My New Commute

As I sit here on the Coaster writing an update about my new commute, I am happy for three things. First, I'm happy to be able to write on my commute instead of my lunch break. The second reason is a just a small word at the beginning of this post, sit. On the trolley I was supposed to stand with my bike and only occasionally was the car empty enough for me to justify sitting down. The 1.5-2 hours I spend commuting is much better if I don't have to stand the whole time I'm on the train. Finally, I'm happy that I see the same faces everyday with their bikes on their way to work or on their way home.

My commute works out like this: Ride from my residence to Old Town using surface streets. This part of the trip is not yet finalized. I'm not real happy with the route I'm taking (which happens to be the most direct route). I have a few other routes I need to try out, but they involve writing up a direction sheet, which I haven't had time to do.

Once in Old Town, I jump on the Coaster and hangout, either chatting, catching up on podcasts or coming up with some delicious word meat for you all to chew on. I get off the train in Carlsbad where the worst/best part of my commute takes place. Due to the fact that there were so many transit options between my house and my old job, I was able to slack off and only ride the easy parts. This means that I was not in shape for this last leg of my commute. My office is 4 miles from the station, three of which are false flat (see Sheldon Brown's definition of false flats to see why they are evil) and the other mile is a climb.

The trip home would sound good, what with the 4 miles of downhill cruising at the start, but there is often a pretty good onshore flow that becomes a headwind for me once on shore. This part of my ride might be my favorite however, because it is the first time I've commuted on a road that gets so backed up that I am going faster than the cars are going. There is something truly satisfying about that.

I jump on the Coaster home, where I discover that not only are you allowed to eat and drink (not allowed on trolley or buses) but you can enjoy and unwind with an alcoholic beverage. I was actually stunned at the number of people that stop at the liquor store on the way to the train station to pick up something to help them unwind. (Not to mention people headed to the baseball game getting some of their tailgate parties started).

Currently I'm taking the trolley home from the Coaster because my legs are pretty much destroyed from my morning climb and I'm often in a hurry to get home. But this can be augmented to a pretty nice tailwind of a ride along a route that I take sometimes just for fun.

As much as it kicks my a**, I love my new commute. I started bike commuting for two reasons: exercise and money. This commute costs the same as my old one as a percentage of what I would be paying for driving. The exercise is the kicker though. While I feel like I'm only barely going to make it to work, I know that in a month or two I will have gotten to the body I was looking at getting all along.

-Matt

Direct link to REI Cycling store

Unwritten Rules of Bicycle Commuting

This is an article I wrote for bikecommuters.com. Read it, then head over to their site and check out all the great resources they got over there. Tons of great info for newbies and oldies alike.

**********

I've been giving this some thought and have realized that there is an unwritten code of commuting by bicycle. No one else discusses this code and I cannot find a reason why it should remain shrouded in mystery. These aren't rules to keep you safer or save you time, just things that make this whole bike commuting thing fun and worthwhile.

1. The first rule is probably the easiest. When you pass another cyclist going the opposite direction, give a quick wave or a nod of the helmet. This small act of acknowledgement helps to build community among cyclists. It is just an easy way to say "way to go, buddy" to others out on the road.



2. If you are passing someone going the same direction give a short acknowledgement of their presense. Base it on how much faster you are going. If you are speeding by, a simple "howdy" is fine (after a "on your left" to let the know you are coming). If you are not blazing past them you can use "great weather for a ride" or "XX more miles to go."



3. Similarly, if you are getting passed, give them a "hello" back and let them pass you. The last thing anybody wants is to fight over positioning, especially on busy or dangerous roads.



4. If you pull up to a stop light or sign with another cyclist, talk to them. Ask them where they are headed, what routes they like, anything. If they have a piece of gear you've never seen or have been meaning to try, ask them about that. Nobody likes to sit awkwardly at a light next to someone when you could easily be talking.



5. Don't draft behind someone you don't know without taking a turn at the front of the line. Nobody likes a wheel sucker.



