Bicycle Commuting 101
How far do you live from your office or work space? 2 miles? 5 miles? 18 miles? No matter how far you live, there is always a way to become a bicycle commuter, and when you do, you won’t want to turn back.
RIDE HAPPY, BE HAPPY
You can start to feel the difference after your first ride. Simply getting the blood pumping and getting your circulation revving allows more oxygen and blood to flow to your brain, stimulating the release of mood enhancing endorphins. The more you ride, the more this will happen. It is also said that it takes close to three weeks to form a habit. So, if you habitually ride for three weeks, not riding becomes a motivator to ride even more. Your body will end up craving those endorphins, and you will want to ride rather than take the petrol guzzler, and your waist line will begin to appreciate it as well.
DROP THE GYM BAG, PICK UP SOME PANNIERS
Speaking of waistline, that brings us to the next benefit. Drop the gym membership and pick a new, longer route to work. Go ahead, get sweaty! If you haven’t been cycling long, yes there will be some muscle fatigue, but that will go away the more you ride. Your muscles will get to understand your cadence on the pedals and before you know it, you will be one with the gears. Once you are used to it, you can get yourself a set of panniers. Panniers (pan-ears) are those neat little bags that clip on to the rack on the back of your bicycle. They come in all sorts of shapes, colors and sizes, and many are even waterproof. You’ll be able to carry everything you would in your briefcase, as well as an extra set of clothes for those ultra-hot or ultra-cold days. You will be a master of layering clothing in no time because, sometimes, riding gets hard. That being said, there is a mantra among the cycling community, “It doesn’t get easier, you only get faster.” After those habit forming three weeks, your original route to work is going to shrink, DRASTICALLY. That is when you pick that longer route to work. It will take you the same amount of time, but you get to burn off more calories!
GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY
This has happened to all of us. You are driving home, and for some reason, while you were at work, a water main decided to rupture on a main arterial road directly on your route home. This combined with the traffic lights adds an extra 20 minutes of frustration when you are just around the corner from your destination. Then out your window, you see a cyclist, obeying all the traffic laws, turn off the road and onto that paved path in the park by your house. To top it all off, they have a huge smile on their face, (remember those endorphins). Then you try to take some side streets, and everything looks foreign to you. When you become a bike-commuter, you will get to know all sorts of hidden little paths that are only available to you by foot or by two human powered wheels. The new routes, however, are only the tip of the iceberg. You will begin to meet new people, see new local businesses that you didn’t know exist. Perhaps even find a new restaurant with the best cup of coffee in town.
SECRET WEAPON: PUBLIC TRANSIT
You may not want to spring for full fenders and rain gear, or studded tires and bar mitts right out of the gate. After a while, even the hairiest of hurricanes will be no match for you and your noble steed. Before that though, USE YOUR PUBLIC TRANSIT. Many busses and trains in rural and metropolitan areas are happy to accommodate bicycles. Some even have special fold down bike racks built into them. If the forecast says it’s going to be stormy later, but the window shows no sign of inclement weather, go ahead, jump on the bike. If it starts to get gloomy, you can be saved by your local bus or train. Some may say that they live too far off to become a bike commuter. If you live 30 miles from work, split it up. Ride a few miles to the train, and then find the stop that’s just a few miles from your workplace. This is sometimes an even better way to travel. You don’t ride far enough to get super sweaty, but still get the benefit of getting in a small workout. Then, you get to have someone else do the driving for you, giving you free time to study a new language on your phone, listen to that podcast, read, or even better, write that novel you have been thinking about.
FREE PARKING COLLECT $200
Well, not literally. Not all at once, at least. The amount of money you save riding a bicycle is astounding. Every commute is different, but if you tally up how much you spend in gas, parking, maintenance, and insurance weekly, it adds up - fast. On your bicycle, your fuel is your food, parking is even closer to the door than the CEO’s car and costs the one-time fee of a nice U-LOCK, and the cost of a new bicycle tire compared to new automobile rubber is a fraction. If something goes wrong on your bicycle, you can see all the moving parts and can at the very least diagnose the problem yourself. With computerized cars these days, a warning light goes off and its sometimes $75 or more just for the mechanic to plug in his diagnostic tool and tell you what is wrong. If you aren’t mechanically savvy, your local bike shop (LBS) or co-op will show you a few tricks to keep things smooth. Plus, you have already told the receptionist at the gym that you will be saving your $80/mo. Your bank account will be crying tears of joy when you become a bicycle commuter. Who knows, maybe you will start a trend at your workplace and you will have a group of neighbors and friends to ride with.
Ride safe. Wear a helmet.