Bike Commuting for a Week

Several weeks ago, I recommitted myself to the Business Commute Challenge in which a local organization encourages citizens to bike, walk, carpool or telecommute for a week in May.

Last year, I think I was able to commute three of the five days, but this year, in the midst of moving into a new building, I managed to ride all five days! To be honest, I wasn't sure I could make it happen because of motivation, hassle and timing, but it all worked out. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to recap the week in riding to work and give you a few of my observations.

Because I no longer have a good place to store it at work, I wasn't able to ride my nice bike and instead rode my heavy Giant mountain bike from the high school days. While it's not perfect, it worked just fine and only took me about 5 minutes longer than it would have on my Trek road bike.

Overall, my mornings still allowed for a little exercise (yoga, weight lifting, dog walking), breakfast and lunch prep and a shower. I simply had to be more focused and get out the door by a specific time. No dilly dallying allowed.

The pros of bike commuting include: a relaxed, heart pumping way to get to and from work, not creating carbon emissions and hassle free parking.

The cons: time consuming, sweat inducing, requires minimalist packing skills which I lack, harder to do errands and inconvenient when the weather is poor.

Oh and you look a wee bit nerdy when you get to work. Friday I wore cords instead of athletic pants to ride in.


Supplies for bike commuting:
helmet
tennis shoes/cycling shoes for clip in pedals
athletic wear (so you don't sweat in your work clothes)
backpack
work clothes
wash cloth
hair brush
makeup/accessories
deodorant
ID/$$/keys
lunch & snacks
water bottle

Friday after work, I headed a few miles out of my way just to stop by the commute challenge booth to get some snacks and sign up to win some cool prizes.



One of the tv stations was there filming this kid riding the bike that powered the blender.

Observations this week: Riding home from work is perfect because it allows you to decompress after a long stressful day. I don't like carrying a lot of "stuff" with me. Cycling leads to a slower paced life. I can't just stop at a random store to browse for no reason or pick up extra items at the grocery store. It's all about the essentials.

Riding to and from work each day also brought me a different view of my community and I found myself feeling more in touch with the city and the people because there wasn't the barrier of a car between me and the world.

Overall, I enjoyed my week bike commuting although it won't be a full time method of transportation for me. There are days when I have errands to run after work, dressy meetings or events that require me to have a vehicle. And honestly, I also like the convenience of a car at times. It's what allows me to pack 52 things into one day. ;)

When you use alternative modes of transportation, do you find yourself thinking differently and noticing things you've never seen before? I commend those of you who walk, bike or bus it regularly.