See what happens - a couple weeks of bike commuting and I forget how badly it sucks to drive in traffic.

I had to drive today, and it was the first time in 2.5 weeks I'd driven in rush hour traffic. I got cut off a few times, I yelled at the windshield a couple times, it took almost as long as it does by bike anyway.

I get to work, step out of the car, and have a headache... NOT a good way to start the day!

See what happens - a couple weeks of bike commuting and I forget how badly it sucks to drive in traffic.

I had to drive today, and it was the first time in 2.5 weeks I'd driven in rush hour traffic. I got cut off a few times, I yelled at the windshield a couple times, it took almost as long as it does by bike anyway.

I get to work, step out of the car, and have a headache... NOT a good way to start the day!

When we lived in VA and still had two cars, I would occassionally check the weather in the morning and if it was too cold, I would drive the civic to work. It was like I never learned my lesson. I would be sitting traffic for an hour getting to work, the whole time thinking that it wasn't that cold and riding to work was only ten minutes longer than driving. I would be depressed by the time I got to work knowing that I had to sit in traffic again that afternoon. I wouldn't have been that big of a deal to put on an extra layer that morning. Now I commute in Hawaii and barring tropical storms, I can commute everyday. The traffic here is pretty awful..

When we lived in VA and still had two cars, I would occassionally check the weather in the morning and if it was too cold, I would drive the civic to work. It was like I never learned my lesson. I would be sitting traffic for an hour getting to work, the whole time thinking that it wasn't that cold and riding to work was only ten minutes longer than driving. I would be depressed by the time I got to work knowing that I had to sit in traffic again that afternoon. I wouldn't have been that big of a deal to put on an extra layer that morning. Now I commute in Hawaii and barring tropical storms, I can commute everyday. The traffic here is pretty awful..

Good morning Bill,
20.25 here, should be almost lunch in Honolulu. What is your morning commute like? Bicycle paths or jammed in between traffic? How long is it? I would imagine it pretty difficult to get a headache driving in the tropics...
Cheers, Wayne
ps. What's for lunch today??

When we lived in VA and still had two cars, I would occassionally check the weather in the morning and if it was too cold, I would drive the civic to work. It was like I never learned my lesson. I would be sitting traffic for an hour getting to work, the whole time thinking that it wasn't that cold and riding to work was only ten minutes longer than driving. I would be depressed by the time I got to work knowing that I had to sit in traffic again that afternoon. I wouldn't have been that big of a deal to put on an extra layer that morning. Now I commute in Hawaii and barring tropical storms, I can commute everyday. The traffic here is pretty awful..

This will be my first winter with a really long bicycle commute. I live in MD and work in NoVA. It's really my drive home that is crappy. The morning drive is usually only 45 minutes (only, ha!), but the afternoon drive can take longer than my ride, which is about 1hr45min. That is really only if I leave work late or there is a major accident, but the afternoon commute is always worse than the morning. Of course, there is even traffic on the MUTs around here at this time of year and more than 1/2 my ride is on MUTs.

I'm just wondering how dedicated I'll be in the cold this year when it is 28 miles each way. I am struggling to ride once or twice a week and the weather is beautiful right now. If only I could get some more sleep!

Good morning Bill,
20.25 here, should be almost lunch in Honolulu. What is your morning commute like? Bicycle paths or jammed in between traffic? How long is it? I would imagine it pretty difficult to get a headache driving in the tropics...
Cheers, Wayne
ps. What's for lunch today??

Trying to figure out what time it is in Sweden right now gives me a headache. It is 17.10 here so I think it is 05.10 there. My morning commute starts at 04.45 and starts on a MUT for one block then I roll out onto the shoulder of the main road through Ewa Beach (Ft Weaver). I ride the shoulder about 3.5 miles and then turn onto another main road through Waipahu for 2 miles (no shoulder). In Waipahu I pick up the Pearl Harbor bike path that is broken up into three main segments. The first segment is one mile between a golf course and a high crime area. The second segment goes behind a local high school and community college. This is the burning car/car on a MUT section. This section takes me up to about 8.5 miles. The last segment passes a power plant and has the highest concentration of walker and joggers. Mind you it is only 05.15 at this point. This is also the time that I get two or three commuters behind me using my headlight to see. I have a HID headlight that projects about 50 meters. After this last section, I get onto to Kamehameha Highway, ride the "dip" past Aloha Stadium, pass Ford Island, pass the Arizona Memorial parking lot, and make the turn onto the base. The whole thing takes about 45 minutes. No traffic issues in the morning, the afternoon has gridlock traffic but the worst part has a shoulder. Lunch today was a ham, corned beef, and swiss sandwich that I ate in the truck while driving across the base to sit through four god-forsaken hours of equal opportunity/sexual harassment annual refresher training. I currently have a headache because of the four stitches above my forehead. Long story.
Do you like my use of metrics and european style times?

Bill,
I too live on Oahu. I live in Hawaii Kai and commute to 12 miles to downtown. I work for a construction company, so having a pickup truck during the day is necessary. I drive in on Monday with my bike in the back and try to ride to and from work as much as I can during the week, leaving the truck parked at work the rest of the time. Riding only adds about 15 minutes each way to my commute. I now dread the days I have to drive home. Who wouldn't want to ride home along the "Gold Coast" every day? Oh, and for those who haven't been to Oahu, traffic can be VERY bad. It might not be the worst in the county, but we're trying really hard!
In a couple months I will likely have to start working on a project at Pearl Harbor. That might be a stretch to ride...

Tim

Bill,
I too live on Oahu. I live in Hawaii Kai and commute to 12 miles to downtown. I work for a construction company, so having a pickup truck during the day is necessary. I drive in on Monday with my bike in the back and try to ride to and from work as much as I can during the week, leaving the truck parked at work the rest of the time. Riding only adds about 15 minutes each way to my commute. I now dread the days I have to drive home. Who wouldn't want to ride home along the "Gold Coast" every day? Oh, and for those who haven't been to Oahu, traffic can be VERY bad. It might not be the worst in the county, but we're trying really hard!
In a couple months I will likely have to start working on a project at Pearl Harbor. That might be a stretch to ride...

Tim

It is about 8 miles from Kapiolani Park to the Makalapa gate. It is a toss up between taking Ala Moana and Nimitz or taking Berettania to Dillingham. Both ways suck. Nimitz has a "bike lane", at least there is something painted on the road that has a bike. Can't complain about the weather though. I rode through Hawaii Kai a couple of Sundays ago with 175 of my closest friends. Going down heartbreak hill in the dark with 175 riders is scary. Aloha, bill