May
is National Bike Month in the U.S., including Bike-to-Work Week and Bike-to-Work Day.
For information on this year's
promotion, check with the
League of American
Bicyclists.
RBR's Ed Pavelka
(shown here with his transportation bike) encourages you to give commuting a
try.
For extra motivation and
education, here are success stories from people who took the plunge,
some on Bike-to-Work Day. You can do it, too!
A Commuter Is Born
I just read Bicycle Commuting for Fun & Profit and am
really excited about starting to ride my bike to work on Monday.
You were right! All I had to do
was look around to find a place to store my bike in the building where I work. I
thought that because it’s such high security, they would not let me come in
through a back entrance. Like you said, all I had to do was ask! The security
office was glad to accommodate.
No showers, but I did find a
room conveniently located next to the back entrance with a sink. I’ll use it as
my changing room. I won’t have to walk around the office in tights!
My husband was so surprised
about me wanting to do this. He thought I was too much into style to agree to
take sponge baths at work. Now he is considering riding the tandem with me and
dropping me off and picking me up. He even offered to install a rack and bag on
the tandem.
Thanks for all the tips. When I
bought the eBook I did not realize it would have such an immediate effect on me.
I thought I would never say this about going to work, but here it is: I can't
wait until Monday! -- Mercedes C.
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Car? What Car?
I've occasionally commuted to work by bike. Your
newsletters have helped me make commuting a more regular habit. Much thanks!
Granted, I live in San Diego and only commute
about 6 miles each way. But, I figure I am one less car on the road and feel
much better doing it.
Riding to work every day last week convinced me
that it really isn't hard at all. After a few days you get a rhythm going. You
don't miss the car at all. -- Jerry W.
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Car? What Car II?
In 1977 I bought a late-model car that annoyed
the hell out of me with its constant squeaks and rattles. I finally told my wife
that I'd rather ride my bike than drive that piece of crap. I sold the car,
started bike commuting, and haven't looked back.
If you leave the car in the driveway and ride a
bike, you save a few dollars in operating costs. If you can get rid of the car,
then you save real money because you also eliminate the fixed costs. No
car payments, insurance or license fees add up to big money saved. -- Larry S.
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Truck? What Truck?
My truck blew up in March of 2001. So far I
haven't replaced it! I love to ride my 12-year-old DeRosa (now configured as a
70-inch fixed gear) around town for errands, and my custom Davidson for longer
stuff. I'm in my 50s, and though I'm not as fit as I'd like to be (who is?), I
still can make it up the hills here in Tacoma, WA.
I've been using a "trail-a-bike" to deliver my
6-year-old to kindergarten and pick him up. He loves it, though it's only 2
1/2 miles through residential neighborhoods. I get to really work on the
climbs.
I want to say thanks for putting some emphasis
on commuting. Anything that gets folks onto a bike is good! -- Dave M.
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Better than Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll
I've been commuting by bike for about a year.
It's a 25-mile roundtrip to college. I tell anyone who will listen how great it
is.
If like me you are married, stressed, poor and
have young children, for God's sake cycle to work! It is a better stress
reliever than sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll put together. Which is handy 'cause
you gotta give up all that when you get hitched.
I live in the south of Scotland. The hills are
steep, the wind is strong, the rain is horizontal and the truck drivers are mad.
So if I can do it every day, so can you! -- Luke H.
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Try 'Bicycle
Pooling'
I've been bicycling to work for almost five
years. When I began, almost everyone considered me a freak. They thought it very
dangerous.
Things have gotten a lot better. We've worked very hard at distributing fliers
of our state's major bicycling laws and getting educational letters printed in
the newspaper. More and more people have started bicycling as recreation and
transportation.
Wow! You should see the huge changes in people's
attitudes and behaviors!
Now, we've started "bicycle pooling." A local non-profit organization has been
working to promote carpooling. They're letting us use their services to sign up
for bicycle pooling.
Bicycle pooling is when people who live
near each other, work near each other and have similar work hours commute
together in a group. It's a great way for us hardcore bike commuters to help
novices get the courage to ride to and from work. -- Kimberly
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Safety in the Dark
I commute year round, a couple of days a week. My
number one tip is to get two high-quality lights plus a rear flasher.
The need for the flasher and the handlebar light
is obvious. The helmet light is used for cornering, when your handlebar light
isn't pointing where you want to go. But most importantly, it's used to get
motorists' attention.
If I see someone coming up a side street in a big
hurry, looking to blow through the intersection or turn right without stopping,
I shine it right in their eyes just for an instant. Since I'm coming from the
side, it doesn't blind them, but it sure gets their attention and they hit the
brakes.
This also works for people on the same road
you're on, who are about to turn left in front of you. Just don't keep shining
them once they've seen you. -- Rob C.
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Commuting
Through Winter
Most commuters are warm-weather riders. I ride in
winter.
