Goodbye Fat Jeans. Hello Skinny!

This post isn't exactly about cycling, but cycling plays such an important role in the subject.

Two and one-half years ago I started commuting to work by bicycle to save money and to attempt to get into shape.  I enjoyed bike commuting, but also began incorporating cycling into my daily life.  I learned to ride my bike, not only to work, but for grocery shopping, errands, and for fun.  I made many cycling friends and have since been on many long rides, as many as 120 miles in a day.  I've since moved closer to town and in addition to cycling to work, I can easily walk to work, the grocery store, movies, bars, restaurants, etc. Basically, I've tried to simplify and orient my lifestyle around active transportation.

When I started cycling to work, I weighed about 213 pounds.  I was able to get down to 188 within a year by cycling alone.  Then this summer, I decided to shift fitness into high gear by joining Weight Watchers.

After five months, I am now down to 165 pounds.  As an aside, I weighed 250 pounds about 10 years ago, and lost a lot of that by switching to a vegan diet.

Between cycling and sensible eating using the Weight Watcher system, I have lost almost 50 pounds.

If I count back to 2001, when I was at my heaviest, I have lost a total of  85 pounds, most of it lost by diet.

So now that I'm at a weight I like (perhaps even lighter than I was when I graduated high school), my plan now is to perform regular workouts to get into a better form and shape, both for cycling and general fitness.  So far, my sessions with a personal trainer are proving to be both fun, and productive.  I've lost another inch around my waist, and gained a little around my chest and arms.

If you've made it this far into my seemingly self-gratifying post, please note that this isn't about bragging.  Simply, I want to pass along to anyone reading this that weight loss is, indeed, possible, and within reach.  As a lifelong pudgy guy, I always thought the natural order of things was to get fatter and fatter as I aged.  Between my diet and exercise, I'm finding that it's not only possible to lose and keep off weight, but once the proper mind frame and motivation is found, it's not as hard and I imagined.

Many pairs of fat jeans are going to Goodwill. 

I much prefer the new skinny ones.

Weight Watchers tool help me track my progress.

I'd be remiss if I didn't shout out to my brother, Jason, who, over the past year, has lost 118 pounds through cycling.  He really put the fire under me and inspired me to get more serious with my weight loss plans.  Thanks, bro.

It's Going Around: Single Speed Fever

A curious malady is making the rounds in my barn. Symptoms of single speed fever are spreading.

My true single speed, the 1976 Schwinn Le Tour II is now my favored city bike and fair weather commuter. There's a 40 tooth chainring on the front and a 17 tooth freewheel on one side of the rear hub, and a 17 tooth track cog fixed on the other side. I find that this combination is perfect for me for tooling around town tackling the typical hills in my stomping grounds. With the addition of a new saddle, I'm all the more eager to spend a lot of time on this bike.

I've gotten comfortable standing to climb, spinning on the flats and coasting when the road turns downward.

This weekend I went to clean about 100 miles of Nebraska gravel road dust and Iowa Wabash Trace crushed limestone dust from my Specialized Tricross when I noticed something odd about the cassette.

A couple of Sundays ago combined a Bacon Ride with my first century ride, and last week I did a Taco Ride. Without realizing it, I'd been riding the Tricross as if it were single speed; standing to climb and spinning when not climbing. I got into a nice pace and spent most of the time pedaling.

As I got my degreaser and cleaning rags ready, I noticed that all the cogs but one were covered with white dust. The one that was cleaner was obviously the one I'd been using for my recent rides. At 34 x 14, I was cycling at a gear ratio just a tad stiffer than on the single speed Schwinn.

This weekend, I grabbed the grocery panniers and my Trek 7300 hybrid and headed out to Whole Foods to stock up one some specialty items that I can't get at my local Bag & Save or Hy-Vee. With 35mm tires and a cargo rack, this is my hauling bike. Again, I noticed that I was doing all the pedaling in a similar gear ratio. I did have to shift down to climb out of the Papio Creek valley into my neighborhood, as I was loaded down with groceries.

Incidentally, I saw Rafal D. with Megan, and Steve O. with some friends at Whole Foods and talked for a moment with each.

So, look out. If you ride near where I ride, you might want to keep your distance. If your bike gets too close, you might find it, too, afflicted with single speed fever. I just hope single speed fever doesn't jump over to humans in the form of some kind of knee pain!

Young Professionals Provide Feedback For Omaha's Bus Transit Authority

The masthead for this blog reads:

One man's attempt at opting out of the total car culture
by walking, busing, and cycling in Omaha, Nebraska.