6. Don't work real hard to pass someone if they are going to have to pass you again in a block or two. Passing can be a pain and on certain busy roads is dangerous. So don't pass unless you are traveling at a faster speed. A better option is to link up and bike pool. You can pull each other through the wind and maybe even strike up a conversation.



7. Always, always stop or slow down when you pass another cyclist who is having equipment troubles. Ask if they need a hand or a certain tool. You never know if they lost their tire pump or their flat repair kit is with their wife (thankfully we have put together a second kit).



8. And finally, the rule I have the most trouble with, take time to check stuff out. By that I mean, if you see something that would make a great photo, stop and take the photo (if you carry a camera with you). If you see something curious, want to check out a new shop that has opened on your route or just wonder where a road leads, take the time to go look. The amount of time it takes will be amply made up for the by the times you discover something wonderful.
   

Do you have any rules to add?

Direct link to REI Cycling store

Hoofin' It

We all commute by bike for different reasons. I know a big segment do it to save money on gas and to help relieve stress. Turns out bicycles aren't the only way to do that.

KSAT in Pleasanton Texas has a story (link) about a woman who got tired of paying to fill up her truck so she started riding her horse to work.

Her commute is only 4 miles each way which is almost too short for cycling (depending on how much special gear you use, I would personally love a 4 mile commute), but is a great distance for a horse. She and her horse get a little exercise and fresh air. Plus riding the horse helps her relax.

Hutton's boss let her put up a mini-pen behind her work where Tester stays
during the day until it's time to ride home again.

How many of us would love to have a boss so willing to work with you on alternate transportation options. Great Story!

Just a reminder that there is more ways than one to change the world.

-Matt




Direct link to REI Cycling store

Super Late BTWD Wrap-up

This picture goes at the end, but I am dumb and lazy. These are the lovely people from the Sweetwater School District in Chula Vista along with a representative from Bike Warehouse. They talked me into entering their drawing. I suppose I didn't win.

This is the first stop from my trip at the San Diego Zoo. I apparently left too early for the Adams Ave. Bike Shop people. They weren't open yet. The Zoo had a pit stop open in their parking lot. this is Skink Floyd. He is a skink from Australia (I forget which type). These are the folks from the RECON Environmental sponsored pit stop. I believe they are dressed up as 4 of the threatened local species they are working to protect. Had a good time at this pit stop.
Even when they made me pose with them for a photo.
I didn't get any pictures from the Ridelink sponsored site. I did get to speak with someone from Ridelink about the new Sprinter service in north county. She told me that they have been overwhelmed with bicyclist and that they are working on figuring out how to have this brand new service work better for cyclists. That is the kind of thing I like to hear.

These great ladies work at the Hard Rock Hotel. They had a great spread and were real excited to be hosting this event. It was their first year doing it so hopefully they will do it again next year.

From there I got on the trolley and rode 4 stops into Chula Vista (since I was starting to run late to work). Went to the REI sponsored stop at the BFGoodwrench Aerospace complex. They had a mechanic out doing minor repairs and adjustments on bikes. Plus, free water bottles and tire levers. Good times.
Then I headed down to the first picture and then broke a spoke on my way to the bus (see Bike to Work Day Bummer).

All in all, I'd say the day went pretty well for the city. More sponsors it seems, now we just need more cyclists. Or I need to ride where the cyclists are riding. One of the two.

-Matt

Direct link to REI Cycling store

Non-driving Catch Up

I've been remiss in posting the amount of car travel I'm taking and the reasoning for it. I'm proud to say that I have still not driven a car this month and that car trips have been kept to a minimum.

For those of you who don't recall, after commuting by car a few too many times at the end of last month, I made a pledge for Bicycle Month to not drive at all and to justify any car trips I take.

Since I last updated I've taken these car trips.

The first weekend in May Em and I drove up to Orange County for a wedding and to celebrate her birthday with her parents. I do not have the ability or equipment to make the 100 mile journey in a reasonable amount of time, much less show up presentable for a wedding. Besides, my wife would have driven anyway.

