During the 2007 Bike To Work Week, I ran across two other bike commuters en-route that I wouldn’t have necessarily become friends with otherwise. After Bike To Work Week was over, I did a few more full commutes with them. In June, I moved 9 miles closer to work, giving me about 30 miles round trip and several months of daily full-route bike commutes. The person who lives closest to me rode with me almost daily, but there were quite a few days that we had 3 or 4 commuters together on the road, and it was pretty cool.
If you haven’t ever ridden in a small workbound peloton, it’s a surreal experience. Pedaling along, talking, occasional bursts of speed, and moral/mechanical support are just a few of the benefits. Even if it’s just a riding buddy to share the trip with, it’s worth it and makes the trip go by faster.
With the cold weather, we eventually parted ways this fall and decided to do our own thing. One of them is semi-retired and didn’t work most of the winter anyways. The other has nearly 50 miles round trip and uses the bus when he can, or car-pools with his roommates. For 2008, I’m hoping as the temperatures climb, I can continue last year’s convoy and maybe get a few more riders interested.
Does anyone here regularly ride in some kind of bike commuter convoy? A “Bike Train” or similar concept. Tell us about your convoy, and share any suggestions on drumming up interest.