A Clayton commuter once believed that cycling was for recreation and weekends, but now his commute to work IS recreation.
Meet Steve Biggs of Clayton. He began cycling to work on Bike to Work Day (May 14th, 2009) and has continued bicycle commuting ever since. Although Steve is a trained road cyclist he didn’t commute by bike because he was a bit unsure of the route, how to clean up after the ride, and with a new job he didn’t want to risk being late. Steve threw caution to the wind and cycled to work on Bike to Work Day. Read Steve’s updates below to see how things are going.
June 2, 2009- “There was a little bit of a learning curve on the logistics. Now I have enough clothes at work to last a week or so and the local health club gave me a” shower” membership. The first week I almost threw my back out by carrying too much stuff with me and managed to cover a pair of slacks in grease. ”
July 2, 2009 – “Cycling to work is going great. I rode all four days this week. I have been getting a little more comfortable doing errands or stopping for other meetings on the way home, so that has helped increase the number of days I ride. I also found out that there are showers in our building after meeting another cyclist that works in the complex. Monday had been a driving day because I was always tired, but now when I cycle to work Monday I feel more energetic all day. With all the road miles that I’ve logged I decided to sign up for the 100-mile Livestrong Challenge and raise some money for cancer.”
November 11, 2009 — Steve Biggs has been cycling to work since Bike To Work Day six months ago. He’s cycling to work three to four days a week and says it feels strange to drive into work. “I wasn’t sure if I would ride as frequently once the days started getting shorter and it meant riding in the dark. The route I was originally taking had some sections with heavy traffic so I adjusted the route to make the trip a little safer. I use a mountain biking headlight that provides more than enough light for the road, and I bought a bright blinking tail light and lights for the wheels. I actually find that cars have no trouble seeing me, and are a little more careful in the dark when passing. The nice part is that I only get home 15 minutes later than I would if I had driven.”
Biggs says his weekday riding makes a huge difference on weekend rides with friends. He found that he is a much stronger rider (than last year) with all the mid-week mileage he is doing, which makes his recreational riding more fun.
