New Crop of Bicycle Commuters

Whether it's been gas prices, global warming, or falling behind on the car payment, more people are riding bicycles during my daily commute. I ride my bike to work because I want to be the change I want to see in the world. More cyclists is what I want and I like what I see.

I'd like it even better if this new crop of bicycle commuters would

• Ride on the street instead of the sidewalk.
  
• Take the ear buds out.
  
• Stay on the right side of the road.
  

Once I tried to admonish a cyclist for running red lights. It didn't go so well and I'm sorry I had confronted him. He's still riding, but I fear this tactic could stop others from riding. I don't call out cyclists running red lights anymore.

Still, we want to socialize the ideas that lead to safe and courteous cycling. How best to do this?

I had written not long ago about "Sowing Flowers". Perhaps the best way to set the tone is to set an example. Be the change you want to see in the world.

One of the places I've found this works best is at a stop light. When I'm in front of another cyclist, they usually will not come around me to run a red light. When they are in front and run the light, they often notice that I haven't followed. It's a simple message: there are people on bikes who stop at red lights.

So we begin another school year and the training of a new crop of bicycle commuters. What sort of teachers will they find?

Slowing Down

I've been riding a lot lately, and the energy drop from inadequate rest has me reconsidering how I ride. I've been logging my miles for years, but only in the past two days have I realized how attached I'd become to average speed. I was happy to find I don't have to worry about my average speed dipping if I don't enter a time for the trip. I still get credit for the miles, but I don't wear myself down trying to keep a certain pace when what I really need is rest.

And today, for the first time in 10 days, I didn't get on the bike at all. (I do have an itch to get out, though.)

It is perhaps for this reason, the following blog caught my eye: Slow Bicycle. I wouldn't have given a second look to a site about riding slow on 3-speed bikes if I hadn't reached my personal epiphany regarding average speed. The "style over speed" perspective brings into sharp focus a lot of the reasons we ride and don't ride in the US.

Slow Bicycle goes hand in hand with another recent development I need to post about: since early July, I ride a heavy commuter bike to work instead of my road bike. It's another trusty touring frame, but instead of 9-speed indexed shifters and aluminum frame, this commuter is a steel-framed friction-shifter from the early 80s. Complete with kickstand. A fellow rider donated the frame because it matches my size better and I've been happy to put it back into service.

But it is heavy and I ride to work a good 10% slower on this bike even with more effort. It's the extra effort that has been wearing me down. The old bike is helping me adjust my attitudes.

So speed has been one of my barometers for how much I'm getting out of the miles I put in and how smart I am with my rides, but I'm also reminding myself there are other ways to measure the rewards of time spent in the saddle.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 0
Number of Cyclists seen: 0
In-bound Route: bedroom downstairs to office
Out-bound Route: office to kitchen
Weather: Outside the window, looks pretty warm.

Bit by Bit - Easing into Bike Commuting

When I first started commuting by bike, I rode on days when I had plenty of time, the sun was shining but not hot and I had not gotten exercise in a while. I had a car which could conveniently get me to work and operating the car was relatively cheap back then, but I thought it was a good way to get exercise and to enjoy a ride during the middle of the week. I was getting good miles on the weekend, and wanted to ride during the week, so an occasional commute to the office gave me an extra 15 miles per trip.

I didn't have a rack, lock or other accessories. I just put everything in my backpack, rode in my work clothes (keeping a pair of shoes at the office), and parked the bike inside my office. Since I could pick and choose which days I would ride, weather or sweat was rarely an issue.

Over the years, I would add accessories such as the rack and panniers. I started with the panniers when I began making camping trips by bike and soon found I could carry groceries in those panniers. The recreational riding often seemed to lead to more utilitarian uses. That was 20-30 years ago.

Then, for several years, I had gotten away from cycling: I was coaching my kids soccer, my job was 25 miles away with no mass transit, and my 25 year-old bike needed a great deal of work. But a few years ago, I switched jobs, my kids outgrew my coaching ability, and I got a new bike. I immediately started riding with fellow soccer dads on Sunday mornings.

As before, the weekend rides had me looking for miles during the week. Since I had done this before, commuting to the office was an obvious first choice.

I'm still riding for fun, but over the years, bit by bit, I've expanded both my array of accessories and my repertoire. This has allowed me to abandon the car completely for trips to the office. I can deal with weather, sweat, transporting my laptop, customer meetings, you name it.

