Now that gas prices getting lower…

August 18th, 2008 at 17:32

For me the $80.00 a month I am saving in gas was only part of the equation. I’m an avid mountain biker but days spent at a computer keyboard were leaving me less than prepared for the trails.
So now, am saving money, but I’m also getting in great shape, which enables me to enjoy cycling that much more

Cezar

August 18th, 2008 at 17:41

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I think many will stick to their bikes while the weather holds. I also don’t think gas prices will drop that much. Demand for gas had to drop as people turned away from driving everywhere, but the days of $1 a gallon gas are gone. I have a feeling it’ll settle as $3.50 and do a slow climb from there.

Joe

August 18th, 2008 at 18:45

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Most of the “experts” I have heard say that 4 dollar/gallon seems to be the tipping point. My wife got gas last night at $3.99-. I think that as long as it stays above 4/gallon, people will for the most part, stick with conservation. If it falls significantly below 4/gallon, like to 3.50, I think people will (especially with winter coming, which is the most understandable excuse) slide back into their more comfy lifestyles and fire up the SUV.

Iron_Man

August 18th, 2008 at 19:01

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It’s hard for me to say. I biked well before fuel savings was an issue. I’ve not met many with the same passion for cycling that I have. The folks I know that have become bike commuters would have started driving again come Winter anyway IMO. I think they’ll stick to it for the rest of the Summer no matter what the cost of gas though.

Gabriel

August 18th, 2008 at 19:08

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All we really need to do is keep bicycle commuting on bicycles. If that’s not enough fun for them… they’re going to drive. But I do hope we keep the public momentum going behind building more bike paths, lanes and safety devices. Bicycling infrastructure (I think) is the very best way to keep folks on bikes — this helps to keep it safer and more pleasant.

venison

August 18th, 2008 at 19:18

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I’m not up to date on the topic, but it seems like there hasn’t been a significant change in the gas supply. The decline in gas supplies seems to be driven by Americans and Europeans cancelling vacations and changing their driving habits. As the price drops I think those attitudes will change back. Along with that there is an emerging class of first-time car buyers in countries like Brazil, India, China, and Russia. So I suspect there won’t be a significant change in the long term.

The weather will be a big factor in some parts of the country for some people taking a break. In more mild climates, I suspect it will be the shorter days.

Alejolucas

August 18th, 2008 at 19:39

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Around 5 months ago a guy fell asleep at the wheel. changed lanes and crashed into my minivan. Since then I started bike commuting 3 to 5 days a week.
Is not only the money saved on gas but the car payment & insurance I’m NOT paying what makes the big difference!
I haven’t lost any weight since I started, but I do feel way better the days I ride!
I’ll try and hold onto this for as long as possible. Hopefully more people will realize how good it is for the health (body & mind) and the budget and will stick to it.
Alejo.//

Stuart M.

August 18th, 2008 at 20:05

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The winters are pretty ice cold here in Hokkaido, Japan, but it has been snowing very little. Last winter, I made a point of bicycling at least once a week during each of the winter months. Some days were so cold my fingers froze right through the gloves and my sunglasses would constantly fog. But now that my kneepain seems to have settled down, I am going to keep bicycling everyday right through winter! Gas is $6.30 a gallon here in Japan (and there are about $1300 in yearly car taxes and insurance premiums), so I would love to say goodbye to our car. The wife says if the car goes, I do too.

enrique

August 18th, 2008 at 20:47

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The gas prices here in metro Atlanta have inspired a resurgence of bicycling, and it will be interesting to see if this is all a temporary fad should the prices continue to fall. I think the commuters who realize the intrinsic value of bicycling will stick to it.

David M

August 18th, 2008 at 21:35

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There’s an old joke that says OPEC prices oil per barrel like this: $35, $40, $45, $50, $10, $35, $40, $45, $50, $10, $35…etc. Of course the idea being that prices are kept as high as possible for as long as possible and as soon as people decide they can’t afford it and real change begins to effect… it’s becomes reasonable again. But the pattern repeats… I can’t imagine that anyone who’s made the switch to commuting would abandon the concept just because fuel got 30 cents cheaper (it’s still over $3.50 a gal btw) BUT, I do imagine fewer people might be inclined to START commuting… Like most things though, if it becomes fashionable or envogue, it won’t matter. I just don’t think it’s hit that critical mass just yet.

Paul

August 18th, 2008 at 22:31

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I have already seen less cyclists commuting since gas dropped back toward $3.50 a gallon in Austin, but like some other comments and what I know about Peak Oil, that price slide back is really just temporary. China will be back in full swing (Bejing driving again) after the games, home heating oil will be in demand in the US, more unrest between Georgia & Russia, etc. We will be paying more than $4 again this fall. Some people here have been listing their newly bought bikes on Craigslist, too. Maybe giving up commuting by bike because it is too hard. Overall there will still be more cyclists continue riding than before the run-up in gas prices, I think. I’ve been hooked and now think driving is way too boring to do even once a month!

