Lee

approx. how far do you ride each day (roundtrip)? 15

do you wear a helmet? y

how many days have you rode to work since july 1st? 15

if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on? New back tire new helmet

things you like best about riding to work: No congestion


worst part of commuting by bike: Wet trails



any good commuting stories, co-workers thoughts or changes you've made since you started riding:

Loren - one ahead on the time stream

approx. how far do you ride each day (roundtrip)?

5 miles, or up to 10 when I have to do errands before work (once or twice a week).

do you wear a helmet?

Right after waking up. Oh, on a bike? Yep, every time then too.



how many days have you ridden to work since july 1st?

6 of 13 days, darn the swinging shift-no time to sleep. New fork and rain cost a couple days, too.

if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on?

Panniers and one PowerBar.

things you like best about riding to work:

Being off the main streets and seeing the town and community.... Having the time to look around. Also, exercise, getting out of the self-enclosing environment of a car... plus, the commute takes only 3-5 minutes longer by bike for me, while saving about 10 gallons of gas every week (that's like a thousand bucks, har har...). Last but not least, the fact that other people are doing it now too is really heartening, even if in some ways it seems like a bit of the "too little, too late" syndrome. It's way safer to ride this summer than it has been any of the last decade in Lincoln, though. I'd attribute that to the number of cyclists upping exposure for safety issues.


worst part of commuting by bike:

The sudden, drenching sweat at the end of the ride as one steps into the coma-inducing a/c. Oh, and the fact biking kicks one ahead on the time stream, causing a few minutes lag time while the rest of the world syncs up.


any good commuting stories, co-workers thoughts or changes you've made since you started riding:

Riding really makes me question why I bother hauling around stuff which I don't need. My car is full of items that I think I "may" end up needing. So I'm getting by with less incidental junk-one book to read, camera, and sometimes my laptop. Oh, and lots of grocery bags, as an extra layer of protection during those rainy days.

Hmm. What else... Padded bike shorts make all the difference-under regular clothes, you can change out of them at work.

Most little cheap bike headlights are worthless for illuminating the road surface for visual purposes, but they do make riders great targets for part timers and DUI drivers on Saturdays nights. Re: rearview mirror.

Also, I finally got sick of wasting energy bouncing around on my (ultra-cheap) suspension fork, no braze-ons for rack/fender, etc. So, I tore it off and replaced it with an aftermarket CroMo rigid fork. The rigid fork is like 3 lbs lighter and doesn't have the unpredictable rebound of the glorified door-closer, so the bike is much more agile and safe for my riding style-it no longer skips over small terrain changes on turns, which keeps more skin on me, and I enjoy that. Since I mostly stay on road surfaces with this bike, this solution has worked nicely. When winter comes and I fill up the front panniers with old dictionaries I'll be the most stable bike on the road.

Jeff

approx. how far do you ride each day (roundtrip)? 7.3 miles

do you wear a helmet? yes

how many days have you rode to work since july 1st? 9 days (as of july 14)

if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on? bike accesories and/or clothing

things you like best about riding to work: exercise

worst part of commuting by bike: trail torn up at LHS; forces me to detour down G Street.

any good commuting stories, co-workers thoughts or changes you've made since you started riding: I heard two ladies on bikes in the bike lane on 14th commenting about inconsiderate drivers, yet neither of them was wearing a helmet. reminded me of an old chruch commmercial about casting first stones ...

Patty

approx. how far do you ride each day (roundtrip)? 6 miles

do you wear a helmet? yes

how many days have you rode to work since july 1st? 10 days

if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on? bike gloves, a light, a bell

things you like best about riding to work: being outside, gliding downhill, feeling the wind in my face and the sun on my back, getting some exercise


worst part of commuting by bike: worrying about traffic, crossing 27th Street at N Street, riding on some sidewalks and staying clear of pedestrians, watching for hidden driveways, getting sweaty, having to bring another set of clothes to change into for work.

John

approx. how far do you ride each day (roundtrip)?

15.5 miles


do you wear a helmet? y/n

Yes


how many days have you rode to work since july 1st?

8 days (through July 13)


if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on?

A new bike. Mine is a piece of crap. Ask anyone.



things you like best about riding to work:

Great exercise... Great way to start the day... Showing my Neighborhood Extra office friends how attractive a 42-year-old bald guy can be in the morning after a 40-minute ride in 84-percent humidity.



worst part of commuting by bike:

25 mph winds from the south on the way home (south and uphill...not fun).... Lightning... My piece-of-crap bike.... Worst of all: Having the publisher blow past you on the trail (which has happened more than once).

Pam

approx. how far do you ride each day? 6 miles round trip

do you wear a helmet? yes

how many days have you rode to work since july 1st? Six days

if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on? I will spend my $100 on a cool pair of bike shorts and a sweet little bell to alert walkers that I'm right behind them!

things you like best about riding to work: I love the morning ride best because it is cooler and quieter and always seems faster! My favorite thing about riding to work is knowing I'm getting some exercise and those lazy car drivers aren't!


worst part of commuting by bike: n/a

Hi I'm Patrick - not the Swap Thing

approx. how far do you ride each day (roundtrip)?