This didn't happen overnight. I've reached daily bike commuting by increments over a period of years. It's been driven by my desire to get exercise and my enjoyment of being outdoors, but over time, I've come to recognize a multitude of other benefits. I'm hooked now. Even if gas were to go back to 1980 prices, I'd still be riding.

If a bike is your primary means of transportation, you know what I'm talking about. If you've ridden recreationally, but haven't tried getting to work, pick a favorable day with favorable conditions and try it out. If you choose well, the experience will probably have you looking for more opportunities to enjoy the trip by bike.

If you've tasted the fruits of bicycle commuting but have found some obstacles, try working through some alternatives. I know a few people who put their bike on the back of the car, park a reasonable distance away from the office and then ride the remainder along a nice route of their choice. One guy I work with brings his bike on the bus in the morning and then rides home in the evening.

There are all sorts of ways to commute recreationally. You'll be taking it one trip at a time.

How to Commute when there isn't a Shower

 

OK, this is a picture of a bike rack that doesn't appear to go with the title of this post, but it really does. It only requires a modest amount of imagination which I'll promptly explain.

This is a picture of three bikes on the rack from Friday, and although there were also three bikes on the rack today, it wasn't the same three bikes. Today's bike that is not shown in the picture above was walked up rather than ridden. I met the owner as he was walking up and he admitted he cheats.

Admitting you cheat isn't how most conversations start out, but it was effective at getting things rolling.

The gentleman was dressed in business casual while I was dressed in moist salt. I suspected something was up before he admitted he cheats, but he quickly explained that he rides the bus with his bike on the way in, and then rides his bike home in the afternoon.

Nice. I'm glad our public transit has bike racks installed on the buses.

I've always taken it a little easier coming into the office to avoid too much sweat and then let it all out on the way home. This guy had a pretty good plan worked out.

If AT&T had showers, we'd miss much of the richness of experience that cycling to work provides. We'd ride the same way all the time and make boring commutes. Well, not as boring as the people we see inside the steel cages with really wide tires, but close.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 17.3
Number of Cyclists seen: 32 (11 in the AM, 21 in the PM)
In-bound Route: Lullwater/PATH trail
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Warm but not as hot as last week (80s)

2nd 1000 miles of 2008

My periodic assessment of my miles gives me an opportunity to see where I'm spending my time on the bike and to provide hard data for judging if I'm accomplishing what I want to accomplish.

The mileage chart shows good balance between commuting and weekend riding, but I could use some more errand miles.

One of the reasons I ride a bike is to "be the change I want to see in the world". People will see me running these errands and perhaps decide that they too can run errands on their bike. If I want more people to run errands on their bike, I need to make more trips.



The number of trips heavily favors commuting. I'm happy that most of the time I get on my bike, I'm making a trip to the office. When I count cyclists, most of the increase is coming from more bike commuters getting out on the roads, so I can think to myself that I'm part of that change in the world.

Put a Smile on my Face

As if everyone realized Earth Day means get up the next day and get on your bikes and ride, the cyclists were out everywhere today. I counted 47 cyclists today over 29.6 miles (average of 1.6 cyclists/mile) which is a new record.

I felt like I had been dropped into the future when I stopped at an intersection that already had one cyclist waiting and two pulled up behind me, while another crossed our path in front of us.

Five random bikes at a location I'm used to only seeing the occasional cyclist. It was an impromptu bike party, but we acted like it should happen all the time.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 29.6
Number of Cyclists seen: 47 - new record
In-bound Route: Lullwater/PATH trail (with extensions)
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton (also with extensions)
Weather: The best.

Has the 14th Street Bridge closing gotten you on your bike?

The Midtown Alliance is interested to hear from Midtown commuters who have recently begun riding a bike to work to avoid the traffic snarls resulting from the 14th Street Bridge closing. I have noticed an increase in new bike commuters (many are riding on the sidewalk) around Midtown, but I have yet to strike up conversation with any.

I provided a story about how my Sunday ride found auto traffic in the Bus/Bike lane on the 17th Street Bridge, and the police officers we spoke with were sympathetic with the motorists because of the bridge closing.

Let me know if you or anyone you know was a former single-occupant driver and is now leaving the car at home even if it is only occasionally.