Ben V.H.

August 19th, 2008 at 05:13

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Speaking as a recent convert to bike commuting and someone who works with another convert to bus/bike, I don’t think it will matter for us. I drive a pretty efficient car, so it was never much about the money for me. I’ve lost 10 pounds in the past month and a half and I’m probably in better shape than I’ve been in 15+ years… plus I get a beautiful ride along the river (I’m very lucky and there aren’t many crazy drivers along it, either) and nice time to think and decompress.
I really think that the experience of bike commuting is worth it much more than the money saved and the others I know who have tried it seem to agree. Now if I can just stop getting flat tires…

Joel

August 19th, 2008 at 07:42

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I see it two ways – some won’t go back because of the fun/fitness part (those are the few who only needed a little extra push to start) and to keep the others it comes down to infrastructure, which unfortunately will take too long to create to score now. Getting lanes/trails for safe riding, racks for safe locking, and showers/lockers to make it more pleasant for people to transition into working are all keys for holding the uncommitted, but those things all take time and $

Geoff

August 19th, 2008 at 09:40

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I’m not giving it up, I’m going the other way…

I’m fortunate enough to live and work near two pretty big colleges (Mt. Holyoke and UMass) and buses runs between the two during the school year. I plan to ride (3/4mi) to the bus stop, toss the bike on the bus rack, ride the bus, then ride the 1.5mi to work. I want to bike as much as possible but it is New England and 13 miles in snow isn’t much fun.

Oh yeah… and when the buses start up (Labor day) the SUV comes off the road, no registration, no insurance, no excise tax.

RL Policar

August 19th, 2008 at 11:35

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Though I see more commuters now in my area, I have a feeling that once schools starts back in session and the weather changes, people will get back into their Suburbans and Tahoes….

Cato

August 19th, 2008 at 14:18

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I’m one of those guys who started bike commuting because of gas prices, and I’m not going back anytime soon. Here are the reasons why:

1) I made the choice to do this, in large part, for carefully considered economic reasons. I’ve now put over $700 into bikes and biking stuff. I’m going to, at the very least, get it to pay for itself. (Which shouldn’t take too long at the rate I ride.)

2) I started thinking about doing the bike commuting thing back in February or March, when gas was $3 a gallon. It may have gone up another buck between then and when I finally got around to buying a bike, but $3 gas was enough to make it seem worthwhile.

3) There is going to be hysteresis in the system. The price at which people finally tip over into the bike commuting world will, necessarily, be quite a bit higher than the point at which they would go back. It just takes more motivation to change then to stay the same.

4) While I started this for the point of saving money on gas, I’ve learned to like a lot more about it. Bikes are just fun. They are also a lot less stressful to travel on because you don’t have to deal with traffic and other such things.

That’s the way I see it, anyway.

Ben C

August 19th, 2008 at 14:41

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I started bike commuting consistently about 3/2007. I think fuel was $2.87. Anyhow, I ride about 3 times a week. At times I ride to the store. I don’t plan on going back driving full time. I enjoy riding. Besides, it helps eat what ever I want and I can keep the weight off.

Jett

August 19th, 2008 at 17:32

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Gas prices may have been the kick in the pants, but the ride itself will keep many new bike commuters coming back for more.

Karen

August 19th, 2008 at 20:09

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We drove to work this morning in order to do a lunch errand that involved transporting a large piece of glass. It was the second day we drove due to the fact that my husband is getting over virus and doesn’t have the energy yet to navigate the step hills at 7000 ft elevation. He noted that it felt weird to be driving. I agreed and said I couldn’t wait get back on the bike again on Thursday – we have to transport 2 large pieces of glass back to the house tomorrow. People ask me about our commute by bike and seem a bit envious. I an honest about the expense of gas despite the drop in price. For me, I think it has been a long time coming for our nation to have a discussion about our level of consumption vs. our falling incomes. I try not to be a grandstander but simply honest about the fact that I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time in part because driving and depending on a car, despite our duel, seemingly solid middle class income is just an expense we can ill-afford if we want to eat, pay down debt and save for retirement. Maybe it gives people pause to think honestly about their own choices.

Tim Diller

August 20th, 2008 at 07:24

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Ironic that we think of $3.50/gal as cheap now. I remember an email that circulated about three or four years ago. Remember, it? It said the gas prices are an oil industry ploy to get us to think that $2.50/gal is cheap, so let’s all boycott BPAmoco on a certain day?
Gas prices are a very emotional issue, and IMO people’s decisions are based on what the cost is now compared to the recent past. My guess is that every time gas dips a little bit, a certain segment of bikers will hop back in their cars. Hopefully I’m wrong, but I don’t think that many new converts will commute year round through the winter.
On the other hand, with beautiful fall weather on the way, maybe it will pull a lot more people back out onto their bikes. Who knows?

