike in any of the overlapping categories “city”, “commuter”, “hybrid”, or “road”. I want something with a MSRP in the US of at least $500, indicating a reasonable level of component and frame quality. And at that point, I just sort by features and price.
Case study 1: My current “city bike”, a K2 Astral 3.0, was purchased new in 2008. It was an end-of-the-model closeout at Nashbar, so the price had dropped from $580 to $300. Yet the bike is lightweight, stiff, and solid as a rock. And with about 4000 km on the odometer so far (2486 miles), the distance from Los Angeles to Washington DC, it has needed virtually no maintenance at all – a few flat tube change-outs and regular chain lube. The benefits and cost savings provided by this bike over its four year lifespan to this point have been almost immeasurable – many times its purchase price already.
Case study 2: Mrs. Money Mustache is still riding her 2002 Schwinn Moab mountain bike. This was near the top of the Schwinn line back in its day, as the components are thoroughly kickass and it is as light as a feather. She bought it at full retail price from REI at the time – almost $900. But the bike has now served her through years of commuting to work, dozens of harsh mountain bike trips in locations from the Rockies to the Pacific, towing our son around town in bike trailers for the past five years, riding to and from the Crossfit gym for the past two, while racking up over 5,000 miles on its odometer. How much maintenance has she required for this virtual bike ride from our home in Colorado to somewhere near the tip of South America? … once again, virtually zero. Chain lube and inner tubes. The odd twist of the gearshift cable adjuster knobs to keep the shifts aligned. She’s still rolling on the original set of cracked stock Michelin WildGripper knobby tires!
So the point is, while bike maintenance is fun and many bike shops provide free tune-ups for life, in reality you will find that a good bike does not demand too much from you. You simply hop on, and it rolls you quickly to your destination. One mile every six minutes for beginners, and a mile every three minutes once you have a swift bike and more seasoned legs. Factoring in the shortcuts, faster parking, and freedom from traffic jams, a bike is often faster than a car for getting around an urban or suburban area. Adding in additional considerations for cost, health, and the environment, it’s simply the only reasonable way to get around.
The final word: a short inspirational video on what it feels like to be part of the Bike Culture (click the expand button once it’s playing – there’s some beautiful photography in there):
How Bikes Make Cities Cool – Portland from Kona Bikes on Vimeo.
A few reasonable bike choices from today’s Nashbar and Performance Bike website:
Nashbar FB1 Flat Bar Road Bike
Mongoose Sabrosa 3×8 Commuter Bike
2012 GT Zum City Bike — Performance Exclusive
* these are affiliate links, so this blog will benefit if you end up buying any of them. But it doesn’t affect the price to you, and don’t let it bias your decision – shop around and get the bike that’s right for you. Just get a bike!
Update: Here are 30 more reasons to heed Mr. Money Mustache’s advice and start cycling your ass off.
And finally, if you REALLY like people telling you over and over that you must ride a bike, here’s the Original MMM bicycle Article, and here’s the Biking to the Grocery Store one.
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Mr. Money Mustache is a family man living in the United States who retired from work, relatively wealthy, at about age 30. After several years of retirement, he noticed that his still-working peers were envious of his lifestyle. They were making more money than he ever had, yet they were somehow still broke. So he decided to write this blog to educate the world on how it is done.
Unfortunately, our big barrier is the ages of our children – 2 months and 1 year.I don’t know how young those baby trailers are rated for. We also live in an apartment without an elevator and I already have a difficult time lugging strollers up and down the stairs, let alone a bike. Besides, we hope to have more kids. I suspect their is a critical mass for child safety on bikes.
HubbyJD has started riding his fold-up bike around the neighborhood, and we walk to the local grocery store now. I’ll discuss with Hubby about putting his clothes and lunch in a bike trailer, but if it costs him a dollar a day to drive to work, it will take him over a full year to pay off the trailer.(He could only theoretically bike to work 2 days a week because of taking the children to daycare on other days. A 2 mile round trip is like a dollar a day)
Also, to the pregnant lady who posted earlier, how soon you get back on the bike – literally – is going to depend on how well you tolerate your delivery. There can be some tearing that will make a normal bike pretty painful. You may find yourself being off the bike for a few months.
I think most people recommend that the infant be able to support their own head. When does that happen? Around 6 months? After that, they make infant sized bike helmets.
I’ve seen photos of people carrying 3-4 kids on one bike. There are two options:
1. a bakfiets/box bike: a Dutch-style bike with a large cargo box in front that can be outfitted with seat belts
2. a long-tail bike: a cargo bike with an extended rear portion that can be outfitted with two child seats with an optional 3rd child seat on the front handle bars
This is a very good summation of Mustacianism. I own a ‘road’ bike, and although I walk the 20 minutes to work (I don’t find the time saved by riding would be worth the change of clothes necessary), I do bike to the tennis courts or store regularly.
For those of you who don’t want to take the ‘bike trailer’ approach to bigger shopping trips, as MMM does, I suggest looking into Car Sharing. The Car Sharing Network (http://www.carsharing.net/) has some good information on North American and European cities that have car sharing programs.
I live in Vancouver, BC and between biking, walking, public transit and car sharing I am able to live a healthy full life without the burden of owning a car.
I used to think that owning a car was a right of passage into adulthood, but I fully believe now that car ownership is much more of a burden than a right of passage.