Eat the Waffelaco

Chris calls it BaconEggsnCheeseWaffleSandwich, but that's as much of a mouthful as the meal itself. It's folded over and eaten like a taco, so I call it the waffelaco.

It's a cyclist's meal and you can tell I'm enjoying every bit of it.



Another fellow cyclist who did not join us for the Commuter Breakfast is looking for commuter's stories. Chris's waffelaco might become legend.

Somebody got my Spot

Somebody got my spot on the office bike rack. Not only is this the first rack mate of the year, but the first rack mate who has ever gotten my spot.

I've been parking my bike there since 1999. I've knocked off most of that missing gray paint. Hmmph!

Well, if I expect more cyclists to come into the office, I ought to get used to it. At least it's another Trek.

Working out with Weights

I don't usually carry a laptop back and forth to the office. I'm fortunate to have a backup machine in case one of them is out of commission, but since the office machine was getting upgraded, I carried the home machine into the office. Along with the accessories, this was an extra 10-12 pounds. Noticeable, but not too bad.

On the way home, I brought the new laptop back home along with the old one. This pushed the extra weight over 20 lbs. I could not hold my cadence, but I still got a good workout. We'll find out tomorrow morning if I've achieved the right amount of soreness ;-).

Good number of commuters today but none joined me on the Wednesday Bike Train. I'm not running into anyone that I had ridden with during the fall, and only the guy on a fixie have I seen more than once. The 3rd Friday Commute is working much better so I may focus my energies on this Recreational Commute.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 17.8
Number of Cyclists seen: 21 (11 inbound, but none headed in my direction)
In-bound Route: Wednesday Bike Train
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Just above freezing in AM, shorts in the afternoon

Would Cyclists like an audience with City Transportation Planners?

This isn't getting the buzz that I thought it might. The City of Atlanta's Bureau of Planning is developing a transportation plan, it started last fall, and the local cycling forums appear to have been quiet about it.

With the popularity of cycling on the rise in Atlanta, this is our opportunity to influence Atlanta's transportation planning.

There are a couple of ways cyclists in Atlanta can exercise their citizenship muscles:

1. Fill out an on-line survey telling the planners you use your bike, prefer walkable communities, and want to see public investment in accommodating a life-style that is less car-oriented. In only a few moments, you can help tip the scales in favor of cycling.
   
2. Attend open workshops that run for a week per neighborhood from 10AM to 8PM. For most intown residents, the meetings will occur at City Hall East during the week of March 24-27 (Mon - Thu).
   

We often lament that government isn't doing anything for the cyclist, but if we don't tell government what we want, how will it know? Government works best when its citizens are involved. I'm inviting you to 1) fill out the survey and 2) join me one evening to go down and talk with the planners at City Hall East.

We can even ride our bikes over there.

Rats! Had to work from home today

The computer system I support has been cranky this past week. This morning it was crying for attention from the moment I got up and didn't stop crying until it was too late to get in the shower. Another work at home day. Third time this week! I'm missing my time on the bike.

At first, I consoled myself with the thought that I would have been riding in the rain, but by afternoon, it was sunny and I was looking forward to the spin back home. I guess I can ride my bike home even when I already am at home, right?.

Then, it occurred to me I could ride the indoor bike and console myself with a different thought: I'm addicted to something that's good for me and the planet.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 0.0
Number of Cyclists seen: I was looking out my window at cyclists going by
In-bound Route: N/A
Out-bound Route: N/A
Weather: Rainy in AM, but gorgeous in the afternoon (sorry I missed it)

Getting more people on Bikes

Greg Raisman is a Portland resident who recently wrote about how people like you and me can make life better for cyclists. He has a good bit of experience since his job promotes cycling safety with the Portland Office of Transportation.

I've had this idea of Recreational Commuting that I've been kicking around -- commuting and fun go together when you're on a bike -- and Greg's article puts some teeth in that idea.

Greg mentions Portland's "Breakfast on the Bridges" (video), for example. Lots of folks ride alone into the office, but what if you could meet several like-minded commuters for breakfast? This might be all it takes to tip someone off the fence.

Greg reminds us that "Safety in Numbers" works for cyclists and those numbers become self-increasing. He points out, "The more you ride your bicycle, the more likely it is that your friends will ride." Sand dunes are built one grain at a time.

I was also pleased the article mentioned family rides such as the one we have planned for Saturday.

