437 comments

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 really 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 market (updated August 2019):

Schwinn DSB women’s/step-through bike  (full-featured with aluminum frame plus disc brakes for $240!)

Schwinn discover hybrid (a great cozy city bike including fenders and rack, aluminum, $289)

Schwinn Vantage F2 (fast and light/aerodynamic sturdy ultracommuter bike with higher-range components, very similar to the Fortified bike that I ride, at a still-bargain $600)

* the last two affiliate links, so this blog will benefit if you end up buying 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.

  • Melinda February 26, 2015, 7:56 pm

    I don’t have a bike.

    I live in the country and have 4 kids under the age of 7. The only access off our place is a highway with 60mph traffic, no shoulder, and deep ditches on both sides. It is icy and/or snow packed about 5 months out of the year, which I don’t mind because I like variety in weather. I LOVE our acreage and plan to live here until I die.

    Even in good weather, there is the issue of transporting all my children (they are too young to be left home alone, and my husband works–by choice, since we “retired” last year at age 31, but it is a job that he must either be “all in” 40 hours a week or else not at all–so I have to take the kids everywhere I go if I ever want to leave our property during his workdays), and then the additional issue of doing it safely on this particular road. I would love to use a bike, but I honestly don’t know how to do it with those parameters. Ideas?

    Reply
    • Melinda February 26, 2015, 8:53 pm

      I live in the country and have 4 kids under the age of 7. The only access off our place is a highway with 60mph traffic, and I have to go a mile to get into town to access all amenities (like a grocery store). How do you propose I use a bike with those parameters?

      We have snow and/or ice packed roads 6 months a year, but also happen to love this place so moving ain’t happening (I plan to live here until I die). My kids are too young to be left home alone. My husband “retired” last year at age 31 but chooses to continue working because he loves his job. Therefore, if I want to leave the property during the week, I must take our children. I would love to ditch the minivan for a bike, but how? How can I bike on a narrow, icy (half of the year) highway that my minivan can hardly manage, hauling 4 kids? Ideas?

      Reply
      • Mr. Money Mustache March 3, 2015, 9:40 am

        I think you’ve answered your own question – if living where you live is more important than being free from dependence on motor vehicles, than carry on. On the other hand, if there is a way to move to a bike-friendly part of the same area you love, you could consider that.

        Because not depending on a car is the single biggest factor for me, I choose my living spaces differently. I’d move to a different country or continent before I gave up bike transportation – its effects on my life are THAT great. It is hard to understand how powerful it is if you are still stuck in a car-dependence mentality, which is why I can only encourage others to give it a try.

        Reply
        • Garrett March 3, 2015, 12:15 pm

          MMM is right of course but there could be a couple options.

          You could do the half bike commute. Load the bike and the kids into the mini-van and drive to town. Then park and bike all around town for your errands. People do this when they have a long commute (drive or bus half-way and then bike the rest). There are bike racks that fit a universal trailer hitch and will hold a lot of bikes.

          Or, are there any short cuts you can use? I grew up in a farming area and there were always dirt roads out to the fields and my current residence is next to forested parcels with lots of paths and dirt roads. During the summer, can you get permission from neighboring land owners to cut through their property?

          Good luck figuring out a solution!

          Reply
        • Eldred March 3, 2015, 2:05 pm

          You’ve been fortunate enough that it’s easy for you to find suitable work in any area, or a place to live(in any chosen location) that you could afford. It isn’t always easy for some of us to find employment, OR a place to live that we could afford. I’m still hoping to find a job close to home, but I’ve been unsuccessful so far, dammit…

          Reply
  • Candice Brasington April 10, 2015, 5:16 am

    I am trying to save up for an electric bike (and resisting the impulse to put it on credit!). I have also been concerned about safety in my area which has curvy roads and a lot of inconsiderate, speed demons. Anyways…I had been thinking about creating a tshirt or safety vest that has little warning signs for drivers…but lo and behold someone beat me to it. Just wanted to share a website I came across that has jerseys for sale that warn and remind drivers. It is called http://www.SharetheDamnRoad.com. :)

    Reply
  • Eirene May 6, 2015, 5:06 pm

    Still reading my way through the blog from the beginning of time and through the comments on this post but had to jump ahead and brag that I bought a bike in my old age after reading this post :)

    Bought a used $100 mountain bike on Craigslist and have already been out a few times. My work is embarrassingly close to where I live so I biked to work last Friday. It will take me a while to figure out the clothes situation as I wear formal clothes and high heels in the office but it’s a start – I was puffed up with pride the whole day. Planning ahead and a wire basket for the bike will probably help.

