[SankalpDesai]

I would vote for a bike or a car depending on the occassion.

Commuting to office during peak hours (which now means 8 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm) and on a sunny or wintery day, bikes are the choice to go for.

Pros-

a. You cut through traffic like a hot knife in butter.
b. Less maintenance due to less repair costs if things go wrong.
c. Cost effective due to smaller fuel bills.
d. Saves time.

Cons-

a. Constant abuses from car owners as everytime I get into that tiny little gap between two of them, they think I am gonna scrap their babies.
b. Prone to higher injuries in case of an accident.
c. Tiring journey.
d. Hassle of carrying a jacket or helmet around.
e. Slow death as I am allergic to dust and have a sinus.

I would prefer a car if I'm commuting on odd hours and during monsoons. I would also prefer a car if my wife is my fellow traveller as her safety is paramount to me.

Pros-

a. Safety.
b. Less prone to dust and heat/showers, etc.
c. Can enjoy music while Travelling. (Listening to music while riding is not recommended)
d. Relaxed journey.
e. Ample space to keep your belongings inside and no need to carry them around unnecessarily.

Cons-

a. Expensive due to higher fuel bills.
b. Higher maintenance due to higher repair bills when things go wrong.
c. HUGE worries from bikers who ride more like stuntmen rather than a salesman/consultant/political-activitist/manager/dacoit/local-villager at the cost of fellow car drivers.
d. Takes long to reach your destination (strictly office; other destinations are relative)

All-in-all, none of the two can replace the other in India. The case is vastly different in countries like United States, Canada, etc. where roads are broad and bikers are pretty less in numbers. Also you have to rely heavily on personal transport as intercity, intracity transport options are either not present or are expensive. A car would definitely be a smarter option in such a situation.

In India, one has to maintain a fine balance of everything. Commuting is no different. One has to use a mix of biking and car travel to have a pleasant experience, keeping the priorities in mind that affect one and one's family.

[bblost]

I feel like a child when I cycle to office. The same thrill of adventure and happiness. The power of myself and the sweet melody of the wind.

I feel like a teen when I ride my bike. Every turn holds the promise of something sweet. There is always the unexpected that makes you feel alive.

I feel very old when I am driving my car. Its filled up with shopping. And I am lost in my thoughts of how I will survive this rising inflation.

[simplyself]

Having voted for bike, I use car as regularly as I use bike.

Within towns and for shorter distances I prefer bike. I used to travel 300-400 km a day distances on bike earlier but then I was younger.

Car has now replaced bike for longer commutes. It offers safety from weather, dust etc. and takes one from one place to other in good comfort.

Still, I like the freedom that bike offers.

Safety - well, that is a moot point; I had 2 accidents, both when I was travelling in a car !

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by EdgedNTaken

My replies in bold.
Bikers are part of the problem on Indian roads. Bikes are a nuisance to everyone.

Why would you ? When you haven't paid a good amount for your ride compared to a four wheeler. Ohh ! What if you scrape a car ? Don't worry ! That's the car owner's problem.

Totally disagree. You should understand that a majority of the commuters using bikes cannot afford a car. For them, even to earn money to buy a bike, huge amount of hard work would have gone in! Most of the people who own a bike does take care of their rides as much as you take care of your car! Even they do feel the pain if a scratch appears anywhere on the visor, the fenders, silencers or for that matter on any part of their bike!
I own a bike which is more than 5 years old and a car which is 3 months old, I still take care of both equally well, even though I had paid 49,000 for the bike and 7.5 lakhs for the car!
I do agree, there does exist a minority who are careless and these are the people who bring about a bad name for all the bikers on road! But calling all bikers a nuisance, sorry, I don't agree!

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by EdgedNTaken

My replies in bold.

LOL! As if biker's have no other agenda than to scrap other cars BTW Indicab and Eeco taxis are still cars, and perhaps contribute more to scratches.

I prefer car in bad weather, and bike in good simple. The adventure spirit that a bike pumps in you is nowhere matched by a car ride. But the safety and convenience of a car is unmatched too.

So I am not voting, as I prefer both depending on the situation.

[punto_]

I will pick car over bike any day. I have been riding bikes from my early teen age - we never owned a car at earlier and I always used to love to drive a car. And now, I sold my bike one week before getting my hands on my first car! And I am sure, I can never use a bike.
The only exception I use 2 wheeler is for going short distances say < 5 kms. (My wife's Dio comes in handy for that!)

[iliketurtles]

I love bikes, the faster the better. I'm a sucker for the wind in my hair and the feeling of insane torque and acceleration that a superbike can churn out, but I'm just too damn afraid of being turned to road pizza by making one mistake on a bike. Almost always a car for me, every time. They're just safer and more reassuring, if I get into an accident with a car, the pain will be less and death will be slower if it comes to that.

Macabre jokes aside, cars it is for me.

[ampere]

In a city like Bangalore, if one is to travel more than 10km radius every day, I would
say a car. Else bike is good. With the status of weather and traffic, a car is much much more safer.

Weather especially is highly unpredictable and for that reason alone, a car would be
preferable.

[.sourov]

Distance whether short or long would always prefer a bike over a car (when travelling alone). The sense of freedom that I get while riding a bike is just awesome. Car only comes into picture while travelling on a bad weather day or with family

[sam_sant2005]

I would love to keep a RD350 or a RE CI 350 or even any Superbike (if I become rich some day :P ) but as of now sticking to cars because as an IT guy for 6 yrs, already have a back problem :(

[Pallavi]

When outside of polluted Bangalore, bike (Royal Enfield 500).

Else car. Love the comfort and cocoon like protection from pollution and weather.