Last month, my husband and I took a drive to the Great Northwest, in part to ride the Tour de Whidbey, a benefit for the Whidbey Island (North of Seattle, in Puget Sound) General Hospital, and just a really pretty bike ride. There are lots of hills, some like Lookout Mountain, but nowhere as long, and many, many beautiful views of the Sound on one side and Pacific Ocean on the other. Several small towns and lots of pastoral landscape (where are my pastels?) in-between complete the picture-postcard experience.

Lise Neer

For Day One of our 3-day road trip, we scheduled a stop (and overnight) in Salt Lake City to visit an old high school friend, who turned us on to a sweet little breakfast place called The Blue Plate. Later that day, we jumped into the Miracle Hot Springs pool in Buhl, Idaho, and soaked and swam till our bodies agreed to be folded back into the car. Next was lunch at the Snake River Grill, a little roadside place in Hagerman, just off I-84, where the chef is quite proud of his game and fish dishes (we promised to return for dinner next time).

The main goal for Day Two was to check into our motel in Boise early that evening, then pedal with the Lost River Cycling Club. I had looked for cycling organizations on the Internet prior to the trip, hoping to score a nice ride along the route, and—bingo!—these guys were having their weekly “Hump Day” ride at 6:15 PM.

We found the start location at the last minute and saw about 15 riders in matching outfits, just about to take off. Tyler, Don, Eric and Mark stayed behind until we were ready to go, then took us on a tour through parts of town that appeared very walk- and ride-able, with marked bike lanes and low speed limits. Then we headed up a long, winding hill toward Bogus Basin Ski Area (thankfully, the elevation here is only about half that of Denver’s), until I noticed my rear brake was rubbing—didn’t someone in the 2004 Tour de France have a similar problem?—and the tire was low. Don had a good mini pump, and after I adjusted the axle in my dropouts, we were ready to fly back down the hill into town. It was 18 miles full of funny stories and friendly company. They have an excellent “no drop” policy on their rides, and filled me in on the local commuting scene. Seems there are lots of folks who ride between the towns of Caldwell, Nampa and Boise, as well as the local Air Force base, from which Mark had just retired. He told me his bicycle commute had been 60 miles EACH WAY. He looked the part. Then he announced he’d just completed the 206-mile tour from Logan, UT to Jackson, WY, known as LOTOJA (yes, within 24 hours). Tyler mentioned he was about to log about 100 miles just that day, starting with his 25-mile commute from Nampa, then a ride at lunchtime, then this ride with the club, and finally back home again. What a bunch of hard-bodies.

Day Three was pretty easy, lots of rest stops, and filling up the water jugs at one particularly tasty source at the rest area in Farewell Bend, OR (just up the road from the Ore-Ida factory). Farther North we hit Walla Walla, and Southeastern Washington Wine Country—yeah! Far too many wineries to visit in one hour, plus the problem of driving while tasting, so we limited it to just two, and purchased some sweet onion sausage from a walk-up window in downtown Walla Walla. Later that weekend, my sister-in-law’s mama from Manhattan (where they are used to good sausage, among other quality eats) gave it high marks.

Finally we made it to Seattle, and the island, my favorite paradise. The 450-rider Tour de Whidbey was awesome, with sunny, cool weather all day and charming hospital volunteers in charge of the rest stops. A couple stations even had boiled new potatoes, since someone on last year’s ride had suggested it. Personally, I hope they bring back the espresso at the West Beach stop, just prior to a killer hill.

While visiting the Sunday farmer’s market, we checked out the wine shop at Greenbank Farms, where the TDW begins and ends. The shelves were a bit depleted and employees were hurriedly restocking. They told us the cyclists just deluged the store after the ride, clicking around in their cleats and bike shorts. “And I didn’t think bike riders LIKED wine!” said the manager. He’s probably used to beer-loving mountain bikers.

