Quote Originally Posted by Hill Nelly
If you commute to work by bike, what motivated you to do this?
What changes did this bring about in your life?

Hillnelly
In November of 1999 my daughter was an IMLP for GE plastics and working in Bergen-op-Zoom, Netherlands. We decided this was our best chance to go to Europe, and we had Dutch friends we hadn't seen since they visited us 15 years before. Our daughter was shocked that we decided to stay in a "Trekking hut" at a campground near BOZ, and that we didn't rent a car, but did rent Dutch Bikes (a pair of Gazelles). Her Dutch co-workers were pleased to hear we weren't planing to run over to Paris, but instead were bikeing around the little towns on the outskirts of BOZ. We took the train to the coast, and a ferry to Texel, an island where our friends lived. They loaned us bikes to ride around the island. Everywhere we went, bikes were such a normal part of daily life; kids riding to school, teenagers riding along holding hands, retired ladies riding along having conversations the whole time, people going shopping. It really made me think about how much I had loved riding during my prolonged (8 years) student days. When we returned I was thinking about how to start riding more. As luck would have it, the hospital I was working at was closed and I had to look for a new job. I applied at a clinic about 9 miles from home, and one of my questions on the interview was "How would you feel about my commuting by bike?" The reply, "I would encourage you to," sealed the deal. I've always thought that being able to bike commute was the Cro-moly lining to the cloud of losing my job of 17 years. Having acquired a computer, I learned about WSD bikes and once I was sure that commuting would indeed work for me I bought my first Terry, the very first bike that ever fit me. Now, 5 years later, I have 5 bikes, one for every season and every reason. While I'm still my chunky, peasant build self (after all, my family had been farmers since their neighbors told them about pointed sticks) my blood pressure has dropped to where my PCP no longer is threatening to put me on meds. I love riding through Moosehill Audubon Sanctuary mornings and watching the wild turkeys, deer, fox, raccoon, tree frogs, spotted salamanders, snapping turtles, and other wildlife. I've photographed my favorite tree in every season. I'm known to many people on my route. One cold winter day (-4F) one of the car commuters stopped, leaned out of his window to applaud me and yelled "Bravo, Bravo". When I found a cash box on the side of the road and called 911, there was a pause while I explained that I was on a bike even though it was mid-winter and I didn't want to wait in the wind too long. The cops were there in 5 minutes, and made sure my speech wasn't slurred or any signs of hypothermia before they let me leave to get to work. I love the commuting lifestyle.