The Bicycle Addiction Test

To me, riding a bike is like an addiction. At first you think, "I will ride once or twice a week." But then you start doing the gas calculations and your realize the money you save and tack on a third day. Then you get up one morning after riding three days in the week and it is absolutely beautiful and it would be a crime not to ride your bike to work, so you do.

Now comes the real hook; You go to put your pants and you either have to use a belt because they won't stay up or you go down a notch on your belt. Once again the gas calculations go through you head and you think about the belt. Riding everyday sounds pretty darned good, so now you are riding everyday.

No, you are not hooked yet because you have probably decided not to ride in bad weather or extreme temps. By this time you probably have started a wardrobe for riding because bike shorts and shirts don't hold sweat like cotton which allows you to cool faster and not smell. But hey, that clothing allows you to ride in warmer weather and is comfortable.

The first day it is a light rain you think, "It's not so bad, so worse than a little sweat," so you hop on your bike. When you hop on your bike at the end of the workday, it may be pouring, but all you see is a "FREE SHOWER!" Now you are saving on your water bill and gas bill. And cold; Cold weather isn't that big of a deal because you can get warm weather gear. By the time you get to work on a cold day, you just want to strip down naked outside because you have built up so much body heat from pedaling.

The addiction comes when you forget about the temps, you forget about the weather, you forget about the gas savings, you forget about the exercise, and you forget about the free showers. You know you are addicted to bicycle commuting when on the day you can't ride your bike to work and you think all day about how much you missed just riding your bike to work!