There hasn't been much talk of busing here lately, as I'm been so taken with all that the world of cycling has to offer. This post is about busing in Omaha.

Today, the Omaha Young Professionals Council is presenting to Metro Area Transit the results of the survey that followed the YP Bus Challenge earlier this spring. I participated in the Challenge by buying a monthly pass and using the bus every day for commuting (with bicycle in tow) and some errand running. I formed a team at work and we came in at third place.

Yesterday I got an email from Omaha World-Herald reporter, Tom Shaw, looking for some quotes on a story. I was happy to oblige, as I see helping to develop a top-notch transit system in Omaha as vital to helping to check suburban sprawl, and to attract (and retain!) smart, hardworking folks (young and old) to Omaha.

The text of the story is below. Be sure to check out the paper or the Omaha.com web site for updates after the YP Council presents their report to MAT.

---

Published Thursday August 27, 2009

Group backs later MAT service

By Tom Shaw
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

From: http://omaha.com/article/20090827/NEWS01/708279924

It's 1 a.m.

You and your friends just had a great time in the Old Market. Now you want to get back to Dundee.

If only you could hop on a bus.

Expanding Metro Area Transit bus service to include late-night hours is one of several recommendations from the Greater Omaha Young Professionals.

The recommendations come from participants in the group's spring Bus Challenge. Nearly 200 people rode MAT buses over a three-week period in April and May and then took an online survey about their experiences.

Young Professionals, which is affiliated with the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, seeks to improve Omaha so the city can continue to attract and retain young professionals.

MAT executive director Curt Simon welcomes the recommendations, which will be formally presented to the MAT board today.

Some of the group's suggestions, such as improving MAT's bus signs and Web site, are being done already, Simon said. Other ideas, including the late night bus service, will require more study. Currently, buses serving main routes quit running at 11:30 p.m.

Simon said support for public transportation from younger Omahans is key.

“They don't just want to see it work,” he said of the bus system. “They want to see it work well.”

Scott Redd, a systems engineer at Union Pacific, took part in the challenge. Usually he rides his bike from home near 50th Street and Interstate 80 to the downtown UP headquarters.

Redd said MAT is convenient for people in the midtown and downtown areas. It also cuts out the expense of downtown parking.

An avid biker, Redd also likes the fact that MAT buses have bike racks on the front.

“That was really progressive,” he said. “I was surprised when they starting doing that.”

But there are limitations.

Redd said he can't catch a bus home after about 5:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Chris Miller, an information technology worker for First National Bank, also pointed to bus schedules as a drawback.

Miller, a midtown resident who took the challenge, has ridden the bus downtown since 2007.

Miller said some of his co-workers don't use the bus because they don't think it's reliable enough.

MAT buses are on schedule close to 90 percent of the time, Simon said, but acknowledged occasional problems.

Miller and Redd said they think some young professionals buy into a stereotype that buses are only for low-income residents. Miller and Redd said the bus can be a good resource for anyone.

One recommendation is for MAT to rebrand itself and expand support for public transportation.

Simon said MAT continuously works to fight the negative images.

The group also recommended that more companies offer financial assistance to employees who use public transportation.

First National Bank subsidizes 25 percent of bus ticket costs for employees and sells them through its human resources department.

Union Pacific lets employees buy bus passes with pre-tax pay, saving some money on the cost.

Young Professionals also would like more bus service aimed at area college students.

Simon said the agency is developing a pilot program with Metro Community College to increase service for its students.

MAT hasn't had much success getting a program started for UNO students, Simon said, because of the varied times and routes students would need.

Simon said there's merit in exploring an after-hours bus that circulates through downtown and midtown. The question, he said, is whether late-night bus service would be economically viable.

MAT has changed some bus signs in response to suggestions from the young professionals group and others.

MAT now displays entire bus schedules on small kiosks at places such as 76th and Dodge Streets. More route information also is being placed at bus shelters.

MAT's Web site will be improved soon, Simon said, so users can click on specific routes and pull up the bus schedule for that route.

Contact the writer:

444-1149, tom.shaw@owh.com

Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom

Copyright ©2009 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.

Bike Omaha System Officially Open

With the ceremonial shredding of a ribbon, Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle officially declared Omaha's on-street bicycle route system open.

Read more about it on the Bike Omaha blog, including a route map, photos and video from the event.