Any tips for locking/securing bike when out and about, especially at commercial locations without bike racks?
Trees and lamp posts! Many of the stores in my area still haven’t caught on to the fact that they are operating in Mustache Town, USA, so they haven’t added racks yet. But they all have trees, street signs, posts, whatever. A chain or cable lock works great in this case.
Any issues with ticketing when using lamp posts etc? In my college town with a bigger bike culture that was more aggressively enforced, but I haven’t seen many bikes at all since moving to my larger city.
It depends on the city. In many cities it isn’t enforced because it isn’t illegal. I’m not sure how they could enforce that ticket anyway, since bikes don’t have license plates that could be traced back to the owner
There have been times in my life where I did not own a car and walked, or biked all the time. At one point, my daily commute was 10 miles to work and 10 miles home via bike. I loved it.
…but some times things change.
I am a visiting nurse, I am required to have a car for employment. I drive about 250 miles for work per pay period. I have three teenagers still at home in about 15 activities. Sometimes I work a 12 hour day where I drive 100 miles between very rural areas and intercity areas and then cook a from scratch dinner and drive the teenage musicians around with their instruments (baritone sax or drum set.)
I have a hybrid vehicle that gets decent gas milage. I am not ashamed to state in front of all you mustacians that this is my life right now.
I dream of being car-free in 9 years….but for right now… I drive a car and I am OK with that.
Interesting statistics, helmet seems a good idea:
http://www.edgarsnyder.com/bicycle/accident-statistics.html
The idea of a bike making you more responsible is a very good point. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve driven 3 times as far as necessary because I couldn’t take 5 minutes to plan out my day ahead of time.
Financially speaking, bicycling is not that great an option, mostly because the more realistic a bicycle commute is for you, the less helpful it ends up being financially. If you live half a mile from work, then a gas-guzzling 12 mpg SUV at $4/gallon gas only costs $1.60 per week to commute. If you work 50 weeks/year, that’s a savings of only $80/year – and that’s assuming you bike each and every day of the year regardless of the weather. If you buy one of those $300+ bikes, it will take 4 years for that bike to pay for itself. Now let’s assume you’re not a complete idiot and you buy any decent 4 cylinder car out there; now your commute costs $0.80/week, and it takes that bicycle 8 years to pay for itself. Don’t get me wrong. I think more people should bike to work for the other reasons mentioned, but a half mile commute is probably covered by the paltry interest earned in your savings account.
So what I mean to say is that your real savings comes from living close to work, not your choice of transportation. The guy above who is commuting an hour each way needs to move closer to work.
Jeff, I see your point, but Mr. Mustache addresses it up above- the cost of driving isn’t just the gas costs, the cost of driving has to include wear and tear on the vehicle, insurance, etc. The IRS uses a rate of $0.55/mile in order to calculate the cost of driving. Obviously in a 1/2 mile scenario the numbers are still small, but if you’re driving 5-10 miles that adds up pretty quickly.
For most people, most of their driving is to and from work.
When you bike to work regularly, you realize that it is possible to bike other places too. When you’ve done that a little while, it becomes much easier to simply not replace your car when it breaks down, or even to sell it.
MMM address trailers in other articles, which takes care of moving stuff like groceries. If one takes a trip now and then, they can rent a car, and still come out WAY ahead of owning.
But a person can only come to realize how easy it is to not own a car if they take the first step and start biking the 1/2 mile to work.
At point it doesn’t just save them the 50 cents day (1/2 mile each way at the standard 50 cents per mile cost) it also saves you the THOUSANDS of dollars that you spend on buying, insuring, registering, and maintaining a car, whether you drive it to work or not.
If you live a half mile from work, why not walk?
Go ahead! I think it goes without saying that walking .5 miles to work would be fantastic. For those of us in the 5 to 10 mile range though, it is just too much time.
I understand that. Jeff in his comment, however, was talking about driving even a gas guzzling SUV .5 miles to work instead of biking. I just can’t figure out why anyone would drive .5 miles to work unless they were really late or had a work trip.
Looking for a few Suggestions: 1 how far is the average bike commute? I am starting a new job much closer to where I live but still a bit far (11 miles each way) I would like to bike to work at least a few times a week. With only a few stop lights between me and work how long do you think it would take? I plan to test it on a Saturday but I was hoping a few people may have ideas.
2. Also I do bike often around town to go to places and one thing I hate is I get especially sweaty while riding, I do not mind it to much when I am just out riding for leisure however I am worried about being a sweaty mess when I arrive at work any suggestions?
1) There are too many variables to answer your question.
How fit are you?
What kind of bike do you have?
What do you have to bring?
How many hills on your route?
How many stop signs / stop lights?
A reasonable range for biking 11 miles is anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half.
2) If its not too cold, you aren’t too self-conscious, and your town isn’t too prudish, you could just ride shirtless. That keeps sweat to a minimum better than anything. I use hand sanitize in place of deodorant, which doesn’t stop you from sweating, but keeps the sweat from smelling (not by covering it up, like stick deodorant does, but by actually killing the bacteria that cause the stink). And try to show up a few minutes early, because it takes a little while to cool down once you stop riding. If necessary, a quick rinse and wipe with paper towels in the restroom should have you good to go.