The following weekend we drove up to Palomar to celebrate her birthday with my family and stopped by the Wild Animal Park on the way home to celebrate Mother's Day with both sets of folks. Same reasons as above, but not wedding. And instead of 100 miles it is 50 miles with 5000 ft of elevation gain.

That week I took a trip to lunch with my boss. Probably could have done without that trip, but he was making the trek anyway.

On BTWD last Friday Emily drove me up to REI to drop off my tire so they could fix my broken spoke. I did not have a bicycle all weekend.

This weekend we went to an alumni event at UCLA (where Em graduated from) on Saturday. Use the same reasons as above except 150 miles.

Then yesterday we went to a house warming party for one of Em's coworkers. This trip we had planned on cycling, but I was without a bicycle and Emily wasn't feeling great. So we drove.

That is all the riding in cars I've been doing. I'm not sure I'm going to keep it up the entire month. I feel like I've made a proof of concept that I can get by without a car of my own. Not really planning on selling my car just yet since I just paid registration and insurance. Also, Emily is not conviced I can make it an entire winter without it. Besides, chauffering me around everywhere is getting Em angry and for the sake of marital harmony I might just have to give up and drive occasionally.

I just remembered one more but it really doesn't count. I had to move my car to a different parking spot because the cops had chalked it (I was on the street) and if I hadn't it would've been towed.

-Matt




Direct link to REI Cycling store

Bike to Work Day Bummer

Photo from Flickr

Late last night I changed my plan for Bike to Work Day. Since people actually read this blog now, I figured I should try to do you all a service and try to report how BTWD went in San Diego. I stayed up a little late mapping out a route that would take me past 7 different pit stops. This route was 27 miles one-way. No problem I figured, since I'd be getting my miles anyway, I'll substitute a short jaunt on the trolley between downtown and Chula Vista and a quick ride on the bus at the end of my trip.

Would this take longer? Sure. But I'll just get up and out a bit earlier than normal. Anything for my new found readers!

Let's just say that everything went very well early on. I'll post a better report and pictures later. But as time went on I knew I was going to be later and later to work. So I rushed to my bus stop, where there was a bus waiting. Not wanting the bus to leave without me, I rushed up onto the sidewalk so that I could be seen. At that point my back tire locked up. Didn't have a chance to look at it until now.

Broke a spoke.

I contend that no routine damage is so detrimental as a broken spoke. Does it kill your ride? No. You can still ride on it. But I know from experience that riding on a broken spoke only leads to breaking more spokes. I went through a month after I started riding where I broke 4 spokes. I asked what I was doing wrong and what I could do to stop it. I found out that any riding on a broken spoke weakens the other spokes. I had him rebuild the tire.

This means that my trip home, the first time I was going to ride all the way home without using the transit system, is going to be strictly by transit. And what is worse is that I will likely have to wait for a bus that doesn't already have too many bikes on it.

Bummer.

-Matt

Direct link to REI Cycling store

Bike to Work Day - San Diego

I'd be remiss if I weren't to at least acknowledge that Bike to Work Day is tomorrow. I'm fond of Bike to Work Day because it has been, over the last two years, the day where I finally take the plunge and skip the car or public transit and make the ride to work on my own power. It is incredibly liberating. I also like it because, much like the number of visitors to this blog after a link from Commute by Bike, the number of riders on the street jumps up dramatically.

The link for San Diego information is here via Ridelink
If that doesn't work work your way through the Ridelink page

Here is the list of all the rest stops in San Diego: (pdf file)

I'll have photos from my trip tomorrow!




Direct link to REI Cycling store

Trip on the Coaster

For those of you who don't know, in San Diego County we have 5 different, interconnected, transit systems. MTS bus is the main bus system, the Breeze is the north county bus system, the Trolley is the light rail that services downtown to the Mexican border and east to Santee, the Sprinter is the brand new light rail that runs east-west in north county from Escondido to Oceanside along the 78 corridor.

