2018 Goal To Bicycle To Work

2018 Goal to ride my bicycle to work.

I tell a lot of my clients I understand the frustrations of fighting with PennDOT to get restored. I really do know a lot about the pain of being stuck in the Suspension Snowball...the anger of getting bad information or even lied to by a PennDOT employee....and most of the time I share the anguish along with the many who call my office looking for help. I've heard a lot in over 17 years of fighting for drivers in Pennsylvania and I want to learn more.

Often it isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out, it's the little pebble in your shoe. -Muhammad Ali

I've set a few goals for 2018 to change my perspective on my client's struggles. The first of this set of goals is to ride to work by bicycle - With May 2018 set as Bike Month - there is a bike to work week scheduled for May 14th - 18th and bike to work day is May 18th, 2018.

About Me - The Challenge Ahead

I've got some challenges facing me on this goal. I started from a point of being out of shape and spending most of my time behind a computer screen and a phone. My position required I spend most of my time punching a keyboard doing research, sending emails, answering your questions and trying to get others to understand the effects of license suspension for the many who call or email me. Needless to say, I had a long road ahead.

A quick search of Google Maps showed I had a choice of routes to the License Restoration Services office in Broomall. It would be around 7 to 10 miles with a few moderate hills. The physical route was a concern with only the choice of a bigger hill or longer route. Then I had to factor in traffic....ugh!

The route would take me down some roads with heavy vehicle traffic and through one very non-bike friendly intersection at routes 320 and route 1. This overpass to route 1 is tricky to navigate by car and I can't imagine what a bike commuter would encounter.

I jumped in and purchased a used bike....cheap!

Old Nishiki Mountian Bike - For Commuting?

See, as glamorous as it may seem to be "The License Guy" it has not caused me to join the 1% club. I don't have much to trickle down and my family is on a budget. Combine that with my prior history of starting a hobby and finding my interest faded quickly....it seemed a sound option to get in cheap if possible.

I visited an estate auction and found an old mountain bike that looked cool. Figured I need to start somewhere and threw my hand in the air for $25 toward the auctioneer...gavel down and a bike was purchased. All the major bits seemed to work for a cycling rookie. I took it to a good friend who gave it a once over to make sure it was at least safe...and hopefully reliable. It passed the safety test...the reliable part had me worried. And in August I rode a bike (seriously) for the first time since I was in my early teens.

I'll spare you the details...it was not pretty...but it was a start. I had a long way to go before I even thought about getting to work by bike. But I was riding.

Time for a bike upgrade

The reliability part bit me pretty good and the Nishiki no longer had full use of all its gears. This was a major bummer. I had to go shopping for something reliable. I decided a new bike was a good investment at this point seeing as how I've been out regularly and had an idea of what I needed to meet my goals. Off to the local bike shop I went...picked up a nice new Trek FX series bike for a very modest investment.

New Trek FX - Commuter Bike

It was at this point I started to feel comfortable out on the road. I joined a tracking app Strava to record my rides and keep track of progress. When winter hit I got hold of an indoor trainer and hooked up to Zwift to ride virtually with friends. It's all been going well and I feel confident I'm going to make this goal to ride to work in 2018.

I've made it past the creaky out of shape joints and old muscles are starting to come alive...and scream at me when I push a little too hard. The miles are starting to tally up and experience is growing and bringing out my confidence. It's still a bit nerve-racking.

Other logistical issues and sweaty backs.

Last month the county turned 3/4 of my ride into bike laned roads. So my jaunt up route 320 will feel just a bit more comfortable. What won't feel as comfortable is the sweat that comes from the effort to get up those hills and around those cars. I've gotta make sure I have some supplies at work. Some wipes to clean up, proper work attire, and a pair of shoes to complete the outfit. All these things I don't want to be in my backpack, weighing me down and overheating my back.

At some point, I'll need to get a rack to carry my books, files, notes, and stuff with me. With the right planning, I can probably avoid this for now, at least until I'm a bit more comfortable with the commute. I'm starting to see why with only a bicycle as transportation some employers would shy away from hiring a bike commuter.

This is not the end of the story.

I realize no matter how often I choose to ride to work it won't be the same as those of you who are forced to use only a bicycle to get around. I know I have the easy backup of a car waiting for me if the weather is not in my favor. I know my grind is not exactly the same...but I hope it gives me that different perspective so when I talk to you and you tell me how important it is that you get back behind the wheel of a car...I can understand just a little more and work a little harder to make it happen.

If you ride regularly for work, school, or just errands....tell me about it. What hurdles have you overcome to make it work for you? Got any tips or tricks to help me through this one?