Thanks for the suggestions, I have another question you may know the answer to. Biking in my area is popular and I notice a lot of riders have those fancy racing shirts that are skin tight and usually brightly colored. Because I usually ride just for fun and leisure to go shopping or run errands I have seen no need to waste the money on a shirt like this. However I have thought about getting one if it helped with keeping me cool and catching sweat that way I could take it off leave it to dry wipe my self down a bit in the restroom and move on. Do they even help with this or do they just make you more aero dynamic and make you look like a Lance Armstrong wannabe?
In theory they wick sweat better than cotton, but in practice I personally find that any synthetic holds stink more than cotton, so its about a wash. What is nice about cycling jerseys is they often have a nearly full length zipper, and pockets in the back for keys and wallet and stuff (esp good if you are wearing cycling shorts, which have no pockets)
However, I only have some because they were given to me by the company when I worked as a bike messenger. If they aren’t free, I don’t think they are worth it, esp for commuting. Better to spend the money on a light weight water/wind resistant reflective jacket
Honestly, forget about aerodynamics and wicking to a certain extent here. I find that the real benefit of specialized cycling clothing actually comes in the comfort for longer rides, depending on the kind of bike you have.
If you have a hybrid or a mountain bike, those are generally equipped with flat handlebars, meaning you’re riding in a relatively upright posture. In that case, you probably won’t see any real benefit to a cycling jersey, at least if your experience is like mine.
Hybrid and mountain bikes in the low to moderate price range usually also have saddles (seats, for the non-cycling-lingo folks) that have a moderate amount of padding to them, because the manufacturers assume that most people riding this kind of bike aren’t going to wear bike shorts when riding. In these cases, again, you probably aren’t going to see any benefit from bike shorts either.
All of that said, if you have a road bike (skinny tires, skinny & hard-as-a-rock saddle, drop bars, etc.), it’s a lot more likely that you’ll care about cycling clothing. Even a cushy road bike is going to feel brutal if you’re not wearing bike shorts. The skinny tires don’t absorb much of the shock from bumps, and the saddle is typically narrower and harder so as to avoid chafing against your legs/thighs/etc. over long rides. This is where bike shorts are great- they supply the padding in a way that doesn’t (or at least shouldn’t) chafe.
On a bike with drop bars, you’re leaning forward more, and a lot of shirts/jackets will ride up on your back because they’re cut to fit a person standing up or sitting in a chair, not leaning way forward. Cycling jerseys and jackets are designed to handle the lean, and tend to be extra-long in the back as a result. If you don’t want to spend the money, you can just look for cheap synthetic sport/exercise shirts that are relatively long.
All in all, just go try your ride, and see if you have any of the issues I mentioned above, and think about buying a piece or two that will fix a problem you’re having. Don’t let the price tag on a full set of gear scare you off when you probably won’t need most of it.
I strongly advocate this post for the “best-timing-ever”-award.
Got up early today (04:50),had breakfast (oatmeal ;-) ) , left the v6 in the car port and took toff by bike instead. Approx 18km (half tarmac, half gravel or light offroad) took less than 50 minutes. Felt fresh and awake, even without my usual dose of caffeine, and got done more than usual…
In the evening, biked back.
Two cardio workouts a day and 10 Euros saved. Sometimes you just need that punch in the face.
Fantastic article! Reading your long ago post about the true cost of commuting inspired me to get a bike last year and start commuting to work. Haven’t bothered to do the math on how much money I’ve saved, but it’s substantial. Many thanks, and all the credit goes to you!
Out of curiosity, how is it your commuter bike only has 2400 miles on it after 4 years time? With how often you bike, I’d have assumed you’d put that many on it every year! I only have a 4 mile commute to work (and I wuss out and drive once a week or so), and I’ve still put 1000 miles on my bike in the past 6 months alone. Do you have alternate bikes you use as well? Or do you just live THAT close to everywhere you need to go? =)
That’s a good question, Nick! I WAS a little bit embarrassed when I noticed my commuter bike had only racked up 2400 miles in 4 years! A few explanations:
- for the first year, I hadn’t yet learned that I should get all my groceries with a bike trailer. I was using a CAR, if you can believe it!
- We spend about 10 weeks away on trips every year including most of the summer – I ride different bikes when possible on those trips – borrowed from friends or family members
- I have separate road and mountain bikes that rack up miles separately when doing adventure/fitness riding.
- I don’t have a job to commute to (this is the biggest factor I’m sure as that used to add 50 miles/week!)
- my son’s school is only 0.8 miles from my house, and the library is only about 1.1
- I don’t go shopping very often, so there aren’t as many errands to run
-I’m a wimp and need to find ways to bike MORE!!
Bike more!
I still remember how proud I was when I hit 2500 miles in just one year between commuting, riding with my wife for fun, and joining the occasional ~35 mile training ride at the bike shop up the road from my house…
Looking forward to getting back into this once we get moved into a new house in the next month or so- we picked the new place with cycling practically everywhere as a key criteria on location. (We’re just a few miles down the road from you, actually- the new place is in Broomfield)
My bike was freedom as a kid – cycled everywhere then “grew up” and thought I had forgotten how to ride. Found myself in Beijing in approximately 1982, prior to all the motor vehicle traffic, renting bikes with friends amongst a sea of Chinese commuters on bicycles – thankfully they could tell we were dangerous foreigners and gave us wide berth – hundreds of bikes inches from each other then us with at least a 10 foot margin.
