day 3 and the philosophy

The first week of work in which I have been commuting by bike has come to a close! 3 days down, 20 more to go (I only work Mon-Fri). Yesterday's journey was another good one, complete with no problems. On the way home, I tried to snag a picture of the Discoteca that I mentioned in a previous post, but the parking lot was too full and there were cars in the road waiting to pull into the lot. Needless to say, I needed both hands and my full attention to steer my bike out of the way. So this leads to my first bike commuting tip.

Bike Commuter Tip*
Do not pass turning cars! When you are fortunate enough to see a car that actually signals it's turn, be patient, and give them plenty of room to turn. The specific situation that I was in was such that there were 2 cars in my lane waiting to make a right hand turn into a parking lot. Now they were waiting for room to open up in the parking lot, so they were stopped in the middle of the street. The worst thing I could have done would have been to pass between the turning car (even if it is stopped) and its destination (the parking lot). The best action is to stop and wait for the car to complete it's turn, or, upon checking behind you for cars, pass the right-hand turning cars on the left - but be sure to look for oncoming traffic and stay in your lane. A diagram probably would have made this much easier to explain...

I also had a fun encounter on the way home. While riding through a neighborhood, a red truck pulled up along side me. We both came to a stop at the stop sign, and a younger guy sticks his head out of the window and asks me, "You wanna buy a bike?" as he nods his head to the bed of the truck where I see handlebars sticking out. I did not feel threatened in any way, or worried, but I thought it was quite funny that someone would ask a person already on a bike if they wished to buy a bike! What would I do with two bikes? I simply smiled and said, "No thanks, I'm good," and made my right-hand turn as they continued forward. Just don't give people a reason to be mad at you...I'm a believer that politeness never fails.

what is the Velorution
A number of readers have asked me what the word "Velorution" means, and I feel it is time I explain this term and why I am using it.

A bicycle is called "un Velo" in French, and the French themselves are thoroughly present in the history of the bicycle. One of the most popular cycling magazines is called "VeloNews."

The word "Velorution" is a play on the word "Revoultion," with the incorporation of "Velo" into it. Simple as that. The word Velorution is one that is not unfamiliar in European circles. If you google the word, you will receive a number of French or British websites about cycling, or cycling shops. From what I can tell, having never been to Europe, they take cycling a bit more seriously (competitive and recreational) than us Yanks.

Europe is the world leader in bicycle use. In Amsterdam, 33 percent of all trips are made by bicycle. In Copenhagen, one third of all commuters bike to work. Europe’s many bicycle-friendly cities have developed expansive networks of support services, often including bike lanes and separate bikeways, secure bicycle parking, and end-of-trip facilities such as showers and locker rooms. Safety initiatives implemented over the past 25 years in Germany—such as better cycling routes, “traffic calming,” more education, and stronger enforcement of traffic laws—have improved cycling safety while doubling the number of bike trips taken...

U.S. bicycle promotion initiatives and ridership lag far behind those of Europe. The number of children biking or walking to school has dropped 75 percent within a generation, while obesity rates have tripled, and only 1 percent of all trips are taken by bicycle. Estimates for the number of Americans who regularly bike to work range from 500,000 to 5 million. In contrast, 97 million Americans drive to work alone. Yet more than 100 million Americans own bicycles. With so many bicycle owners but so little bike riding in the United States, there is great potential to increase the role that bicycles play in daily commutes and other frequent trips. [Earth Policy Institute]

So why am I claiming this name, the Velorution? Because I want to inspire a revolution of thought and a revolution of method. I am a peaceful guy, so when I say Revolution, I am not talking about a complete uprising or coup d'etat. I don't like "in your face" and confrontational methods of inciting change. I simply want to encourage people to rethink the status quo of driving a car for transportation. Cycling, especially for transportation, is not for everybody. Cycling is not the only good/clean mode of transportation. But I like it, and it works for me - so if I can help inform or motivate someone to consider bicycle commuting, then I am happy.

This process of keeping the car in the garage and riding a bike to work is one that honestly requires a change in perspective - a paradigm shift if you will. In my last post, I mentioned Robert Pirsig's narrator describing the difference of riding in a car and on a motorcycle in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The Velorution is about changing the idea that transporting ourselves from point A to B is an activity that disconnects us from the surrounding world - such as riding in the closed off compartment of a car. Transportation can be a way of submersing yourself in the community that we are surrounded by.

• This past week I drove 68 miles in my car - and that includes driving to work Monday and Tuesday (before August began).
• I rode 50 miles on my bike - it turns out my commute, door to door, is actually a bit over 8 miles.
• 2 weeks ago, before I moved to a new apartment, I drove 400+ miles a week.

Here's to change, and Viva la Velorution!

day 2: i make this look easy

So day 2 has come and gone. I feel that I may be doing the reader a disservice, because the commute itself is quite uneventful after the fact. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE it, and it is incredibly exciting for me. But those are hard feelings to convey on a blog.

