anyone commute to work/school on a bicycle?

[jamse]

I have had my bike for a month now, and i love cycling. its a single speed 53cm IRO Mark V, it rides soo smooth. I heart it, i am a huge fan of single speed and fixed gear bikes. I named it the Panda, but now i renamed it Judy.
img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/274 ... 712afb.jpg[/img]

here is another IRO i configured that I will buy within the next two months. Its a 53cm IRO Jamie Roy, I will call it..... THOR
img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/275 ... 309cb8.jpg[/img]

I am going to put a white seat with blue highlights, and then blue grip tape on the handle bars. its going to be so pretty!

[qviri]

I've a beater "mountain" bike that I use when I'm not feeling lazy, or have to go or anticipate having to return at a time inconvenient for busing. I've a direct bus connection to the university with a stop literally outside my window - but it runs every 30 minutes outside of rush hour, 60 minutes after 10 p.m., and not at all after 1 a.m.

I like the MTB format because I know I can go over a curb if I find myself in need, and I'm too much of a weenie for single-speed. I dealt with the less-than-ergonomic riding position by perfecting my look-ma-no-hands technique. (There's also an evil hill that I have to cross going both to and from school that I would likely die on without a low gear to fall back on.)

The bike is definitely nothing special, and could definitely use some fixing up. However, too many cases of bike theft around for me to even think about paying for something better - and ultimately this one does its job.

[skitty4gzus]

I commuted to work for a few days a lil while ago on my Schwinn mountain bike due to having too many points on my license and having it suspended for a few days. It was horrible because i had to ride in the rain home one night.

[agarza]

I commute to school on one of those Wal-mart bikes, the brand is Turbo, is a well respected brand here in Mexico, but I really got this for merely 60 Bucks. It's been more than a year and the bike takes up well the beatings.

[elray]

I commute on a vintage 1970's Wards Omega lady's 3-speed, or at least I did until last week, when the rear spokes starting giving way. But it has served me well for the past year. Whaddya want for 10 bucks?

Temporarily, I have a Schwinn Suburban, with an annoying front basket. My backup, the blue Schwinn Breeze ($20), is undergoing a full tuneup at the shop downtown. If you're cheap, never go to the yuppie bike shops; go to "the other side of the tracks". New inner tubes $5 installed, new tires $15 with tube.

I take great pride in the fact that the padlock and cable cost more than than any of the bikes. We tried egalitarian "free yellow bikes" in this town about 10 years ago, but they all were stolen in short order.

I am tempted to buy a car many times, but every time we fill up my girlfriend's tank ($60), I find I can relent for another week. Having to bike also gives me more time to reflect on life, and you feel better when you pedal every day.

Its a little tough going cross-town (15 miles+), but when I'm lazy, there is usually a bus route nearby, and until recently, the bike racks were always unused.

[tom lightbody]

onboard Bickerton bikes (2) foldup: 3-speed tranny,
owner hack front-forks (19mm alu tube), big handlebar
stow bag. In New Zealand Whangarei about 200 m. to
Pak-n-Save grocery; Dunedin ~.5 klic ditto. In Capetown
it was further; and in USA we had the car.

[rek]

Ah bicycle commuting, my favourite hobby! I've been doing it for about six years now, after being fed up with traffic and inner city parking. I've noticed bike-commuting skyrocketing in popularity here in Melbourne over the years (we're lucky enough to have some fantastic cycling infrastructure here, through the entire city and suburbs)

I've built up a number of bikes for commuting over the years (being a tinkerer, bikes never stay the same for long) and the one built just recently is by far the nicest so far. Rigid frame and fork (no suspension), Rohloff hub, rustproof singlespeed chain with a Hebie Chainglider chaincase, rack and mudguards, 13W HID headlight and Garmin 705 satnav. I think the bike's only a firmware upgrade away from having TCAS and CATIII autoland Needless to say the bike stays in my office when at work, not chained up in the street...

The greatest thing is that it is faultlessly reliable while being virtually maintenance-free, no matter what the weather is like, or if it's ridden on tarmac, gravel, or dirt. No suspension - no servicing there. The Speedhub only needs an oil change every 5,000km, and with the chain case, the chain stays clean and quiet seemingly forever (but I wash it every 1000km because I feel guilty if I don't ) Sunshine or rain, day or night, it will go.

[Peter_Peril]

I'm an ex-courier and currently own a GT Zasker MTB and a Trek Roadie. I work at home Primarily, but every evening during the summer I try to flatten out a few hills. Since I'm a little older (early fiftys) the hills tend to flatten me...But I still love cranking my bike up those grades and sliding down the other side.

It would be great if the powers that be ever listened to cyclists. Imagine the joy of having a dedicated lane on your major thoroughfares and plentiful racks to tie up to. As it is I am considering buying an Air Horn to keep the distracted cell-phone loving drivers off my @$$

Oh well, no one said that freedom was without consequence.

[fasterbybike]

I work from home but always find excuses to go and do messages or see clients on my bike. It's a Moulton APB with a 7sp Shimano Nexus internal hub, similar to the Pashley TSR.

Mine's set up as a city bike with guards, rear luggage platform, and a custom front carrier mount that takes a Brompton bagon a quick release mount. Just perfect for carrying any TP in a Targus bag.

All the luggage is carried by the bike, not the rider: much more comfortable and much cooler.