This may sound more like a travel-blog than a commuter column, but it occurred to me that, as a cycling advocate, it makes sense to pay attention to local bicycling and commuting situations in other parts of the country, and share those stories with the gang back home. And packing a bike along on your next road trip (it’s amazing what you can stuff into a Subaru sedan) is a good excuse to take a break and ride along the way!

by Lise Neer, BikeDenver

It’s 9:30 in the morning and I’m riding to work. I come upon an intersection and slow my bike. I have a stop sign. The intersecting street does not. I’m scanning for cars when another cyclist whips by me on my left and zooms into the insection. Then I see a car. The other cyclist also sees the car and attempts to stop. A chorus of squeeling is unleashed from the bike’s brakes. The car is going too fast to react but somehow the cyclist manages not to end up on the car’s hood and continues through the intersection. I’m amazed.

Thomas Birks

I decide to lay back and observe this cyclist as he continues his way along the bike lane. What do I find? At every intersection he’s is putting himself into danger because his brakes aren’t working. At one intersection a car is attempting to make a right turn at a red light. The cyclist comes upon the motorist. The car’s turn signal is flashing but the cyclist can’t stop quickly enough to stay out of the motorist’s way. Luckily the motorist is patient and paying attention. The driver waits for the cyclist to come to an awkward stop before making the turn. Another accident is narrowly avoided.

I follow the cyclist all the way to my turn. I’m relieved and amazed to see that he has managed not to get hit in the ten or so blocks that I’ve been watching. Maybe this guy has some kind of deity looking out for him… maybe he’s just lucky. I don’t know. What I do know is that he’s needlessly endangering himself.

The brakeless cyclist is an extreme example but I witness plenty of smaller ills everyday. Gears that won’t shift, chains so dry that they groan, grossly out of true wheels, loose headsets and more can be observed on the streets and paths of Denver. A poorly maintained bike isn’t always dangerous but it is inefficent and annoying.

A bicycle is a simple machine, but it’s still a machine. It’s parts need to be maintained in order for it to operate properly. Some maintainance is simple. Lubing the chain and airing up the tires come to mind. Many repairs can be made with basic tools and good instruction. Other repairs require specialized tools and knowledge. It’s up to you whether you want to perform maintainance and repairs yourself or find someone to do it for you. But if you are going to be riding, maintainance is going to have to be done.

by Thomas Birks, BikeDenver Volunteer

Any story about me and bicycling has to begin with me and driving. Or not driving. Since I became eligible to drive sixteen years ago I have spent about 20 hours behind the wheel, roughly half of which were logged while playing “Grand Theft Auto.” There are a variety of reasons I never really caught on to driving. My adolescent commitment to chilly gothic perfection made me shun anything as potentially humiliating as behind-the-wheel lessons, and as I got older and vehicles got larger and the population of Denver exploded, full-on fear set in. I finally secured my driver’s license at the age of 27. I have not driven once since then, although the license itself has been usefully employed when boarding aircraft and in the procurement of alcoholic beverages. I’ll stick to GTA, thank you very much, where driving on the sidewalk and an inveterate inability to parallel-park are signs of finesse and git-’er-done ingenuity. And for transportation, I’ll stick to walking.

Ellen K. Graham

Until last summer, when I got a bike. I had never owned a bike. The last bike I had ridden with any regularity was my sister’s, circa 1980, which featured a wicker basket decorated with plastic daisies and a glittery purple banana seat. I approached my new bike with trepidation, like the monkeys circling the obelisk in 2001. I know they say that once you learn how to ride a bike you never forget but over those first few weeks I had a few panicky episodes where I realized that I was balanced on a wheel no wider than a granola bar and almost lost it. Gradually, I warmed to cycling. I got used to riding in traffic. I got used to rolling up my pant leg. After a lot of struggling with my bike lock I got to where I could lock the bike up in less than 2 minutes. More than anything, I got used to the speed.

