I'd like to try commuting, but...

[Biciclista]

If nothing else, you might happen by someone's house and ask if you could leave your car there. Are there no parks, nothing? I think this deserves more investigation. (I always thought of rural as being more free, not more controlled!)

[Heifzilla]

If nothing else, you might happen by someone's house and ask if you could leave your car there. Are there no parks, nothing? I think this deserves more investigation. (I always thought of rural as being more free, not more controlled!)

There's the big state park across the way, but it closes at dusk and the parking areas are only a mile or so from my house.

Rural doesn't mean more free, I don't think. There are plenty of fields and undeveloped lots but no where to park a car without permission unless you know someone.

Oh, and I did the "walk" where I know the hill is hellish, and it does not look like much at all on google street view. But I get up to 30 mph going down that hill, so I know it's a doozy. But fun to ride...down! Google street view seems to flatten stuff out quite a bit, I think it's the lens they use to get the wide angle view.

[sfa]

Wow, I think you'd get extra-special double cool commuting points for having to cross into another state on your commute!

What I would do in your case is to just try it. Try it on one route one day and the other route the other day and just see how it goes. Or if you're nervous about taking on the whole commute in one day, drive in with your bike in your car and ride home on one route, then the next day ride into work on your bike and drive home. This kind of hybrid commute is an approach that I think a lot of people take on a routine basis, especially if they have a long or difficult commute. I'd be more inclined to take the slightly farther but less busy road. You'll get good at the hills in pretty short order. A year ago I was asking on here about dealing with hills on my commute (I don't really have any truly flat sections, and the first 6 miles (or last, depending on the time of day) is pretty much 3 miles down then three miles back up) and while I would like to say that now I'm so used to them that I hardly notice them, the truth is I STILL hate them, but they are much, much easier. I had to walk them the first few times and I always tell myself that that's still an option (as is stopping at the coffee shop at the base of the three mile hill and calling DH for a ride! I've never done it, but I've been tempted.).

Good luck!

Sarah

[Biciclista]

Wow, I think you'd get extra-special double cool commuting points for having to cross into another state on your commute!

Good luck!

Sarah

How did I miss THAT ???

"oh yeah, my commute's not too bad, I just have to go through Wisconsin to get to Illinois"

[tulip]

When I lived in Maryland, I went through DC and into Virginia to work everyday by bike. It was kindof fun thinking about a tri-state commute.

Heifzilla, why don't you just clean the shower and use it? That's what I did at my old job. They had a shower that was not used and it was not up to my standards, so I spent a few hours scrubbing and it was fine. I got some of that after-shower spray for the tiles and that kept it clean. Most places don't have any shower of any kind, so you are waaaaay ahead of the game. The hills will get easier ONLY if you ride them. Otherwise, they'll stay hard.

I've found in my life (bike commuting and otherwise) that it's very easy to think of reasons NOT to do something. The challenge is to make it happen. Solutions, not excuses, are what I try to focus on.

[Pax]

If nothing else, you might happen by someone's house and ask if you could leave your car there. Are there no parks, nothing? I think this deserves more investigation. (I always thought of rural as being more free, not more controlled!)

Not in Illinois, the ground her is very fertile and every square inch of it is owned. There are a minuscule number of places where you could just drop your bike and walk through a field (they're fenced). It's a common misconception about this state though.


Heifzilla - I used to live in Lake Villa and can see the difficulties with your commute. It's doable but the lack of shoulders on most of those roads will make the ride "interesting".

BSG - The hills in Northern IL are loooooong slow inclines, they appear flat until you're on them and then your thighs explode about halfway up.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

BSG - The hills in Northern IL are loooooong slow inclines, they appear flat until you're on them and then your thighs explode about halfway up.

Yes we have some of those several mile long inclines around here too. My thighs used to 'explode' halfway up them too....but after a couple years of fairly average type riding in our pretty hilly areas, I have little trouble with them now, simply because my leg muscles have gotten stronger. As Tulip says, "The hills will get easier ONLY if you ride them. Otherwise, they'll stay hard."
I'm 55 and I've only been riding for three years, never having been involved with any exercise at all before that. I also have some respiratory limitations. Hey, if I can do it on my 30 lb. steel bike, anyone can.

[canonsue]

For now, I am doing the drive part way, bike part way. My commute is 25 miles each way with a 10 mile killer hill. Once, I ride more, I will bike down the hill and to work and then take the bus back.

However, for now, I just park at any public parking lot. Last time, I rode, I parked in the Home Depot lot which was 7 miles away.

-Sue