Again years later with only the hour on a bike in China, I decided biking through the Rockies with a friend was a good idea. Bought a bike and with not more than a 5 minute test ride jumped on a train for Jasper Alberta. Rode through the Rockies and in 5 short days became fit – in a painful sort of way. Felt like throwing my bike on the train tracks rather than on the train by the end of the trip.
But spent 3 years in University in the 90′s a very bike friendly City. 1 year I only had a bike for transport – would buy smaller amounts of groceries more often.
Now I occasionally cycle to my office. Timely article as last Thursday I cycled both ways to work – 13 kms – about 40 minutes – each way for the first time this year. Still using the road bike I purchased years ago for my trip through the Rockies. Felt great – but not the next day as it caused neck strain – so today I finally got into see my chiropractor.
I’m hoping to make some adjustments so that I’m not so extended over my bike as it does aggravate alignment issues I’ve struggled with most of my life. At age 50 it feels easier to just cycle occasionally for pleasure, but I would sure like to get back to serious commuting. Need to take on a more bad ass attitude as life feels awfully easy – translate – boring without some new challenge.
For us middle agers there are lots of excuses out there. Had resolved to bike in tomorrow – until my daughter informed me she needs a ride in early for her volunteering. If I was Mr. or Mrs. MMM I’ld be offering to ride along side her – I can just imagine what she would think of that.
My commitment this year is to fix my bars to ease the neck strain and cycle once per week, minimum.
Thanks again for timely inspiration Mr. MMM.
I’m too chicken to ride a bike to work. (Plus, i do not live in a bike culture- no bike racks, no place to put it). I’ve treated too many patients with spinal cord and brain injuries who were hit by cars on while on their bikes. (Motorcycles are kind of out for me too). Yes, I do treat people who are in cars who get hurt, but percentage-wise, I think it is a lot less and usually the injuries less devastating. Of course I may be treating the drivers a few years later in cardiac rehab when they have their heart attack, while all the bikers are going strong… you have to do what you feel comfortable with. Hopefully soon there will be fewer cars and more bikes on the road so that the rest of us feel safe enough to bike where we need to go.
You know what I am afraid of? Letting fear run my life…
But seriously, I tackled your concerns, which I share, by just getting out there and doing it. The first thing I did was invite a couple of friends to leisurely ride with me toward my place of work on a Saturday. We meandered around and tried to figure out the best way to get there, we had lunch, some beers and meandered home.
I live in a subdivision of Sacramento CA that is on par with any of the most bike unfriendly areas in the world. Some of our surface streets are four lanes each way and hardly any of the businesses have bicycle racks including where I work. I didn’t let this stop me, and ended up creating a route for my ride that is 80% Bike path, city park or light traffic.
Just do it… Overcome your fears and excuses and just do it.
Amen. I had the same concerns about commuting in Indianapolis when I first started, but you just have to give it a shot. Pick a longer route that keeps you out of most of the traffic at first, and then adjust it as you become more comfortable on busier roads.
Also, the more you bike, the faster you will be, and I can tell you from experience that it’s a lot less scary to be on a road with traffic when you’re going 20mph than when you’re going 12.
Here is a video of how bikes were made in the 1940s http://vimeo.com/39401575
Someone on the ecomodder.com forum suggested that biking doesn’t necessarily save money compared to biking (because of the increased food costs), so I cranked some specific numbers:
MMM has already done most of the math for us.
Lets say 6 mile commute. Average sized human, going about 12mph, for 30 min is about 250 calories.
250 calories (in the form of food made from home) should cost about 38 cents
Driving a reasonably efficient car, considering only per mile costs, is about 17 cents per mile
Which is just over a dollar for the 6 miles.
So, that makes biking over 60% cheaper per mile, even if you don’t factor in the exercise (no, it doesn’t take the place of strength training, but it does take the place of aerobic which everyone needs to do anyway), or the fixed costs of buying and insuring a car.
Hi,
I got this web adress from my dear friend Johan Z. (Utrecht, Netherlands).
After reading the first posts of Mr. Mustache I decided I must have a bike right now!
After searching Graigslist-type websites I bought 2 splendid bikes for only 500 euro toegether:
- a racingbike (including all Shimano 105 stuff!!!) (250 euro)
- a hybridbike of a famous Dutch brand (250 euro)
Both bikes ride very good, no strange sounds or tics whatever.
MY 2 CENTS NOW:
Buy yourself a bicycle bag (30 euro) which can be attached to the back of the bike very easily. At the store you detach the bag within 1 second, enter the store, fill the bag, pay for your stuff, attach the bag to your bike within 1 second again, and bike home with your hands “free”.
So, now you can transport your groceries very easily!!! You can even put your raincoat in the bag, for just in case.
Regards.
Rik
Concerning the “dangers” of cycling. Think about it this way: Each person who takes their bicycle is one less person driving a car – which reduces the danger on the roads. So every time you take your bicycle, the road is a tiny bit more safe thanks to you.
For those concerned with sweat and having to shower, i strongly recommend an electrically assisted bicycle: the initial investment may be superior, but it is still way cheaper than any car on the market.
I personally thank every one of you who goes out and takes their bike instead of your car: thanks for cleaner air, less wasted fossil fuels, better health and a brighter future for our children.
All that just by riding a bicycle.
