Bicycling to Work Takes Off

Meet five bicycle commuters in five cities

Posted: 07-May-2007; Updated: 16-Jul-2008

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Bicycling pays off: you save gas money, avoid traffic, get exercise, help curb global warming pollution and often save time, too. (More about the growing popularity of biking to work.)

Real stories from commuters

Read about the joys and pitfalls of the daily pedal from five who commute. How scary are New York City streets for cyclists? Who cycles in Chicago in the winter? And more.

Living Simply: A One-Car Family
Bob Sessa — Austin

Sessa and his wife are grooming their two sons for a cycling life like their own. They started with stroller-like bike trailers, then graduated them to single-wheel Tag-A-Long attachments.

Switching Gears: A Non-Athlete's Story
Betty Schlatter — Chicago

This nurse midwife began her new life as a bicycle commuter in stages. She started with a 10-mile ride to church just once a week and found herself "on easyland."

Saving Money: Pedaling to Work Pays
Scott Walsh — Washington, D.C.

For Walsh, biking is the fastest, cheapest and least polluting way to get to work. Avoiding the cost of parking at $12 a day, Walsh calculates his bike more than pays for itself.

Saddling Up: How to Lug Lots of Gear
Russ Roca — Long Beach, California

When photographer Roca's truck broke down yet again, he vowed to become car-free. He found an ingenius way to outfit his bike with saddle bags to carry all his equipment.

Not-So-Mean Streets: Artful Cycling in the Big City 
Ethan Fugate — New York City

Riding on New York's lively, jam-packed streets requires "navigating the intricate ballet between bicyclists, cars and pedestrians" and always being alert, says Fugate.