Pedaling the Daily Grind - A Year of Bike Commuting

It was a year ago today that I, as a "grown-up," rode my bicycle to work and back and set forth sequences of events that have, literally, been life changing.

July 16, 2008, I walked into the Trek Bicycles store at 72nd and Dodge and stated that I wanted a bike to use for commuting. They set me up with a Trek 7300 hybrid bike, and shortly afterward, I added a rack for carrying stuff and fenders for all-weather riding.

The next day I rode the bike, and have ridden a bike to work almost every day since then. Rain or shine, snow and ice. I've had to drive to work less than five times, usually to run an errand that required a car. I also rode the bus on a few days.

A lot of what I've learned about bike commuting can be found in my 2008 year in review post.

Below are some extra stats:

• Total miles cycled: 3,673
• Total bike-to-work miles: 2,476
• Total weight lost: 25 pounds
• Parking money saved: $750 (low estimate of $3/day)
• Commuting gas money saved $304 (estimate of $2.75/gal)
• Total bikes owned: 3 (two complete, one "project bike")

I can't say enough just how awesome it is to be out riding a bike all year long. I've made many new friends with some really cool people. I think Omaha is on the verge of becoming a notable "bike city," and I'm really excited to be a part of the change.

I'm here to demonstrate that if I, an ordinary, almost 40 year old dude of average fitness, can ride a bike to work in Omaha, then you can, too. Get out there and ride, and participate in the various online forums and blogs and be a part of Omaha's cycling culture.

Pedal Powered Lawn Mower?

Not yet. At least I don't have one?

But as long as lawn mowers need gasoline, here's how I have to go get it.


It just seemed silly to get into a 2,000 pound vehicle to drive one half mile to pick up one gallon of fuel.

Yay for cargo racks and bungee nets!

Grocery Store Biking

Riding bicycles just to ride is a lot of fun, but one of my joys is utility cycling. From day one in my modern cycling epoch I made sure my main commuter bike had a rack, plus a pair of grocery panniers to hang on the rack.

A grocery pannier can carry quite a bit of junk. They are so deep and expansive that I usually don't get grocery bags at the store. I just pack my own groceries into the panniers. The Trek Interchange grocery panniers that my wife and I use also have cinch straps so the bag can be made really snug against the contents contained within.

The picture above shows 57 pounds of groceries contained in two grocery panniers. A trivial amount was carried in the plastic bags on my wrist.

The biggest problem with grocery shopping by bike is overbuying. If I'm not careful, it's easy to get too many groceries so that they don't all fit in the bags. Wrapping up boxy items into brown paper bags and then securing to the top of the cargo rack using bungee cords is one solution to carrying extra stuff. Another is to pack lighter, more voluminous items like bread, nacho chips, paper goods, etc., into a double-bagged plastic sack and carrying on the wrist or handlebars.

I've also discovered that a bottle of wine fits perfectly into a water bottle cage, while adding a touch of class to any bike. While my multi-tool can open a beer, there is no corkscrew on it, however.

A few times I tried loading groceries into the panniers as I was shopping. This is a good way to ensure I don't overbuy, but I always feel a little funny, almost like I am shoplifting.

I patronize three grocery stores by bicycle. The first is a neighborhood Bag and Save about one-half mile away. It doesn't stock many of the health food items we use, but is great for simple and quick shopping. The second is a Hy-Vee about two miles away. Their health market sections do carry many of the vegetarian items we like. Finally, the Whole Foods Market is about 9 miles away and carries the rest of the specialty vegetarian and vegan items we like. A weekly ride to Whole Foods has almost become a Sunday morning ritual for me.

Carrying 50+ pounds of goods on a single bike is quite a bit. However, if I needed to carry more, or to carry larger items, I'd have to add a trailer, an Xtracycle long-tail, or get one of those awesome Dutch cargo bikes that's almost like a bike interbred with a wheelbarrow.

If you try using panniers to carry a load of groceries, be careful of the changes in your bike's handling. Before mounting your bike, it will want to fall as it leans over. Once you're moving, you won't even notice the extra weight, however, pay attention to cornering, and also watch out for bumps that might jostle your groceries out of the bags.

Earth Day 2009

I like to think of everyday as Earth Day. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a tree hugging, patchouli wearing, long haired, underemployed hippie. However, some would think I have some of those tendencies.

I recycle, because it makes sense to me. I ride a bike to work and to the grocery store, because it makes sense to me. I use the bus at times, when it makes sense to me. I'm vegan, because it makes sense to me.