I own a mobile bike repair shop and spend summers driving from house to house
tuning up bikes. When the snow comes, I close up shop and bring out my
bike.
For many years I commuted 15 miles to town from my home in the mountains. On
nice days with enough light, I rode my Bike Friday both ways, or folded it up
and put it in a bag to catch a ride home.
On snowy days, a mountain bike with on/off-road tires was perfect for the daily
combination of gravel road, interstate highway and city streets. Tire pressure
of 65 psi was fairly smooth on the highway, and I let air out if I needed more
traction on the unplowed streets in town.
Now I live in town and navigate streets with studded tires (Nokian Mount &
Ground), reflective clothing and lots of lights -- all stunning accessories to
my office attire. More than once I've tucked the back of my skirt into my belt,
put a helmet over my gray head and ridden down a flight of stairs.
I have different cycling outfits for 50 degrees, 30, 15 and 0. While I rode a
couple of times when it was below zero, when it's that cold, legs turn to wood
and a 50-minute commute becomes a very unpleasant two-hour ride.
The payoff? My bike flies in the spring air when the snow is gone. I'm already
in shape for the roads and trails while my riding buddies gasp for breath. --
Linda G., Helena, MT
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A New
Kind of Weight Training
I took a job at the beginning of this year
partially so that I could commute.
It works great for me, because some evenings I plan to ride after work but
things crop up -- like kid's sports and school activities, family activities,
household chores, service calls for work. And I have a hard time sticking with
early-morning training.
My commute is almost 10 miles each way. I purchased a rack and mounted a light
on my late '80s Bianchi. I ride easy in the morning, then occasionally take off
on an extra loop or tackle a few extra hill on the way home.
After hauling the commuting bike with a heavy
battery up the hills, I almost fly up climbs during group rides.
I kept the old pedals with clips and straps so I
can ride in whatever shoes I need to work in. One less thing to haul around.
When I get to work I'm really awake and feel pretty good. I almost feel like I'm
getting away with something, like I get to go out and play. It doesn't get a
whole lot better (unless someone brings extra coffee). -- J.D.K.
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Hopelessly Addicted
Until I retired, I bike commuted for 19 years --
13 miles each way from suburban Philadelphia to center city.
Bike Commuting for Fun & Profit properly lists the obstacles that prevent people from trying. My biggest
problem in getting started was to overcome the feeling of foolishness. After
that, it was easy.
I once went eight years without a sick day from
work. Some days I shouldn't have ridden, but I was hopelessly addicted to the
ride. (And probably cheap, too.)
Commuting made going to work so much better for
me. And, of course, I looked forward to the ride home, too. -- Dick W.
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Return
to the Good Old Days
I started sporadically commuting to work last
year after dislocating my foot in a rock climbing accident and needed to find a
way to exercise without impacting my busy schedule. I found that commuting to
work (it's 5 miles each way) took only slightly longer than driving. Along with
walking at lunch time, I was able to rehabilitate without having to cut into
family time.
I used to race in local citizen bike races before I got married and settled
down, and I really missed the time I spent riding and training. When I started
riding to work, I got the chance to enjoy that part of my life again. I only
wish the commute was longer. -- Tom R.
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A New Way to 'Train'
I cycled 20 miles roundtrip every day during my
last employment. Now, I'm "semi-retired" with my own business. I still visit
clients and do errands on my bike.
A couple of my clients are in another city about 100 miles away. I use the
combination of my bicycle and Amtrak to call on them.
This is a great way to extend your range if you can combine public
transportation with cycling! -- Dick T.
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Back in the Saddle
Thanks for your encouragement to get back on my bike again.
I woke up an hour early and went for it. Nineteen
miles to work in 1:07. Man, do I feel my quads this morning. But, I am ever so
thankful for that first ride of the year and I'm looking forward to my second --
going home tonight. -- Don S.
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Another Way Commuting Saves Money
I'm disappointed! I couldn't ride to work today
because we are having thunderstorms. I have 2 guidelines I follow for safety and
comfort reasons: I don't ride in wet weather or when the morning temperature is
below 15 degrees.
I've been commuting via bike off and on for over
25 years and consistently for the last 6. My daily commute is 35 miles,
roundtrip. As Ed mentioned, bike commuting is a great way to save money and stay
healthy (both mind and body).
One thing Ed didn't mention was the fact that you
also save money by using someone else's hot water for your daily shower after
your commute! -- George H.
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58 Miles Roundtrip
My first bike commute to work was on June 7 last
year. I've learned many
things since then and come to enjoy the early morning and early evening time in
the saddle.
It's 58 miles from my home to work and back. It
allows me to get some good base training miles without taking too much more time
away from the family.
In my case, commuting to work is all about
logistics. I bike to work on Tuesdays and
Thursdays and I have to make sure that I have clothes at work the day before,
pack meals and plenty of granola bars for energy, and be ready for that stiff
southern breeze that picks up on warm summer days.