Today was smoother - having taken the calmer route both to and from work. I forgot to bring my camera with me, and therefore do not have any pictures to share today. But I have taken a mental note to carry my camera with me each day. I pass through some very colorful neighborhoods - the kind of places you just don't see on the main drags everyday. There is this one shopping center with a "Discoteca" that I have noticed both days on the way home - door wide open with a pleasant buzz of fun music emanating from within at 3:30 in the afternoon. Needless to say, not the kind of thing you see in Alabama, where I spent the first 22 years of my life.

Because the actual ride itself does not provide the most thrilling story, I want to delve a bit deeper into the matter for now. Last summer I read Robert Pirsig's well-known book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I picked up a copy at a garage sale or something last year, and had always heard talk of the book. I like to read. It made sense.

Today while I was riding to work I kept thinking of a part of the book where the narrator describes the difference of riding in a car as opposed to a motorcycle - or in my case, a bicycle:

You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing, the same stuff you walk on, it's right there, so blurred you can't focus on it, yet you can put your foot down and touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousness [Pirsig, 14]

How beautiful and appropriate are these words! Aside from the whizzing concrete part, this is what it has meant to me to use my bike for transportation, even in such a short amount of time. I feel more connected with the world around me - and in a city as large as Phoenix, where community is not easy to come by, that connectedness is nourishing.

The illusion of Phoenix as a network of freeways and Wal-Marts seen through that TV frame is disappearing. In two days, this city has revealed more of its personality to me as it has in the previous 11 months that I have been here.

The Velorution is as much a revolution of thought and perception as it is a revolution of method. I have received questions about where the word "Velorution" came from. Tomorrow I will explain it - it deserves its own post.

So until then, long live experience in the scene, and not viewing through the screen. Here's to the Velorution!

day 1: woo hoo!

My first day of REALLY riding a bike to work has come, and gone. I have a feeling that this is the beginning of a B-E-A-utiful thing! No major catastrophes, got to work on time, didn't smell funky all day - a success.

the Log
Things got off smoothly this morning - although I must say the first shower turned out to be unnecessary. I woke up and did my normal morning routine: showered, ate breakfast and made my lunch. I double checked to make sure I had everything I needed. I loaded my work clothes, lunch and towel into my backpack and gave the bike one last look-over. Everything checked out - time to go.

The ride in was easy going, especially since traffic at 6 a.m. wasn't too bad. Once I got to work, I checked online to see what the temperature was - it was 80 degrees with 76% humidity - which is unheard of in Phoenix. It is usually sub 10%!

The 7.3 mile ride took me right around 30 minutes. 10 more than it takes me to drive...and certainly more enjoyable.

Thankfully, my office building has a locker-room with showers - thus the second shower. It was certainly needed.

Later in the morning, I received a pleasant surprise of an email. It seems someone who had come across my blog from the Tempe Bicycle Action Group (TBAG) website is familiar with the area that I am using for my commute.

Congrats on your commitment. I just took a look at your blog and it looks great. Can I make a route suggestion? How about taking Oak Street rather than McDowell? It's a dedicated bicycle route with super-wide shoulders and much lower traffic than McDowell.

This is why I love the cycling community! Someone that I have never met cared enough to suggest an alternate, safer route. Much thanks to Kate and her wonderful suggestion. Sure enough, I took Oak St. on the way home - and sure enough it was a breeze! Hardly any cars even. And I got to cross over this cool (yet shady at night I'm sure) pedestrian overpass.

I will admit: I was curious what sort of route I would take to get home, because I knew that the major roads that I thought were my best options are notoriously busy in the afternoons. Not gridlock, but constant traffic - and not the best road conditions. So this alternate route was a much welcomed suggestion.

It really is amazing how interest in the same activity or sport can unite people in such a way as this. Again, mondo cool points to Kate.

Now it's time for a dip in the pool! Viva la Velorution!

t'was the night before i bike to work, and all through the house...

Tomorrow, I start. I have been riding bikes my whole life - more competitively of late - so there really isn't any sort of nervousness. Especially nothing like the anticipation the night before a race! I know that this month will be a great learning experience for me, and will require a lot of work. But I am ready!

Just to give a general idea of the gear I am using: it's simple. I will be riding my slightly modified GT Avalanche mountain bike - like I said, simple. So far, the only modification I made was to swap out my fat ol' 2.3 inch cross-country tires for some thinner, 1.8 inch city tires.

These Michelin city tires have a reinforced tread to help prevent punctures. In addition to reinforced tires, I am using two slime light tubes with sealant already in the tube. These tubes will immediately fill in punctures up to 3 mm, and really decrease the need to patch or replace a tube. The narrower tire will obviously allow greater speed due to the decrease in friction between the tire and the road.