I like the idea of reserving a day and reminding everyone about environmental stewardship. Just like Halloween, you could say that it's gotten way too commercial. I did, however, make a conscious decision on this Earth Day to alter a habit this week.

All my adult life, I've used liquid laundry soap. Last week I bought powered laundry soap. It seems to be a little cheaper per load, but I think the main advantage is the reduced waste. The soap comes in a cardboard box, which would seem easier to recycle than the hard plastic jug that the liquid soap comes in. Certainly you can take a special refillable jug into Whole Foods. I also recall Omaha had a natural foods co-op at one time where you could buy liquid soap in bulk. I'm not sure if there's anywhere else to buy bulk soap.

Another advantage to powdered soap: It's lighter on the bike than a huge jug of heavy liquid soap.

Life Is A Series Of Challenges

That title sounds rather philosophical, but I mean it literally.

Within the next few months, we've got:

• Young Professionals Bus Challenge
• Bicycle Commuter Challenge
• Corporate Cycling Challenge

The YP Bus Challenge is happening now. And it might even overlap with the Bicycle Commuter Challenge. The Corporate Cycling Challenge is in August.

YP Bus Challenge

This one started Saturday, April 18, where it was to be kicked off at Earth Day Omaha event, but the threat of bad weather has postponed the Earth Day celebrations until Saturday, April 25.

The idea behind the YP Bus Challenge is to get the 40 and under set up to speed on how to utilize Omaha's Metropolitan Area Transit (the bus). Teams will log rides for three weeks, and the three teams with the highest average number of trips taken will win prizes. The participants will also provide valuable feedback on their experiences to help makes the transit system more relevant and efficient. Three weeks may also be enough time to change people's habits so they stick and folks might be more likely to ride the bus in the future.

I formed a team called The UP Hi-Railers. The idea was to stack the team with daily bus riders, of which UP has many. I had no problem finding four of them. I, being only a one trip per week rider, felt the challenge. Not wanting to be a weak team member, I bought a 30 day unlimited ride ticket and have committed to at least two trips per day. I can't completely give up the bike commuting, so I have some ideas on how to keep it interesting.

Here are some ways to log rides on the bus, but still enjoy the cycling:

1. Bike to a random bus stop and wait for the bus. This isn't much fun, since some routes aren't very frequent.
2. Bike to a transit center and grab the first bus going downtown. I did this Monday with decent results. It was weird riding five miles in the wrong directions.
3. Bike to a bus stop that's in the general direction of my destination, and that has a shelter. Sit down and relax.
4. When leaving work, go to 16th Street and take the first bus going in any direction. Exit the bus after 10 minutes and then try to figure out how to get home. This could be fun.
   
5. Take the bus to the Keystone and then ride home. I did this today using the #4/#14 and cycled from 90th and Maple. The weather was gorgeous, so I enjoyed a sweat-free leisurely ride in my office clothes.
6. Ride the bus to lunch. I did this today, meeting my wife at one of our favorite midtown restaurants. I then hit the Midtown Transit Center and grabbed the first bus back downtown. Bringing the bike helped me stay flexible and move to the stops/transit center more quickly.
7. To rack up more trips, I could bike to a stop. Ride the bus for a few minutes. Exit the bus and bike to another stop. Repeat.
8. Bike to a bus stop. Ride the bus. Exit the bus and sprint ahead of the bus, boarding same bus again. This is likely to annoy the driver (and passengers), and is not advised.

Despite these attempts to score well, I don't think our team can win. The team called OBRUA is either cheating (just kidding), or is super-committed to doing everything by bus. The are way out ahead of the number two team. You can see the leader board here. Some of our team are not logging in real time, but will probably submit a week's work at once. I think it's possible we could take second or third. Certainly, the winning teams won't be logging simple work commutes. It will take extra rides to stay ahead.

Using the unlimited ride card really changed my habits and thoughts about the bus. I logged a five block ride the other day. If I had to pay a dollar and a quarter for that, it would have seemed preposterous. Having the free pass totally changed my idea of what one can do with a bus. The 30 day card costs $50, and for someone who wants or needs to use the bus a couple of times a day, it's really worth it. Under normal conditions, I ride the bus once a week, so it wouldn't be the best use of the money. One of my reasons for cycling to work is to save the gas and parking expense, and replacing that with a $50 bus pass would certainly eat into the savings.

If I were to get rid of one of our two personal vehicles (not counting my son's car) and didn't have to ferry my daughter from time to time like I do, then I would absolutely buy the pass each month.