But my advice to all bikers is get in the saddle
and commute. I almost always enjoy the ride, and I never have to stress out
about traffic jams on my bike. -- Keith G.
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One Way
is Better than No Way
My commute from Boulder, CO, to my office is 24
miles. I do it three or four times a week. I wake up early and don't think, "I
gotta get up and go to work." I think, "I'm going for a ride!"
Like many others, I have family obligations. The
time commitment of making a roundtrip by bike would be a problem. But I'm part
of a van pool, and at our request they put a four-bike rack on the van. So I
ride to work and van pool home. I couldn't ask for a better setup.
If commuting roundtrip seems like too much to
bite off, look for a coworker that you could car pool home with. -- Al P.
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Favorite Part
of the Day
I've been commuting to work for the last two years.
It's great and I wouldn't give anything for it. It's my favorite part of the
day. -- William R.
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Let Me
Count the Advantages. . .
I only ride five miles to work, but use the way home
to ride from 10 to 15 extra miles in the evening. One of the best advantages to
living in Phoenix is that commuting is a year-round option, even though winter
mornings can be as cold as 35 degrees and summer afternoons as hot as 120.
There are many advantages I've found in
commuting.
First, because my sons drive, I don't always have
a free vehicle.
Second, thanks to Maricopa County efforts to
reduce cars on the road, I receive $1 per day that I ride.
Third, the ride into work gets my juices going
and I'm more ready to meet the day. On the way home, I ride hard and reduce the
stresses from work so that I'm easier to get along with at home.
I also use my commuting to train for long rides
and do centuries three or four times per year. Commuting is great for exercise
and stress relief! -- Mike S.
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Tandem With a
Special Friend
Throughout Northern California, today is
being promoted as Bike-to-Work Day. I arranged to commute on my Santana tandem.
About halfway through, I picked up my executive assistant at her home and we
rode in to work together in fast-paced style.
The only negative with this scenario is that
during the first half of my commute, I'm constantly barraged with people in cars
at stop lights, asking me if I knew that I lost my stoker. Ha, ha... not really
funny the 10th time.
So, I've begun the initiation of a new rider who is talking all morning about
how easy and fun it is to ride to work -- and it takes nearly the exact same
total time! She is complaining a bit about "helmet hair," but I'm trying to
convince her that it's a badge of honor! Soon, there will be another solo driver
off the roads and joining us in the fresh air -- and getting even more fit. --
Ron M.
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Tandem
With a Special Friend II
Today I rode my tandem to my blind friend's
house, then we rode to her job (12 miles), as it was "bike-to-work day." We
think it's a great idea! We can't do it every day, unfortunately. -- Guy T.
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Morning Commute: Better Than
Caffeine
I've been commuting by bike off-and-on since 1979. I started when I was working
for Florida Power and Light in south Florida. The length of the commute was 16
miles through Everglades-like terrain. It got kind of interesting on occasion
with the varied critters in the area.
After moving back to Colorado, I continued to
ride to work. My commute was 34 miles one way. Needless to say, I got pretty
skinny and was in the best shape of my life.
I now live in the Tri-Cities area of southeastern Washington and commute about
15 miles each way. It helps to prepare me for my day and clears the cobwebs
better than a double-tall latte. In this area you can commute by bike all year
long because of the mild climate. It also helps that my employer has a shower in
one of the buildings.
I'll probably continue to commute by bike, even after I need to use a trike! --
Bruce L.
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Like a
Mini Vacation Twice a Day
One of the coolest things I ever heard about
commuting on a bike is that it's like a mini vacation twice a day.
I now live in Montrose, CO, and get to ride with
Fred fairly often, which is cool. I sure was spoiled back in Boulder where
I commuted for years. I have a story for almost every day.
-
The summer where I had
a "creek path race" with the same guy on most commutes. He got stronger and
stronger. By August I had to ride further so I could drop him before I turned
off.
-
The 5-foot bull snake
I caught on the path. I put him in my bag and took him to work. Scared the
hell out of the receptionist just by telling her he was in there.
-
Saw fox, deer,
beavers, all kinds of wildlife.
-
Waved to the same guy
going the other direction everyday for years. Never met him, but I know he's
my buddy. -- Ken W.
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Everyone Should Try
Commuting for Two Weeks
I started commuting four days a week and love it.
I'm a novice cyclist with a high-stress,
long-hour job. My commute time is really the only time I have for myself. It
allows me to include the riding I love into my schedule. Too often I found that
at the end of a hard day, I could find way too many excuses not to ride. But you
have to go to work, and you have to go home, so it takes away a lot of the
excuses.
I suggest that everyone try commuting for at
least two weeks. For me, it took that long to get over the initial pain/disgust
of riding that early in the morning! -- John H.
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