Yes, speed. Most bicycle converts I know are refugees from the driving lifestyle who have the zeal of recovering addicts. I, coming from the pedestrian lifestyle, am more like my father’s elderly Baptist relatives who tasted champagne for the first time at my parents’ wedding. Many of the obstacles drivers face when switching over to cycling are things I simply take for granted as part of daily life. As a pedestrian, I already had an increased awareness of weather; a predilection for comfortable footwear and bags large enough to accommodate extra clothes, library books, groceries, etc; and a scientific approach to planning errands and appointments to maximize efficiency (i.e., “While I am in southeast Denver, I’ll visit my parents, go to the fabric store and eat at Damascus”). But on a bike, I can get there FAST. This has revolutionized my life. I feel how I imagine normal kids feel on their 16th birthday, or how our ancestors felt when someone came up with the whole wheel idea.

I’m still learning. New trips still require careful perusal of the bike path map to determine the route. I don’t ride after dark and do everything in my power to avoid Colorado Boulevard. My inner adolescent chafes at wearing a helmet. And I do hope to get my driving skills up to snuff someday, if only to spell my spouse on long car trips. Until then my driving experiences will be purely virtual, and frankly, no driving experience in the real world could match driving a hijacked fire truck with engine damage headlong off a pier into the Atlantic Ocean while fleeing from the police and/or Cuban gangsters. But to get my real velocity fix I don’t need a car or an Xbox. All I need is my bike and a destination. There’s nothing quite like powering down the path in the cool and quiet of the early morning, that anything-but-pedestrian feeling as I get where I need to go.

by Ellen K. Graham, BikeDenver Volunteer

My career path has been as a mechanic, welder, & fabricator. For the first several years as a fleet mechanic, people would ask me what kind of a car I owned. I replied “I don’t”. I enjoyed the machinery, maintained it, and yet chose not to own a car. Work wasn’t more than 10 miles away and was also close to a bus line. Bicycling was an easy option to choose. After a particularly stressful day, I hadn’t pedaled too far toward home before I realized that the incident was no longer of any importance. My work is now 17 miles away. On a good day, I can make it in an hour; realistically it’s closer to 80 minutes, even longer in the winter. It doesn’t take too many consecutive days of driving in heavy traffic before I’m eager to be on the bike again.

Gary Rossmiller

For some, Bike to Work Day is the summer’s version of our New Years’ resolutions, a promise towards self improvement. I’ve been the BTWD coordinator at work for 5 years. I’m hoping to double our participation this year. I was trying to coerce a friend into riding, when the lady across the aisle commented she would enjoy joining her on the ride. Asking a friend for suggestions or to join you part way on the route are both ways to make your ride more successful. BikeDenver, Bicycle Colorado, and the DRCOG BTWD websites feature suggestions on how to make your bike commuting more comfortable and successful. With gas prices putting a crunch on our finances and the longer summer daylight hours, we have fewer excuses not to try commuting by bicycle.

Bike selection is less important this time of year, with infrequent rain and the longer daylight hours. Make the most of the bike you have, adding equipment to it as you are able. On the days you do drive or take the bus, take a few additional days of office dress to work. Keep some standard food items stashed in the fridge or desk drawer for your commuting days. You’ll have less to carry on the bike. Consider adding a rack and a bag to the back of the bike to help carry items. Panniers are great, detach them from the bike, and take them in the store with you. When they ask “paper or plastic,” tell them you’ll use what you brought. Heavily laden backpacks are cumbersome and become hot and sweaty even in cooler weather. Helmets are essential, a red flashy light attached to the helmet or the bike make you much more visible.

If my schedule is busy, I drive to work with the bike attached, and then ride home. The next morning I can carpool or take the bus. Not having the car around for one day is a nice option. A few days a week without driving will drastically reduce your gasoline bill. Marvel at the enjoyable features of the neighborhoods while on your bike. Any increase in commuting time will easily be offset by your improved attitude and health.

If you missed the chance to participate in BTWD, don’t despair. Any day is as valid as BTWD to give bike commuting that first try.

www.bicyclecolorado.org

www.drcog.org/btwd2006/

by Gary Rossmiller, BikeDenver

Ah, summer. The dark months of winter have passed (although, really, winters in Denver aren’t really that dark) and the fair-weather cyclists have emerged from their winter cocoons. While it’s nice to see other cyclists out and about on the roads and trails, I can’t help but feel that my “territory” is being invaded by rogue cyclists that have appeared out of the depths of cold weather.

