When did I become the Commuting Evangelist?

[Waverly]

Since this is a commuting thread I think this question wouldn’t be too out of place. Ok picture this, I live off of one of three main four lane highways in my city. I have to cross a sizable bridge over a large lake with trashy shoulders. The ride would be about 10 miles. I would be riding through a very trafficky area near our local mall and stores such as Home Depot and chain restaurants. Would yall recommend riding this as a commuter? Am I asking for trouble? Also being as though I live near the mountains this is a bit of a hilly area and the roads are not laid out for the ease of a cyclist. Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jessica

[tulip]

Since this is a commuting thread I think this question wouldn’t be too out of place. Ok picture this, I live off of one of three main four lane highways in my city. I have to cross a sizable bridge over a large lake with trashy shoulders. The ride would be about 10 miles. I would be riding through a very trafficky area near our local mall and stores such as Home Depot and chain restaurants. Would yall recommend riding this as a commuter? Am I asking for trouble? Also being as though I live near the mountains this is a bit of a hilly area and the roads are not laid out for the ease of a cyclist. Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jessica

Every city that I've ever been to, and most suburbs and countrysides, have more than one road. The trick to commuting by bicycle is to find a route that is not the same route as you would take in your car. Get a map, get creative, and find out what you CAN do. It may not work for you, but you'll never know until you look at the possibilities.

This is not directed just at Jessica. Good luck to everyone in finding ways to make the world a better place.

[Waverly]

Every city that I've ever been to, and most suburbs and countrysides, have more than one road. The trick to commuting by bicycle is to find a route that is not the same route as you would take in your car. Get a map, get creative, and find out what you CAN do. It may not work for you, but you'll never know until you look at the possibilities.

This is not directed just at Jessica. Good luck to everyone in finding ways to make the world a better place.

I SO wish that were true for me! The problem is that due to the lake you are VERY limited to roads that cross it. There is a neighborhood that I can through but it leads me onto one of the other major highways which also crosses the lake. Other than going 20+ miles out of my way I don't have that option.

Jessica

[Dianyla]

Does that lake/bridge road have any sort of pedestrian sidewalk? Some of the bridges here in Portland are pretty icky to ride over (steel grates! ) and so a lot of cyclists use the sidewalk in that case.

Also, you'd be surprised how effective a phone call to the department of transportation or city sanitation can be if you let them know there is a ton of debris on a specific road shoulder. It's worth a try, chances are they'll come out and sweep it.

[Geonz]

The other tactic is to try to find other people to ride with you ... then you become a movement... it *is* tricky. In my experience, on those kinds of roads, drivers don't expect cycles, and they dont' *LIKE* them, and they are hostile. I feel like I'm exercising my rights... rights that are not going to be yielded willingly.
Timing is everything, though... now that there are some forces saying "maybe we shouldn't be addicted to oil," people *might* be more willing to cheer for you and leave you lots of room. On the other hand, change can be very threatening; that guy in the Hummer towing is small yacht may have a certain attitude...

[Dianyla]

Oh dear, this could become a problem. I can't claim personal responsibility for this, but this morning I showed up to work and the bike lock in front was almost completely full of bikes!

[CorsairMac]

Woohoo Dianyla - but of Course you can take responsibility for it! Good on you!!....and gee isn't That a shame that your office needs to get another bike lock??!

and Trek I Love the poster idea!!

and Waverly: you might try riding it on a quiet day say like early on a Sat or Sun morning and see how comfortable you are with the route. My first response to your question was Absolutely I'd ride it - but I ride busy streets every day so I don't think about it. I do - however - make myself visible by wearing bright colours, sitting up at any questionable intersetions, and living in a basically bike friendly community!

[Trek420]

what corsair sed about scouting the route, it took me months of weekend trips, I made a project of it. Even with maps I'd set out east - the Nimitz set out South - Industrial blvd North - Jackson/92 West - into the Bay nice, but not the way to work .... finaly found the ped/bike overpass, it's like they set out to hide it.

[DirtDiva]

They really do seem to be encouraging cycling here. I discovered a fabulous set of maps put out by tfl (Transport for London: buses, tubes, the lot). I've got five of them, but there are 19 in the series (it's a big city). They show all the marked bike lanes and cycle routes in the city as well as the one-ways. They're free too! I still tend to just point my bike in the direction I want to go and then whip out my A-Z when I become "temporarily mislocated" though - I think of it as an adventure.

[tulip]

I'd rather do my 14-mile commute that is two-thirds through northeast and downtown Washington, DC than try to commute in some Mall-land nowhere suburbia USA. Good luck, Jessica! Can you move or get another job? I guess I am a bike commuting fanatic.

[KnottedYet]

I am so lucky where I live and where I work. There is a "Bike Route" with big signs (no bike lanes or shoulders though) that goes from right near my apartment to where I work. I work in a building across from a ferry dock that takes a lot of bike traffic. Cars are used to seeing bikes along there, plus there are all those "bike route" warning signs. I only have 4 miles to go, downhill to work (15 min) uphill home (30 min). Don't even arrive sweaty cuz I can coast most of the way.

My boss is a totally hot bicycling goddess who has NO problem with any of us riding to work or parking our bikes inside the building. She even offered to do a bike-fit for me! She gives me biking advice! I mean, how totally awesomely cool is that?

I love my job, I love my boss, I love my neighborhood, I love my bike, love, love, love

All you need is love... and a bike!

[withm]

I just put $55 into my gas tank and vowed to start riding to work a couple days a week. One of the "joys" of driving to work is savoring my coffee in the car. Does anyone carry coffee on a bike?

Sigh. Was getting bike ready for my first commute. Topped of the tires, and wouldn't you know the rear stem came apart when I disengaged the pump. I'm afraid this is an omen. I have decided to go to bed instead of changing tires at midnight.

Yikes! The weatherman just said it would be 10 degrees colder tomorrow than today. On the other hand, I think I'm more likely to make this work if the first couple of rides go well. I'll take a backpack into the office tomorrow with some clothes and stash it under my desk so I'm ready.

[KnottedYet]

I carry coffee on my bike every morning. It goes in my water bottle. I'm sure the hot coffee is leaching out all kinds of deadly poisons from the malleable plastic (it isn't a Nalgene... yet) but I get a huge thrill out of having warm coffee on my ride to work!

By the time I get to work the coffee is cold. I either drink it cold pretending it's an iced latte, or pour it into my mug and nuke it.

[Lise]

I put my metal, non-spilling thermal mug in one water bottle cage, and a water bottle in the other. I don't actually drink the coffee while riding, but it's still hot when I get there!

[KnottedYet]

Please, please tell me what brand of thermal cup fits in a water bottle cage? You could change my life!