Introduction and Hello!

[Groundhog]

I am happy to have found this forum. I'm somewhat of a newbie and need a place to bounce ideas off of others.

My hubby and I got bikes after our last trip to Europe in 2006. Hubby saw all the Copenhagen bikers and decided that he wanted to commute by bike to work - 6 miles each way. So we both bought bikes on Craigslist plus two for our teenagers and he started commuting. His trip is all downhill on the way into work and he has shower facilities. He's on his third upgraded bike - a Surly Crosscheck.

Until August, my job was only reachable by an hour car trip, but I got a new job in August that is downtown. With parking at $350/mo I take the bus, and need to drive to the bus stop. Voila! Time to ride my bike to the bus - 2 miles there, downhill mostly and I try to take the long way home. It actually takes about the same time as driving to the park-n-ride, then parking and walking to the stop. Plus I get a better seat on the bus. I started riding once a week when I had alternate transportation for my son, who turned 16 last week. I even rode this winter down to 35 degrees, in the dark and the rain. Now that he has his license, I am free to bike 5x a week.

So last week I rode for the first time after he got his license, and in my rush to get on the bus, I forgot to lock it. You got it... some complete jerk stole my bike! My $100 craigslist used dorky women's bike, plus my helmet, rack, light, mirror and pedals/clips - all gone! I was in so much shock that I started crying - and I never cry. Just replacing the rack, fenders, lights, pedals, helmet and mirror set me back $200. And as dorky as it was I LOVED that bike!

I've been riding my daughter's bike since (she was in a car accident so she can't ride for a while anyway). This weekend I got a new (well…new-to-me) Marin bike, again off craigslist.

Anyway, my reason for joining this forum is that I get such joy commuting and I have no-one to share it with. Plus I don’t know anyone who commutes IRL except my hubby. And I never see women on my commute. (Although I see a lot of women downtown.) So I'm a 50 year old (look and feel 40) Vice President and part-time Finance professor, mom-of-teenagers who wears funny bike gear and changes into her suit in the restroom at the office.

See y'all around.

[lph]

Welcome! Commuting by bike is the best way to go

[tulip]

I like your enthusiasm. I miss commuting by bike. I did it for six years when I lived in Washington, DC, which is a great bike commuting city.

How was your bike stolen off the bus? I guess the bus driver thought that the person who stole it was the owner? I sometimes put my bike on the bike rack, but I'm more worried about the bus driver taking out my bike on a turn than of someone having the nerve to steal it.

[NbyNW]

Welcome!

That sucks about your bike getting stolen.

So glad to hear you are enjoying your commute!

[redrhodie]

Welcome! Sorry your bike got stolen! I hope you like the new one as much. Eventually, if you stick around here, you may end up with lots and lots of bikes, but you'll still always miss the stolen one.

[Tri Girl]

I think it's interesting how we read thing differently and put our own assumptions into it. Tulip assumed it was stolen off the bus rack, and I'm assuming it was stolen from a rack where it was parked at the bus stop. I hadn't thought about it being stolen from the bus rack. Funny how our brains draw conclusions with information we're given.

Anyway- welcome to TE!!! I'm so sorry that someone stole your bike. I think thieves of any kind are the lowest of creatures. I'm glad you found a new bike (a Marin, eh- sounds good).

How exciting that you can now ride to work 5 days a week!!! I just got a new job 2 miles from home and I can now start commuting, too. I can't wait to get on my bike and ride every day. I share your excitement!

Welcome to the boards and congrats on commuting regularly!

[Biciclista]

welcome to TE, Groundhog! I too, live in Puget Sound and am a bike commuter. You're right, we women are in the minority; but we're out there, commuting. I'm so sorry your bike was stolen. Tell us the details about the theft, we're curious. I've never heard of a bike being stolen off the bus; I can't believe that's what happened.

I haven't been able to ride every day; it's hard for me to commute when it's dark out and raining. Maybe just dark out, or just lightly raining, not both.
Right now it's wonderful, no dark at all!

[Groundhog]

what a nice welcome!

I leave the bike at the bus stop, because the bus lets me off right in front of my building, so taking it on the bus isn't necessary. It's very efficient. Every other time, I've locked it to a post at the bus stop but that one time...

And I know the thief won't love or even value the bike as much as I. The police were so helpful: one told me that maybe someone will dump it so I can always hope.

Anyway, the fenders for my new bike should come today and we'll install the rack, mirror, fenders and clips tonight. I'll be riding my new bike this Sunday when they close the streets on Alki! And then I can ride my new bike to work next week.

[GLC1968]

Welcome, Groundhog! I'm sorry about your bike. I had a bike stolen from me when I was in college and I felt so violated afterwards. That was 20 years ago and I still think of it in sorrow! I hope you end up loving your new bike even more.

I haven't been commuting as much as I'd like since we moved out to the country, but I do get in a few commutes a month. Now that we have so much daylight, it's easier and I hope to do a lot more (I'm down in the Portland area). I never see other women on my commute, either. I do occassionally see two bikes on the rack at work that HAVE to belong to women (one is a yellow mountain bike with pink shifter cables and pink bottle holders and the other is a Specialized with flowers on it), but I never see who rides them. We only have one shower room (off a bathroom) at work and I never see other women in there, either.

Thank goodness for TE, huh?