Tracy Halasinski

And, with the nicer weather comes some bad behavior on the behalf of cyclists and motorists alike. On the cyclist front, the nicer weather has brought out a lot of sidewalk cyclists, or those cyclists who feel “safer” on the sidewalk than out on the street in traffic. This presents a lot of danger to both the cyclist and the motor vehicles, as drivers are not expecting to see bicyclists on the sidewalk. Especially dangerous is the cyclist riding the wrong way on the sidewalk. A motorist pulling out of a parking lot or driveway is generally looking in the street for oncoming traffic and is not expecting a bicyclist to cross their path on the sidewalk, especially against traffic. And, in case you didn’t know, it is illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk in Denver. Ordinance 54-576 prohibits bicycling on sidewalks except “…where the sidewalk is part of a designated bicycle route.” When a sidewalk is part of a designated bicycle route, bike route signs are posted. Of course, when tickets aren’t issued to sidewalk cyclists, there is no reason for the practice to stop.

Other bad cyclist behavior on multi-use paths is buzzing by pedestrians without an audible warning. That’s the thing about shared-use paths: multiple user types can create conflict. Faster users like cyclists need to yield to slower users like pedestrians. Really, it’s just common courtesy. I know that many of our area shared-use paths present excellent opportunities for high-speed training, but there is a time and place for that, and Saturday afternoon on the Cherry Creek Trail near downtown is not one of them. And, just be nice. If you’re not going to alert me that you’re passing on my left as you pass me like I’m standing still, at least say hello. It always cracks me up when I see the racer types go by me, scowling and grimacing, as I thought that riding bicycles was supposed to be fun.

It wouldn’t be a pro-bicycling article/column without at least one motorist rant. While we all have our horror stories about encounters with motorists, I think the most responsible thing we can do as cyclists is to be predictable and follow traffic laws. I don’t mean to preach, be righteous or come across as some sort of safety Hun, because I’ve been yelled at plenty of times while riding within my rights as a cyclist. I think a vigorous motorist education campaign is in order so that drivers know that bicyclists have a right to the road and they shouldn’t be on the sidewalk “get on the sidewalk” seems to be one of the more frequent insults hurled by motorists). A recent article examining why Canadians cycle more than Americans (despite the colder weather in Canada) points out that Canada offers a wide range of cycling courses for all age groups through the national cycling education program. In addition, all school children in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands participate in mandatory safe cycling training. Invariably, most of these children grow up and become drivers at some point, and the cycling training invariably leads to increased awareness of cyclists on the part of drivers.

One of the benefits of higher gas prices is that more people are looking to bicycling to cut fuel costs as well as to increase health. The cycling community needs to do all it can to promoting cycling as a viable form of transportation. It’s cheap, it’s sustainable, it’s good for you and it’s fun! More cyclists on the road present more potential for conflict with motorists, which is why it is important to get the word out to bicyclists and motorists about lawful behavior and the expectation that enforcement will occur when the need arises. More cyclists also equate to more voices on behalf of cycling, which is also important to ensure that cyclist’s rights are respected and our voices are heard.

But, really, the bottom line is: get out there and ride and have fun!

by Tracy Halasinski, BikeDenver VP External Communications

I have been bicycle commuting just shy of 8 years. I moved from northern Virginia, which cannot be described as a hot bed of bike friendliness, to the welcoming climate of Denver. My wife and I sold one vehicle prior to the move, which committed me to 365 days a year on the bike. I leapt, or more accurately, pedaled, into this new life with gusto. With pant legs rolled up and a shiny Timbuk2 bag tossed over my right shoulder I eagerly began a new chapter of my life, hoping to learn something about myself along the way.

Sandy Beazley

Not unlike the US Postal Service, I have ridden through rain, sleet, hail, snow and of course, this being Colorado, copious sunny days. I have numbed fingers, learned quite quickly that my fly was down, sunburned my arms and legs and even once, with no regard to its effect on the bike, ridden along a flooded and churning Cherry Creek bicycle path. My newfound enthusiasm and riding style did not always mesh well with the local driving citizenry. There were many, many occasions of honked horns, middle fingers and hurled obscenities, the latter two being instigated by either party.

