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Bike Friday Service Tech Hugh Larkin commutes on his Bike Friday AirGlide - one of four Bike Fridays he and Sandy own!
STOP PRESS: TAX-FREE BIKING! May 11, 2006:
The bicycle may finally be taking its rightful place in the passing lane thanks to a new bill introduced in the Senate last month that would give employers a tax incentive to offer employees $40 to $100 a month to cycle to work. Read about it here. This is none too soon given the ground-breaking initiative in the UK that Fred the BF Parakeet paraphrased sometime in 2005 ...
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The very worthy bicycle advocacy organization, League of American Bicyclists have posted a short commuting questionnaire for you to fill out. Bike Friday born-again commuter Michael Rasmussen has already lodged his as you can see here. Click on the link on that page to lodge yours.
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PROVING THAT for all the glamor of bike racing and performance riding, it's the more mundane use of a bicycle that can really enhance your daily life, authoritative roadie bible RoadBikeRider.com recently spoke about the joys and benefits of bike commuting. And when you have a folding bicycle, there's more joy.
With RBR's permission, we reproduce the witty words of Scott Martin in his Scott's Spin column - and we politely interject where appropriate:
Scott's Spin: The Job Cycle (from RBR's 5/6/04 e-newsletter)
I once had a job that was two blocks from my home, and I drove to work every day. Well, I reasoned, what if something comes up and I need my Ford Pinto at lunchtime? For what -- a demolition derby? Today, I'm a diehard bike commuter. If I can do it, so can you. With BIKE TO WORK WEEK approaching (May 17-21), I'm here to help with answers to the three most common excuses for not riding to work.
1) "It's too far to ride."
Crybaby. Kidding! It's simple: Put bike in car. Drive to work. Pedal home. Sleep. Ride to work. Drive home. Or take your bike partway on this wacky thing called public transportation, which you've probably been subsidizing but not using all your taxpaying life. Then again, you could always move or change jobs.
Bike Friday says: Aha! Here's where the joys of a folding bicycle come in. You'll find it a whole lot easier using public transport using a Bike Friday than a big wheel bike. You'll get a lot less dirty looks on the train. For those of you who are lucky to live in cities where buses have racks on the front, your Bike Friday will fit just like a big wheel bike. If the rack is full, you can fold it up and put it in the soft bag. It's a good idea to carry the soft bag folded up on your rack. Bike Fridays fold no problem with the rear rack intact. Also, you'll be amazed at how easily you'll tackle those on your commute. Before long, 10 miles will seem like a spin in the park.
2) "I can't go to work sweaty and stinky."
Last I heard, just about every workplace has a bathroom and a sink. If not, they likely aren't sticklers for hygiene. Or the law. Look, even I can get pretty presentable with a washcloth, soap and deodorant. You can bring a stack of work clothes on the one day a week that you drive. Or haul them in your panniers. If you're still wearing clothes that require ironing, we need to chat.
Bike Friday says: We agree. If you've got a job that requires you to iron your clothes, you should be calling the shots anyway. Some cycling clothes can almost pass for work clothes. Or we agree, change you r job. See links below.
3) "I'll have to ride in the dark/cold/wet..."
Yes, sometimes you will. Which is why they invented super-bright lights, polypro, Gore-Tex and other marvels that can turn Arctic expeditions into veritable maypole dances. Besides, sunny days will outnumber crummy ones. And, as you'll soon discover, no day that includes a bike commute can be truly crummy.
Bike Friday says: OK Scott, you clearly don't live in Eugene, Oregon. But seriously, you can combine your car/public transport with the bike as in 1) so you are at least riding for a part of the week. Why not carpool with a biking buddy?
Think of the time money you can save on gym fees combining exercise with getting home. Think of the hip and knee replacement surgery you'll avoid with this non-jarring, aerobic, fossil-fuel conserving activity. Think of the money you'll save on parking fees and gas - read about how the peak oil problem is creeping up on us. Think of how at any time in a traffic jam, you can become a pedestrian and take a different route. Even motorbikes can't do that. Think of all the attention you'll get riding a unusual machine - a Bike Friday travel bike. Your social life will explode!
