Am I being a sissy?

[DrBee]

I think you're being very smart about this. The roads here in Baton Rouge are also not bike friendly. I've been trying to think of places I could park and commute in (once the knees are fixed). The only problem is the ginormous trucks that pass on the road I would end up taking after dropping off my car. It sounds like you'll be able to avoid the rough spots by driving part of the way. I would pick the church and ask permission, too. If the road by your house is dangerous, all the confidence and speed in the world will not necessarily make it safer. Like Geonz said, there's no need to increase your chances of becoming one of the stats.

Good luck, be safe, and let us know how it turns out.

[Ohio biker]

Does anyone commute home at night?? I work 330pm to midnight shift and live about 17 miles from work.. I have been thinking about that for some time, the route takes me through a couple bad neighborhoods, I have driven it but still not sure about what comes out at night.. Am I being a sissy for that???

Thanks, Ohio Biker..

[beccaB]

I have seen bike commuters on the Michigan State University campus at night, and the surrounding roadways, which are quite busy. They have lights and reflectors so they can be seen in every direction Also, some sort of light so they can see down the road. This was in heavy traffic and not in the rural areas. I guess that would take a lot of getting used to, but there aren't many places to park a car at MSU.

[coyote]

Does anyone commute home at night?? I work 330pm to midnight shift and live about 17 miles from work.. I have been thinking about that for some time, the route takes me through a couple bad neighborhoods, I have driven it but still not sure about what comes out at night.. Am I being a sissy for that???

Thanks, Ohio Biker..

Hi Ohio biker, I used to ride thru a bad part of town too. You know, all the guys in the 'hood hanging out on the corner. There was a light on one particularly bad corner. I just didn't stop for that light. You should drive thru it at night and see what it is like. Follow your heart and head on this.

[obie]

You know, my husband does a "park and ride" and I can tell you he's not a "sissy"! I think it's the wave of the future, in some ways. I can also tell you that even without the full commute, he reaps the benefits - 100 fewer miles in the car, exercise, fresh air, closure on the day, well-being. So I'd march up to that church and ask about parking. Imagine if they liked the idea and recommended it to their members. What a revolution you'd start!

Ohiobiker, I used to have a commute that went through some notorious crime areas. I was okay riding in the dark in the cold, but not in the warmth of summer. There's a lot of hanging around in the summer and not much in the winter. I didn't know the actual statistics of stranger-crime in that area, but that's what worked for my personal comfort level.

My no-go commute: in that same job, I discovered that the driving in downtown on sunny summer Friday afternoons was so crazy and horrendous - I switched to public transit on those days even though the weather was perfect!