I got sucked into a Twitter thread this week via Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher (@mbonsma) that referenced a Mr. Money Mustache article entitled The True Cost of Commuting. I hadn’t seen this article before, but as someone who regularly sweats the details over how much of my life (and wallet) my commute costs, it found it soberingly gratifying. It’s been a while since I revisited this topic, and a lot has changed since then. We’re due for an update, I think.
Two years ago today, I got word that my office was moving to another city about 20 kilometers away, and that I would have to saddle up for a big kid commute. Well, two months ago, that day finally came. This is how it’s going.
My office is moving to another city and my commute is going to drastically change. For drivers, this move will be fairly trivial. For low-car folks like me, it poses some significant challenges.
Frame real estate is very limited. On the surface, it may look like your options for mounting your u-lock with the bracket it came with are too. Here’s a pro-tip for mounting your u-lock you may have missed.
On my ride home from work the other day, I passed a disheveled looking man on a bicycle (riding on the against-traffic side on the sidewalk1, at dusk, without a light, a helmet, or proper reflectors). As I passed him, he remarked about my flashing white light, “Those flashing lights are illegal!”
I ride to and from work twice every day, and rarely do I ever see another cyclist riding on the right side of the street. In fact, I rarely see them on the street at all. Most opt for the excessively dangerous sidewalk. The thrill of encountering cars as they back out of driveways, or pedestrians as they leave their homes must be a huge adrenaline rush.
But that’s the subject of another gripe. In the 20 months I have been bike commuting, I think I can count on one hand the number of cyclists I have seen stop at a stop sign.
Today is day two of May is Bike Month, and I logged my usual 2 km (okay, 1.28 miles for the imperialist bike event) trip to work. Twice on this short trip I was almost creamed by careless drivers. I credit my intuition, adhearance to traffic laws, and two pieces of inexpensive equipment for my safe arrival to work.