Commute by bike

Recycla has written before about her new-found love of biking. While her husband has been biking to work for years (a nine mile round trip commute) Recycla’s foray into biking only started last year. Since that time, however, Recycla has learned to love two-wheeled commuting.

If you can bike to work, Recycla urges you to give it a try. Recycla and her husband both work at a nearby university, which makes its employees buy monthly parking passes for their cars. By biking, Mr. Recycla has saved thousands of dollars in the past decade because he has not needed a parking pass, plus he’s not buying gas or putting wear-and-tear on a car.

If you are going to commute by bike — either all the time or occasionally — there are some things you need to think about:

• If you haven’t ridden in a while, get your bike tuned up. Riding on a bike that has under-inflated tires or iffy brakes makes the commute harder and possibly even dangerous.
• Figure out your route. How are you getting to work and how long will it take you? Mr. Recycla has sussed out various roads and trails and has mapped out a route that involves as many bike lanes as possible, but avoids some of the worst hills in their town.
• What will you wear for the ride? Unless you work in a really casual office, you probably don’t want to bike in your work clothes. Figure out what you’re going to wear and what you’ll need at the end of the commute. Mr. Recycla’s office has showers available, so there’s no need for him to gross out his colleagues in July and August.
• How will you carry your stuff? Just because urban bike couriers carry messenger bags doesn’t mean that is the best option for you. Maybe you need a backpack, a basket on your handlebars, or even panniers attached to your rear rack.
• What else might you need for the ride? How about a spare inner tube, repair tools, and other gear to help you out if you have technical difficulties along the way? Also, pack a water bottle. Even a two mile ride can be thirsty business.
• Where will you park your bike once you get to work? Mr. Recycla does not have a bike rack outside his office, so he wheels his bike in and stashes it near his cubicle.  Recycla, on the other hand, has access to a bike rack right outside her building — IF she can find a spot. Otherwise, she locks her bike to a fence.

Finally, remember that some days you can’t bike and that’s okay. Even if you bike once per week, you’re doing a great job of helping protect Planet Earth. However, there are those days when you’re sick or Mother Nature just won’t cooperate. Know when to say when and don’t worry about it.