Commuting

For the past three years I drove 67 miles -- each way -- to work in Maryland. While I enjoyed my work and the people, the commute was taking a toll. By the end of each week I detested cars, roads, and people driving cars on roads.

In March I ended my time with Booz Allen and moved on to Sechan Electronics, a small business in Lititz, Pennsylvania that manufactures military electronics. It was a good fit and a good move.

One fringe benefit is the commute -- 15 to 18 miles each way (depending on the route), over relatively quiet back roads in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Typical scenery on my commute

Nevertheless, despite the "get out and do it!" rah-rah from commuter cheerleaders, bicycle commuting is challenging.

Of course safety is a consideration. I try to use a route that minimizes my interaction with cars.

Still, every so often someone passes me doing 70 MPH (yes, really) on a posted 35 MPH back road.

Distracted drivers continue to be the primary hazard. I lose count of the number of drivers I encounter who are gazing down while driving around a turn. It's astounding we don't have more fatalities, as my non-scientific but regular observations lead me to conclude over 30% of all drivers are either texting or talking on a handheld phone while driving. And this isn't just sitting at a traffic light -- people are texting mid turn, while passing, and while driving down a straight and drifting either into the opposing lane or off into the shoulder.

One controversial (but so far effective) strategy is to ride far enough to the left of the curb (near or in the driving lane, depending on the width of the roadway) to force the drivers to notice and then drive around. Of course if there's a wide shoulder there is no need to annoy people, but most back roads are barely wide enough for two cars to pass. If I ride right at the extreme edge of the roadway cars blast pass with no deviation while I avoid all sorts of hazards (gravel, debris, cracks, grates, etc.). But 3-4 feet off the edge gives me room to duck in if I sense a car is going to pass me too closely, keeps me out of the grate-and-gravel-zone, and makes me visible and forces drivers to notice and adjust accordingly.

Of course this doesn't imply blithely pedaling along at 12 MPH letting traffic back up.

Pennsylvania law requires cyclists ride "as far to the right as practicable," yet new laws require drivers to allow at least four feet from the vehicle to the cyclist. This is a huge improvement, but since few drivers keep up on road laws, few know about it.

A few other provisions of PA law (Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes) include:

• When passing a bicyclist, drivers must allow at least four feet between their vehicle and the bicycle.
• Drivers are permitted to cross the center double yellow line if necessary to provide the required four feet as long as it is safe to do so.
• When traveling below the posted speed limit, cyclists must keep to the right side of the road unless they are making a left turn or riding on a one-way street.
• If there is only one travel lane, bicyclists may use any portion of the lane to avoid hazards on the roadway.
• No turn by a driver can interfere with a bicyclist who is proceeding straight on a roadway. Drivers attempting to turn left must yield the right of way to bicyclists traveling in the opposite direction.
• It is illegal for motorists to force a bicyclist off of the road, and drivers who do this may face criminal charges.

I have four categories of consideration:

Timing imposes a requirement of fitting the commute time into all the other commitments in a given day. Some days we have events scheduled right after work, and so there is not enough time to ride home, shower, and get to the event. Some mornings I need to be to work early, other days I will be travelling to a customer site. So a set schedule is helpful, but not essential. On time-constrained days I ride a loop near home before I head to work. On other days I'll ride a longer route to or from work to get more miles in. You just need to be flexible and consider mileage as a weekly total.

Logistics can be the biggest challenge, but it's become fairly routine. I load the car with clothes on days I drive in and keep them in a small office closet (not everyone has this personal space available, but there is likely some spot where you cans tore clothes). I also carry in some easily-stored snacks. I have baby wipes, a hair brush, and deodorant stored here as well. Cheap flip-flops are hammed into the bike rack. I ride in, leave the flip-flops and bike at the rack, run upstairs, change in the men's room stall and use a copious amount of baby wipes to freshen up (I shower before the ride so it's just sweat and some road dust). Most mornings are not scorching hot, even in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The ride home in the afternoon usually requires a shower, but that's a 5 minute rinse and feels good as it helps me cool down.

Fuel remains an uncertain variable. The latest research suggests riding on an empty stomach will help train your body to burn fat. Maybe. But I wake up hungry. So I have toast, nut butter, and jam before I head out most days. I've experimented with breakfast when I arrive but that requires a bit more planning.

Fitness continues to be the main consideration. I don't feel up to commuting 5x a week -- it's draining and I end up being slower than if I commute twice a week at a good tempo. Everyone is different so I don't propose this is true for everyone. But it's easy for we obsessive types to over-train and end up slower, more fatigued, and weaker than when we started "training." I find the variety of conditions commuting imposes is good for me -- it's easy to say, "Nah, it's too hot/windy/cold/dry/wet/dark/bright..." and stay inside. But if you rode to work and want to go home -- guess what?

Of course you should have options in case the weather is truly dangerous. I will not ride in ice, snow storms, winds over 35 MPH, or thunderstorms. It's unsafe and I don't need to prove anything. In those situations I skip the ride or ask for a ride home.

Early Morning Rides

But on the whole commuting is a wonderful option that helps you ride more, decompress, feel, see, and hear the real world, and build those miles that make you a better cyclist.