For me, a bike was the fastest way to get around campus, and practically cost me nothing as a broke student 😅
From there I ended up going on progressively longer rides for leisure, getting to know how long I can ride before running out of steam. Now I’m pretty comfortable commuting by bike - for longer distances though I tend to take public transport
That’s a good question. I love riding my bike, and always enjoyed those days when I would commute by bike, but those were rare, like when my car was in the shop. Then one day, I just thought, why don’t I commit to it a bit more seriously? Get a good backpack (started with that, moved to a pannier relatively quickly) rehab my old 90’s MTB with slicks and fenders, and do it as long as the weather isn’t terrible
A decade later, I drive to commute less than 10 times a year, usually when I have to go somewhere far right after work (I don’t really live near any good public transport)