My Bicycle Commute

In 14 days, I have logged 106 miles on my bike. I know this precisely because I have a removable plum-sized computer with an odometer hooked up to the front wheel. On days that I don’t ride to campus, I ride the Los Gatos Creek Trail for fun but oddly I enjoy commuting more so than taking a leisurely ride. I’ve contemplated this and have come up with three reasons why this is so.

First, commuting by car is stressful. Riding bike is stress reducing and remarkably fun. Secondly, biking forces me to live in the moment. I notice people and buildings much more and feel more involved with the city. (After riding by the Poor Boy’s Bistro several times, I am reminded to go back to listen to live music on Fridays.) And, finally, biking forces me to limit my change of clothing to what will roll up well and cram into my backpack. This eliminates the “what looks better with this” struggle that plagues even the least fashion conscious.

I told Sally Zarnowitz, my boss and the historic preservation officer at the City of San Jose planning department, that riding to work is like having happy hour before work. She said that she enjoys riding bike to work but only does it once a year. Fortunately for me, there is room in the City Hall bike cage for my bike. But not so for the environment that out of thousands of employees, there are rarely more than 10 bikes parked there.

Once parked (using my secret bike cage code), I walk down into the parking garage and shower in the women’s locker room then head to work or campus. Whatever happens on any particular day, I look forward to the ride home in crinkled riding clothes and a fresh t-shirt.
Check out Paul Dorn’s bike commuting tips for a fresh view from a former “internal combustion” user. http://www.runmuki.com/commute/commuting2.html