Commuting by Bike

Switching my commute to travel to work by bike is one of the best habits I've started.

I live in Boston and starting biking around the city when I moved off Northeastern's campus. My commute from the student neighborhood of Mission Hill to the campus was about a mile, and only took a couple minutes, but introduced a world of difference.

Now, I bike to work, a distance of around 4 miles that takes me 20-30 minutes. It's easily one of my favorite parts of my morning and has led to these great benefits:

1. Speed

The first question I usually get when people learn that I commute by bike is "how long does that take?" They're surprised to learn that biking ends up being faster than if I were to take public transportation. To take the Orange Line to my office, I have to walk 10-15 minutes, wait for the next train to come, ride it for 10-15 minutes, and walk another couple minutes to my office. Biking eliminates any frustrating wait time and is almost always door-to-door. Plus, with the addition of bike lanes, you can fly past car commuters sitting in traffic!

2. Environment

According to the US EPA, the average car emits 404 grams of CO2 per mile. I live pretty close to my office, but the 8 miles there and back each workday equates to over 16,000 grams each week, and over 1,700 pounds each year. The average mature tree only absorbs about 48 pounds of CO2 in one year. The electric subway system in Boston is surely way more climate-friendly than a car which eats up the effort of 35 trees, but I know that the electric grid in MA isn't 100% renewable.

3. Exercise

The benefits of early-morning exercise are many. Starting off my day with cycling leaves me feeling powerful and accomplished before I even sit to work. Plus, the burning in my muscles and elevated heart rate stay with me for minutes or hours after I've sat down, carrying on to the rest of my day. I feel more alert and ready to tackle the day's tasks after my bike ride in.

4. Mindfulness

I choose not to consume any media on my commute. Instead, I spend the time getting in tune with my body and mind. The positive thought-patterns I develop on my way into the office (the accomplishment I feel after climbing a steep hill) and reinforce on the way home (admiration at the sun glistening off the Charles River or the wonder of noticing a new group of flowers along my path) float with me and lighten my week's mental load.

5. Freedom

Having your own personal mode of transportation allows you to set your own schedule. My roommates rush out of the house to catch their preferred train, and my co-workers rush out of the office to catch their ride home. Meanwhile, I have the luxury of coming and going as I please. If I want to stop along my route home to pick up fresh flowers or groceries, I don't have to plan additional transportation to do so.

6. Convenience

The best way to form a new habit is to decrease resistance and increase convenience. Biking makes exercise, meditation, groceries, and weekend brunch out convenient. I can hop on my bike and be anywhere within minutes.

7. It beats the alternative

If I wasn't biking into work each day, I'd be planning out my routes on the T - surrounded by other people who'd rather be outdoors in the fresh air. Being surrounded by miserable, tired people scrolling through Instagram usually tempts me to do the same. The expectation of getting a seat on a quiet train versus the reality of standing next to someone shouting deflates me.