August 11, 2008
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Chicagoartgirl’s Go By Bike Challenge
Trek has an awesome component to its website up right now: 1 World, 2 Wheels. (I posted the cute widget for it below.) The site helps you determine how much coal you reduce, calories you burn, and gas money you save by bike commuting. Plus, if you register on the site and challenge yourself to a set number of bike commutes a week (or, if you’re like me: simply stating the number of bike commutes you already take), you are entered to win a new bike.
I bike to work roughly 4 times a week. I work 5 days a week, but Chicago loves to throw giant summertime storms, so my biking plans are thwarted at a surprisingly consistent rate of once a week. Those days, I take the express bus or the subway. The MCA is roughly 7.5 miles south of my apartment; on an errand-free day, I take Clark to Foster and bike the lake-shore path all the way there. Its a really nice commute. I’ve only been stressed once, when I was biking against a wind storm, trying to get home to meet friends for dinner at a certain time. Another time, a crazy storm broke out while I was biking and I was soaked to the bone. That was REALLY fun, though. Although, if I was riding TO work instead of HOME from work, I would have been horrified; while my commuting routine allows for me to arrive sweaty to work, I can’t show up looking like a drowned rat.
Speaking of my bike commute routine, I’ve included a summary of it below. I thought that sharing my way of doing things might be helpful to anyone interested in trying a bike commute of their own. It took my a while to get into a groove that suited me and this one does; its no more or less a hassle than any other type of commuting, but it is WAY more fun. Read on if this interests you, skip it if it may bore.
My Bike Commute Routine
1.) After my morning run/yoga, I put NPR on to listen to while I shower up and put on a biking outfit. Nothing fancy; usually a pair of shorts, grippy shoes, and a loose tank w/ sports bra. Then I brush my teeth, blow dry my hair, and breakfast (coffee and yoghurt w/ muesli–yumm!).2.) After a breakfast munch, I put my work clothes (folded nicely or rolled), cute shoes, makeup bag, purse, lunch, and a book (to read at lunch!) in my bike basket. If I’m feeling super organized, I prep my basket the night before. But usually I just throw everything in before I leave the house in the morning.
3.) BIKE—Wheee! I plan my commute so that I will arrive 1/2 hour before my “official” start time. Usually this has me leaving the house no later than 8; I like a slow ride and my day “officially” starts at 9:30. I usually get in at 8:40, but I like to leave time incase I need to fix my chain or incase I get a flat or any number of strange things that might occur. Mostly, though, arriving early allows me to grab a cup of tea and chit chat with people before I have to really dig in and work.
4.) Once I lock up my bike in the parking garage, I greet museum security, get my ID badge, and head up to my office with my bike basket in tow (it is awesome and detachable). In the bottom drawer of my desk, I keep a toiletry kit. I grab the kit and head to the bathroom with my basket.
5.) In the bathroom, I use baby-wipes to wipe zee sweat away and wash my face with face wash. I brush out my helmet hair and apply my makeup. I change into my worker-bee outfit. I’ve done all this in 10 minutes before, but usually it takes me about 15. I like to get my liquid liner just right.
According to 1 World, 2 Wheels, by biking 60 miles a week (thats my 15 miles, round trip, to work, four days a week), I do the following:
* Reduce 58.20 lbs of Co2
* Burn 2,820 calories
* Save $13.20 in gas (if I drove, but I don’t so thats $8 in public transit fare that I save those 4 days).So, Xanga peeps. For the love of body and globe: I double dog dare any of you who don’t already do so to bike to work 1 time before the end of September. Just give it a whirl. See first hand if its do-able, what it takes, and how it might change your life, how it might make things a little happier.
Comments (8)
I am going to try it. We don’t have great facilities at the school to get ready but my ride is very short too. Also, since having major car trouble last year I had to walk to work several days and that was actually very relaxing in the cool morning and invigorating after work. I intended to do that more this anyway but I want to try the bike thing too. I could ride straight to the trail after work then!I do appreciate your how-to as well. I had it stored in my head because you answered me once before about it and it sounded doable but now you’ve just got me amped! Plus, I missed the MS ride this year because our team leader had troubles. I only got to donate and not ride so using the wheels more will be satisfying. Thanks for the added inspiration!
Since I work at home, I don’t need to bike to work! Ha! Gotcha there! But when I worked downtown, it would have been just too far to go on a bike. I should bike more to the store and things like that though. I’ll give it more thought.RYC: The Tall Girls Shop experiment was put off due to the fact that I got sick. We may make it next Sunday. I have a writers’ conference at Northwestern University on Thursday and Friday and I’m sure I’ll be wiped on Saturday, so Sunday it will have to be. I have to say that I’ve never seen a tall girl in the petite department unless she was there by mistake (not reading the signs). And petite clothes suffer from the same ills that you describe for tall clothes: boring, librarian-looking, dress for success yuck that you wouldn’t want to be seen in. I find that I can get cute stuff by buying “crop” pants, which fit me like normal pants or going to specialty stores like J. Jill or Ann Taylor Loft, which have petite departments that are really scaled down versions of their normal cute clothes.Lynn
I’m going to do it!!! but I need to fix my back wheel. I got a major and crazy flat tire a while back and had to patch it up…but the wheel still releases air, so after I ride it for a little bit the air is all gone.
What about those of us who never learned to ride a bike? I’d say that hill would be higher for us.
As another with office in home, I wonder if I could qualify by riding a loop aroud town in the AM first before sending my first email? Have not kept up with your posts for a while, see you two (and Giles, the errant flying cat) have/are exiting the City. Had to read back to find out more, glad you liked living here, at least whenever two were not working all your time away. NYC living is uber expensive, a little better here in the suburbs, but the commute on transit costs, too. Ps. NJ shore ocean water is generally among the cleanest along the East Coast with constant testing and hundreds of millions spent here over the past 30 yaers to treat municipal wastewater. Good luck to you all in your new/old Chicago.
@TimsHead - what? you no know how to ride? TIM! This is devastating! You must learn! You’d love it!
@chicagoartgirl23 - We had what is now called a disadvantaged childhood. Three kids, only the money for one old bike. I was the smallest, the odd man out. Decided to read instead. That did come in handy.I’ve thought about trying to take it up now, but don’t have a place private enough to try to learn.
That one world, two wheels widget is totally mathematical! : ) I completely agree that biking everywhere can make you happier, it has really been amazing for me. Since I do the freelance thing and have to stick around the house, it’s really freeing to get out of my cave and bike to the grocery store or to a friends BBQ. It’s also an addicting exercise. I’m also really lucky cause we live super close to the metro link train, so if I do have to go to LA it’s easy. Though I miss rainy days in MI, California is the perfect place to be for bike commuting! I read a cool article the other day about how CA created a cycleway in 1900. Of course it was dismantled when cars came on the scene… but imagine if it were still around today! LA would surely be a less smoggy, more beautiful place.