This week, in a major step toward eco-footprint reduction, I bike commuted to work for the first time. In a previous post I had laid claim to bike commuting as one of the things our household has done for the Earth lately. But up until now it's been the husband doing all the biking while I've been taking our shared car to and from work. That's all going to change now!
The first step in my transportation transformation was for me to actually get some wheels. It was hard to be a bike commuter when I didn't have a bike! Two weeks ago we went over to Freewheel in Minneapolis to look at bikes that would fit my specifications: somewhat upright in position so I didn't have to lean onto my arms all the time, nimble enough to carry me through city streets, light-weight enough for me to lift onto the bus rack if needed, but sturdy enough to feel solid. Mostly I need a bike that fits me correctly so I don't fall over when I try to put my feet on the ground! I'm not the most coordinated or athletic person out there, and I can foresee some comical, or even tragic, biking scenarios befalling me.
Two different Treks at the shop fit my profile, but they were in their boxes needing to be assembled. I agreed to come back the next day to test-drive my options, and when I arrived, the bikes were ready so I hopped right on to one. I left my husband at the store as collateral, and rode off into Cedar-Riverside to try it out. The Trek 7.1 commuter bike was much smoother than previous bikes I've owned, the most recent being the bike I had in Ghana. Volunteers in our Peace Corps group had two options for bikes and we chose the multi-geared, mountain-bike-tired "California" model, which, though less crappy than the single-speed "Phoenix" option, was still a crappy bike for riding on unpaved roads through potholes and mud pits. The only bike I had owned before that was in junior high, circa 1988: a three-speed pink and gray Huffy bike that I rode infrequently around my Boston area town because it was more convenient to take the subway. My historical bike standards were pretty low.
The second bike I tested, the 7.2, felt noticeably smoother than the first one. I felt it in the gear shifting and the pedaling, and although the seat was smaller and less cushy, I ended up getting the 7.2 after test riding both bikes multiple times. The store rep was helpful and patient, and after I had made my choice he walked me through the different biking accessories I would need. We drove away with my new bike on our roof rack and a bunch of biking supplies - front light, rear light, water bottle, bottle holder, lock and cable - to set me on the road to bike commuting. Now all I had to do was practice.
When we got home, the husband and I went for a spin and rode from our house over to the Mississippi River parkway, taking the bike path down to Minnehaha Falls. It was a gorgeous day and it seemed like everyone in the Twin Cities was out on their bikes - I could finally be part of the bikereation! We came home up Minnehaha Ave. which has a designated bike lane, and I got a feel for what it's like to have traffic constantly whooshing by on the left. Not too bad.
The next day we did another bike ride - much longer this time. We drove our bikes over to southwest Minneapolis in our car and then biked around the lakes with my brother-in-law and his family. We started at their house and biked around Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun, and Lake of the Isles. On our way back home we stopped at the Lake Harriet band shell to grab an ice cream cone and listen to two guys drumming on whatever they could find - trashcans, buckets, sign posts, etc. It was good family fun, but I must admit my butt was sore when we were done.
I had biked two days in a row, but I still didn't feel ready to bike all the way to work. My office is 5 miles from our house on a route that includes a long, heavily-trafficked hill. I wanted to boost my bike-confidence before seriously attempting the ride to work. Remember, my experience biking up until this point has been negligible; I biked a few times a year as a teenager, and then a few times during my year in the grimy tropical heat of equatorial Africa. I wanted to bike a few more times over that next week to gain more city bike experience.
One evening after work I went with the husband on an exploratory ride down the Greenway (old train tracks converted to designated, paved bike path). It was a revelation - a whole underground, undercover world of bikers, bladers, and joggers all transporting themselves using their own two legs, with no cars in sight! There are little exit ramps and signs to tell you which road you're passing under, and when the path goes past the newly re-developed midtown market, there are cafe patio tables just to the side of the trail. Freewheel has another bike store location right on the Greenway as well, and there is easy access to other bike lanes and trails. Mostly I was struck by an overall sense of congeniality among the trail users that you don't find out on the roads. Is this what life would be like without cars? Sign me up.
Over the weekend we made a practice run of the daunting work-route hill. My work commute takes me over a bridge across the Mississippi River; Lake St. on our Minneapolis side and Marshall Ave. once you cross to the St. Paul side. Lake street is flat and even, and then the bridge has a small rise and fall through its center. The Marshall avenue hill looms up at you immediately once you've crossed, and it stretches over five blocks on its rise to the top. When we crossed the bridge and started up the hill I shifted down to my lowest middle gear. Surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated. I had imagined myself giving up half way through and walking my bike up the rest of the hill. But I was able to pedal all the way up the hill and had time to recover at the top while waiting for the stoplight to turn green. It was a success, and it gave me the confidence I needed to bike to work the next day.
This week I biked to work on both Monday and Friday and it worked out pretty nicely. It's ten miles round trip, separated by 8 hours of sitting at a desk, so I get plenty of recovery time in between trips. The weather has been cooperating nicely this week as well: 50's in the mornings and 70's in the afternoons. I do get a little sweaty in the morning, which is the uphill leg, so I brought a change of clothes on Friday and that helped. I'll have to see what my stamina is like once the weather changes to 70's in the morning and 90's in the afternoon (those conditions did not work out so well for biking in Ghana...), but overall I've been surprised and encouraged by my ability to bike to work with this much success right off the bat.
Most of all I am elated by the sense of freedom that I've discovered with biking. In a car you have to make sure the gas tank is full, that your blinkers work, that you follow the speed limit, etc. With a bike, you just get on and go (making sure to follow traffic rules when riding in traffic, to be sure.) Not only is it a way to get from point A to point B, it's a fun activity to share with friends and family. Now, I have clearly stated that I am in no way a serious athlete, nor am I a social activist, but bike commuting provides both regular exercise and a way to actively contribute to sustainable societal change. Two additional perks to an already highly beneficial activity.
See you on the road, comrades!
