One month under my belt…

[Subby]

Fat, stressed and perennially late is no way to go through life. But that was me during the second half of 2011, car commuting from McLean to DC. I would spend upwards of 2 hours a day in the car for a round trip that totaled just 20 miles. No wonder my wife and kids kept telling me I was cranky. And fat. I thought it was just because I had turned 40.

So I dragged my 225 lb. carcass into The Bike Lane on January 2nd and bought a Trek 7.3 hybrid. The sales guy tried to upsell me into a road bike with paddle shifters, etc., but that seemed kind of intimidating, plus I wanted to get a nerdy rack for the back of the bike so I could haul all my stuff – and the cool road bike wasn’t going to let me put racks on it.

Anyway, cold and scared 5h1t73ss, I made my first ride in on January 3rd. One mile into the ride, my sweat pant leg got stuck in my chain and bent something – maybe the derailleur, maybe the johnson rod – who knows? It just made a terrible scraping noise the rest of the way in and all the way home and I had to stay in the middle gear just to keep it from creating a ton of sparks and setting me on fire.

So that first trip sucked and I drove in the rest of the week. But I got my bike fixed that weekend and kept at it. I ran in a few days. I ran home a few days. But mostly I biked. I’m still The Slowest Biker on the Planet Earth but I made the trip in 49 minutes this morning – a new personal record! Plus the whole scared thing – familiarity extinguishes fear and the more I rode in, the more comfortable I became.

All told – I made 36 total trips to and from work in January (18 days in the office). 22 of them sans car. I saved 220 gas miles ($56) and I lost 15 lbs.. And I could not be happier.

Thanks to everyone on this forum for sharing their experiences and making the transition a little easier for me.

[WillStewart]

Great way to create a bold shift in your lifestyle – kudos!

Have you noticed any difference in your physical fitness? How about outlook/attitude?

[americancyclo]

12 mph is a respectable speed for a commute! Glad you’re enjoying it, this afternoon’s commute should be wondrous!

[Greenbelt]

I was going to say exactly what americancyclo said (what is it about that!). After year and a half of regular commuting, I’ve totally stopped noticing my speed or time. I just sort of ride at whatever pace seems comfortable on the legs. If the wind is unfavorable, I just slow down. If it’s good and the trails are clear and legs good, well then faster is fun.

The relaxingness and beauty of the commute is sort of sucking the competitive travel time optimization instinct out of me.

I notice this when I’m driving too. I’m thinking “What are these people speeding around so angrily about?” But then I get stuck in traffic and I remember what it’s like.

[pfunkallstar]

@Greenbelt 13946 wrote:

I was going to say exactly what americancyclo said (what is it about that!). After year and a half of regular commuting, I’ve totally stopped noticing my speed or time. I just sort of ride at whatever pace seems comfortable on the legs. If the wind is unfavorable, I just slow down. If it’s good and the trails are clear and legs good, well then faster is fun.

The relaxingness and beauty of the commute is sort of sucking the competitive travel time optimization instinct out of me.

Unless you are looking to train, which is perfectly okay mind you, keeping track of time or trying to afterburn on the trail is counterproductive. I keep up a pretty quick pace, but have noticed that from WFC to Metro Center, hauling ass v. not quite hauling ass doesn’t make much of a time difference. The things that really slow you down are riding safely, lights, cars, tourists, etc… all kind of important things. So I agree with Greenbelt, ‘screw it,’ you are going to get there so might as well enjoy it.

ALSO MAJOR KUDOS for keeping up the commute, Mclean to DC is hilly and has some intimidating areas to negotiate that aren’t too bike friendly. Keep it up! It only gets easier in the spring, the summer, well, just be sure to bring a towel.

[off2ride]

Keep it up Subby. It’ll just get better and easier as the miles accumulate.

[Riley Casey]

Well thats just a pitch perfect post for a day when its going to break 60 degrees. Great going Subby. Just think how much you’ll enjoy these rides when its 60 degrees during your commute in the morning. Thats what a bike commuter lives for. A commute becomes a pleasure cruise and its over all too soon – but it always happens again the next morning.

[eminva]

Yay! Way to go! This is great to hear. Anecdotally, I have noticed more commuters out on the trail compared to last winter, which is all good.

Just for the record, you can put a rack on a road bike and the sky will not collapse. I suppose there are those who will look askance, but hold your head high and get your stuff to work in whatever manner works best for you.

Hope to cross paths someday!

Liz

[consularrider]

Definitely it appears there are more commuters this winter than the past four. Better weather does help, but I’m sure there are other reasons. Subby, glad to see you getting out there. I’ve been very happy being a year round commuter since coming to DC just over four years ago. And as eminva said, you can put a rack on a road bike. There are models that even have eyelets so you don’t use the seatpost style. That said, I’m sure the FX 7.3 will serve you well. My hybrid commuter is heavier than that and I do like the more upright position while riding in rush hour traffic.

[Dirt]

Fantastic and successful success story!!! I’m happy that January cooperated with weather.

[pfunkallstar]

@consularrider 13963 wrote:

Definitely it appears there are more commuters this winter than the past four. Better weather does help, but I’m sure there are other reasons. Subby, glad to see you getting out there. I’ve been very happy being a year round commuter since coming to DC just over four years ago. And as eminva said, you can put a rack on a road bike. There are models that even have eyelets so you don’t use the seatpost style. That said, I’m sure the FX 7.3 will serve you well. My hybrid commuter is heavier than that and I do like the more upright position while riding in rush hour traffic.

They are NEW commuters, which is awesome, at least I’m just taking a stab at that based on the combination of new bikes/and “not sullied spandex.” That, or people just really lucked out over Christmas with some sweet new duds.

[Arlingtonrider]

Congrats Subby! Commuting not only gets easier as time goes on, but also a lot more fun. I’m another one of those newly on the trails this winter, although i’ve been a fair weather commuter for a couple of years. Last January – zero miles. This month/year – 275 miles, not counting today, and liking it more all the time. Enjoy your rides!

p.s. I also ride a Trek hybrid and think it’s an awesome bike for my riding and commuting needs. It’s been my sole bike for about 13 years. Every once in awhile I think about getting an additional bike, but I haven’t really felt the need for one yet.

[Greenbelt]

Just for the record, you can put a rack on a road bike and the sky will not collapse. I suppose there are those who will look askance, but hold your head high and get your stuff to work in whatever manner works best for you.

Road bike (granted not a high-end or racing model) before and after various commuter conversions…
[ATTACH=CONFIG]654[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]655[/ATTACH]

[5555624]

@Arlingtonrider 13972 wrote:

Every once in awhile I think about getting an additional bike, but I haven’t really felt the need for one yet.

Come over to the dark side….

[dbb]

Welcome to the best fitness club in the DC area!

Not only is the dues really low, but the other members are great. This is the place to get advice and encouragement. As te weather improves, so will your fitness and joy about riding.

Dana

[Author]

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