Commuting

Last week I used my bike to commute to work every day. I'm finding that using the bike is more a state of mind that anything else. I'm lucky enough to live within a mile and a quarter of my work so the commute is easy and takes about the same amount of time as driving. The Commute by Bike web site has a variety of resources to get your started or keep you motivated. There is a calculator on the home page to help you calculate how much money you save on gas by using your bike instead of your car. I saved $2.19 last week. This does not include my errands to the bank, library, post office and City Hall (probably another $2.00 or so). There is also the wear and tear on the car (figure about 15-20 times starting it up and the fact that using a car for short drives is driving at its least efficient. I also save $60 by not having to purchase a parking sticker.

But that's not entirely why I do it.

I do it because it's fun.