    By the way, the old truism that one does not forget how to ride a bike is absolutely true – I haven’t been on a bike for over 30 years (!) and the beginnings were definitely wobbly but muscle memory kicked in and now I’m fairly comfortable.

    Onward and upward to something or other through biking to work :)

    Reply
  • Doug May 8, 2015, 2:20 pm

    I’ve seen many bumper stickers that say my other car is a Porsche or other fancy expensive car. I saw one that said my other car is also a piece of junk, or another that said my other car is a plane. I’m looking for one that says my other car is a bicycle!

    Reply
  • Ro August 24, 2015, 1:35 am

    MMM I promise I am a green person who walks 3.3km to work :) I know how to ride a bike, and I have a folding bike
    (husband is a bike tragic). My problem is that I am terrified of sharing the road as many Sydney drivers are (truth be told) hostile to cyclists. You know the way some people are afraid of flying? That’s how I am with cycling. What is your best advice please? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Garrett August 27, 2015, 11:05 am

      Hi Ro. I don’t know if MMM will get back to you but I have a few opinions on this.

      First, regarding the fear. It may feel like it when you’re riding, but it’s unlikely that the people driving would actually attempt to run down a cyclist in cold blood. I may be a little optimistic but I can’t imagine there are that many murderers out there. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel that way or that it’s safe riding on the street.

      In the US there are cycling groups that teach people to ride with traffic. I forget the name of the group but they generally identify as “vehicular cyclists”, people that believe that cyclists are vehicles that are equal to cars and should behave as such. Some of their ideas are a bit wacky (like their anti-bike lane stance) but they do have some good ideas about how to safely ride in traffic in a way that is less likely to frustrate/confuse drivers and is safer for all parties. If you can find one of these classes, it might help with some of the fear of traffic (the part that is phobic, not the rational part).

      The other part I’d add is to look for alternate routes. Are there any quiet or residential streets that you could take? Would it be possible to walk/bus a short distance through the busy part to get to a quieter part? Even if it’s longer, it still may be faster since you’ll be riding and it’ll feel a lot safer. I don’t know about Sydney but the US has a lot of paths (paved or unpaved) that are open to cyclists in the parks and around some schools.

      You also might be able to change up your commute time to miss the worst of the traffic.

      Do you see any other cyclists out on the street when you’re walking? Maybe you could ask them for some additional strategies. Try to find a normal commuter (since that’s your situation) rather than a kitted up roadie.

      A hardcore MMM answer might be to tell you to either look for a new place to live that is more bike friendly or to find a job that doesn’t involve a crazy commute. But I know I probably wouldn’t do that :-)

      Best of luck on figuring out a solution that works for you!

      Reply
      • Ro August 27, 2015, 6:37 pm

        Thank you Garrett! Hahah, you read my mind…My irrational fear is that motorists will go out of their way to not really run me over, but to swipe past me. I work in a large corporate building 3.3km from home. Your suggestion has given me the idea to ask the people whom I see arriving in their bike kit. I need to ask anyway about the security pass and the bike parking at the basement, etc. About half the route is residential and the other half is in the business district. I’ll practice on the weekends and hope to develop the confidence to share the road. Thanks again :)

        Reply
  • Aemon November 19, 2015, 9:11 am

    I work for the federal government which offers a bike to work benefit if you certify that you commute to work by bicycle at least half the time on a monthly basis. The benefit will reimburse up to $20 a month for bike related expenses for a maximum benefit of $240 a year. The reimbursement can be applied to a one time purchase of $240 or to several smaller ones. Bike related expenses can be practically anything you use for biking including the purchase of a bike itself to a gym membership at the office building so you can have a locker and take a shower when you get to work. This is my first winter biking to work every day and I find in Alaska there is a lot of gear you need to be safe and warm when biking in sub-zero temperatures on ice in the dark so I have not had any problem spending $20 a month thus far.