This leaves the Coaster. Coaster is not light rail. It is heavy rail, regular rail. I don't know what to call it. It's basically a train. It runs from downtown only making 6 other stops on it's way to Oceanside. Coaster is the most expensive form of public transportation (short of some of the DART vans or pick-up style transport) but it is perhaps the most glorious.

My Coaster ride started at the second stop in Old Town. When I boarded I made special note of where the bike parking was and headed upstairs(!) found a nice seat with a table where I could do some brainstorming.

At this point I should mention that I was on my way to an interview. So that explains the lack of bicycle and why I needed to brainstorm questions I needed answered and what I might be asked during the interview.

Out the window from Old Town you get to see Mission Bay for a bit before the train ducks into a canyon. Then you are, it seems, miles from civilization - in a canyon with no view of man-made structures. You come out of the canyon and you are at the Sorrento Valley stop. From there you continue along the bottom of the valley where you can only see the business buildings at the top of the hills (this area is where most of tech work is done in San Diego, including most of the Qualcomm campus).

From there you come out of the valley and cross a field then back to the beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. You pass right between the beach and the west side of the Del Mar Racetrack. Nothing but beautiful views all the way up to Oceanside.

I am very hopeful to get the job I interviewed with. Aside from it getting me back into my field, the owners are really great and the environment seems to be excellent. While it may be a paycut for me (very slight and made up for once benefits kick in) and a much longer commute (in miles anyway), any loss of income is amply paid for by a daily trip on the wonderful Coaster.




Direct link to REI Cycling store

Street Parking?

Photo courtesy of Flickr

I've been mulling over the idea of cities making street parking illegal. It think it would make people rethink driving everywhere they go and owning more vehicles than they need (since they would need to park on their own property at home. It would also add space for cars and bikes to use the roadways, adding at least a lane if not two to each road, without any cost to the city.

The actual act of traveling down these roads will also be safer and faster. Cyclists won't have to worry about parked cars opening their doors in front of them (a major cause of bicycle accidents). Drivers could count on not getting stuck behind a driver trying to parallel park and is blocking the entire right lane, or worry about the daredevil driver who thinks they can get out of their parking spot, up to speed and into traffic in the 4 car length space between them and the driver in front of them.

Sure, this plan will likely mean that more real estate in urban areas will be devoted to parking structures and many metropolitan areas are not designed to park the number of cars that would be required initially while people get used to not driving. (Although based on some mid-day trips through downtown San Diego I would say there are enough empty spots in pay lots to make a dent in the number of cars coming off the streets.

Turns out that a city is considering doing this, but only on selected streets. The Sentinel in Woodbridge, NJ reports that their township council is considering it and the mayor hopes to have it in place by July 1st. Of course, their concern is more about people parking in front of residences (I'm guessing the locale isn't very urban), but could still give evidence to whether this is a good idea.

I know where I stand as a biker and someone who dislikes vehicle traffic but I can't decide which side I come down on as a taxpayer and citizen. On one hand, I don't think that my tax dollars should be subsidizing storage of personal property, which, let's be honest, isn't really all that great for the city anyway. (Imagine a car-less city...heaven.) People should be required to keep their vehicles on their own property and if someone (person or business) wants them to visit by auto, they should find a place for them to put that car. (Supermarkets and malls already do this.)

On the other hand, I recognize that the government is a representation of the people. If people want to have cars and store cars on the road, the government should honor that desire.

Clearly it would take great foresight from a city council or mayor to get this even onto a ballot much less passed. I do believe, however, that while there would be complaining on the outset (quite a bit of complaining actually) that people would be quick to adapt and find other, better ways to travel in urban areas.

Direct link to REI Cycling store

Snarky Responses to News Stories

The Warwick Beacon, of Warwick, Rhode Island has a story (here) about how escalating gas prices aren't keeping high school kids from driving to school. My favorite bits:

Vets cheerleader Rachel Ferrara thinks she knows why. The junior said her mother
would be driving her around if she didn’t have a car and in the end no gasoline
would have been saved. So, in Ferrara’s case, mom has increased her gas
allowance.

Note to Rachel, it doesn't count as independence if it goes away without a car. That is just conditional dependance. Learn to get around on your own.