Acrimony aside, I was not to be deterred. You think ex-smokers are bad, try working with a reformed car commuter. I spoke of newfound energy, the environmental benefits, my mileage, gear ratios, a shrinking waistline, gas and insurance savings, the ability to park anywhere and even walked through the doors clad in bike shorts, changing once I got to work. I must have been nearly unbearable, but by golly, I was passionate.

As always, with time there has been change. The interactions and altercations with drivers are far less frequent. The last testy exchange was over a year ago and was the result of an erratic driver leading to my erratic cycling, ultimately, leaving us both to blame. Inevitably, one gets angry in the moment yet a set of loud lungs and enraged gestures do little to engender feelings of goodwill between the often competing interests of cyclists and drivers. I am far more apt to simply continue on my way.

Now, nearly eight years into bicycle commuting, I am simply that, a bike commuter. The bike and I have reached the easy friendship reminiscent of old lovers. We know one another’s quirks and have chosen to get along in spite of them, and even relish one another’s company. It has taken quite some time on a bike to see and recognize my dramatic attitude shift. It is indisputable that if you bike commute for a year you will know yourself far better than had you spent an equivalent time entertained by drive-time talk radio crawling along the interstate. Of course, and I warn you, bike commute for several years and you then have the confidence to make bold proclamations about cycling and life change to a broad audience. Happy riding!

by Sandy Beazley, BikeDenver

My first long-distance commute was a for summer job in college, doing freelance ad paste-up for the yellow pages. Part of being a student means not owning a car. But I did have my 12 year-old Raleigh 10-speed and a daypack.

The ride—from my house in Congress Park to the big white building at Parker and Iliff—was about 10 miles each way. Wearing cutoffs, cotton t-shirt, and sneakers tucked into toe clips, I carried my 25-lbs. of ad materials and paperwork back and forth 2-3 times a week.

Lise Neer

Arriving at the office complex in a fine “glow,” I’d get a few stares from the pantyhose-and-heels set, feeling slightly superior for not having to be cooped up inside all day. The office workers were probably turning up their noses at my outdoorsy essence, but I told myself they were jealous.

A couple years later, I graduated and landed a full-time job closer to home, and continued to ride my bike, now a shiny blue Trek 400 (the Raleigh had been stolen during a visit to Safeway). The commute was shorter, which was a good thing, since I had to dress more appropriately for work and ride in those clothes. Then I got a car, and didn’t ride my bike for a long time. Not even for fun. I drank more, ate more, put on weight (driving I-25 to my job was no help), and felt lousy a lot of the time.

When my first marriage went south, and the resultant crazy energy had to be expended, I got out the Trek and began doing lots of laps around Washington Park. Later that summer I met my ‘coach,’ and—in spite of everyone’s cautionary words—future husband. He said, “come for a ride with us,” it was only 20 miles, but seemed to take all afternoon to get to a convenience store snack stop somewhere in Aurora. My commute nowadays is almost that far.

A dedicated resident of central Denver, I found my next job in Golden. This would be my longest commute, but also the easiest by car, going the opposite direction of most downtown workers, but driving I-70 quickly got boring.

As a committed cyclist, I took up the challenge of riding that distance and making the time for it. Fortunately, the new workplace had showers and lockers, so it was easy to ride to work almost every day during the warm months, and keep a change of clothes at the office.

Then the company decided to sell off a division and lay off a bunch of people, and they sublet the lockers-and-showers part of the building. And then we moved house a few miles further from my job.

So now the challenge is: how to get there without expending so much effort that I feel the need to bathe before putting on suitable office attire. Using the somewhat public bathroom sink wasn’t a good solution, and there was no place to hang up a towel.

One way around this is to take my bike on the SkyRide bus from downtown to Cold Spring Park-n-Ride, and cycle the rest of the way. If toweling-off is still necessary on arrival, I use a recently discovered product, called Rocket Shower. A spritz here and there, aiming some at pulse points to help cool off, and you’re fresh enough to get through the day.