Mindy

August 20th, 2008 at 08:09

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Ben V. H. — Armadillo tires! I haven’t had a flat since February and I used to get one every couple of weeks.

Mindy

Pierre

August 20th, 2008 at 10:28

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Unfortunately, numbers regarding bike sales and use are sketchy at best. I kept hearing that sales were up based on media reports but nothing proved to me that was the case. In fact the Bicycle Retailer came out and said sales were lower than ’07 thru end of May. Bike use numbers are anecdotal also, there is no proof that commuting is up in drastic numbers. We know it is up, but by how much?

Mark

August 20th, 2008 at 12:42

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Even when gas was over $4 many people used any excuse to not use an alternate commuting method. I heard them all. Those that lost weight and feel great, enjoy having more money in their own pockets, and/or believe in greener transportation will continue to do so. Those that can’t wait to afford to drive again or don’t care and think it’s too hard will certainly stop biking.

I personally started commuting by bike last year due to ballooning up to the heaviest I have ever been due to a sit down computer job and not being able to get to the gym enough(and yeah… eating way too much). Gas price wasn’t the issue. Now that I’m down 20 pounds, and healthier than I have been in a long time, I’m going to continue to commute this way, and my bike is almost paid for to boot. Although admittedly I did drive a little more last winter due to it being the second snowiest on record here. The snowbanks encroaching onto already narrow and crowded roads made biking a whole new experience in white knuckle, I can’t believe that driver just did that, frustration.

metaljaybird

August 20th, 2008 at 13:46

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I didn’t start because of gas prices (why, with a 12 mile commute)…but have surely benefited from the extra change in my pocket and less wear and tear on my cars.

I ride because it is fun, and because my body needed the workout. I’ll stick with it even if gas becomes free.

Stuart M.

August 21st, 2008 at 02:19

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I’m the guy who lives in Japan. I had to break down and finally buy gasoline for my Toyota Tercel. A little less than 8 gallons of regular for $48. I hadn’t bought any gasoline since June 11, thanks to my bicycling. I waived the receipt in front of my wife’s eyes, hoping she will finally agree to bicycle with me, instead of demanding to be driven everywhere. She said okay. Let’s see.

2whls3spds

August 22nd, 2008 at 16:58

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Gas prices have not been my motivator in attempting to drive less, never have been. I just dislike having to drive as much as I do, and don’t like being cooped up inside a big metal box. I work outdoors for a living and would rather be outdoors than in most any time. FWIW my better half vetoed the idea of making the new house a Tiki Hut LOL

I like bicycles for the basic simplicity of them, the ability to stop on the spur of the moment to talk to someone, take a closer look at something that catches my eye, and for the exercise.

Aaron

Kim H.

August 25th, 2008 at 04:34

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@ Stuart-

Good luck with the wife, but I’m surprised it’s so hard! I was in Hokkaido with a friend and biked around Tomokomai-Erimo-Obihiro-Furano-Takikawa-Sapporo a month ago; gorgeous and so much safer than cycling around here in Korea.
You’re lucky to have such a great place for cycling.

As for the topic at hand, I think cycling has so many benefits that once people start doing it they will want to stick with it. My coworker started riding in with me at the end of last semester a couple times per week. He just moved over the weekend, but one of our first conversations back at the office today was how to find him a new route to work by bike. I was SO very pleased and we’ll be heading out Thursday to work it out.

Tony Bullard

August 26th, 2008 at 13:09

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I think the best thing is to get them to do it. I’m having so much fun biking to work, I can’t imagine going back to driving. Driving sucks, cycling is fun. That’s enough to keep me going.

Eric

September 4th, 2008 at 07:07

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I always used to bike as a kid. Now I’m 40, overweight, and sit at a keyboard all day. I started bike commuting at the beginning of the summer (3.2 miles each way) as it was the only way I could figure out how to get exercise into my day. In addition, I figured we made a conscious choice to live in a nice city, within walking distance of downtown. I’ve been slowly losing weight, feel better, and really enjoy being back on a bike. I’ll need to figure out how to do winter biking soon, as I live in SE Michigan. My hope is to keep it up every day the roads are clear of snow. Pointers welcome!

Ghost Rider

September 4th, 2008 at 07:53

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Eric, I haven’t spent too much time riding in cold weather (I live in Florida, after all ), but I’ve gleaned a couple of tips over the years: first, dress so that you’re a little bit chilly when you first step outside — if you’re nice and toasty, you’re overdressed for the commute. Second, replace your pedals with BMX-style studded platforms — this will let you wear snow boots or heavy shoes while you ride.

Bike Commuters

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