It’s that time of the year

David — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:06:07 +0000

As the current year comes to a close, most of us are spending a little time reflecting on the past year, and looking forward to the new one. Lots of people ended up looking for employment in the year just past, but many more were fortunate enough to stay employed. Needless to say, the economy was front and center on our minds this past year.

Some of my resolutions last year fell by the wayside (Ironman, GTD), but I was able to do a good job on others (bike to work, Open Source contributions). A grand experiment in lifestyle changes is on the docket for this year, watch this space for more information.

Go by Bike – You can do it

David — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:31:19 +0000

I’ve been biking to work since 28-May-2008, nearly every day. I procrastinated for several weeks before that, giving excuse after excuse about why I couldn’t bike to work. Here are some of the most popular:

No Showers at work
Too many hills
Dangerous traffic
I’m not in good enough shape

None of those excuses really hold water. Once gasoline approached $4/gallon, I decided that I should at least *try* to bike to work. I’ve got a bike (a couple, actually), am in decent shape, and am more cautious than most. The excuses didn’t have a chance after a couple of days:

No Showers at work
Stink arises from dirty clothes, and days without bathing. I stop at the YMCA, shower, and head into work. I take it easy for the last mile or so to work so that I cool down, then towel off, change clothes, and no-one knows.
Too many hills
They hurt, but that’s why they call it a “Mountain Bike”
Dangerous traffic
Morning traffic doesn’t move fast anyway. My commute is against traffic and there’s a nice shoulder most of the way.
I’m not in good enough shape
I’m in much better shape now. This isn’t a race, it just takes some planning, and rest on days when you feel fatigue. I feel much better now since I always get my exercise

It’s not that tough

You don’t have to do it every day. If you plan to ride on Wednesday, you have several days to assemble and check equipment. Try one day a week, then increase when it feels right.

It’s just you

Plenty of time to think, mentally prepare for the day, then mentally prepare for the evening. No-one will interrupt with some question.

Give yourself plenty of time

It’s helpful to time your bike commute, so that you know how long it will take. You can’t take risks and drive aggressively on the bike like you can in a car if you’re late.

Encourage a friend

It’s really helpful to have a friend that bike commutes too. You can trade stories, tips, and challenge each other. We’ve got a competition going to see who can accumulate the most “found money” on the commute.

It’s an adventure

Bike commuting connects you to your surroundings in a much more intimate way than commuting by car. You have time to enjoy the scenery, connect with local businesses, and generally take an active role in your day. You’ll *never* arrive at your destination wondering how you got there!

Resources

1 World 2 Wheels (Trek)

BikeCommute.Com

Local Bike Shops (They’ll have someone there who bike commutes)

Conecuh Software » Bike Commute