A random poll of Vets students at lunch Friday found them paying $25 to $60
a week for gasoline.
Vets junior Stephanie Gilman, who drives a 97 Volvo and works at Inskip
Motors, couldn’t imagine at what cost gasoline would have to climb before she
gives up driving. As it is now, her mother is helping with a weekly $40 gas
allowance.

Are you kidding me?!? Where are these kids driving? Even when I was driving full-time, my wife and I combined for less than $50 a week and we each were driving 30 miles a day to and from work with the occasional weekend trip to visit the folks (between 60 and 120 miles each way). I want to rail against the idea of a gas allowance, but looking back, it probably would have been better if my parents had me on one when I was growing up.

Mark Rossi, who lives within a mile of Vets and said he could easily walk or
ride his bicycle, still drives his 97 Toyota Camry. He believes he could rally a
few friends to help share the cost but prefers the independence and the latitude
to sleep just a bit later and still make it to class on time.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you with the current American mentality. Within a mile? Really? How much sleep is that really saving?

Fox11AZ.com has a story that has been on numerous other news websites about how the most dangerous part of the commute isn't the chance of an accident, but rather breathing the exhaust from the cars in front of you:

"The air coming into your car is the worst air in the whole city," said
Scott Fruin, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health at USC Keck School of
Medicine.

This is news?

So how can you make your commute safer? Drive with the windows up and set
the air on re-circulate. But the best way to survive your commute is to cut your
commute.

Or, not use a car. That way you not only lower the danger for yourself, but also for everyone else.

-Matt




Direct link to REI Cycling store

Wallet lost...and found!

If this is going to sound a little like a bus driver and transit person lovefest, so be it.

I need to say a great big THANK YOU! to people involved in San Diego and Chula Vista Transit.

Back story:
Yesterday I mentioned that when I tried to get on the bus yesterday I couldn't find my wallet. The driver of that bus let me ride anyway (thank you). I got home, hoping that it had never made it into my bag (and would be somewhere in my apartment), which it was not. I called the country transit info line where a very friendly and helpful Victoria gave me the numbers I would need to call to get ahold of the people who would know if my wallet had been found (thank you). I called the trolley 'emergency' line (which is number I was told to call) to ask if it had been found yet. After giving me a little bit of grief (which I deserved) for taking so long to report it the operator there said she would look into it and call me back. She actually called me twice (my phone was on vibrate) which was very helpful, although my wallet hadn't been found. She gave me the number for the transit store, which is where the general lost and found is for all of the county's trasit (thank you).
Apparently, I had dropped my wallet somewhere between the trolley and the bus that morning and some unknown person (thank you!) gave it to a bus driver to have him take it to the lost and found. Later that afternoon that bus driver and one of the supervisors (whose name I believe was Christina) looked through my wallet to try and find some way to contact me. Luckily, my sister-in-law had written me a check this weekend and that was still in my wallet with her phone number, which they called (thank you). My mother-in-law called me and gave me their number and the good news that my wallet was found (thanks!). So today I rode my bike to the Chula Vista Transit office to pick it up from where they were holding it. (Thanks to the supervisor working there this morning.)

Wonderfully, it appears that everything in my wallet is still there. We only cancelled one credit card, ironically because it is the one we use the most and wanted to have it available the soonest.

So the big news in all of this is that for the first time I rode my bike the entire distance to work! A little over 19 miles plus the big hill in the last mile (nearly 400 ft in elevation game). And it was wet too, not actually raining, but the kick up from the tires of my bike and the cars was pretty good.

Today is already looking much better than yesterday!

Matt





Direct link to REI Cycling store

Macy's Green Washing

I've been meaning for two weeks now to post an irate response to a Macy's ad (above via Streetsblog). I was going to rail about how hard it is to actually lock up a bike at Macy's or how the the only thing remotely related to bikes that they sell are dress shoes (with "bicycle toe" what ever that means).

But I can't.

