why commute by bike?

Well... why not? That's the first place to start. Sure, you could think of plenty of reasons not to. Actually, excuses not to (we will get to those later). But to answer the question, here are a few reasons to bike to work:

• It's healthy. A twenty-minute ride to work can burn 280 calories or more round trip. Those forty minutes of total ride time will benefit your general fitness.
• It's invigorating. You will feel refreshed and invigorated when you get to work.
• It's quick. That twenty-minute commute is not much longer than your drive to work.
• It's cheap. For less than one or two car payments you can buy a brand new bike, maintenance is inexpensive, and you don't have to pay for gas.
• It's clean. A five-mile drive to work generates one hundred pounds of pollutants in a year. You and your bike? None.

So what's your excuse? See how it stacks up against my list of lame excuses.

how to get started

Commuting to work by bike can be as easy as... well, riding a bike. Get on one and ride it to work. But, there are some things to consider for a comfortable, safe commute. The menus on the left take you step by step through the different issues you need to consider. Some of this information will apply to you, some won't. Some of the information will be new to you, some won't. But, it is offered in the hope of encouraging you to use a bike as a form of transportation and help you get started.

Go to commuting quickStart for a quick reference on commuting by bike. Then go down the list of other topics for more detail.