Using the bus also stretches my commuting ability to 4 seasons; when the weather is less conducive to riding, I take the bus farther and bike shorter distances in between. (Oftentimes, while the sun shines in Denver it’s raining, snowing, or just plain colder near the foothills.) And I’ve met some good friends on that Downtown-to-Cold Spring run.

My wardrobe has evolved toward lightweight and wrinkle-resistant, making it easier to carry in my bike’s rack trunk; other heavier clothes get dropped off once a week if I do drive. I also carry a few days’ lunches on Monday, and drive home with the containers and laundry on Friday. One travel trick I learned is to carefully roll up your nice shirts so they don’t wrinkle. And stashing light sweaters and layers in my desk drawer is easier than trying to stuff a heavy wool pullover into my bike bag. Likewise for shoes: I keep a few pairs of work-style footwear parked under my desk.

As spring warms into summer, I exchange the heavy bike with sturdy tires, fenders and rack, for my lightweight, folding roadie, which can be brought onboard the bus if the front bike rack is full. After the winter workout on my 35 lb. bruiser, it’s a delight to hop on the little road bike and sail up the hills. On those really hot July days it’s good to head out earlier in the morning so I’m less overheated when I arrive, and that gets me out of work earlier for a fun afternoon spin before heading home.

After getting all this planning and preparation and mileage under my belt, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to work in Boulder. . . .?

by Lise Neer, Vice President of Membership, BikeDenver

There are an endless number of things I could say about bicycle commuting. Much like a car, the bicycle will transform your entire life… if you allow it to. My bicycle has changed where I live, what I eat, the clothes I wear and the people I hang out with. Automobiles have a similar effect on their users, I know this, because I’ve been a user of both.

Three years ago, I lived in New Jersey. My house was 22 miles from my job. I drove a 1995 Nissan Maxima that I loved dearly. I spent over 2 hours a day in that car: the 45-minute slow drive to the office, the occasional run to fast food or lunchtime nap in the passenger’s seat, and the hour-long, rush-hour crawl home (elongated by strip mall traffic).

Jessie Birks

The rest of the day, I sat in a cubicle writing ads. Some days I was there until midnight, so physical fitness really took a back seat. In the 16 months I lived that life, I spent over 700 hours in my car, just commuting. I gained 15 pounds.

Near the end of that era, when I decided I wanted to go on a cross-country bicycle tour, I started biking to work once a week. The route I devised had the minimum of stoplights, so I could really get trucking. Sometimes the one way only took 90 minutes, just twice the time required to drive.

Anyway, I quit that job and I left the Jersey sprawl. The change was greatly inspired by the bicycle. To some, restructuring your life around the bicycle kind of sounds crazy. But when you look at the way America has structured its neighborhoods, businesses and lifestyles around the automobile, well, that’s pretty friggin’ crazy too.

Today, I live 5 miles from downtown Denver. My clients are downtown, if you’re not in Denver proper, you’re not a prospective client. I have no car. I ride my bike to work, to the post office, to the bank, to the grocery store, to dinner, to the bar, to the movies. I have only a bike to do my commute, and I’ve been getting along just fine for this last year and a half.

Occasionally, I ride the bus. You get to read a book, people watch, sleep if you want, and the whole trip goes by faster than you’d ever imagine. All you have to do is give yourself the time to walk to the stop and hop on. Oh, and carry the requisite $3.00 in change for the round trip (my round trip would cost $4.10 by car according to the IRS, and that doesn’t even include parking).

There’s only really one circumstance where I have to ride in a car: skiing. It’s the most affordable way to do it. I usually carpool with friends, sometimes I borrow a car. If you borrow a car and bring it back washed with a full tank, the lender is happy to have lent it.

So, to sum up my testimonial in classic late night infomercial style, bicycling has led me to a healthier, happier, more sustainable, more affordable life. If you like letting a car run your life, you’ll love having a bicycle do it.

by Jessie Birks, BikeDenver Webmaster