Every spring, the same people show up at my shop with the same excuses. They want to commute by bike. They’ve been “meaning to start.” But they can’t because of [insert myth here]. I’ve been hearing these for 25 years. They were wrong then. They’re wrong now.
Not wrong as in “technically inaccurate.” Wrong as in “completely made up by people who’ve never ridden farther than the end of their driveway.”
Let’s kill these myths one at a time.
Myth 1: “I’ll Arrive at Work Looking Like I Ran a Marathon”
No, you won’t. Unless you’re an idiot.
Here’s the thing nobody tells you about bike commuting tempo: if you ride at the pace of a brisk walk, you arrive barely warmer than you started. The trick is, don’t race your commute. I know, revolutionary advice from a bike mechanic: “don’t try hard.” But most first-timers treat every red light like a stage finish and arrive looking like they just wrestled a bear.
I’ve commuted in dress shirts. I’ve commuted in suits. I once showed up to a client meeting in a button-down that was so damp I could’ve wrung it out over the conference table. (Riding too fast, obviously. Also, it was 95 degrees. Also, I’m an idiot.) These days I ride at a pace where I can hold a conversation, and I arrive looking like a normal human being.
For longer commutes or hilly routes, keep a change of shirt at work. It takes thirty seconds to swap and weighs nothing. Some of my customers keep a week’s worth of shirts at the office on Monday and bring them home Friday. Lazy? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely. The shirt strategy is the single biggest upgrade you can make to your commute comfort.
Myth 2: “It’s Too Dangerous”
I won’t pretend cycling is risk-free. If someone tells you that, they’re lying, or they’ve never ridden in traffic. But here’s what the data shows, and it’ll surprise you.
The biggest risk factors for bike crashes are: riding without lights, riding against traffic, and not wearing a helmet. All three of which are entirely within your control. Fix those three things and your risk profile drops dramatically.
The comparison people should make isn’t cycling versus sitting on your couch. It’s cycling versus driving. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans under 54. The health benefits of regular cycling — reduced heart disease, diabetes, obesity, the slow decay of sitting in a car for two hours a day — probably outweigh the accident risk by 20 to 1 according to multiple studies.
Here’s the real risk calculation that nobody does: the sedentary lifestyle kills far more people than cycling does. You’re trading a tiny risk of accident for a massive reduction in chronic disease risk. That’s a trade I’d make every single day of the week, and I have, for 15 years.
Myth 3: “My Commute Is Too Far”
What’s your commute? Five miles? Ten? Because five miles takes about 25 minutes at a moderate pace. That’s comparable to most car commutes once you factor in traffic, parking, walking from the parking structure to your building, and the 15 minutes you spend scrolling your phone in the parking lot before going inside. (We all do it.)
Ten miles takes about 45 minutes, which is longer, sure. But you also skip the gym, which saves an hour. So you’re ahead by fifteen minutes and you got fresh air instead of staring at a gym TV playing CNN.
For truly long commutes, e-bikes completely break the math. A fifteen mile commute on an e-bike takes about 40 minutes and you barely break a sweat. We’ve covered the full e-bike commuting breakdown elsewhere, but the short version: if your commute is over 8 miles, seriously look at an e-bike before you give up.
Myth 4: “It Rains Too Much Here”
Unless you live in the Amazon rainforest, it rains less often than you think. In most US cities, measurable rainfall happens on maybe 15 to 20 percent of days. That means 80 percent of the time, the weather is perfectly fine. You’re letting 20 percent of days stop you 100 percent of the time. That’s bad math.
On the days it does rain, fenders and a rain jacket solve the problem. Full fenders on your bike, a waterproof jacket, and the acceptance that arriving slightly damp is fine. (You were going to sweat anyway.)
The interesting thing about rain commuting — and I know this sounds like Stockholm syndrome — is that the people who do it consistently say it’s their favorite rides. Empty bike lanes. Quiet streets. The satisfaction of knowing you didn’t let a little water stop you while your coworkers complained about the weather from inside their cars. There’s something almost meditative about riding in the rain when you’re properly prepared for it.
Myth 5: “I Don’t Have Time”
This one makes me want to scream.
A 20-minute bike commute takes 20 minutes. A 20-minute drive takes 20 minutes plus 5 minutes finding parking plus 5 minutes walking from the parking lot plus the 30 minutes at the gym you need because you sat in a car all day. You’re not saving time by driving. You’re just moving the exercise to a worse part of your day.
Bike commuting doesn’t add time to your day. It consolidates your exercise and transportation into one activity. If you currently exercise separately and drive separately, bike commuting saves you time. Like, a lot of time. Like, an hour a day.