I just stumbled on this post. I must say it is very interesting. I grew up in a country where riding a bike is considered ‘low class’ and as a result, many people do not ride bikes. This is an interesting thing because the majority of people are very poor and having a bike would save them money and time. I started learning how to ride a bike after moving to the western part of the world. I now intend to buy my own bike because it would be nice to go for rides with my family and hiking friends.
The power of suggestion.
My husband and, I bought bikes. :)
We rode 9.5 miles this past weekend. We had a great time.
Then the following day I became very sick with sinus/lung congestion.
Allergies? I don’t know. I haven’t beat it yet.
But, getting outside and, riding was nice. I look forward to getting
well so I can ride my bike.:)
This is going to sound crazy, but when you have sinus/lung congestion is an *excellent* time to get out and go for another ride. I find that getting out and exerting myself on a bike is possibly the best way to get my body going and clear out the congestion and gunk- the couple years that I was riding the most were the couple years that I was sick the least.
Hi MMM & Fellow Mustachians! Have a question for ya :-)
I’ve wanted a bike for ages (rode all the time when I was in grade school) and back in 2001 got a super sweet Trek hybrid. Problem is, I have balance issues that have gotten worse since 2001. Fell 7 or 8 times and wound up giving the bike away :-(
These days I walk with a balance stick and riding a two-wheeled bike is out of the question.
These look pretty cool http://lightfootcycles.com/products-overview/trike-models-overview/greenway/ …any other ideas you guys can offer? Live near Boulder, CO and am DETERMINED to buy a bike before Summer ends.
Thanks bunches!
Or maybe this one? Any feedback, good or bad greatly appreciated :-)
http://trekstorecolorado.com/sitesearch.cfm?search=trike&goSiteSearch.x=0&goSiteSearch.y=0
How does the moustachiode one recommend carrying luggage? Basket, panniers, rucksack, ..?
great post and the video at the end is fantastic!
my favorite line in the movie from the cute kid, “Biking saves polar bears. Polar bears are epic!”
Another awesome post – it’s going to take me ages to read through all those 224 +!
Really agree – I brought a Claud Butler some 5 years ago and I STILL love that bike!
Would you consider riding a bike to work if it was 20 miles away (40 miles round trip) in a city where seeing a person on a bike very rare? Moving closer to work is not an option.
Thanks for the friendly browbeating – ok ok, I’ll ride to work tomorrow! It’s only 5 miles (in 100 degree heat…) Especially since I’m soon switching to a job that is 12 miles away (maybe do-able?), without a shower (maaaaaybe doable?) in a seriously dangerous scary neighborhood (oh hells no!).
biking sounds great….but here in toronto, you’ve got 5 months of snow :( suggestions?
Nice try Marc! I grew up near Toronto, biked to school every day for my last 3 years at McMaster University in Hamilton, then lived a few years in a place that gets a REAL winter: Ottawa.
Toronto is snowy for 3 months at the most. My recommendation: bike year-round! http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/11/03/how-to-ride-your-bike-all-winter-and-love-it/
k, i hear you…but i live 1 hr away from work b/c i enjoy the quietness of the suburbs….yet downtown is where the $$ is….however, i have been thinking about the commute…2hrs a day is nuts….BUT….if you use the time wisely, it can be a blessing…
I lived in Timmins, where the season is much shorter than in Toronto, and still managed to ride 600 to 700 Km a season. What to do in the long, cold winter? Bundle up and walk, of course!
Thanks for this! Dusted off my sweet road bike this weekend and rode it (mostly downhill) to get honey for my parents at the corner store with boyfriend (we were visiting them). I don’t really understand how to use my gears, though. My bike clicked a lot on the ride as a result, I believe. In any case, it was wonderful to ride together with the wind blowing past!
Soon I am moving 2.3km from work and 15km from school. My goal is to be able to ride to uni by September. As a runner, I remember when I started biking that distance wasn’t nearly as big of a deal! So far I do not have any lights or reflective gear so this will be very important. I am wondering about dealing with hills. I live in Vancouver BC and biking is very popular but I am not yet strong enough to pedal up the hills, so I end up walking the bike up them.
Edit: re: the bike lock — I’m afraid of using anything but a U-lock, but I was able to get an amazingly solid one for $10 at Mountain Equipment Co-op, an open-box return.
Late to the party, but what if you have no place to store a bike when it’s not in use?
Bikes are pretty darned compact.. you could hang it from hooks in your apartment wall or ceiling, or get a folding bike. Or ask your landlord if there is somewhere on-premises to store bikes. Or sacrifice other space-wasters like a TV or unneeded furniture.
To Bakari below, finding space for two bikes in a 400-450 square foot apartment is actually pretty difficult. I’ve been thinking for about a month that getting rid of furniture is the only way to go–our building has no storage space and hanging a bike (let alone two) on any currently free wall space would prohibit us from moving in certain areas of our apartment. Do any of you have a bike hanging over your couch? Is that scary or uncomfortable?
How comfortable/light-weight/durable are folding bikes? I’ve never been on one.
Edit: Meant to add that the other option is finding a bigger apartment, unfortunately in a different neighborhood so that our rent doesn’t go up.
I don’t have one hanging (6.5ft ceilings), but I did instal hooks to hang one for a client. She ended up moving her bed under it, and kept it that way for about a year (when she moved out).
As long as its installed securely in studs, should be fine.
I have knives on the ceiling (on a magnet) – it was unnerving at first, but after a while it seems normal.
