I tried taking the train to save some time on the commute but the schedule is very limiting as far as what trains I can take, and also what stops I can get on and off at. It takes the same amount of time and costs money so its actually more beneficial to just ride all the way to the office. The money I save in paying for fuel, maintenance, registration, insurance, and parking tickets far outweighs the cost of a train ticket.
Since last May in commuting I've ridden almost 4000 miles. 1700 on the Motobecane before it was stolen, 1700 on the Panasonic, and about 500 on the Long Haul Trucker. But this distance doesn't even include all the bike rides I've done on the weekends, which have included some overnight trips. The Panasonic suffered 2 broken axles (maybe 3, I haven't checked yet), a broken bike rack, and then the threads on the front axle were stripped when I tried tightening the core. So the last year has been quite an adventure in commuting alone.
The routes that I've followed on my bike are routes that I never would have thought about taking with my car though. There are farms, and old train bridges, and forests I never would have seen if I had just been following the same route with the car. The scenery is actually very relaxing once you get out of the suburbs of the city. The cars on the other hand are just as aggressive.
I've been car-free for almost three months now and even before that, I was only driving it maybe a couple times a month. Figuring out how to live without a car, with a 30 mile commute, is still underway but so far I think it has been a success. It has helped me save some money and it does take a lot more time to ride but the health benefits and the reduction of my carbon footprint are priceless.