8.5 miles


do you wear a helmet?

yes


how many days have you rode to work since july 1st?

13 for 14 as of July 18


if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on?

if? how about when?

not sure what i'll buy. maybe get a tune-up. can we donate the money to something?


things you like best about riding to work:

i haven't filled up my car's tank yet this month. and it's good exercise, right?


worst part of commuting by bike:

arriving to work and being mistaken for Swamp Thing because of the heat. battling a few late-night storms.



any good commuting stories, co-workers thoughts or changes you've made since you started riding:

i've started leaving my bike lock at work to lighten my load. no good stories, though.

Megan Wins (and wins and wins)

approx. how far do you ride each day (roundtrip)? 5.4 miles


do you wear a helmet? yes


how many days have you rode to work since july 1st? 7 days and counting

if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on? put it towards a new bike :)

things you like best about riding to work: doing something good for the environment, myself and my wallet. it's a win, win.


worst part of commuting by bike: riding home after work and it's hotter than blazes.


any good commuting stories, co-workers thoughts or changes you've made since you started riding: i saw a guy wipe out on a corner while riding home in the rain - made me watch my turns!

Meet Eric - Super Commuter

Eric works second shift in the pressroom which means he rides to work in the heat of the day and then pedals home in the dark. Eric lives about 3 blocks from me (75th & Holdrege) but we don't ride to work together because of work shifts. As long as i've known Eric he has always rode his bike to work - even in the snow! Here's what Eric had to say about riding to work:

approx. how far do you ride each day (roundtrip)? 12 miles


do you wear a helmet? no


how many days have you rode to work since july 1st? 7 days - I took some vacation in July

if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on? Bike bags, bike seat, front chainring gear (for more top-end speed ;-)

things you like best about riding to work: the [free] workout



worst part of commuting by bike: sometimes people try to run me over



any good commuting stories, co-workers thoughts or changes you've made since you started riding: I always feel good after a hard ride.

Cindy on Tour

I haven't rode bikes with Cindy but we have pedaled together in a SPIN class at the YMCA. Those Nebraska bike tours look like a lot of fun - maybe next year?
We asked Cindy a few questions about riding to work. Here's what she had to say:

approx. how far do you ride each day to work (roundtrip)? 7 miles


do you wear a helmet? yes


how many days have you rode to work since july 1st? 9/9


if you ride 30 times, what will you spend the $100 on? not sure, but i'm taking it to Monkey Wrench because they have treated my bike very well


things you like best about riding to work: everything...cool mornings, south wind, my car sitting in the street, chatting on the way home with fellow co-worker bikers


worst part of commuting by bike: nada


advice: if you wear a skirt it's a good idea to wear biking shorts underneath.


photos courtesy of Peter Salter - Tour de Nebraska 2008
more pics here

Day Nine: 9 for 9

okay, i'm going to stop counting the days i ride to work for this challenge. why you ask? because i'm going to ride everyday anyway. even if someone gives me free, unlimited gas for my 1999 honda accord, i would still ride a bike to work. not much of a challenge, eh? instead i will focus on how/what to spend the $100 gift certificate:






$100 off a new helmet?

Day Eight: 8 for 8

Day Seven: Ouch!

Always keep a clean pair of britches at work

Ride with the publisher

has been rescheduled for July 25th - meet at the Circ. parking lot @ noon.
(employees only)

Day Six: 15min 36 sec by bike

Okay, I'm done racing to work - why would I want to get to work any earlier than I have to?

Day Five: 5 for 5

If People Bought Cars Like They Buy Computers

HELPLINE: "General Motors Helpline, how can I help you?"

CUSTOMER: "My car ran fine for a week, and now it won't go anywhere!"

HELPLINE: "Is the gas tank empty?"

CUSTOMER: "Huh? How do I know?"

HELPLINE: "There's a little guage on the front panel, with a needle, and markings from 'E' to 'F.' Where is the needle pointing?"

CUSTOMER: "It's pointing to 'E.' What does that mean?"

HELPLINE: "It means that you have to visit a gasoline vendor, and purchase some more gasoline. You can install it yourself, or pay the vendor to install it for you."

CUSTOMER: "What!? I paid $$12,000 for this car! Now you tell me that I have to keep buying more components? I want a car that comes with everything built in!"

Day Four: Toyota Factory Rider

Alternate parking spots:

Not so good bike parking

This is our bike rack outside

Day three: 18 minutes by bike

Roughly 75th & Holdrege to 10th & Q
6.2 miles, 9 major street crossings, two parks, three bridges, one university campus

Day Two: 2 for 2

Enjoy that tailwind for the ride home.

Thanks to everyone who helped make Trail Trek a success!
Staci L, Annie B, John M

Bike stuff, cheap

Click here for daily specials.

Day One

Perfect weather to start off this challenge, eh?

Did you ride today?