Q&A Session

Comment:

Hi, nice blog. I'm on the verge of moving to a new job which I'll have to drive
to - about 40 miles each way, so I'm debating the idea of buying a bike to cut
my fuel consumption. What do you think after commuting for a month? Is this
something you'd be happy to do long term or are you sick/afraid of it?

Response:

First of all, thank you for reading! Now to the meat of it, and I'm sure Matt will also have a response, but here is my take on it. I think that the best way to answer is taking the last point first. Motorcycle commuting is definitely something I will continue to do. Not only does it conserve fuel consumption, it has a variety of other helpful effects.

One, if I have had a stressful day at work, the ride home is rather relaxing. I think that comes from the fact that to concentrate on the commute I must focus completely on it, no distractions left over from the day can continue to eat at me on the way home.

Two, I can concentrate better on my work when I get there. Again, motorcycling is as much a mental exercise as a physical one. It wakes you up and focuses your mind before you even sit down behind the desk.

Three, I drink less coffee over the course of the day. See reason two for an explanation.

That being said, it is more nervous to ride to work versus drive to work. Commuting any sort of distance over congested roads is not something to be taken lightly. Rush hour traffic is the worst for aggressive drivers and inattentive drivers, all focused on something other than the task at hand. If I had it to do over again, knowing what I have learned over the past month, I think I would have waited until I had a few more miles in the saddle before actually committing to a lengthy daily commute. On the flip side of that, you'll notice that I did not actually commit to the full month and cherry picked the days that I drove a car due to the problematic lack of experience.

As a final note to anyone interested in a motorcycle as an alternate form of transportation. Over the past month, my fuel consumption has averaged 65 miles per gallon. Obviously, motorcycles are very effective gas savers and a very fun form of rapid transit. They are also not for everyone, they are more exposed and less noticeable than a car and they require a huge commitment on the part of the rider to learn, practice, and care for the motorcycle. However, my advice to anyone curious about the sport, look into it, whether you know people you can ask, have a dealership you can visit (although, as with auto dealers, take what they say with a grain of salt) or a motorcycle safety school you can enroll in or sit in on, do it. Learn everything you can and make an informed decision on if it's a hobby that you can enjoy.