Folding bikes come in just as huge a range of styles and qualities as regular bikes. They will be heavier than a high quality non-folder, and the handling will be a little faster/less stable, but overall you don’t give up much. After a theft last year, my folding bike is the only one currently working, so I’ve been riding it exclusively for pleasure rides, commuting, even to pull my grocery trailer. Its slower than my old ride (it a very cheap folder that I got for free), but its really nice to be able to take it on crowded transit, throw it in a friend’s trunk, or take it inside the house (250sq ft) when I get home late and am too lazy to put it back in the shed.
I live in an RV. Really nowhere to store a bike indoors, and outside they can get rusty and stolen. I got a 4x4x4 shed. I have to take off the front wheels, but I can fit 4 full size and 1 folding bike in it, along with helmets, panniers, and everything else bike related.
If I can get 5 bikes in a 4 foot cube, surely you can find somewhere to store just one bike?
Folding bike!
Okay, after reading you guys all this time I finally bought my first-ever “real” bike (i.e., not $99 at Canadian Tire), and I have to say, I totally should have done it sooner. It’s so much faster and easier. I wasn’t very mustachian about the purchase (bought it new at a bike shop — I don’t trust my ability to spot problems with used bikes), but still, it’ll pay for itself after another 104 journeys. Now I have to sell my sweetie on getting one…
Here’s a handy web calculator on the economics of using a bicycle:
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/biking/
Okay, so this is really embarrassing but I’m an adult who never learned to ride a bike. I really want to because it looks like fun and I want to become a Mustachian badass. Any advice for me on how to learn/what bike I should buy?
Oh, that one’s easy! Get a recumbent trike! I got one more than a decade ago when I was 35. They don’t hurt me the way upright (upwrong?) bikes do and they’re way more fun than a regular bike anyways!
Here’s mine:
http://tricolour.net/photos/2001/2001-11-03/15.html
and here is the full writeup:
http://tricolour.net/gtvs6.html
No more excuses, get out there and ride!
I like recumbents and I like trikes (especially if you can rig them up to carry some groceries) but I don’t know if that will satisfy your desire to learn to ride a “bike”.
If you live in or near a big city, there are probably adult beginner bike lessons that you can take. If you don’t, I’ve read articles about learning to ride as an adult so I’m sure you can Google lessons.
The basic process is to lower the seat as low as you need so that you can comfortably sit on the seat with your feet flat on the ground (some will even take the pedals off). Then you start by just pushing yourself around a parking lot with your feet on the ground (no pedaling). After a bit, you should be able to push and glide. Then get comfortable with gliding and steering (steering will be primarily through leaning, not through turning the handlebars). Once that is comfortable (after a couple hours to couple days), try pedaling with the seat in the same (low) position. Later, you can move the seat back up to the correct position.
Regarding bikes: I would look for a “comfort” or “hybrid” bike. These tend to have more upright, more comfortable positions. There’s even a style of bike (I forget the exact name) that places the pedals forward of the seat to make it easier to touch your feet to the ground when you stop.
The bike to which you refer in the last sentence it called a “crank forward”, “semi-recumbent” or “ground-reach” bike. See the Wikipedia definition for some brand ideas.
Wow, thanks guys great advice. I’ll definitely try it out.
I should just stop reading MMM posts about bikes. They leave me feeling defensive and frustrated. Despite having either walked or ridden my bike to work almost 90% of the days that I have worked the last two years.
Some of us live in car dependent rural places. DH and DS1 (ten and a very avid biker) rode their bikes on the gravel road between our house and my in laws one day this summer (about a three mile round trip) and they both said never again. It was no fun. Not because of boneheads in cars, but because it is very, very effortful to ride on the loose round rocks interspersed with large sharp quartz rocks. Anyway the odds of me (a way less enthusaistic biker) riding the 8 mile round trip to the nearest town is near nil.
I guess I will have to find my badassity elsewhere. Like chopping my own wood for heat, growing my own food, and drying all my clothes on the clothesline.
That’s unfortunate that it was so unpleasant to ride on the gravel. I own a road bike and a mountain bike so I know that tires make all of the difference on that type of surface.
If you were interested in trying it, you might look into some sort of hybrid bike or light mountain bike (upright position and more comfortable) with wider, slightly knobby tires (for traction on the gravel) and maybe a little front suspension and a shock absorber in the seat post to help smooth out the bumps. Such a bike should do pretty well in the gravel without being overly heavy or uncomfortable for long rides, and you could probably find one for a reasonable price. Although, if it is especially loose, deep gravel it wouldn’t work very well (at least until the cars pack it down).
Good luck finding your own expression of badassity :-)
The bike I do own is actually a mountain bike with front suspension and despite the fact that a commuter bike would have been a better better purchase for me most of the time I have ridden in the past 15 years. DS also as a mountain bike. DH bike is a crazy contraption that started is life as a high end mountain bike circa 1995 but has had more road like tires added to it over the years.
The problem is the big piles of deep loose gravel that both ag equipment and regular car/truck traffic make at nearly every intersection or driveway. They are serious momentum killers.
But we are having roast guinea hen and homemade apple pie for supper tonight. Dh helped me dispatch of it this am before he left for work and it is brining right now in the fridge. Country life has its rewards.
Oh yeah, those loose piles are no fun at all.
