Bike-To-Brown

Why or How Should I Bike Commute

Is something standing in your way of riding to work once in a while? We want to dispel the nagging questions that keep so many people off their bike.

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by Kelley Alison Smith, Population StudiesI really enjoy riding my bike.  Riding relaxes me mentally and challenges me physically, but, like watching the movies on my Netflix queue and writing a short story I started last year, it’s hard to find time to do much of it when I’m balancing work, family, and all the other dozens of commitments we all have.

About 4 years ago, I figured that if I had to commute to work anyway, I might as well get a little exercise, and get the added benefit of a little more doing something I love.  So, with a change of clothes in a backpack, a helmet, fully inflated tires, a water bottle, and a little motivation, I set off on the bike path, across the Washington Bridge, and up Hope Street.

I’m not a fast rider, and let’s face it: if we’re working here at Brown, chances are pretty good we’re never going to be members of Lance Armstrong’s pro team. But that’s okay, because you don’t need a tricked-out road bike or those cool wraparound glasses for bike commuting to be rewarding.

We can’t convince you to ride your bike to Brown.  We’d just like you to consider it, even once in a while. Consider the benefits: you get some exercise, you save money on gas and don’t get stuck in traffic, and the streets around Brown have one less beady-eyed driver circling parking spots like a vulture moving in for the kill.  Oh, and did I mention how seriously impressed your co-workers will be?  (They might think you’re crazy, but I think it’s crazy to sit in traffic for a half hour feeling your blood pressure rise, when ou could be on your bike, zipping past all that collective tension.)

(Requisite gentle proselytizing) It’s not often that we as individuals can do something that has such tangible, visible benefits for ourselves and the wider community. The more I ride, the more physically fit I am, and the more I ride, the less fossil fuels get burned, meaning that I’m doing something – just a little bit, but still something – to help keep the planet greener and the air cleaner. (Okay, the rhyme was inadvertent, and I didn’t mean for that paragraph to end like a bad folk song.)

Here’s where the gentle persuasion part starts:

You’re thinking, “I like riding, but my bike is an old 3-speed that needs some fixing up.”

No problem! We can offer advice on maintenance as well as reputable bike shops. We’ll also hold occasional workshops where you can get hands-on practice at doing simple maintenance, kind of like the Brady Bunch kids always seemed to be doing. As the title of Lance Armstrong’s memoir suggests, it’s not about the bike – it’s about you riding whatever bike you’ve got, be it a top of the line road bike or a garage sale 3-speed. Your bike needs to be in safe working order, and you need to wear a helmet, but that’s about it. If you decide you want to learn more about different kinds of bikes, cycling-specific clothing, and the like, we’ll offer some advice and guidance on that, too.

You’re thinking, “I’m out of shape. Won’t it be hard?”

Give yourself more credit. You can do it. You might start by taking some practice rides to get comfortable in your bike and on the road, even if it’s just for 15 or 20 minutes. If you drive, start noticing how the road curves, where the hills are, and what routes seem to have more or less traffic. If the route to work is more physically demanding than the routes you usually ride, just take it slow and steady. There’s no time trial when you’re riding for yourself, just the satisfaction of having done it.

You’re thinking, “I don’t feel comfortable riding on the road – just on the bike path.”

We’ll help you get comfortable with that through e-mail list discussions, workshops, and group rides, offering suggestions on safe riding, for example. We’re a group of riders whose skill levels are extremely varied – from serious cyclists who do century rides on the weekends to folks who haven’t really been on a bike in years.

You’re thinking, “But some mornings I’ve got to drop the kids off at daycare or school.”

Some mornings I have to do that, too. But I’m trying to commit to one day a week of riding in, because commuting by bike one day a week is better than nothing.

You’re thinking, “But won’t I show up for work all sweaty and nasty?”

I’ll admit that I don’t tend to ride in if I’ve got a really important meeting that day. But I always bring a change of clothes, a washcloth in a Ziploc bag, deodorant, and a hairbrush. A little “chorus-girl bath,” as my grandmother calls it, works wonders.

You’re thinking, “What if I decide I love commuting by bike and become a cycling nut?”

Well, we’ll take a little responsibility and credit for that, but you’ll have yourself to thank.

See you on the bike path and the road, I hope!