    Haven’t seen a mention of employer reimbursement yet so just wanted to throw it out there. If you don’t work for the Feds but your employer offers a parking permit or other commuting benefit that you don’t use, maybe they would consider something in its place if you are biking instead of using it.

    Reply
  • David Lawlor January 16, 2016, 7:50 pm

    First post here, been reading for 3 months and have adopted the MMM lifestyle. I live in a small town in Australia, by the name of Tara QLD, which is at least 1 hr from the next town and 2 hours from substantial civilisation. I live 2kms from work and ride or walk. My problem seems to be a that I don’t live far enough from work to enjoy riding. It’s over before I start. I wish I lived in a bigger town to get a roll on when riding. I find myself dawdling through the streets which usually takes about 20 minutes to cover every street in town. We ride every where in town, the car sits in the shed until we go on a planned excursion out of town. Is anyone here capable of riding 90kms each way to get to a bigger town to spend the day riding and sightseeing? I know it’s not very mustachian but my wife, kids and I like to take our bikes by car to the city of Brisbane or Gold Coast to spend the day riding and sight seeing. Sometimes we do it as a day trip and other times we stay in free or cheap camping sites with our camping trailer, and most of our holidays are camping based around a scenic ride of beachfront or bushrides. Whenever I load the car up for a trip out of town to ride somewhere new I can’t help but feel a little guilty for wasting resources.

    Reply
  • Mikey March 15, 2016, 8:57 pm

    “…it’s simply the only reasonable way to get around.”

    False! Running works too.

    Reply
  • SyZ April 22, 2016, 7:06 pm

    Well, I think I might finally pick up a bike for summer coming up. Not sure how I feel about riding on roads when I haven’t ridden since I was 13 (18 years ago). I live in a somewhat bad area (like, seen two fights outside a Safeway in the three times I’ve gone there bad) but can find some bike paths to traverse. Ideally I’d like to live somewhere where there are a ton of open areas with paths, or potentially paseos (I grew up in Valencia, CA, and it’s the only place I’ve seen with them) to ride around on.

    So, should I try to find something on sale this time of year? Should I scour CL (article mentions this isn’t a great idea). Should I wait until I’m out of debt? (Currently putting 50% towards retirement / loans but I still owe 18k)

    How do you deal with 100 degree days in the dead of summer on the way to Costco? I’m ok with swimming or running on a treadmill, not sure how I feel about walking into a store dripping sweat and smelling.

    What kind of gear outside a bike is required?

    Reply
  • chamekke January 8, 2017, 9:01 am

    To all the people who mentioned that they’ve been clipped (or are worried about being clipped) by drivers coming too close – I recommend that you use ANY horizontal safety flag on your bicycle. For years I bicycled in traffic-heavy downtown Toronto with one of those bad boys protruding from the left side of my rear wheel. The flag arm terminated in a silver-toned tip that was rounded and made of soft plastic, but to drivers it probably looked like a piece of pointed metal that could scratch their precious cars, so they always gave me an exaggeratedly wide berth.

    It’s not always easy to find horizontal flags (verticals seem to be a lot more common), but I did a quick Google and found a flag that can do both at http://takeyourlane.com/ . Any horizontal flag will do, but if you can find one that looks like it might be a scratching hazard, even better.

    Reply
  • Raegan March 14, 2017, 2:08 pm

    Biking to work was a huge priority for me when we moved from the county (in PA) to ‘town’ (in WY) and this was all in my pre-Mustachianism life. [It turns out the town we moved to is perfectly set up for biking, they had originally installed 150′ wide roads so that they could turn around 18 mule teams. Although the people are kind of new to the idea.] Anyway, when we moved my husband didn’t have a job. He found a great gig at the whiskey distillery, but it is a 12 mile commute down a 70 mph highway, no alternate route due to river and lack of roads (e.g., WY). I’m an SLP, so no way I am putting my husband on an ebike for that commute [I see way too many TBIs in Wyo]. He carpools about 75% of the time with a co-worker [they work 4, 10 hour days a week and they have different days off]. It’s the best we can do right now. I love my commute. Into work it is all downhill, so I don’t even get sticky.