Bicycle Commuter Challenge

All I know of this one is that it starts in May. It will be interesting if it overlaps with the YP Bus Challenge. I suppose that's the cool thing about multi-modal bike/bus commuting, in that I can do both with proper planning and record keeping. I don't think I can count the miles that my bike is being carried by the bus as bike commuter miles, however. That'd be nice, huh?

This is usually initiated with a Mayor's Ride in conjunction with National Bike To Work Week. I'm thinking it might be fun to show up for this in a suit and tie, as suggested by EB, perhaps with a briefcase on the rack. Do you think this would be seen as the joke it is, or taken seriously by people who take everything seriously?

Corporate Cycling Challenge

This is really just a fun group ride. Routes are usually at 10, 25, and 45 miles.

It's not too late to sign up for the YP Bus Challenge. You don't even need a full team. Watch the local bike blogs for more information in the future for more information on the other challenges.

Passing Gas

Um, that should be passing gas stations... as in cycling right on by.

Oh well. Saturday morning I had to buy more gas in the truck again. The last time I bought gas for the truck was back on February 5. I'd driven it 278 miles and purchased 15.9 gallons, making for about 17.5 miles per gallon, at a cost of $30.77 for a fill-up.

17.5 MPG is not so good. I guess carrying around all those sandbags and some items destined for the dump aren't doing me any good on the dry streets. Perhaps in the snow it was nice for extra traction.

I wonder how many miles I could ride on my bike for $30.77 worth of burritos, hummus and Dr. Pepper?

Downtown Omaha Recycles

This blog post is not exactly about cycling, but rather, recycling.

I popped into Patrick's Market this afternoon to get some things needed at home. I like Patrick's because, to me, it represents a healthy downtown. Residents of downtown (which I am not) and downtown workers (which I am) need a full service market to shop. It's convenient for me to shop there, as I can more easily stop in on the way home from work than I can my own neighborhood market.

I think I read somewhere that Patrick's was considering installing a bike rack for customers, so that kind of ties this post back into the topic of going by bike.

Outside the store was the recycling and trash container shown pictured here. On the left is a hole for receiving mixed plastic, metal and paper recyclables. On the right is a hole for regular trash.

At first I thought this was a city owned fixture, but when examining the picture later, I realized it's provided by the Omaha Downtown Improvement District Association, a group of residents, property owners, and businesses in the downtown area. According to the group's website, there are a total of 10 recycling receptacles in downtown to aid in keeping Omaha clean and tidy.

The next time you're downtown and you see a plastic bottle or soda can lying about, pick it up and drop it in the slot. You'll get a little karma++, plus help to make Omaha a more attractive city.

Cycling Fashion - An Experiment

This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I've done in years, but you only live once, right?

I'm wearing knickers.

For those of you in other English speaking parts of the world, I'm not talking about lady's underpants. Think knickerbockers, shants, pedal pushers, "manpris," or just plain old short pants.

I haven't invested much in this experiment. Basically, since reducing my waist from a size 36 to a 34, thanks to commuter cycling, I've got a few extra pairs of dress pants in my closet. I took a pair to a tailor, and for $16 (includes the $5 rush charge; made while I waited), I got a pair of pin striped cycling knickers.

I rode about 25 miles with temperatures in the 20s to 30s today and the knickers and sweater were both comfortable and warm.

Now I can ride my bicycle to a restaurant or bar, walk in, and proudly say, "Don't worry. I am wearing pants." Depending on the bar, I might get my butt kicked for wearing "capris."

The sweater was something I had in my closet. I'm still wearing warm tights and layers of technical fabric shirts, and a warm zip up jersey underneath, but I thought it would be fun to try something other than the hi-viz quasi-roadie look I've been fostering this winter. Another thing I'd like to add to complete this nutty look is a pair of crazy looking argyle socks that come up to my knees.

This photo looking down at my feet was taken by accident, but it turned out kind of neat.

Omaha has many recreational and sporting cyclists, but at this point, you don't see many people on the road with cycling gear that isn't related to traditional sporting road or mountain biking clothing. I'm hoping with the change in attitude about cycling for transportation, we'll begin to see some interesting outfits. For some photos of bike fashion in New Orleans, check out this blog post.

OK, Mr. Oil Executive... I'll Buy Some Gas

My wife and I own two vehicles. She drives a 1998 Malibu and I have a 1999 S-10 pickup. We're not exactly the Joneses.