The only scenario where driving genuinely saves time is very long commutes (15+ miles each way) with no shower at work. In that case, look at an e-bike or a hybrid approach — drive part way and bike the rest.
Myth 6: “I Need an Expensive Bike”
A $500 bike will last years with basic maintenance. A thousand dollar bike will last a decade. Neither needs to be fancy. You need something that fits, has working brakes, and shifts properly. That’s literally it.
The most expensive part of bike commuting isn’t the bike. It’s the lock, lights, and helmet, which together cost about what a month of gas does. After that initial investment — call it $200-300 — your operating costs are basically zero. No gas. No insurance. No parking fees. Minimal maintenance.
Don’t buy a racing bike for commuting. Don’t buy a mountain bike for city streets. A hybrid, a commuter, or even an old steel road bike with fenders and racks is all you need. Honestly the best commuter bike is probably the one you already own, sitting in your garage, gathering dust. Set it up properly and ride it.
Myth 7: “Bike Commuters Are All Spandex-Wearing Athletes”
Look around any city during rush hour. The people on bikes are wearing business casual, jeans, scrubs, school uniforms, and everything in between. The spandex crowd rides on weekends for fun. Commuters ride in whatever they’re wearing to work.
The cycling industry has done a catastrophically terrible job of making regular people feel welcome on bikes. The gear, the jargon, the culture, the $300 jerseys — it’s all intimidating if you’re not already part of it. But actual bike commuting doesn’t require any of that. Jeans work. Sneakers work. A regular backpack works fine. I’ve seen people commute in Crocs. (I don’t recommend it, but they arrived alive.)
Don’t let the gatekeepers keep you off a bike. You don’t need to look like a cyclist to be one. You just need to ride.
Myth 8: “My Bike Will Get Stolen”
It might. But probably not if you use a real lock.
The vast majority of stolen bikes were locked with cable locks or not locked at all. I’ve been in this business long enough to see the pattern. It’s always the same story: “I just ran inside for a minute” or “I thought the cable lock was enough.”
A proper U-lock defeats most theft attempts. Lock through the frame and rear wheel to a fixed object. Use a cable for the front wheel. Park in visible, busy areas. The lock guide on this site covers exactly what works and why.
Bike theft is a real problem — I’m not going to pretend it isn’t. But it’s a manageable one. The people who get their bikes stolen are overwhelmingly the ones who used inadequate locks or left their bikes in isolated spots overnight. If you do the basics right, your odds are very good. I’ve commuted for 15 years and never had a properly locked bike stolen. (Knock on wood. And buy a Sold Secure Gold lock.)
Myth 9: “I’m Not Fit Enough”
Bike commuting is how you get fit. You don’t need to be fit to start. This is the most backwards myth on the entire list.
A one-mile commute at walking pace uses about the same energy as walking. (Shocking, I know.) A three-mile commute at a gentle pace is less strenuous than most people think. Your body adapts ridiculously fast — within two weeks, a commute that felt hard on day one feels completely normal. Within a month, you’ll wonder how you ever sat in a car.
Start short. Ride one day a week. Then two. Then three. There’s no rule that says you have to commute by bike every single day. Even one day a week is one more day of exercise than you were getting and one less day of sitting in traffic listening to podcasts about productivity while doing nothing productive.
E-bikes are the equalizer for people with physical limitations, long distances, or hilly routes. There’s absolutely no shame in motor assist — it still beats sitting in a car by a mile. Or twenty.
Myth 10: “I’ll Mess Up My Hair”
OK, this one’s true. But nobody at your office cares as much about your hair as you think they do. (They’re too busy worrying about their own hair.) A quick fix in the bathroom mirror takes maybe thirty seconds.
The trade-off is slightly less perfect hair for better cardiovascular health, lower stress, more money in your bank account, and a daily dose of fresh air and endorphins. I’ll take that deal every single time, and I’ve got the worst helmet hair of anyone I know. My barber has given up trying to understand what happens to my hair between 8 AM and 8:15 AM.
The Real Reason People Don’t Bike Commute
After 25 years of hearing excuses, I’ve come to a conclusion. The real reason most people don’t bike commute isn’t safety, or distance, or weather, or fitness. It’s inertia. Driving is what you’ve always done. Changing a routine is hard, even when the change is obviously better.
The first ride is the hardest. Not because it’s physically difficult, but because it requires you to do something different. After the first ride, each subsequent one gets easier — not just physically, but mentally. It becomes routine. And routines are easy.
Try it once. That’s all I’m asking. Pick a nice day, ride to work, and see how it feels. If you hate it, your car will be waiting for you. But I suspect you won’t hate it. I suspect you’ll wonder why you didn’t start years ago. And then you’ll be insufferable about it at dinner parties, just like me.
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