Hi All: ___Just keeping up a blog on local miles traveled by bike vs. the Ranger P/U or Accord to and from the US Post office and such. (2) days of riding so far. 24 miles RT with no fuel consumed ___Good Luck ___Wayne
I know you have supported riding instead of driving for a long time, but what convinced you to start biking? Fewer cold starts? Only way left to use less fuel? Exercise? Watching the Olympics? Whatever the motivation, good job!
Hi Bike123: ___I was a little nervous given this is Chicago suburbia hell but along with alternate routes in the vehicles, I found some paved and non-paved roads, sidewalks and trails into downtown Gurnee including the post office. With that, you hit it right on the head! The Olympics added a little inspiration as did some of our fellow riders here on the forum. That would be Lightfoot and Locutus. Exercise and the only thing left to do other than get an all BEV ride were also on the list as you guessed ___I did not bother getting my drivers license until I was 18 and did not own my first car until 22. I cannot even begin to describe the thousands of miles my bikes and I used to travel back to various jobs but that was as a teenager. ___At my current age, my butt, palms, neck and shoulders ache a bit but it is lessening with each ride. I hope it goes away permanently as I can pick up the pace for a real work out rather than a survival ride as I am currently doing And I hope I continue as it is a great experience all over again! ___Good Luck ___Wayne
Very cool! Glad to see you have taken up the use-no-gas mode of transportation vs the use-very-little-gas method. The aches and pains should go away as you get back into it, like any other type of exercising I guess. Not sure what you are riding right now but if you have a full mountain bike with 2" knobbys it really slows you down! When I was commuting by bike to work (6.5 miles one way) on my mountain bike it would take 35 minutes or so. The day after I got my road bike I made the trip in 27, and got as low as 21. The so-called "hybrid" bike is a nice compromise, you get some of the speed benefits and don't give up too much in the way of a comfortable ride. So, now that you've started logging your bike miles... when will we all be able to do that here?
Wow! 24 miles is a pretty huge first ride for someone just getting started commuting. Way to go! And yes, the soreness in the butt, shoulders, neck, hands and butt will go away. If it really hurts it's best to take a day or two off the bike, usually enough time for the soreness to subside -- and then you'll find yourself getting less sore the next time out. It'll take a little time to adjust to a ride that long, but the body can adapt pretty quickly. By the way, I highly recommend a mirror for riding on busy suburban arterials. Getting hit from behind is actually a pretty small risk (about 3% of serious bike crashes), but being able to keep an eye on traffic behind you -- without craning your neck and swerving into it -- does wonders for your peace of mind.
You can get LRR tires (relatively narrow, high pressure slicks ~1.5", 80 psi) for 26" mtb wheels, too. It helps a lot, but a mtb is still slower than a road bike. I ride a mtb with 2" semi-slicks for most of my commuting, but I prefer a road bike if it will be over 10 miles between stops. No FASing the engine on the bike, just leave it idling. :Banane39: Humans don't restart very well!
I haven't read this forum long enough to know whether you have other employment outside running this site. If so, would either the employer or a community traffic agency offer incentives for cycling or other non-SOV commutes? During my most recent contract, the destination city offered a $50 gift certificate after 45 non-traditional commutes. Though I normally pedaled once or twice a week (my body cannot take 34 miles RT every day), this deal was incentive to pack in more rides. If the butt continues to ache, or certain parts get numb (male) or raw (female), check out the many other nontraditional seat designs. DW and I both switched to seats with slots in the middle. The sit bones get less sore, and the rest is pain-free. --- Aspiring bike commuters should look, or lobby for, rail-trails (former railroad beds) -- nearly flat, wide, off-street routes. The Burke-Gilman / Sammamish River trail between Seattle and Redmond, through the University of Washington, has enabled thousands of commuters to go by bike. Hundreds more use the Interurban trails.
Well, is bicycling the way to a brighter future? Look at it this way, Lance Armstrong had some cancer and ended up with one ball, and he turned to biking to ease his suffering of being half a man. Or something. Anyways I can't use a bike where I'm at. Really nowhere to drive to except the grocery store, and putting 2 miles on your car to go there isn't that big a deal when you go once every 2 weeks. Besides, seems like every little story or blog you read about someone who starts riding a bicycle, they end up getting into an accident with another car and have a scrapped arm or some broken fingers or something. So what I'm trying to say Wayne is be careful riding that bike! Good luck!
Hi All: ___Added another 24 miles this past weekend and this morning. I even went to the bank along with the USPS. I have to take some vids back this evening and if I can only figure out how to get the groceries ___48 + miles total so far ___Good Luck ___Wayne
I'm biking nearly every day now, and it fits into my school/study/work routine. I just got my cool folding grocery baskets that mount to a rear rack, and put them on last nights. Now I can swing by Trader Joes (2 blocks from the library), or a regular grocery store ( a few blocks farther) or a multitude of places. Having the baskets are nice because I put my backpack in them, and thus avoid having a sweaty back from the backpack. If you are afraid of biking in your area, do something about it. Move someplace safer, or lobby your municipal planning & zoning officials and elected officials and tell them to consider planning for other modes of transportation other than automobiles.
My bike just sits in the garage collecting dust. I can't even really walk right now, let alone ride a bike. At least I am saving gas, working from home.
No stories like that on my blog. 20,000 accident free miles in the past 8 years. Only one truly close call I can think of (and that guy learned to regret what he did). Most of the bike commuters I know are accident free as well. Contrary to popular belief, cycling is NOT more dangerous than driving. The per-mile death rate is about the same. If you avoid the major idiot risk factors (riding against traffic, at night without lights, or while intoxicated, each of which alone accounts for at least half of all biking deaths - lotta overlap there) it's actually safer. Yes, that goes against many people's intuition, but then again a lot of people think flying is more dangerous than driving too, and I've known quite a few people who thought it was safer to be thrown clear in an accident than belted in. Intuition can be wrong. 40,000 automobile passengers die on our roads out there. Be careful driving those cars!
Hi Bomber: ___Thanks for the heads up and I am being careful ___I knocked out another 4 miles tonight as I headed to the vid store and back. 52 miles so far and counting! ___Good Luck ___Wayne
Hi All: ___Two USPS trips this week for another (2) 12-mile RT's for 24 total miles this week. 78 miles in total so far. ___Good Luck ___Wayne
Wayne, The next step on the bike is a 48 state tour in one trip. I figure a person could make it in 2 years or so. Gershon
Agreed The number one safety measure for (motor- or bi-) cyclists is helmet use -- sunglasses/goggles (for windburn) are a good idea too. The slower speeds prevent a lot of accidents so just be careful and don't worry too much. I always looked at cycling as an exercise/transportation twofer and with the kids out of the house I'm hoping to have more opportunities.
Exactly - always wear a helmet. Turning on your hypermiler senses to see what the cars around you are doing and to stay out of harm's way I'd say is #2. Eye protection is a close #3. If you are biking at night, of course, a headlight and taillight for visibility is top priority. Simple safety measures to take and you'll be fine.
xcel - I think biking in the Chicago suburbs is suicide. Inner city is perfect! Just did a medium distance shopping workout ride Saturday for 29.86 miles = $2.89 in gas.