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Read about John Fricke's Bike To Work day
HOW'S YOUR COMMUTE ON A FRIDAY?
Bike Friday owners tell ...
Commuting saved the day for the Zamasky family when it came to kids, school ...
6'5" Roger Kummert frees himself from the NY subway: on a Fixed Friday
Michael Rasmussen's Commute Challenge: Follow Pocket Llama owner and born-again commuter Mike Rasmussen on his daily ride through life
Franklin Furlong: 2x Bike Friday owner gets all poetic about commuting
Monday to Sunday on a Friday: Wesley Lum, hardcore commuter
Car-free and carefree on a Friday Their other Bike Friday is a Bike Friday
THE CYBERWORLD OF CYCLE COMMUTING
There are numerous sites about bike commuting, ranging from the pragmatic to the born-again evangelical and downright nutty. This listing was supplied by die-hard Bike Friday Salesguy and uber commuter Walter Lapchynski, who does his 35 minute commute on his fixed-gear Bike Friday which includes a sobering stretch on the delightful I-5. What are you complaining about?
The Bike Bus - not an actual bus, but a group of cyclists who pick up up at bus stops. What a graet idea! From Australia.
Amtrak ponies up As of May 4, 2007, folding bikes are allowed on all trains
Paul Dorn's brilliant How To Commute by Bike site: Incredibly detailed tips
Clothing for Bike Commuting: Or, how show up for a meeting without looking like a drowned rat
Commuting Safely: How to end up at your destination in one piece
Silverio's Tips: C J Silverio's tips to compare with Paul Dorn's
Sheldon Brown's Beginner Cyclist Page: Tips for the absolute beginner by cycling luminary Sheldon Brown
Bike Summer's Commuting Tips: A Reader's Digest condensed version of what you need to know to get started
Locks and Lights: Make sure your bike is still there where you left it, and be seen on the way home
Bicycle Transportation Alliance Bits'n'Bobs: Some merchandise you can wear en route which also supports a great advocacy organization
The Cycling Congressman Earl Blumenauer: You're in good company - we need more politicans like this
Cycling and the Senate: One of the country's most respected bicycle advocacy organizations, The League of American Bicyclists, keeps you up to date on the latest cycling breakthroughs in the Halls of Power. Note: LAB members get special discount on a custom Bike Friday. See their entry on the Bike Friday Links Page for details
A to B Magazine: A rainjacket-sized little journal chock-full of articles about folding bikes and alternative transport, and oh, so delightfully British!
"I got the Crusoe to fold for the bus in case the bike racks were full. In a year and a half, they never have been. We did make it onto the local "Smart Commute" TV ad. This is me and 'Moo' on the way to catch the bus for our morning commute. Our regular mocha is just one stoplight away. We hit the road to work at home in North Carolina or in Philadelphia, England, France and (next time) Italy. (Photo by Tom Fuldner) - Doug Wilson.
 Dear Friday Community, I recently purchased a BF Pocket Tourist. It rides nicely and is very easy to get into cars, on trains, etc. I don't know why I didn't get one sooner, given my constant multimodal commuting. It also supports our commitment to being a single car family. This morning, I used my Friday on the Minuteman Bike Path to take my young sons to the Reenactment of the Battle of Lexington. Even though it was dressed like the enemy, with it's very properly British red coat of paint and all, it was a revolution unto itself. Because it is small, it was easy to get into the car so we could drive over to the bike path at 4am. We followed the path in the moonlight, on an old rail line parallel to the battle roads of old Menotomy. Since the Friday folds, we were able to take a young friend of my son's (and his bike) back from the event so his dad could go straight to work. My son Ian says "wait a minute - we have too many bikes. How will we fit him in?". I reassured him that I had it figured out. Says Ian "Oh! I know - your bike can fold up into the front seat!". With that, we were off to the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts of Patriot's Day - a Massachusetts tradition. Best to all in Freedom, Kate Parker Adams, April 2006 |
Permalink: http://www.bikefriday.com/commuting