# When is cycling faster than driving?



## InfiniteLoop (Mar 20, 2010)

I live 1.1 miles from a shopping area that I frequent. If I go to one store it takes me the same amount of time to cycle as drive. For two stores the bike is generally faster. A cafe that is 3.4 miles away takes me about 10 minutes longer to cycle to than drive. I would guess then that in general for me about 1 mile is the break-even time wise; less than 1 mile a bike is faster, more than 1 mile a bike is slower.

On good weather days I find the bike more convenient so a few extra minutes would be offset by convenience. On the other hand, really cold, rainy, snowy, or very hot humid days make a car the more appealing choice regardless. Colder or wet weather also means extra time to bundle up for cycling that is not required in a warm car. Regardless of all of this, if I have time on a relatively nice day I'll cycle regardless of the time it takes.

Where are your break-even points on time and other factors when choosing to drive or bike (for those who own both a car and bike)? I'd guess that increased stop lights or intersections between your start and end points would significantly lengthen the break-even, perhaps even to 5 miles or more?


----------



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

We ride because we like to.

And we really don't much like driving.

It helps if you have a trailer for your bike.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Awesome trailer. I need to get my fiancee something like that, maybe with a big battery or a little generator for a fridge. Then she can go on training rides with me. 

OP, in serious-ish answer to your question - I can generally beat non freeway-going public transit over any distance. Once it's on the freeway, maybe not anymore. I hate having to look for parking, and that takes some time, and I hate having to pay for parking, especially if it's kind of a lot. Also, people in my city can't drive and the freeways suck for about a thirty mile radius. My usual commute is only two and a half miles right now, so pretty easy. My longest regular commute was about six miles. Some mornings I drove, but I always regretted it in the afternoon. Even if my driving commute was the same length or shorter than my bike commute, I enjoy my time on the bike unless something really crappy happens, while I find driving in city traffic to be very frustrating. I also like that bike commuting keeps me at a certain minimum level of fitness even if I don't have time for a while for "real" rides.

So I default to my bike if I'm just transporting me and maybe some books or something. For me, it's more a matter of what will make me switch to my car. Actually, I often use it to buy groceries. I have good panniers, but I don't live in a theft-free city, and they lose a lot of convenience when I have to take them on and off the bike a lot. So it's easier just to hop in the car. During the summer, I was commuting about thirty miles each way. I drove. On the weekends, I drive 80 miles to hang out with my fiancee. I sometimes drive places to race or to ride my mountain bike.


----------



## Dave Cutter (Sep 26, 2012)

My post office is almost exactly five miles from home. Admittedly although I can avoid much of the traffic by cycling there.... I can still shave a couple minutes by driving. But since I cycle for recreation [somewhat] in that direction anyway the out-of-the-way time spent to drop off mail or buy stamps is nearly nothing. 

Whereas I can drive to accomplish the same tasks and errands. And driving might have saved a tiny amount of time. But none of the driving time would have been exercise. I need the exercise anyway. By running errands while cycling I do both. So by using my exercise time to run errands I save all the normal driving time [as well as gasoline]. 

For many of us... exercise is often considered optional. But I think for most of us that is likely a mistake. But there are great ways to get some free exercise time. Cycling instead of driving of course is one way. But even when driving you can park further from a business [like a store] quicker than finding closer parking. Then use that time saving to walk to and from the car... getting exercise without using any measurable spare time.


----------



## ratherBclimbing (Apr 2, 2007)

My work is just a hair under 10 miles from home, but it's smack in the middle of the Southern Californian daily carmegeddon. I leave for work early enough that I can do it much faster in the car, but if I leave work around 5:30 - 6:00 in the afternoon I'm pretty close to breaking even with my bike commute. 1.5 miles of city streets then MUT the rest of the way. Fridays and holidays are much faster on my bike, and less frustrating.


----------



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

The Boy and i usually ride the tandem to teeball and soccer practice. neighbors are on the team and we get home before them. unfortunately, most games are located at a park that is along a busy road. i wish they would build the 1 mile connecting trail already...


----------



## InfiniteLoop (Mar 20, 2010)

ratherBclimbing said:


> but if I leave work around 5:30 - 6:00 in the afternoon I'm pretty close to breaking even with my bike commute.


