I’ve been riding a bike recreationally for about 5 years. I had never considered commuting by bike to work. As my passion for the sport grew, so did my interest on bike advocacy. I stumbled upon a site that was promoting ‘Bike to Work Week’. It was then that the notion of riding my bike to work became real.
I started scoping a route, making mileage and time calculations, researching on gear and researching where to store my bike.
My biggest concern was hygiene. I’m in contact with a lot of people so smelling like sweat was rather concerning. As I talked to my cycling buddies from work about ‘Bike to Work Week’, one of them decided to ride his bike to work before ‘Bike to Work Week’. He would bring his clothes for the week, take a ‘wipie’ shower and comb his hair. He always raved about cycling to work.
As Bike to work week approached, I came out with a plan:
I would take my clothes for the days I was riding on my driving days. Then, I purchased the Wilderness Electric Kit and had it installed on a Giant Boulder. My plan was to use the electric kit as I rode to work to avoid being sweaty, and then ride without the kit on the way back home. Since the bike weighed about 80lbs, I figured it was a good way to exercise and would not defeat the benefits of cycling.
‘Bike to work week’ arrived and I was ready and nervous at the same time. I loaded my electrified bike, took my girls to grandma, unloaded my bike and off to work I went. Man, I felt like a kid again. I got a lot of looks because my bike was going but I wasn’t pedaling. I even got more looks when I would catch up to roadies and pass them with minimal effort. I was hooked.
To Be continued..