Further supporting this idea of Recreational Commuting is this post on Commute by Bike. The stream of comments left by readers is impressive in both its number and the breadth of experiences. There are an awful lot of ways to get more people on bikes.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 18.0
Number of Cyclists seen: 20 (17 commuters)
In-bound Route: Wednesday Bike Train
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: just below freezing in AM and windy; good afternoon temps and less wind.

Wikipedia's Vehicular Cycling

The first time I stumbled upon Wikipedia, the sun was coming up before I realized I had missed going to bed. I couldn't stop digging into every little nook and cranny of this endless stream of interesting knowledge.

When I stumbled across the Vehicular Cycling article, I managed to get to bed, but not until I had compared it to other articles hoping to find something more concise. This is the best I found.

The Best Practices section contains my new single-page cheat-sheet of "what to do" and "what not to do" for cyclists. Do respect traffic controls. Don't ride on sidewalks. Stay out of the door zone. Don't jump across lanes. It's like a recipe for being safe and earning respect.

Of course, Vehicular Cycling isn't fully appreciated by simply listing a bunch of rules to follow. We've all heard about "Taking the Lane", but exactly what is that?

On our Sunday ride a couple of weeks ago, we found a median under construction down a stretch of one of our favorite roads. This prevented traffic from being able to get around us so we took the lane. Once the traffic was able to pass, they were hollering at us to "Share the Road". I wanted to throw this URL at them. (Would that be hURLing?)

The section "Common Misconceptions about Vehicular Cycling" makes its points by contrast. For example, the misconception that "VC means not riding in the Bike Lane" is an opportunity to distinguish between following a stripe versus positioning yourself where conditions dictate.

Wikipedia's article quality varies greatly and this one is not quite "Featured" status yet, but it is still a fine piece of work. I encourage you to share it with others for its fair and accessible treatment of good cycling techniques.

Fort Collins, CO tries its first Winter Bike to Work Day

This morning we rode through a chilly drizzle to get to work on our Third Friday Commute from Decatur to Midtown. The Third Friday Commute is a year-round bike pool for those of us who don't want to wait until May for the official Bike to Work Day.

Fort Collins, Colorado was probably chillier for their first Winter Bike to Work Day. I guess here in Atlanta, we're not the only ones who want more Bike to Work Days.

3rd Friday Commute - a Bike Pool

Bike to Work Day in May is fine, but why do we have to wait so long? Aren't there enough of us to have mini Bike to Work Days throughout the year?

There were enough bike commuters last month for a small group to ride into Midtown from the Decatur Square. We'd been chatting on the SBL Forum about co-ordinating our commute (not as easy as you would think), and managed to generate sufficient enjoyment to ensure we wouldn't have to wait until May for the next Bike to Work Day.

I'd like to invite both experienced and new bike commuters to join me Dec 21 on another commute from Decatur's Square into Midtown. I'm offering a list of routes to entice the fancies of a broad group of riders. Participants can vote which route we take.

1. The first choice is a repeat of our Nov 16 ride. It climbs Mt. Coventry to get to Emory Village, and then passes through Virginia-Highland to Piedmont Park to reach 12th at Peachtree.
   
2. The second choice climbs Mt. McLendon then turns onto Clifton to follow the Freedom Park PATH trail to 5th and Peachtree.
   
3. The third choice also climbs Mt. McLendon but continues through L5P down Euclid to Edgewood. This route brings us past the Thumbs Up Diner on Edgewood. Downtowners can continue, but the route will turn north on Jackson to join the PATH trail to 5th and Peachtree.
   
4. The fourth and southernmost choice doesn't have a mountain to climb, but the route isn't flat either. It heads south through Oakhurst to join Hosea Williams Blvd. and then hooks up with Wylie to the Krog Street Tunnel before joining Edgewood. This also brings us past the Thumbs Up Diner and also turns north on Jackson to end up at 5th and Peachtree.
   

Rules:
Rules? We don't need no stinking rules!

OK, some suggestions:

• Meet at the Decatur Square at 7:15AM. Leave before 7:30AM.
  
• We're trying out scheduling this for the 3rd Friday of each month.
  
• Those who intend to participate get to vote on the route we take. I'm leaving it open how we come to a consensus.
  
• We ride at a commuter's pace, 10-15 MPH.
  
• No set timetable. If you'd like to join in after we leave the square, let someone know where to look for you so we don't miss you.
  
