Bicycle commuting is the use of a

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

to travel from home to a place of work or study — in contrast to the use of a bicycle for

sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...

, recreation or touring.

Commuting Commuting is periodically recurring travel between one's place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regul ...

especially lends itself to areas with relatively flat terrain and arrangements to keep riders relatively safe from the hazards of

accidents An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researche ...

with motorized traffic, e.g. separated

bicycle lane Bike lanes (US) or cycle lanes (UK) are types of bikeways (cycleways) with lanes on the roadway for cyclists only. In the United Kingdom, an on-road cycle-lane can be firmly restricted to cycles (marked with a solid white line, entry by motor ...

s and a general acceptance of cyclists as traffic participants. The rise of the

electric bicycle An electric bicycle (e-bike, eBike, etc.) is a motorized bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fall into two broad categories: bikes that assis ...

which is quickly surpassing the sales of conventional bicycles will effectively increase bicycle commuting in hilly areas and allow for longer journeys. A

bike bus A bike bus, also known as a bike train or a cycle train, or cycle bus is a group of people who cycle together on a set route following a set timetable other than for sporting purposes. Cyclists may join or leave the bike bus at various points ...

is a form of collective

commuting where participants cycle together on a set route following a set

timetable A schedule or a timetable, as a basic time-management tool, consists of a list of times at which possible task (project management), tasks, events, or actions are intended to take place, or of a sequence of events in the chronological order ...

. Cyclists may join or leave the bike bus at various points along the route. Bicycles are used for commuting worldwide. In some places, like the Netherlands,

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

to work is very common. Elsewhere, commuting by car or

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

is the norm, and cycle commuting occurs only in isolated pockets, as in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Mixed-mode commuting Intermodal passenger transport, also called mixed-mode commuting, involves using two or more modes of transportation in a journey. Mixed-mode commuting is often used to combine the strengths (and offset the weaknesses) of various transportati ...

combines the use of a bicycle with

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

for commuting. Cycling is an inexpensive means of

transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...

as well as good

physical exercise Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...

. Bicycle commuting offers potential health, economic, and quality of life benefits — potentially offsetting some of the risks and inconveniences inherent in cycling. When compared to driving, cycling's inconveniences include limitations to travel distance, security risks, increased travel time, safety risks, impact to personal hygiene, exposure to inclement weather, and load carrying limitations. Bicycle features that enhance commuting include racks or

pannier A pannier is a basket, bag, box, or similar container, carried in pairs either slung over the back of a beast of burden, or attached to the sides of a bicycle or motorcycle. The term derives from a Middle English borrowing of the Old French '' ...

s for storage, battery or dynamo-powered

lights Light is an electromagnetic radiation, part of which stimulates the sense of vision. Light or Lights may also refer to: Illumination * Light bulb * Traffic light Arts and entertainment Music * Lights (musician) (born 1987), Canadian singer-son ...

for increased visibility, mudguards or fenders to minimize the impact of inclement weather, a chain guard to protect clothing, and an upright sitting position for increased visibility. 2008 saw the rise of bikes in the U.S with similar features, so-called ''commuter bikes,'' which are geared directly at riders looking to use bicycles for daily work and study travel. In geographic areas where winter weather creates the likelihood of snow or ice on a bike commuter's route, studded

bicycle tires A bicycle tire is a tire that fits on the wheel of a bicycle or similar vehicle. These tires may also be used on tricycles, wheelchairs, and handcycles, frequently for racing. Bicycle tires provide an important source of suspension, generat ...

are another feature that can improve the cyclist's safety while commuting, by increasing the tires' traction on slippery road surfaces.

United States

In 2008, the

Bicycle Commuter Benefit Act A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered transport, human-powered or motorized bicycle, motor-powered assisted, bicycle pedal, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two bicycle wheel, wheels attached to a ...

became law as part of the bailout bill. According to census data, men are the primary beneficiaries, since, a decade later, men overwhelmingly made up the majority of bicycle commuters. The United States Census collects information from respondents about Means of Transportation to Work. Bicycle has been an option since the 1980 Census. The Census does not collect information about transportation means to school.

List of U.S. cities with most bicycle commuters The following is a list of United States incorporated places with at least 5,000 workers with the 25 highest rates of bicycle commuting (bicycle mode share), according to data from the 2019 American Community Survey, 5 year average. The Census Bur ...

The Netherlands

In the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, commuting by bicycle is common, as is the combined use of the bicycle with public transportation. In their programmes for the parliamentary elections, almost all Dutch political parties add paragraphs in which they vow to enhance facilities for bicycle commuting. The political party

GroenLinks GroenLinks (, ) is a green political party in the Netherlands. It was formed on 1 March 1989 from the merger of four left-wing parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, the Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and t ...

even promotes a principle called ''"Groen Reizen"'' (''green travelling''), in which the choice to use bicycles and public transportation plays a key role.

Canada

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

collects information in a national census held every five years that includes data about how Canadians travel to work in

Census Metropolitan Areas The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of st ...

. Commuting by bicycle has a low overall percent of commuters by bike at 1.4% but commuting by bicycle is the fastest growing method of commuting, increasing by 87.9% from 1996 to 2016, outpacing the overall growth in the number of commuters.

References

External links

Bike to Work Week/Day Map and Events ListCommuting 101
commutebybike.com
Commuter Bike Meccas

8 Best Cities for Cyclists
{{Cycling

United States

The Netherlands

Canada

See also

References

External links