Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas > Fort Worth
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 03-19-2010, 07:03 PM
 
5 posts, read 9,095 times
Reputation: 12

Advertisements

Has anyone here done it? The public transportation sucks so I would be relying on my bicycle and I guess busses when the weather is undesirable.
I'm just wondering if anyone here has done it and if anyone has any pointers they can throw out there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 03-20-2010, 07:36 AM
 
1,051 posts, read 1,685,094 times
Reputation: 1333
Quote:
Originally Posted by mordyvergan View Post
Has anyone here done it? The public transportation sucks so I would be relying on my bicycle and I guess busses when the weather is undesirable.
I'm just wondering if anyone here has done it and if anyone has any pointers they can throw out there.
This is a difficult part of the world for such a commitment, but I commend you for it! I personally commute to work by bicycle, but rely on an automobile for chores and lengthier trips across the metroplex. For cycling in the rain you might think about investing in decent quality rain gear (water-proof panniers, breathable jacket and pants; also worth a look: front and back splash guards). Like most types of inclement weather, if one dresses for it (the rain) it really is not as bad as you would think. (There's also a liberating feeling that comes with cycling through the rain, IMO).
Lastly, choose your routes well--spend some time with maps, avoid roads with heavy vehicular traffic above 35 MPH and/or without ample space to ensure your safety. Good luck!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-20-2010, 07:40 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
3,390 posts, read 4,932,541 times
Reputation: 2049
Quote:
Originally Posted by mordyvergan View Post
Has anyone here done it? The public transportation sucks so I would be relying on my bicycle and I guess busses when the weather is undesirable.
I'm just wondering if anyone here has done it and if anyone has any pointers they can throw out there.

You have my "Kahunas of steel award for 2010." It depends on exactly where you live, but it can be done I suppose.

I hope you're in good shape!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-20-2010, 08:31 AM
 
5 posts, read 9,095 times
Reputation: 12
I live about three miles from my job. I ride at least 4 days a week. My old commute was 6 miles one way.
My girlfriend works about 5 miles from our place and that is the only issue, this is the only thing we use the car for. she has to be at work as early a 5am and lets face it nobody wants to ride at that time. I have not really looked into the buss routes and times from hulen to downtown but I feel this is not realistic that early. We own three bikes, hers is a single speed conversion I built her, I have a fixed 46*18
and a geared cross bike. thinking of outfitting the cross as my hauler don't know if that is feasible yet.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-20-2010, 06:07 PM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,547,634 times
Reputation: 25335
check the schedules--article in FTW paper this week about the T cutting back on buses on some routes--and that area sounds like one of them--

frankly I think that is a bad idea--FTW is not designed for bike riding for daily commuting--some cities are--
IMO you run big risk of being hit by traffic because people do not drive thinking about bike riders...
weather is crappy a lot of the time--what do you do when you get to work and you have been in rain, gotten all sweaty from riding--and yes, even that short a distance can still cause you to work up a sweat...do you have ability to take shower or change your riding clothes for work clothing
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-22-2010, 11:07 AM
 
1,063 posts, read 3,738,428 times
Reputation: 603
Uh no, it is not feasible. I applaud you for wanting to do it but unless you live a mile or less from work, plan on taking a car.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2012, 08:39 AM
 
Location: Maplewood, NJ
160 posts, read 197,422 times
Reputation: 105
If you can stay off highways, and bike defensively, I have found it is possible to bike-commute in some rather unlikely places. I used to bike from Somerville to Copley Pl. and back to work every day in Boston (this did require a willingness to stuff my suit in my backpack and change at work, but wrinkle-free miracle fabrics stood me in good stead). I also survived years of biking all over Manhattan. A good helmet, a bell, front and back lights, light/reflective clothing, and something eye-catching like one of those orange glowy reflector strips you can velcro to your ankle so it goes up and down as you peddle all crucial to survival, as is due deference to cars (and then some). I just hugged the side of the roads tight (while remaining visible, a bit of a balancing act; those arm "turn signals" for bikers are quite useful). Cut close by parked cars at roadside while checking to see nobody was inside them & possibly about to throw a door open in my path. No spills in 30 years, knock on wood. Cars don't really want to hit bicyclists, and if you make it quite hard for them to, well, I am intact.
Get a really good helmet, though. Gravel in your palms you'll survive; it's head injuries in helmetless riders that account for most real injuries.
Probably the only thing is to try biking before jettisoning the car; you will very quickly get a sense whether it's doable. (A feeling of, "Oh, G-d, please let me not become roadkill in the next 5 minutes" is an unignorable thumbs down.)
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2012, 08:44 AM
 
Location: Maplewood, NJ
160 posts, read 197,422 times
Reputation: 105
OTOH, I have never been through a Texas summer. Come to think of it, you might poach like an egg on the asphalt.
I have all the heat tolerance of someone who grew up on the Great Plains and thought 3 feet of snow was necessary for a truly Christmassy Christmas, though. The natives would know if the sheer heat is prohibitive in summer. Actually I am curious.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2012, 11:57 AM
 
690 posts, read 1,722,963 times
Reputation: 542
To Sywi;

I had several coworkers who love to bike ride sometimes twenty or more mile road or trail rides in the Dallas area.


They are one of those people that would be out there in the early morning bicycling around the white rock and east dallas portion of the city. They do this in any kind of weather, but nonetheless are one of those die hard kind of people. The metro is a place which has public transportation, but eventually, there may be places you may want to go or need to go that does not have public transportation. Arlington is the perfect example. You would have to rent a car or find a public
service transportation for a short commute which may be costly.

Most people have a primary vehicle with air conditioner and some even have the second vehicle for standby emergency. I do realize that maintenance, upkeep, insurance and Gas do need to be budgeted for as well.

But for the most part I think you can get by without a vehicle until you choose what is right for
your lifestyle and needs/wants.
Fort Worth has been recently making changes to their streets and adopting one lane to bicyclist.
The bike trails are expanding as well. Some public transportation, if I remember correctly, has the bike rack on the front of the bus.

In the middle of the Summer Heat days, the weather/news people always tell you to stay out of the heat, but there are those that have to work in the direct sun. The hottest time of the day is usually 10a.m-2p.m, mostly extended beyond the 5 p.m.
Once you get here, you will be able to experience it for yourself.

Good luck to you in your moving adventure(s).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2012, 08:00 PM
 
Location: Kaufman County, Texas
11,819 posts, read 26,689,281 times
Reputation: 10541
Quote:
Originally Posted by txtoal View Post
Uh no, it is not feasible. I applaud you for wanting to do it but unless you live a mile or less from work, plan on taking a car.
I agree here. Our summers are just too brutal (and the winters can be, too) to not have a car. You will be a sweaty mess even just biking a mile to work. Remember: we usually have a couple of weeks in late summer where the temps don't get below 80 at night. Speaking of that, where do you live, and where do you work?

Remember, too, that there are large portions of the metroplex that are not served AT ALL by public transportation. If you need to go to Arlington, you are out of luck unless you want a $$ cab ride.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas > Fort Worth

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top