Since I started bike commuting last summer, I've found that I rarely drive the truck. It's useful for bringing home big things from the hardware store. Also, I bike or bus/bike home on Thursdays in time to pick up and deliver my daughter to her after-school drama classes. Other than that, it mostly sits in the driveway.

Every week I look at the fuel gauge to see how much is there, and this Saturday, while taking my daughter to a friend's birthday party, I noticed that it was getting darn close to "E."

As I filled the tank, I tried to recall the last time I had put gasoline into the tank. The best I could come up with was in November. Depending on when in November, it could be that I'd gone at least two months, and maybe almost three months without paying the Gas Man.

The price of a gallon of gasoline is much less than when I started bike commuting, but it still hurts to fork over $27.42 cents for my 15 and a half gallons of petrol. In bike terms, this could be a single pedal, a jersey, a pannier, some really nice socks, most of a helmet, gloves, lights, or several burritos (my favorite).

I expect the price of gasoline to go back up this Summer, so when it does, the savings from bike commuting will be even greater.

Ow, Me Back

Say it like "Ahnold" would say it. "I'll be back."

I have a trick back. Only, the tricks aren't funny and amusing as the word would suggest.

Thursday morning I mounted my bike and rode the five miles to work, no problem. But when I dismounted at the racks, I felt the twinge in my lower back. I continued my routine: 30 minutes of lifting weights, shower, sit at desk all day getting up every hour or so to walk around, and go home. All the day, though, feeling the twinge make itself more known.

This morning it was an effort to move from the horizontal to the vertical posture required to get out of bed. I knew it wasn't going to be a bike day. Instead, I rode the bus in. I halfway considered calling in sick and spending the day sitting and laying on a hot pad, but after getting up and walking around a little, the pain has eased a little, and I'm glad I came to work.

It's funny how living the Shift has shifted my thought processes. I could have driven in, but chose the bus because I have become accustomed to not driving into downtown and dealing with the traffic and parking issues. The bus was my first thought. As a side note, I did drive my truck yesterday afternoon for my daughter's weekly drama lesson and noticed that I still have a quarter of a tank of gas left over from my last fill-up in November. Take that, oil companies.

Here's a list of other unforgettable back episodes:

• Fell flat on back during my first snow shoveling experience after arriving in Omaha (from Alabama) about 15 years ago
• Fell flat on my back from a height of about four of five feet while goofing around on a jungle gym with my kids about 10 years ago
• Lifted a clothes dryer a few years ago (stupid, stupid)
• Moving from a bent over position filling a cup at a water cooler to a standing position. PING! Back hurts. That's the weirdest one.

My plan is to take it easy today and this weekend, and hopefully be up for the ride on Monday. I'm leaving my studded tires on, as we might be getting more snow. I also will be spending some time playing with my new ugly, but oh-so-Googly T-Mobile G1 Android phone that should be arriving on Saturday.

So, until Monday, "Ow, Me Back" and then "I'll Be Back."

2008 In Review

2008 was my first year as a full time bike commuter. I'll use this post to close out the year, and speculate about what 2009 might bring.

The Beginning

July 14, Monday
In a lunchtime conversation with my friend Jeff, I learned that he had bought a new Cannondale F5 mountain bike over the weekend. That got me thinking about cycling. I had commuted for the better part of a Summer in Huntsville, Alabama in my late teens, so I was already familiar with the process, but didn't really know much about the equipment and techniques.

July 15, Tuesday
Schooled myself about what kind of bike I needed, and learned about bike commuting through sites like Commute By Bike and mapped potential routes using Map My Ride.

July 16, Wednesday
Walked into the Trek Omaha store and clearly stated what I wanted to do. They put me on a Trek 7300 with lights. They were out of racks, so I had to come back over the following weekend and pick it up.

July 17, Thursday
My first commute to work. This was a life changing event.

And then a lot of days...

I won't log every day here. I just wanted to recall how quickly this all came about. I'll summarize and say that in the same week that I got my bike, we got a MT 220 for my daughter, and the following week pick up another 7300 for my wife.

Over the Summer we participated in the Corporate Cup Challenge and took many pleasure rides. One way we found to encourage our daughter to ride was to buy her a book at Border's after every five rides, or to ride down to the neighborhood Arby's for a soda and some curly fries. Emily says that her friends almost didn't believe her when she described riding 20 miles in one day.

Commuting To Work

According my logs at Map My Ride, I've ridden a total of 1,554 miles since I started. If I keyword search on "commute," I see 1041 miles.