• Traffic laws are obeyed. Safety and Courtesy are good for everyone's morning.
  
• Flexible on changing the route based on the whimsy of the participants. We're getting to work, but the point is to enjoy the ride in.
  
• Beginners are welcome and encouraged. We're a friendly group.
  

Social Commuting

A foursome of riders met at a coffee shop on Decatur's Square and rode into work this morning. Four guys riding into work together isn't unusual, except perhaps for the following:

1. The guy who led the ride had the day off from work
   
2. Route ended up only within 2 miles of second guy's destination
   
3. Third guy rode 4.5 miles in the opposite direction to start out (we passed his house 2/3 of the way back in)
   
4. Fourth guy rode 10+ miles out of his way to join in and had to refuel (peanut butter sandwich) upon reaching our meeting spot.
   

Was it worth it? Oh, we're going to do it again.

We chatted and learned more about each other. We took our time. We chose the scenic route a couple of times. SO different from being stuck in traffic.

People want to be part of something bigger. Although this isn't very big, I think we want this to succeed. We're calling it the Decatur/Midtown Bike Train on the SBL Forum.

Yes, getting to work is something we're going to do one way or the other and yes, all four of us are experienced bike commuters who enjoy riding to work. But, we went out of our way to meet up with each other in freezing temperatures to be a part of this.

In our quiet unassuming way, we became the change we want to see in the world, and that is a very social commute.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 22.1
Number of Cyclists seen: Didn't pay close attention; too busy chatting
In-bound Route: Decatur/Midtown Bike Train
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Below freezing for the first time this season

SBL Forum could become Bike Commuter Magnet

The Southern Bicycle League (SBL) has one of the more popular forums for Atlanta. It's where my Wednesday Bike Train gets the most online traffic and it may be getting the attention of new commuters.

The ride and route I posted below from myCyclingLog.com is what I recommended for a new bike commuter I ran across earlier today on the Commuting Routes forum. Recruiting and encouraging new riders is really what I wanted to accomplish with the Bike Train, so maybe it is working after all.

Sun, Nov 11, 2007 - 14.60 mi [Cycling]
14.60 mi in 00:52:52 hours at 16.57 mi/h on Trek 1200. [Cycling] Checking out a route I wanted to recommend to a new commuter. The route listed below is part of what I rode.
Posted from My Cycling Log

EastlandHeights-GSU

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Wed, Nov 7, 2007 - 8.60 mi [Cycling]

Wed, Nov 7, 2007 - 8.60 mi [Cycling]
8.60 mi in 00:37:29 hours at 13.77 mi/h on Trek 1200. [Cycling] Came across two riders at Candler Park. I rode with Rick along the PATH until Jackson Street where he turned south toward Spelman where he teaches. He had ridden from Avondale.

The other rider only shared our route until Moreland and I didn't get his name. He was riding into Midtown.

First day with long pants. 34 Degrees when I started.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Interactive Bike Trip Planner

Select your start and end points from a Google map and a street-legal map with cue sheet and detailed elevation profile is prepared for you. By adjusting a couple of "knobs", you can avoid higher-traffic streets or take less hilly routes. I've only played with it for a few minutes and can see myself getting absorbed by the possibilities.

The site trip.atltransit.com is put together by the Citizens for Progressive Transit, an Atlanta-based advocacy group.

Out on the Edge of Darkness there rides a Bike Train

Now I've been happy lately
thinking about the good things to come
and I believe it could be
something good has begun

-- Cat Stevens, Bike (Peace) Train

This morning I enjoyed the company of Jeff from Decatur. We rode along the PATH portion of the route from Moreland to Jackson street smiling and feeling pleasant about our good fortune to be riding bikes to work.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 17.6
Number of Cyclists seen: 35 total (17 inbound is a record)
In-bound Route: Wednesday Bike Train
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Mild and drizzly inbound, but the pavement stayed dry. Overcast but dry outbound.

Wednesday BikeTrain: Candler Park to Ga Tech

Here's the first fruit of a plant seeded back on back on Sep 7th. In a nutshell, I didn't want to wait until Bike-to-Work Day to ride into the office with other cyclists, so I published a route and invited others to join me.

The route below is an interactive map. Clicking on points within the map provide times we expect the bike train to be hitting those intersections. You can also zoom and move the map around by clicking and dragging.