    Reply
  • Pavel Kadera May 23, 2017, 1:30 am

    Finally a good brand for bicycles:
    http://www.moustachebikes.com/

    Reply
  • Keith Loomis June 29, 2017, 4:53 am

    I know this is an old post, but I though someone might see it and give me some advice.

    I’m looking at getting a bike. Dicks Sporting Goods is having a summer sale for 50% off.

    A Schwinn GTX 3 hybrid bike would cost me $200. Would this be a good bike to get me started?

    https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/schwinn-adult-gtx-3-hybrid-bike-16scwa700cmnsschwdsb/16scwa700cmnsschwdsb

    Thanks!

    Reply
  • Sergio July 17, 2017, 9:40 am

    Hey MMM greetings from Colombia. I really love this Blog and have been reading it for years. I was just wondering if you could take some time to write about DIY bike maintenance as biking is one of the fundamental principles of every mustachian. Thanks!

    Reply
  • Shannon July 31, 2017, 9:21 pm

    I read this religiously. I just left my job. I’m on board with all of it. …. but I don’t have a bike. Haven’t since I was a kid. I would love to have one, but I’ve never found a comfortable seat. I try to bike when we are on vacation (city tours)…. and spend the whole time praying it will be over soon. I try to ride standing up. Then i suffer for 2 or 3 days after. I am NOT a complainypants, but I wish someone would tell me the secret to finding a seat that’s comfortable. Or maybe there’s something wrong with my anatomy.

    Reply
    • Stephen August 1, 2017, 2:32 pm

      Shannon – what do you mean by you suffer if you stand up? Legs? Back? I’m not an expert, I would just wonder if you’ve ever ridden a bike that was properly sized for you. I know when I started biking more frequently 3-4 years ago I got a tune up at the bike shop and they told me my seat was much too low.

      Reply
  • Tim Tidwell August 17, 2017, 11:24 am

    OK Mr Money Mustache. I am a recent graduate from medical residency and I NEED to pay off my medical school loans ($250K). So, I am going to try to bike to work and if I can keep it up, I might sell my car (although I bought my subaru for $7K and might keep around for as needed cases). The big obstacle for me is that I usually drink my morning coffee (bought in bulk whole sale and brewed at home) on the way to work. I can’t figure out a way to drink same quality coffee at work so I am wondering if you can help my imagination?? My only thought is to get up earlier and drink coffee before leaving but I am afraid the loss of sleep might become an obstacle to the biking..any thoughts appreciated (or point me in the way of other blog posts I haven’t seen). Thanks! Tim

    Reply
    • Petrus Booyens May 28, 2018, 4:56 am

      Get an Aeropress and brew your own coffee at work…

      Reply
    • Richard December 18, 2019, 1:45 am

      You can buy/make little clip-on cup holders for your bike. If your commute is flat and gentle, these work quite well for enjoying a home-made coffee on the way. Exactly the same logic as a cup holder in a car.

      Reply
  • Petrus Booyens May 28, 2018, 4:54 am

    So, I was getting ready for work and decided that today is too hot for riding my bike (complainy pants!!!). Then I read my usual MMM article for the day and it was this one. So, I punched myself in the face and got on my bike! Felt great! Thanks for the necessary punching in the face!

    Reply
  • Knightmagic May 17, 2019, 10:01 am

    So my wife and I finally sat down and ordered our bikes! I ordered a Mongoose Dolomite Fat Tire bike (I’m a heavier guy making healthier choices) and we ordered a 3 wheel trike with a basket. The trike can carry up to 330 lbs (rider included)! We are excited to start riding this more and forgo driving our car barely a mile to the grocery store. We are looking to move closer to our jobs once our lease is up. Currently we live 10 miles away but we only work a block away from each other.

    Reply
  • Raj December 9, 2019, 7:18 pm

    MMM

    An uncomfortable point of view.

    Riding bikes long term could potentially cause male impotency.

    This is from my own experience.of buying a hybrid bike and riding it for some just 4 miles.

