Two Wheels in a Four Horse Town

I’m starting this blog to document my adventures in transforming from an overweight lazy automobile commuter to a bicycle commuter (no promises on a change in the overweight department). For some this may sound to be a simple thing (especially those living in communities with fantastic public transportation). This is a little more challenging for me. I live in a community of approximately 80,000 people located in the heart of Central California. If you want to go anywhere you take a car.

I’ve lived in the Central Valley for the majority of my life and in general have had no issues getting around. I moved to this town of Merced three years ago and was quickly frustrated with the absolutely awful way in which traffic is managed in this town but thought my only option was to just deal with it.

Around June of this year my wife mentioned that she would like to get a bike and trailer as she thought it would be fun to take our two small children out for rides. I obliged and for her birthday purchased a bike for her. I don’t know if words could adequately describe the joy I saw on her face when she first pedaled that purple beach cruiser down our driveway and around the neighborhood.

By the next weekend I too had a bicycle. An old Schwinn beach cruiser that I had picked up at a bike shop run out of someones garage. The family and I had a nice time riding the neighborhood and discovering little unknown trails and parks in our town but I felt very limited by the fixed gear of the Schwinn.

While perusing Twitter one day @Mike_FTW posted a link to PUBLIC Bikes and their special Bleeker model bicycle. I looked it over. Liked it. Went back. Looked it over again. Loved it. Went back. Couldn’t stop thinking about it but just couldn’t justify spending $1200+ on a bicycle.

Some time passed and I would go back and look at the PUBLIC website. Then, in late November I noticed they had $100 off special on selected models. I looked at the site. Saw the V7 for $100 off and decided then and there that it was time to buy the bike. I made the purchase.

On the first weekend in December I hooked up the newly purchased bike rack and threw my two young children in the car and made the drive to San Francisco to pick up my new bike. 

It was a busy day at the bike shop and I was a bit put off by the crowd. Tweed and wool seemed to be the fabric of choice. The crowd gathered around the entrance were laughing and apparently just hanging out. Wow, I thought, they say riding a bike makes you more social. I don’t remember thinking then (or now) that hanging out at a bike shop on a Saturday morning would be on my list of things to do.

I entered the shop with my children in tow and was immediately greeted by a couple of men in their early twenties working steadily on bikes and with customers in the smallish front show room. I gave them my name and the taller of the two gentlemen disappeared momentarily and then returned with my bicycle. I was told to climb aboard and very quickly and efficiently the seat was adjusted. We made our way through the crowd outside the shop and were cheered on by a few as they ascertained my new purchase.

When I arrived home and unloaded the bicycle I finally got a chance to look it over. This bike truly is a thing of beauty. When thinking about bikes I was sure my choices were limited to beach cruisers, traditional ten speeds, and off road type bicycles. None of which would be ideally suited to the purpose for which I intend to use my bicycle.

I made a test ride that Sunday from my home to work and discovered that my commute was only lengthened by 6 minutes. It was official, I would start riding a bike to work.

Why am I doing this? That seems to be the question most often asked. I’ve heard speculations from a pending bankruptcy and bad finances (not true) to a loss of my license due to DUI (also, not true). I’m doing this because it’s guaranteed daily exercise. I’m doing this because it feels awesome. I’m doing this because I want to get to know my community better. I’m doing it because I want to.

My intent with this blog is to document my adventures from the seat of my bike. To express my feelings about making this subtle change in my life. Am I giving up the car? No. I will however, be doing everything I can to not use it.

I hope you enjoy the ride.