Wednesday BikeTrain: Candler Park to Ga Tech

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

To make this easier to follow, I've summarized the times below.



A few points about this route and how it works:

• Beginners are welcome. The more the merrier.
  
• This gets people on the Tech campus in time for 9AM classes. We hit Peachtree at 5th street at 8:42 AM.
  
• I ride every Wednesday, rain or shine. 19F in January wasn't too cold for me.
  
• The route is suitable for both in and out, but I've only got times listed for the inbound.
  
• You'll notice this route heads away from Midtown and over toward Emory to start. Most commuters would join in around Candler Park or so, but Aurora Coffee in VaHi is not a bad place to meet.
  
• You can join or leave our train at any spot.
  
• Traffic laws are obeyed. Safety and Courtesy are good for everyone.
  
• Leave a comment if you'd like to ride with us.
  
• For some history, the SBL Forum has a topic for this route, but again, current discussion can occur here using comments.
  

New Record for number of Cyclists Observed

I knew this was going to be a good day when I had spotted 12 riders within the first 3 miles. The ride into the office brought me past 16 riders, most of whom were clearly commuting. In the afternoon there were a good number of rec riders, but still a strong showing from the commuters. 22 riders over 9.3 miles is about double what I usually see.

Intown Atlanta, we are getting on our bikes and riding.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 21.7
Number of Cyclists seen: 38 - a new record
In-bound Route: Lullwater/PATH (stretched out a bit)
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Slap your head silly gorgeous. Everyone is outside today.

Bike Pooling

This past Wednesday at the office, I was clearing my desk when I considered whether or not to toss a flyer I had for Atlanta's Bike to Work Day back in May. I had kept the flyer around thinking how nice it was to see so many people on bikes. I was able to let go of the flyer with the consoling thought that I could probably startup a monthly bike to work ride.

The next day, I find a post on Commute by Bike -- published the same day -- about commuting with other cyclists.

It must be a sign.

Today I set about recruiting other riders. Already it's going pretty well.

I talked with a rider who hasn't started commuting. He lives a few miles from me in the opposite direction of the office, but is still within cycling distance. I offered to ride in with him. This led to a discussion of routes and I think we'll have a new commuter before long.

On the ride home I struck up a conversation with a fellow commuter I had not met before. I asked if he would join in a bike-to-work day. He's interested, so it looks like there might be something to this.

I'm still sorting out the approach, but here's some of my ideas:

• Treat it as an outreach to recruit new riders and get them comfortable with a bike commute.
  
• Let others know about my route on a particular day of the week (Wednesday's say) and invite others to join along.
  
• Find a route more likely to pick up a good number of riders, meet those riders and invite them to ride together.
  
• Find and recruit existing bike commuters to help build up a social network along a specific route.
  
• Work out different planned routes for the various Friday's of each month. For example, first Friday is Emory through Piedmont Park to Georgia Tech, second Friday is from Grant Park to Midtown.
  
• Publish our trials and tribulations so others can learn from what we've accomplished.
  

It's all about getting cyclists on the road.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 17.9
Number of Cyclists seen: 19
In-bound Route: Lullwater/PATH
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Warm but still had plenty of water left in my bottle

Bike to Work Week Activities

Here's a list of Bike to Work Week Activities I plan to participate in. There are many more in Atlanta I could list, but these are my personal picks.

• Wed. May 16 - Ride of Silence - Atlanta's version or this international ride begins at 7PM from Piedmont Park (Charles Allen and 10th).
  
• Fri. May 18 - Decatur Bike Train - Leaving 7:50 AM from the square into Woodruff Park.
  
• Fri. May 18 - Midtown Alliance's Outdoor Booth for recruited riders - Gift certificates for riders who recruit new bike commuters, 4:30-6:00 PM at Colony Square.
  

And of course, I'll be riding into the office all month and all year.

OK, one list I will refer to: ABC's Calendar of BtW Events.

Commuter Survey develops another Hyphothesis

When counting the cyclists during my commute, I sometimes get the opportunity to chat with my fellow commuters and ask about their ride. Destination is often a topic of conversation, and many of the commuters teach at either Georgia Tech or Emory. Since my routes lie with 2-3 miles of either campus, this probably should be expected.

What I'm finding interesting is how many of these professors teach Math. I haven't been counting this, but I ran into two Math professors today, neither of which I had seen before today.