Breaking even on a 10mi ride is pretty good.


----------



## ratherBclimbing (Apr 2, 2007)

InfiniteLoop said:


> Breaking even on a 10mi ride is pretty good.


It's not so much that I'm riding fast, but driving slow. It's essentially bumper-to-bumper for my entire drive.


----------



## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

For me, the "Rock Star Parking" makes the difference. My commute is only about a mile long, but I roll right up to my office and leave the bike inside.

If my wife and I (we work at the same school) leave the neighborhood together, she will pass me before we make it to the main road. However, I will be in my classroom by the time she gets out of her car on the other side of campus. In heavy traffic, it's really not much of a contest.


----------



## InfiniteLoop (Mar 20, 2010)

seeborough said:


> If my wife and I (we work at the same school) leave the neighborhood together, she will pass me before we make it to the main road. However, I will be in my classroom by the time she gets out of her car on the other side of campus.


You married a car person? Really? 

Parking is an important element (at least until we achieve Denmark/Netherlands world). Even in DE/NL, you'll usually park much closer to your destination (they fit about 26 bikes in the space of an average American parking slot). This is also where multiple stops makes bikes even more time efficient and convenient.


----------



## InfiniteLoop (Mar 20, 2010)

MB1 said:


> We ride because we like to.


There are a gob of well known benefits to cycling instead of driving (enjoyment, personal health, personal monetary, public monetary, environmental (reduce air, noise, water, and other pollution), personal convenience, reduce crime, etc), what I'm working on is putting meat on the bones of some of these to help individuals and gov't folk better understand the benefits.

Great pic btw, is that you? What's under the covers?


----------



## surly boy (Sep 8, 2011)

I used to have a 15 mile commute when I drove in. When I cycled It would be about 20 miles as I would take a route to avoid traffic. Driving took about 35-40 minutes depending on traffic. Riding in took about an hour, and I'd arrive invigorated and ready to go.


----------



## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

Last night, while out with a friend of ours, I told him how I rode my bike to the supermarket for the first time since moving to this neighborhood. Took about 25 min each way. 

He said, "Looks like you've got loads of free time on your hands." Which is true since our office building was flooded by the hurricane, but it only takes what, an extra 40min or so total. Not counting the time it takes to load up the panniers (with practice that shouldn't take as long.)

But the point is, it's burning fat instead of gas/money. It's way more fun, and makes grocery shopping less of a monotonous chore.


----------



## oldroads (Dec 8, 2008)

I have a used bike shop in Cambridge, MA, and from everything I’ve seen or heard in the shop, or experienced on my own, a bicycle is faster than a taxi, car, bus or train. Plus you can park at your destination. 
The only thing faster would be a moped.


----------



## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

A few examples from my past commutes:

Hawaii - My commute was 13 miles each way. About 45-50 minutes. I drove to work a total of 6 times in almost three years and it took 25 minutes. The trip home is where I saved time. Traffic on Oahu is horrible, an hour or more on the drive home. I worked with a guy who lived down the street and every once in a while I'd hang out in the parking lot on my bike and wait for him to drive out. I'd then ride home and would be sitting in the driveway drinking a beer when he drove by. 

Bremerton, WA - 21 miles each way. An hour and fifteen minutes on average door to door. If I drove, I parked in a parking garage that was a 25 minute walk away. 30 minute drive plus the walk was 55 minutes so for less than an extra hour, I got two and a half hours of riding in on those days. That's time saved that I can spend with the family. 

Norfolk, VA - Scary as **** commute from VA Beach to Norfolk Naval Shipyard that was 14 miles each way. Really bad traffic so it was faster in each direction, much safer on the way home with the slower traffic around me. On most roads, I was out in the lane keeping pace with traffic or timing the city buses in the right lane.


----------



## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Beating cars for short distances is certainly possible depending on traffic & road conditions. I also think a willingness to break traffic laws might weigh heavily into the situation.


----------



## shoemakerpom2010 (Apr 25, 2011)

I feel guilty and lazy if I drive in on my 5 mile to work commute. I try to commute to work everyday except when there is lightning. Those days I am glad to be alive to ride another day!