I just can't seem to get upset at this apparent corporate green washing. Maybe it will convince someone to commute by bike. Could the money from this ad campaign have been better used outfitting low-income families with proper protective equipment or creating an education program that tries not to let kids fall into the driving culture of their parents? Sure, but I'm just not able to get upset about it any more.

I think, my time is better spent hoping it doesn't rain on my on my way home.

Direct link to REI Cycling store

My enjoyable public transportation adventure!

Last Saturday I did something I hadn't done before. I know this will come as a surprise, but it was biking to the store. Despite all my preaching about commuting by bicycle and how I dislike cars, I had never ridden to a store that was not within 2 miles of my residence. Sure, I had ridden to restaurants and attractions that were farther than that; and I ride or bus at least 4 times a week to work. But I hadn't been able to get over the last hurdle that would make not owning a car even possible, getting to and from a big box store in Mission Valley.

I didn't actually do that this weekend. What I did is prove that I could.

I happen to be into home brewing. I've been brewing for a few years. I enjoy the beer I make (actually more than most commercial beers) and I enjoy the process of making it. When my little brother turned 21 this year, I got him set up to brew as well. This included giving him my brew kettle (a very large pot) because I was going to replace mine. Needless to say, I haven't yet and if I was going to brew I was going to need to borrow 'his.' So that meant a trip up to his house.

His house is just a mile or so south of UCSD, while I live a mile or so west of SDSU. Usually it is about a 20 minute drive to his place, but like I mentioned, I'm not real big on driving right now. So I headed out to the trolley on my bike (stupidly forgetting my water bottle) and learned about public tranportation on the weekends. First, the trains and busses don't come as often and all the routes aren't running, which I expected. The trolley, which I didn't expect but do understand, runs with less cars (2-3 instead of 4). What I didn't expect was the large amount of people on the trolley. I'm talking about having to discuss with people where you are going so that while the trolley is moving you could shift people around towards the door crowded.

Anyway, got to my stop, got down to my bus and rode the bus up to his place. Sat and talked with him for a bit, met the new kittens, picked up the large pot and headed out. Things I learned there were, that I can fit the pot on my rack and that a 22 oz. beer bottle fits perfectly in my bottle cage. (He had made a beer that I hadn't tried yet and I needed to get it home.)

From there I bussed over to the home brew store to get my ingredients. Put them inside the pot and rode back over to the trolley. At this point with nine pounds of syrup in the pot the ride started to get a little rough. Fortunately, there is only about 4 blocks of riding between the store and my place (not counting trolley and bus rides).

All in all it was a great trip and I am confident that I can get to and from Costco or Target when I need to without driving.

What are your big hurdles to riding everywhere you go?






Cycling

Are electric bicycles good?

I’ve been mulling over the idea of pedelec bikes for the last few days. For those of you that don’t recall, pedelec bikes are bicycles with electric assist motors. You still have to pedal, just not as hard or as much. I posted this in a news roundup and there is another story now on engadget.com.

My initial reaction was: “NO! Nononononono. No. No. That is not the point of cycle commuting!” Being electric means they are still using electricity. And seeing as most electricity still comes from coal or oil that means that the pedelecs still pollute, indirectly. Futhermore, the second best part of cycle commuting is the health benefits, which you lose most of on a pedelec. Really though, the last thing I need is to have to deal with pedelecs trying to run me off the road as well as autos.

After awhile though, I started to like the idea. All I needed to do was realize that this product wasn’t for me. I don’t need to go get an electric bike, I can still ride my analog one. What this will do is get more people out on bikes. Will it use electricity? Sure, but these users would be in cars anyway and the bike, even if electric is far better for the environment (and traffic).

The pedelecs offer health benefits too. Just getting people out into the fresh air will be good for them. Even pedaling a little is better than pushing a gas pedal. Most importantly it will help build community. One of the best things about cycle commuting is talking to other people on bikes (something that rarely happens in cars). Studies have shown that people are happier and healthier if they are part of a community.

All in all, I think electric bikes are going to be a good thing. It will get more people out on bikes. Which is what we all want, isn’t it?




Cycling