I grew up in the country and my neighbors had guinea hens. Those suckers were always so loud (along with their peacocks) that I wished I could kill and roast them. I think I’ll have to live vicariously through your dinner! :-)
The loudest one was the one we butchered and it was definitely not an accident ;)
Raised around both guineas and peafowl. I was actually glad the coyotes got those!
I live in a rural area also and yes, loose gravel roads and bikes don’t mix. So I enjoy the bike posts and realized that while I can’t do this particular activity, I can find other ways to cut my driving down. For example, grocery shopping once a month instead of once a week or combining with other families here to take turns running errands.
Inspired by your blog I’ve been commuting to work by bike for a couple of months now. It’s a simple, fast 10 minute ride. I’m in Toronto and have never been a winter rider but this winter I’m going for it!
Just found your blog today and have enjoyed reading through a stack of posts, the bike related ones particularly.
My husband rides 26km/16 miles each way to work 3 or 4 days a week – he takes the car the days the kiddo has karate after school and does the shopping then too. It takes him 45 minutes per trip but even in winter when he has the option to take the car he still prefers the bike (we don’t get snow but it’s still pretty cold!).
I’ve just bought myself a new (secondhand) bike, someones ‘old’ racing bike – I can lift it with 2 fingers and roll along at 15km/h with the odd foot movement. It’s a beautiful thing.
I’ve spent more time on the bike in the last three weeks than the rest of this year combined – it helps that the bike came with a bike computer so I know exactly how fast I’m going and how far. Spending quite a bit of time seeing just how fast I can go and have got to the point where I’ll roll back home at the end of a loop and think, I’ll just go around again…
Tried to get my son on it the first week, no interest (he’s 13, on holidays and enjoying quality xbox time) but he decided to take his bike out one gorgeous day, tried my bike out the next and has been out on it every day since, so we’ll be sharing it for a while, looking out for something bigger than his old BMX bike in the meantime.
This is my first road bike, so it took a little getting used to, but got back on the hybrid to keep him company and found it really odd and hard work in comparison! I wish I’d bought a road bike years earlier – pretty sure I’d have spent more time riding.
I just wanted to say that I love your bike posts. My husband and I just moved to Hawaii, and our car took three weeks to arrive. So I used that opportunity to convince him that we both needed bicycles! I now ride my bike about 80% of the time that I’m going somewhere on base. And my husband has ridden his bike to work twice this week. Next step is buying a trailer or baskets so I can bike 100% of the time on base. So thank you for opening my eyes to all the advantages to biking!
I would, however, like to inform you that here on Oahu, we are required to register our bicycles with the county for a $15 fee. They keep our serial numbers and descriptions on file, and if our bikes are ever stolen, the county will assist us in getting our bikes back. But without insurance or gas costs, I’m really not complaining about the $15 registration fee!
Moved to an urban area, so I did have to get a lock, but I’m back on the bike. Only did 3 miles today in order to ease back into it. Planning on 12-15 total tomorrow. 6 out in the morning and 6 back at night to go hang out with friends during the day.
Is your neighbor a teen or younger? I wonder, because you first referred to her as a “girl” and later, “lady.” A friend posted this link and I visited it because I’m all about bikes. Maybe you’re preaching to a unique subset of prior readers, but I can’t really imagine this turning on someone who is not already into bikes. Do you generally accomplish much persuading by mocking people, belittling them and using people as a negative example? (your neighbor, the “girl” who drives everywhere and “could stand to lose some weight”?)
Something to think about when you are trying to attract new readers or even just encourage people to try something new is your tone. As they say, you will catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Coming from someone who hasn’t driven a car for anything more than road trips in about 6 years, I find your preachy tone to be obnoxious, and just what we DON’T need in encouraging more mainstream folks to give bikes a try.
Thanks for the blogging tips, fee. But you’ll have to apply them to your own pro-cycling website rather than mine – Mr. Money Mustache only enjoys writing in his own style – mocking, preaching and all.
If it’s any consolation, it seems to be working as the blog readership keeps growing and it has helped mint thousands of new cyclists since this post was written.
Maybe certain people respond well to a half-joking kick in the ass after all?
Plenty of people have positive role models and know all the benefits of cycling but still don’t do more than tut at themselves about dusting off the bike soon – a kick in the arse is often needed.
I found this really funny, because I’m currently lying in bed with a broken collarbone, after coming of my bike (downhill at 53km/h, my best speed yet, unfortunately) and the 5 people who’ve said to me “are you going to get back on the bike?” in worried tones are all non riders who own dusty bikes. Two have since told me that they’re probably giving up riding, it’s so dangerous.
From bike riders, on the other hand, I got variations of “Bugger, that’ll slow you down for a bit” and queries as to which hill it happened on!
I know this is an old post but maybe y’all can help. We live in an area where there is nothing close to us and we regularly drive 15-20 miles to get to stuff.
For example: It takes my husband 30 min to drive to work and back. He is in the army so he goes in at 5:30, does PT and to save gas he started showering at the gym and just going to work.
Twice a week my oldest son, who has special needs, has speech therapy. It takes 20 min to drive to the therapy office. He is going to be starting occupational therapy soon and I don’t know if he will be at the same office or another therapy office.
We go to church twice weekly and that’s 10-15 min away.
Then we have regular trips to the grocery store 15 min away. I try to buy enough to last us 2 weeks but we are a family of (soon to be) 5 and all boys, they eat a lot.
