31 Years...Half My Life!
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 6,000
Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V
Liked 1,699 Times
in
837 Posts
31 Years...Half My Life!
I have been biking to work most days since 1992...31 years...half my life! Actually a little more, I'll be 62 in January. My anniversary for arriving here in Colorado is September, and I began bike commuting a month later in October...but after 31 years, whats a few weeks or months?
There was the year I was off the bike in 2010 due to a non-cycling injury, and the 18 months I worked from home due in part to the Covid pandemic, although I did keep up my daily rides for the most part.
In two weeks I will be celebrating my one-year anniversary at my new office job where many of my co-workers are under 30; younger than my years commuting and younger than two bikes in my commute rotation.
It's all just numbers, and I've never been a real stat guy, but the mile stone has been reached, or was reached, or will be reached...I dunno...I'm having too much fun biking to work!
https://www.youtube.com/@bgvideo62/playlists
There was the year I was off the bike in 2010 due to a non-cycling injury, and the 18 months I worked from home due in part to the Covid pandemic, although I did keep up my daily rides for the most part.
In two weeks I will be celebrating my one-year anniversary at my new office job where many of my co-workers are under 30; younger than my years commuting and younger than two bikes in my commute rotation.
It's all just numbers, and I've never been a real stat guy, but the mile stone has been reached, or was reached, or will be reached...I dunno...I'm having too much fun biking to work!
https://www.youtube.com/@bgvideo62/playlists
Likes For BobbyG:
#2
Should Be More Popular
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Malvern, PA (20 miles West of Philly)
Posts: 43,280
Bikes: 1986 Alpine (steel road bike), 2009 Ti Habenero, 2013 Specialized Roubaix
Liked 9,184 Times
in
4,255 Posts
Likes For Daniel4:
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 6,000
Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V
Liked 1,699 Times
in
837 Posts
At the new job there are 50-60 people and this last winter many would poke their heads in my office to see if I had ridden on a particularly cold or snowy day. Since I park the bike behind my desk they can see it for themselves.
Yesterday, before I left a few folks offered me rides, which i politely declined.
And yes, even in nice weather people assume it's a dangerous endeavor because they drive in traffic, and as you can see, this route like my others is quiet.
#5
Commuter
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: SE Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 706
Bikes: Main Bikes: 2023 Trek Domane AL3, 2022 Aventon Level.2 eBike, 1972 Schwinn Varsity, 2024 Priority Apollo 11
Liked 460 Times
in
258 Posts
Interesting stat, that you've been bike commuting longer than a lot of your colleagues have been alive!
I'll share my story of what got me started bike commuting:
I was in a phase where I was dabbling in folding bikes. Our local commuter train will not allow bikes on rush hour trains, but folding bikes in a bag are considered to be luggage and can be brought along any time. That first one I bought was not very good. It was a Kent with rear suspension that just soaked up half my (already low) power. I sold it on Craigslist to a local bike nut. She was super-fit and happy. I asked her what she was going to do with the bike. She said she planned to take it downtown on the train for Critical Mass rides and maybe winter multi-modal commuting.
"Winter?!" said I. "Yeah. I found that when I kept riding my bike year 'round, I didn't get that gloomy, depressed feeling any more.
Ever since then, I bike commute now any time I reasonably can, as I found she was 100% right. We haven't been getting as much snow these past couple years, and I can deal with the cold for my 2 mile commute. Even though it is only 2 miles, I save a lot of gas. My car fast idles almost the whole way to work in the winter and gets something like 15 mpg on premium gas that costs $4.40/gal. It also saves the time in the morning of scraping my car.
I'll share my story of what got me started bike commuting:
I was in a phase where I was dabbling in folding bikes. Our local commuter train will not allow bikes on rush hour trains, but folding bikes in a bag are considered to be luggage and can be brought along any time. That first one I bought was not very good. It was a Kent with rear suspension that just soaked up half my (already low) power. I sold it on Craigslist to a local bike nut. She was super-fit and happy. I asked her what she was going to do with the bike. She said she planned to take it downtown on the train for Critical Mass rides and maybe winter multi-modal commuting.
"Winter?!" said I. "Yeah. I found that when I kept riding my bike year 'round, I didn't get that gloomy, depressed feeling any more.
Ever since then, I bike commute now any time I reasonably can, as I found she was 100% right. We haven't been getting as much snow these past couple years, and I can deal with the cold for my 2 mile commute. Even though it is only 2 miles, I save a lot of gas. My car fast idles almost the whole way to work in the winter and gets something like 15 mpg on premium gas that costs $4.40/gal. It also saves the time in the morning of scraping my car.
Likes For Smaug1:
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 6,000
Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V
Liked 1,699 Times
in
837 Posts
I've never kept records but 15 years ago I think I figured I commuted about 3200 miles based on distance and likely number of days commuting...and subtracting weekend rides the odometer seemed to bear this out. I didn't have strava or gps.
The last few years of that commute I rode more often as I began riding in the snow, with studded tires, and in the rain with fenders and a rain cape and pushed my cold temp threshhold down to 5F.
I started out the new job riding every day, but for the last 6 weeks I have had to drive on Wednesdays, plus I missed three weeks due to hernia surgery last winter and three more weeks due to covid a month after starting.
I can also tell you that my 2001 Subaru had only 83,000 after 14 years and my 2015 Nissan hasn't hit 40K yet.
Likes For BobbyG:
#10
I don't know.
Join Date: May 2003
Location: South Meriden, CT
Posts: 2,094
Bikes: '90 B'stone RB-1, '92 B'stone RB-2, '89 SuperGo Access Comp, '03 Access 69er, '23 Trek 520, '14 Ritchey Road Logic, '09 Kestrel Evoke, '08 Windsor Tourist, '17 Surly Wednesday, '89 Centurion Accordo, '15 CruX, '17 Ridley X-Night, '89 Marinoni
Liked 921 Times
in
479 Posts
not being a morning person, I'm a tad envious. Cheers to you. That's admirable.
#12
Senior Member
I used to keep meticulous written records of my rides, including a short comment on what I experienced on a given day. Every year, my company issued all employees an agenda which I used as a diary. So, I have written records of rides I did for 20 years which include information like wind direction, temperature, and how I felt that day. These records also include information about my racing, all kinds of statistics from one year to the next, whether I managed to improve or not. My commuting life ended at age 55, not because I stopped riding to work but because my company labeled me as surplus to its needs and offered me a generous retirement offer, so generous that continuing to work made no sense. I have worked at other things since then, but I very much miss my 30 km ride to work each morning and would do it still if my employer were still wanting my help
Likes For alcjphil:
#13
10 miles one way is doable, which I am doing right now, and it would take me about 45 minutes one way on a leisurely ride. It is neither too long nor too short. Actually, it is a perfect distance that doesn't make you feel tired once you reach the destination. It is a good exercise every morning and it will keep oneself pumped up and active throughout the day. 6 miles one way is very much doable at your age; and also at 72 or 82, I think.
I wear safety green jacket too while I am bike-riding. Keep wearing it and keep yourself visible.
I wear safety green jacket too while I am bike-riding. Keep wearing it and keep yourself visible.