If you figure that my truck gets 20 MPG, then I've saved 52 gallons of gasoline. When I started bike commuting, gas was near $4 / gallon. Now it's under $2. If we say gas, on average, was $3 /gallon, then I could estimate that I've saved $156.

Parking downtown can be free, if you walk far enough, or $3 to $8 a day. Monthly parking at my employer cost about $80 a month. If we say that I've saved $3 a day since mid July, and that there are about 20 working days on average each month, then I've saved about $330 on parking.

Estimated saving in gas and parking for cycling to work are approximately $500 for my first half-year. You can see that it doesn't take long to pay off the cost of a decent bicycle.

I started July 17 at 213 pounds. Yesterday morning I was at 196 pounds. That a net loss of 17 pounds. Other than cycling, I'm not doing any extra exercise. I'm eating more, and feeling better. My blood pressure is well below normal, and my resting heart rate is lower than average. At my fattest several years ago, I was near 250 pounds, so this 196 feel good, though I know I can do better.

An Intro To Long Rides

In early October, my wife, Roxanne and I rode from our house, over the BK Bridge, and to the trailhead of the Wabash Trace. We rode a couple of miles down the trace and then came back home. Round trip, this was about a 42 mile ride. We simply ran out of time, having other things that needed our attention at home, or else we could have enjoyed more time on the trace. This ride proved to us that we could do some light touring. We're cooking up plans now to ride more of the trace, possibly staying overnight in a hotel or camp site somewhere along the way.

Utility Cycling

Roxanne and I both have rear racks. We also have a couple of the Trek Interchange Grocery Bags that can hold an amazing amount of groceries. If we completely load up with panniers and use bungee cords for stuff on the rack, we can each carry about 50 pounds of goods. In the warmer weather, we made several trips to our local Hy-Vee about two miles away. It's mostly downhill there, and uphill back. For the purposes of carting groceries, it would be nice if it were the other way around, but such is life.

Many trips and errands were made by bike. These include:

• eating out
• hardware store
• eating out
• bike shop
• eating out
  
• drug store
• eating out
• book store
• eating out
• visiting family
• eating out
• attended baseball game
• eating out
• optometrist
  
• and some eating out

Had Some Adventures

I've changed a flat, added studded tires for snow and ice, learned more about multi-modal bike-bus commuting, learned basic bike maintenance, become interested in bicycle/pedestrian advocacy, made some maps of the upcoming bike route system, discovered several routes and interesting neighborhoods between home and work, learned how to dress at -8°, learned a bit about my own body, and generally, learned that I can do anything that I set my mind to, all the while having a great time.

I even had a chance to glimpse how utility cycling is done in other places.

Getting out of my car and on to my bike in 2008 has literally been a life changing event.

Made Some Connections

Through cycling, I've been introduced to some incredible people, some I've met in person, and many only though the blogosphere. These folks have been encouraging, and even mentor-like in their passing down of hints, tricks, techniques and cycling specific knowledge.

Here's credit where credit is due:

• Jeff - I've known Jeff for perhaps 10 years. We both work downtown and meet often for lunch, trading bike stories, and encouragement. Jeff is a life long mountain biker, and commuted during the summer three days a week, at over 37 miles a day! We would sometimes form a "bike pool" and ride out of downtown together.

• Brady - I found Brady's blog when looking for information about cycling and bus transit. I'd never met Brady before, but knew who he was, as we both work for the same employer. He's often a first commenter on my blog, and we chat a little in the gym at work. Through his own blog and comments on mine, I've gotten invaluable information on gear and techniques for commuting.

• Munson - His blog is also a valuable source of information. In competition with Brady, Munson often comments on my blog posts. Munson seemingly has mastered the art of thrifty and resourceful riding. I think of him as the MacGyver of cycling. He knows all about gear and how to extend the usefulness and life of gear.

• Biker Bob - I met Bob briefly at a lecture on bicycling at UNO presented by Andy Clarke of the League of American Cyclists and John Burke, CEO of Trek Bicycles. Bob blogs a lot about cycling and also leaves useful comments.

The Omaha bike commuting has several bloggers, and many of them are exceptional in helping out folks with constructive and encouraging comments, as well as advice about routes, technique, and gear. I'm certain I am leaving some off, but here's a list:

• MTB Omaha
• Eric
• Bike Omaha
• Dale, T-Bone and others at Omaha Commute
• MOD

I look forward to meeting new cycling folks over the next year.