    After reading this awesome article, I got myself a giant hybrid bike for around 500$. Rode it for about 4 miles without seat pads or other accessories. The seat had a narrow nose and was positioned bit upwards. I could feel the pressure between the thighs in few minutes after riding. Ignored it and continued. And to my shock, the following days I started experiencing ED.

    It took me some full two weeks for things to get normal. I returned the bike.promptly.

    Please google impotency and biking before rubbishing this comments. I am sure there are ways to avoid this and still bike. But please highlight that this is a genuine problem bikes might develop – so people take caution.

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache December 16, 2019, 9:07 pm

      Raj, I’m sorry to hear about your experience with the bad bike seat (and even sorrier to hear you gave up biking just because of an easily preventable seat problem!)

      But for everyone else, please note that biking generally has the opposite effect – it increases your physical fitness and blood circulation to all parts of your body. It is CAR DRIVING and other sedentary activities that will destroy your sex life in the long run.

      Reply
    • Socrates92 December 18, 2019, 10:17 pm

      On MMM’s note, you survived and things are normal now as you stated. So why not take up biking again and just fix the seat issue?

      Reply
    • barney barney December 19, 2019, 4:50 pm

      Dear Raj,

      Well done for trying out biking. In the past, I also experienced these same problems (ED), and they were definitely due to biking (I know this because the problem would repeatedly go away when I gave the bike a rest). I ride 250km to work per week, so I have plenty of opportunity to experiment. I have found that these problems are easily avoidable.

      The problem is excess pressure on the perineal nerve. This can be completely avoided (use a ‘spongy wonder’ saddle (google it!) which completely gets rid of the problem, but does feel odd, and can lead to hand discomfort). However, I’ve just made a few adjustments, and the problem has not reappeared.

      In a nutshell I found that if

      a) the ‘horn’ of the saddle is not pointing excessively high,

      b) I use a fairly wide comfortable seat,(not sitting on a razor blade), and

      c) I ride a bike with a riding position that is not too aggressive (more like a hybrid or a city bike than a racing bike

      Then there are no problems!! Look at Euro cities like Amsterdam or Denmark, where literally everyone is cycling. If ED was inevitable, these guys would know about it!

      You’re way way more likely to experience sexual health problems from a long term sedentary lifestyle than from biking!

      Good luck

      But I definitely would like to conclude

      Reply
      • Matt in Michigan December 24, 2019, 9:44 am

        Well said barney barney!

        Definitely want to make sure the nose of the saddle is not pointing up.

        I started with a level saddle, using a book on the saddle and then a small bullet level to make sure it’s completely level, and make sure the ground is level as well. Then in small increments tilt the rear of saddle up until you find your sweet spot.

        Also just wanted to say how great it is this community is with helping one another out!

        Reply
  • Ben Jones May 7, 2020, 4:52 am

    MMM – reading this side-by-side with your latest posts, I’m concerned that you may have mellowed over the last 8 years. So, it’s highly enjoyable to see you have a proper rant about cycling.

    Agree with it all. Keep up the great work!

    Best,
    Ben

    Reply
  • Star2700 October 17, 2020, 11:20 am

    What do you think about fixed gear bicycles? As a bike-commuter since two years ago, I switched to the low-maintenance, self-built fixie, which has been a life-changer. Cruising around on a freewheel feels strange after switching. And, despite all the savings from just using a bike instead of a car, I do think there is a benefit from not having gears and tearing brakes. Of course I do have brakes, but I seldom use them due to the fixed gear.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

To keep things non-promotional, please use a real name or nickname
(not Blogger @ My Blog Name)

The most useful comments are those written with the goal of learning from or helping out other readers – after reading the whole article and all the earlier comments. Complaints and insults generally won’t make the cut here, but by all means write them on your own blog!

connect

welcome new readers

Take a look around. If you think you are hardcore enough to handle Maximum Mustache, feel free to start at the first article and read your way up to the present using the links at the bottom of each article.

For more casual sampling, have a look at this complete list of all posts since the beginning of time or download the mobile app. Go ahead and click on any titles that intrigue you, and I hope to see you around here more often.

Love, Mr. Money Mustache

latest tweets