SOLD MY CAR - COMMUTING BY BIKE NOW.

Fast-forward about a year and a half since my first and only post to this point. We sold our second car (the car I used to commute to work) soon after my first post in July 2006, and I've been commuting by bike full-time since then (about 18 months). Since then, I've biked approximately 300+ work days (about 85% of the time), and between 11-14 miles each day, depending on the route. My total mileage since ditching the second car is over 3,600 miles. I've biked in pretty much all conditions (rain, sleet, snow, heavy winds) and quite a range of temperatures (low of -9 F and high of +96 F). I've learned that, like any outdoor activity, it's all about being prepared and having the right gear. It also helps to have a flexible workplace that allows me to "cool down" in my sweaty bike attire before changing (after a sink clean-up... no shower) into casual work clothes.

Of course, there are days that I don't ride my bike for one reason or another... usually due to dangerous road conditions. I almost never ride when visibility is low (i.e. snowstorm), or the day after a big snowstorm when the roads are a mess and cars are sliding all over the place. On those days, I get a ride from one of several co-workers who live close by. I estimate that I ride my bike 85-90% of the time overall.

From now on, I'm going to use this blog to keep track of my daily rides. We'll see where this goes...