The beauty of this set-up is that it is simple, inexpensive, and does not require a lot of extra resources ($).

Part of the purpose of me blogging about this experience, is to dispel myths like needing a $1000 Trek Portland commuter-specific bike. Sure it would be nice - but don't let it stop you. If you have a bike, you can ride it to work! Now THAT is empowerment!

Why not ride a road bike?
Because I love all things bicycles, I DO have a road bike as well. I opted to go with the modified mountain bike for a few reasons:

1. Comfort. Because my commute is relatively short (7 miles really isn't too far), I don't have to sacrifice comfort for speed or endurance. A road bike would be better suited for the longer commutes because you can count on better speed.
2. Stability. The City of Phoenix is in the middle of a major construction project, which just so happens to be taking place on the road that my office is on. So, until the Metro Light Rail is complete (Winter 2008!), there is a plethora of potholes, torn roads and construction materials just hanging around waiting to rip up a 700c x 23mm road tire. I prefer to have the peace of mind that my thicker tires, slime tubes, and front suspension will help prevent unnecessary flats. Finally, I feel that flat handlebars are a bit easier to manage than the drop bars of a road bike. I know that on a mountain bike setup, I can keep one hand on/near the brakes and use the other to signal a turn...
3. Joy. Let's face it, riding a bicycle is fun. If I were riding my road bike, I would be more tempted to feel like I was racing to get to work...and honestly, why would I ever need to do that?
   

You may notice that I do not have any racks or fenders... Once again, SIMPLE. I am planning on cramming all of my work clothes, "freshening-up" supplies, emergency gear, and my lunch into a backpack that I will carry on my shoulders. Many commuter bikes make use of racks and/or panniers (saddlebags) to carry objects. It's Phoenix, so I really don't have any need for fenders. I don't want to spend the dough - so I am making do with what I have. Perhaps I will feel differently in a month.

All things considered, I am ready to go. More importantly, my bike is ready to go. The tires were properly inflated. The mechanical parts were recently lubed, tuned, checked, greased, etc...

I have my emergency gear picked out and ready to pack:

• 2 extra tubes
• CO2 cartridges AND a small frame pump
• BRIGHT green, reflective rain jacket (just in case!)
• Cell phone and specific contacts at work
• Battery powered headlamp and blinking tail light (in case it gets too dark - at 4 pm?)
• Bike lock
  

I also recommend making sure that you carry some sort of "Emergency Card" with local first contacts, your blood type, name, address, home phone...and anything else you would want a medic or good Samaritan to know in case the unthinkable happens. It's one of those things that you HOPE you never have to need, but will be glad you have it if you ever do need it. Road ID makes some really convenient bracelets/anklets that you can engrave this info on.

That's all I can think of right now. I will be compiling a better guide at the end of the month that has all the essential info one would need before beginning to commute by bike.

Here's to bikes - and to the Velorution!

2 days until GO

There are 2 days until I start biking to work - the penultimate day of driving - the day before the day before.

Tomorrow I hope to take some time to post a pic or two of the bike that I will be riding 14 miles a day for 31 days. I will discuss the gear that I will be using - which honestly will not be too much. Part of my plan in documenting this "adventure" is to show how bicycle commuting is not something that requires a lot of extra equipment, or a special commuter bike. Depending on your situation - i.e. how far you have to ride, what you wear to work, what sorts of facilities you have at your disposal - you, the reader, may have different gear requirements. But if you are in a very similar situation as me, then I am essentially your guinea pig!

I am excited about the month that lies ahead. If I can ride a bike to work in a Phoenix summer, then I can certainly continue to bike to work in the months after. I have had some moments of nervousness, mainly because I have committed myself to the reader to see this experience to its end. Regardless of how many people may actually read this blog, I feel committed to doing what I claimed I would.

On a more serious note, I found some statistics today about the instances of motor vehicle/bicycle collisions in the city of Phoenix. The study was completed by the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department, and is a collective of any collisions involving cars and bicycles in 2005. There are some grim numbers in there, but there is a lesson to be learned:

• the cyclist was found to be at fault twice as many times as the driver
• there were 17 crashes involving alcohol; the cyclist was intoxicated in 14 of those
• 75% of crashes occurred during the day
• there were 85 hit and run crashes

These numbers point to reasons why bicyclists are not respected by drivers: we often cause the trouble. And if the cycling community ever wishes to gain respect from drivers, and be treated as equals on the road, then cyclists must make an effort to obey the same traffic laws, and share the roads/walkways as we expect others to do for us.

Back to a lighter topic: I am excited. I even came across a contest being put on by New Belgium Brewery. They are offering a custom-made Surly commuter bike to one lucky person in each of a handful of cities. In return, they sign over the title to their car. They commit to going car-less for one full year - documenting the journey online, and making appearances at a local event called the Tour de Fat. Pretty cool stuff!

Here's to REAL progress - and here's to the Velorution!