So, all that to say..we’re moving this month. Haven’t found a place yet.
Should we try to find a place closer to my husbands office and the therapy place or find a place closer to stores and such?
With 3 young boys (4 and under) how could I manage the logistics? I’ve looked at cargo bikes for years but don’t know if I can justify the cost..
There’s probably not any one answer to your question but here are a few articles that might help your decision:
MMM has a post about the hidden costs of commuting:
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-commuting/
Here’s another that covers the topic from another angle (happiness):
http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2010/03/30/commuting/
And a quick Google search turned up a commuting calculator:
http://www.costofcommuting.com/
I’ve read a number of blogs about people with kids that regularly do all of their shopping by cargo bike:
http://www.tinyhelmetsbigbikes.com
Here’s a mom of 6 that does everything by bike:
http://bikeportland.org/2012/06/28/with-six-kids-and-no-car-this-mom-does-it-all-by-bike-73731
There’s also something to be said for moving to an area where your kids will be able to go places once they’ve reached an appropriate age.
Thanks! I’m off to read!
That was a fun video. I spent the first 20 years of my life in Portland; I noticed not one drop of rain and all dry streets in those shots. A more realistic view would have been slogging through the ever-present rain whilst a TriMet bus blasts through the 3inch-deep puddle right next to the rider. Been there.
Portland is a relatively safe place to ride a bike.
I live in the Seattle area now and can say with some authority that commuting on a bike around here is a risky proposition. I have a 17 mile round trip to work that I will only ride in solid daylight (read: summer). I stay to neighborhood streets as much as possible. The final leg is a 1.5 mile gauntlet of 4 lane industrial road where the commuters are trying to skip the jammed freeway on the last part of their commute. There is absolutely no room for a cyclist unless you hop on the unoccupied sidewalk, where my head spins like the exorcist trying to avoid getting hit at driveways and intersections. If you stay in the street rage full motorists pass you w/ 6″ to spare at 45mph; the semi trucks are especially bowel-moving. there is simply too much traffic to ‘take the lane’. Frogger comes to mind… I have been hit hard 2wice by motorists, both times while riding the correct direction IN A BIKE LANE. Been riding since I was 6, and am well aware of all the ‘rules’ a cyclist should follow. I LOVE to ride, and will continue to commute occasionally, but I am painfully aware of the risks involved. I do not consider it a safe activity.
As a caveat, I should add that the ride to my local grocers, shops, gym and library is pretty mellow :)
I feel complainypants about that last post. So, I decided to bike commute in the cold/dark/rain once a week instead of ‘waiting for better weather’ (an excuse). Last week’s ride was slightly miserable, but left me with the good feeling of accomplishment. :)
Thanks for the inspiration, MMM!
If there is one thing I miss while on the road, it is riding a bike (in Seattle, no less.). I had a similar length ride, but was able to do the majority of it either on bike trails or side streets
I bought a bike yesterday and therefore I will be kicking wussiness to the curb. Thanks MMM!
Am I to understand that Mrs. Money Mustache has been riding the same bike for over a decade, and still hasn’t needed to replace the brake pads?
Having built my own bike up from an unfinished frame and associated components, I’m something of a sucker for keeping it running really smoothly. That said, I also tend to be too lazy/busy to do as much maintenance as I’d like, but I have some added wear from salt and sand in the winter. Anyhow, here goes:
- clean and oil the chain (and the pivots on the derailleurs) maybe every month or so (more in winter, less in summer)
- replace the chain annually (every spring, as soon as I figure that there won’t be any more road salt, and I have a punch in the face saved up for anyone who would call a fresh chain in the spring “hedonic adaptation”, as wonderful a feeling as it may be)
- clean all the other moving bike bits with rubbing alcohol, and relubricate them (when replacing the chain because it makes the new chain work better and feel better)
- replace the brake pads about twice a year
- fix a flat every few years (i built the bike with flat-resistant tires because it’s too easy to confuse road salt, pulverized ice, and broken glass in the winter, and fixing flats in the winter is no fun)
- rebuild the wheels with new rims every 5-10 years
- touch up the paint every fall, and through the winter to keep salt off the frame (steel frame; as log as i stay on top of this task, the frame could easily last 3-4 times as long as an aluminum frame would; the expected lifetime of an aluminum frame being about 15-20 years)
which still isn’t that much more work than what you mentioned for your bikes. Maybe this can be taken as an illustration that even in Toronto’s horrible brine-soaked winters, riding all year doesn’t add that much maintenance cost or hassle..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgCqz3l33kU
Bicycles: check.
Profanity: check.
Mustaches: check.
That is fantastic. I started to wonder if it was making reference to the MMM militant insistence on Biking for All, with all those Mustaches and Middle Fingers. But it looks like was made a year ago by an LA company called Sausage Films, who has never heard of Mustachians.. yet. The coincidence is amazing.
To answer your question, I don’t have a bike! I biked through college and beyond, in wicked cold Madison, WI. I permanently got sick of it. But, I want to live a sustainable life, and, I don’t want to own an expensive, pain-in-the-butt car. So I do carsharing–this is truly changing my life!
Hey MMM – would be great to have an updated list of:
“A few reasonable bike choices from today’s Nashbar and Performance Bike website”
(The links no longer work. Understandable, since the article’s old.)
Thanks!