Looking Ahead To 2009

I can't really predict what 2009 will be like. I plan to get some dual purpose platform/clipless pedals and some proper cycling shoes. I expect to continue to ride to work everyday. I also expect to get out more on the weekends for some exercise and pleasure rides. If the last half of 2008 saw me at about 1,600 miles, then I think 3,000 to 5,000 miles wouldn't be out of the question for next year.

I'd like to bike more with my family, especially if we can get our teenage son to come with us.

In general, I just expect to continue biking it whenever I can for work and errands, and to perhaps do a little better on the exercise and diet front. I'm already vegan, but you'd be surprised how many junk foods are vegan.

I Think I'll Go For A Walk

Redd-Shifting Isn't Always About Cycling

"I feel happy. I feel happy."

Sunday saw unseasonably warm temperatures in Omaha. It was so nice that I decided to walk down to the local Ace Hardware store to get some chain lube.

The snow over the past couple of weeks has given way to damp streets, and damp streets led to a dried out, rusting chain. I misplaced the Tri-Flow that I've been using, and wanted to go get some more.

I considered cycling, but thought a nice walk was in order. Santa brought me nice set of Shure earbuds for my Zune, and figured a walk was a great way to try out the earbuds, get some exercise, and walk the green talk. I've never considered cycling on the streets while wearing earphones, but don't mind doing so on foot.

The Ace Hardware store is only about one mile from my house. I've biked there many times, but haven't made the walk for a while. While leaving the sidewalk and heading toward the shopping center, I noticed that there are absolutely no sidewalks giving access to the shopping center. In order to get from the walk on the main street to the shopping center, I have to either walk on the soggy grass, or creep along the edges of the access street dodging chunks of ice, snow melt runoff, and mud.

On the way back I snapped this photo of the Union Pacific Railroad tunnel on 50th Street. Navigating this tunnel, both on foot and on bicycle is awkward and sometimes difficult. The tunnel was constructed one hundred years ago in 1908 and leaves no room for widening the street. The sidewalk is only about three feet wide, and the path is completely covered with rail bed ballast, broken glass, and mud. When cycling through this tunnel on the sidewalk, I always dismount and walk, for fear of getting a flat tire, or worse, bumping the wall and falling over the low guard wall and landing right in the street. I've ridden through the tunnel on the street, but find traffic here to be a little fast and unforgiving, especially when going northbound, uphill.

I can't help but think that someday the city will decide to replace this tunnel with a wider one, enabling 50th Street to become a three or four lane road, as it is south of the tunnel. This will be a huge, expensive undertaking and a logistical nightmare, as the UP tracks on top are a double track main line carrying many trains each day. Maybe that's why this tunnel remains here to this day.

In the Summer of 2009, the city will begin the construction of the Keystone Trail/Field Club Trail connector that will cross 50th Street between G and I Streets. It would be nice if the city eventually widened the tunnel to provide easy and safe access to the connector trail to the neighborhoods north of the tunnel.

On the other hand, as a resident of this area, it's nice to have traffic restricted and discouraged due to the low speed limits imposed by this narrow tunnel.

Well, I digressed a little by writing about the 50th Street tunnel, but in summary, I just wanted to say that ditching the car and walking to stores within a mile of my house is just as easy as doing it by bike. It may be a little slower, and I can't carry as much as I can with my rack and panniers, but walking has its own rewards.

So, with the new year looming ahead, consider making walking, in addition to cycling, a part of your own local, active transportation plans.

Photo credits:

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Microsoft Live.Com
  

Bike & Ride - Omaha World Herald

Published Saturday December 6, 2008
Omaha World-Herald

'BIKE & RIDE': Metro Area Transit offers a "Bike & Ride" program that allows users various options, such as riding to work and biking home or riding to a bike trail connection for an extended, scenic ride. All but the short MAT buses are equipped with a front-mounted rack that holds two bikes.

Daniel Lawse, co-chairman of the Green Neighborhood Council of the Green Omaha Coalition, called the program "a fantastic improvement to Omaha's bus system. . . . Having bike racks on buses increases the mobility of Omaha residents who use public transportation - and it may encourage new people to use public transportation due to the new options available."

Instructions for using the racks as well as information on which bus routes connect to trails and to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge are posted on the MAT Web site, www.metroareatransit.com. Also listed are do's and don'ts, including: "Don't forget your bike on the bus!"

There is no charge to use the rack; riders will pay standard fares: $1.25 for regular fixed-route service with 5-cent transfers. Express ridership is $1.50 per trip.

Source: http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3940&u_sid=10506542