But you also get exercise, time you might spend at the gym instead. When I commuted by bike I enjoyed starting the day invigorated and alive. I was more productive and generally started the day with more energy. I’d be running or biking for exercise no matter what, so building it into my workday actually saved me time.
And I never got hurt even riding through the winter in Boston.
Certainly not worth it to you, with such an outlook. If it were just a money thing I never would have lasted a week.
By my calculus, instead of buying fuel and wasting 40 minutes frustrated in traffic, I get to spend two hours on my bike getting exercise that improves my physical and mental health. Instead of waiting impatiently at a red traffic light, it is an opportunity to sip some coffee and catch my breath. I get to smile and say hello to people as I pass by. Instead of honking a horn that makes people scowl and raise their middle finger, I get to ring a bell that makes them smile. And best of all, every day before leaving work I have a perfectly acceptable reason to lock the door of an unused conference room and get totally naked.
Here is what I do to prevent flats. It is total overkill but the only thing that flats me are the same things that would flat a car tire.
I get a thick thorn proof tube and cut it down lengthwise in the middle. Then put a normal tube inside that. Then install both tubes inside a armadillo kevlar tire.
It makes the wheels super heavy and adds extra rotational mass but you are as flat proof as a car.
I commute on a hard tail disc mountain bike 22 miles a day 5 days a week in Los Angeles and only have had 2 flats in 4 years due to nails. My bike is super heavy 34lbs but it is a bombproof tank that I feel 100 percent confident will get me to work on time without any problems. Even with the weight I easily keep up with most roadies on my commute.
I say stick with a mountain bike for commuting. They are tanks and can take the abuse of commuting. They have strong 26 inch wheels and heavy duty rims to withstand all the potholes and curb jumps without breaking a spoke and warping the rim. Also disc brakes are great because you don’t have to worry about rim wear.
My ride home is at night usually around 10pm so my advice for night riding is wear white and put reflective tape on your bike. I have 4 lights. Two white headlights, one on my helmet and one on my handlebar. And two rear flashing red lights.
Flats are the biggest hassle but if you do what I do you won’t be suffering much from them.
What is this “lock” of which you speak?
I wish I could commute by bike. When I lived in a city with bike trails, I did, but now I live in a city that does not have bike trails or dedicated bike lanes sufficient to get me in and out of town safely, so the only time I commute by bike is when my vehicle is broken.
It’s a pity, for the first 7.5 km is a lovely as it comes for scenery, and has an extra wide paved shoulder. Unfortunately, after that the going is not so good.
Don’t. Even walking in a place where drivers don’t know how to manoeuvre properly around pedestrians, let alone cyclists, is hazard enough. Most parts of “bike-friendly” Portland OR have a majority of drivers who are hostile and aggressive. I basically swing and miss with my foot every single day at some bitch’s bastard driving a car at me whilst I have waited patiently for the little walk-man-signal. You won’t have that luxury on a bike – to be in a “safe zone” – you must be as aggressive as those pudknockers, or you will not survive.
And, plus, no one likes a show-off! Hot-shot. 
Well, I’ve done it for three days now. The first day, as I said, I only made it part of the way back, but yesterday and today, the trip went without a hitch. Truly a lot of fun, not that much more time-consuming than my regular car commute, and I feel fantastic for hours after I get to work. I’ve been extremely productive the last few days.
Revelation: drivers in the ghetto are probably more aware of bicycles, since they’re such a common, low-priced form of transportation there. A pleasant surprise.
Glad to hear it is going well for you. You are finding out why I hate it when I have to drive to work. A couple of weeks ago I had to bring one of my FSE’s toolbox back as checked luggage* from Austin and take it to him at work the next day. I used the trailer I haul the dog and groceries in and nobody could believe I had hauled that 69 lb. sucker in to work on my bike! 'Course I took the shortest route that morning.
*$25 checked bag fee, +$100 overweight bag fee…so much for nickle and dime’n us United.
Just dropping by to give my support, Ogre****! I started biking to work about 2 months ago and it’s awesome. I live in New York City which is relatively bike friendly and so far haven’t had any issues…but as mentioned above, definitely take the lane if it’s unsafe for you and a car to ride next to each other…a lot of accidents (such as getting doored) happen when the cyclist is too far to the left. Other than that, wear your helmet and obey traffic laws and you should be fine. Ride safe!
I would just like to add one more piece of advice - get a rearview mirror that attaches to your glasses (or helmet). I consider that as important a piece of safety equipment as a helmet, and I won’t ride without a helmet. I think the cars behind me are more dangerous than the cars in front of me. If you have to twist your body to check behind you, you won’t do it anywhere near as often compared to just glancing at the mirror on your glasses.
Be pro-active. Don’t trust cars to do the right (safe for you) thing. If you think a road, or lane, or anywhere is too narrow for you and a car, don’t assume the driver behind you thinks the same thing. Move to the center of the lane so the car has to slow down. Then, move out of the way as soon as you can. Sometimes, stopping and letting a couple of cars go by and then entering a narrow section of road is a better option than exercising your legal right to ride down the middle of a lane and hold up traffic. Having a rearview mirror and knowing what’s behind you can help you make that decision.
I’ve been commuting at least 3 days a week by bike since 1996 and haven’t been surprised by a car coming up behind me yet.
As for riding in the dark - there is no such thing as too many lights. You want to be seen. I never ride with less than 3 flashing red lights in the rear. Also, I have two strings of battery powered Christmas lights arranged around the frame of my bike. My current commuting bike is a recumbent, so I can put lights around the high backed seat and the rear fender. When I was riding an upright, I attached the battery pack to the wheel hubs and taped the bulbs to the spokes. It looks really amazing at night! One of the truck drivers where I work saw me coming to work one dark morning and said he saw this glow coming down the street from about a half mile away. That made my day - it meant I was very visible.
Don’t count on cars to do the right thing and you’ll be much safer.
Have fun. It’s a great way to get exercise and save wear and tear on the car.