----------



## scorchedearth (Mar 22, 2012)

Sometimes, I ride to Old Town Alexandria to hang out, have coffee, go to the farmer's market or on my way to the Mount Vernon Trail. The distance is about 7-8km. Going at a good clip, I can inevitably beat the time it takes me on a bus but not everytime that I drive. Factoring in time for finding parking and/or paying for it makes the bike come out on top every time.


----------



## lampshade (Jul 18, 2002)

Where I live, biking is typically faster than driving/parking, etc. The best "free exercise" I've found is since we got to large breed (std. poodles) dogs. They need at least two 45min walks a day. It's great to get out of the house in winter when I normally wouldn't. I just listen to podcasts or music and zone out.


----------



## ratherBclimbing (Apr 2, 2007)

lampshade said:


> The best "free exercise" I've found is since we got to large breed (std. poodles) dogs. They need at least two 45min walks a day.


Why not just walk with them?


----------



## batman1425 (Nov 29, 2005)

Riding my bike is the fastest way for me to get to work (2mi from my front door). Walking, car and bus are all slower due to rush hour traffic. I've commuted to work by bike almost every day for the last 2 years. The rare exception is when I have to bring something in, usually food for an office celebration and what ever I'm bringing won't survive the trip by bike. 

Pretty much the only time I use my car is to go to the grocery store. The thing sits and collects dust the rest of the time.


----------



## nate (Jun 20, 2004)

I bike about 16.5 miles to work and more like 17+ miles on the way home. In the morning it takes longer than driving, just around 1hr versus 45min driving (the drive is probably more like 20 miles). In the afternoon the drive is much more variable, but generally riding and driving take about the same amount of time, about an hour.

The big difference for me knowing how long the commute will take. Unless I have a mechanical problem on my bike, I always know within a few minutes how long the bike commute will take.

The car commute can be as fast as 35-40 minutes but I'm subject to the whims of traffic, which means it can also take 2-3x longer depending on time of year (week before Christmas, first week of school in the Fall are terrible) and other traffic factors. I never can be sure when I'm driving but it's always consistent when I'm riding my bike.


----------



## lampshade (Jul 18, 2002)

ratherBclimbing said:


> Why not just walk with them?


I do. I just meant "free exercise" as a previous poster said. As in, not gearing up and doing a sport/activity.


----------



## eniveld (Dec 6, 2012)

It's 5.5 miles from my house to the ferry, which takes me about 20 minutes by bike on an average day. That's about how long it takes by car, not including finding a parking spot. If you add the time to park your car and walk from long term parking to the ferry, it's 30 minutes by car. Biking is definitely faster. I get to benefit from using a dedicated bike highway for the last few miles which is a straighter path than a car could do, and of course no lights.

Once I take the ferry in to San Francisco, once again it's much faster to get from the ferry terminal to the office by bike, in part because I can ride right into the office building and up the elevator with by bike.

It's so cool to beat my friends to work who are driving, on a daily commute that's 45-60 minutes by car. Of course I'm riding the ferry for much of that at 50 knots, but still - love it.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Whenever I'm going faster then cars.


----------



## timeless (Jun 2, 2007)

honestly I never put that into a factor when I was deciding. When I was going to college at TTU I some times would bike to class from my house. Yeah if I drove I would get to campus a heck of a lot faster if I drove but when you add in the time it would take for me to find a parking spot then hoof it over to class the bike all of a sudden became quite a bit faster. Heck even on the return trip that walking back to my car tend to eat up most if not all the time difference.


----------



## SubRider (Aug 19, 2012)

Locally, when they start piling up, which is often enough for the ego.

For an entire ride, on the Tuesday and Thursday home commute (a little over 9 miles in the SF Bay Area).


----------



## frankdatank1337 (Jul 25, 2010)

I had the same experience when I used to commute to college in Long Beach. Not having to find parking and riding up to the classroom saved a ton of time. It would take me 25min to ride to class but driving and walking would take at least 45min. Overall I found that living in a big city makes cycling always faster but if you live in a more rural area it evens out or takes longer. Although, as posted above we don't ride to save time we do it because we enjoy it.


----------