Now, for most folks, this could exceed the level of boredom obtained by counting the number of truck commercials during a televised sporting event, but I'm running along at a scientific level of interest.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 17.7
Number of Cyclists seen: 18
In-bound Route: Lullwater/PATH
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Sunny, mild and stiff wind out of the west.

Not sure if the dip in numbers could be explained by the slightly cooler weather today or if everyone is saving up for tonight's CM ride.

Adding variations to the commuting routes

I've wanted a few more miles during the week so I decided to expand my commute routes to include a little more distance. In-bound, I added the big hill that approaches the Centers for Disease Control along Clifton Road from the west. It's a bigger hill than I remember. I think I've only climbed it once or twice before. It rises 175 feet over half a mile for a 7% grade. It's nice and steady though so other than the length, it wasn't too bad. Working hard early in the ride did mess me up for the rest of the ride. Hill profile shown here:



On the way back, I swung south to Grant Park home of the Zoo and Cyclorama. I had never taken the Cherokee Road crossing of I-20, and wanted to see it's attraction to other cyclists. It's not a bad route for those coming from Grant Park up to downtown and midtown.

Breathed in another insect on the way home in about the same spot as before. This one got swallowed, but only after scratching around my throat for a few miles. I'd been wanting to add a little variety to my diet.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 20.5
Number of Cyclists seen: 27 (new record)
In-bound Route: Emory/PATH
Out-bound Route: Grant Park
Weather: Sunny warmth seems to bring the people out.

We interrupt this bike commute for the following paid advertisement

Last Friday, I got stuck in traffic. Today, I was blocked from crossing a bridge because they were filming a commercial. On the bridge. It was a pick-up truck commercial with several over-sized black trucks parked on a diagonal, with downtown Atlanta in the background.

I despise TV commercials in general, but there's a special place at the very bottom of my list for truck commercials.

I can however, appreciate the view this bridge affords. I've got a print (shown here) that my wife and I made more than 20 years ago from that same spot. More recently, I appreciate that bridge because it gets me across a busy street when I ride my PATH route.

It's ironic that the bike route was chosen for a truck commercial.

I asked the guy if I could sneak through during a break. He said he'd be dead if he let me through. At first, this sounded like a fair trade, but I don't want to give anyone an unfavorable impression of cyclists. I wasn't going to foster goodwill if I dashed through their set.

Although I was bummed I had to cross that street using a busy four lane -- especially since I was complicitly supporting an industry that influences people to waste their money on conspicuously consumptive vehicles -- I consoled myself with the happy thought of being treated more like a vehicle than a pedestrian.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 17.9
Number of Cyclists seen: 24 (record so far)
In-bound Route: Lullwater/PATH Detour was to cross Freedom Parkway at Boulevard instead of Jackson.
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Substantially warmer. Less than half-way in, sweat dripped off my brow while waiting at a light.

April 23 Commute

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 12.6
Number of Cyclists seen: 13
In-bound Route: Piedmont Park
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: Another wonderful day. This is the time of year to be in Georgia. Grilling out on the front porch weather.

Going into the office this morning I was worried. I only saw two commuters and it was beautiful. Fortunately, the return trip made up for it.

I came close to getting a video of the last bit of logo coming down from the building, but poor timing foiled my plans. They had gotten the last three letters down over the weekend so I was expecting the 'Bell' to come down during the day. I had my camera ready for when it came by. Well, quitting time rolls around and the letter hasn't come down. I pack up and lock up when the 'Bell' starts going by. I couldn't get the camera out in time. I guess I'll have to wait until AT&T gets bought out.

Correlation between Weather and Commuting

Summary

Round Trip Distance: 11.2
Number of Cyclists seen: 7
Route: Lullwater/PATH
Weather: Cloudy (even threatening) in morning, clear as the day progressed

I'm seeing a correlation between the weather and the number of commuters. I had suspected numbers were up because of the weather, and now that I'm counting each day, a pattern is emerging. OK, maybe global warming isn't so bad, IF it gets people to ride their bikes more.

After getting home, I joined a couple of buddies on a quick ride. I say quick because I would have ridden longer if I wasn't scheduled to carpool soccer players home. I didn't count the cyclists we came across during the 19.2 miles we rode, but it was well in excess of the typical one per mile that I generally see. The weather was very nice for riding this afternoon.

Today's image was cancelled for lack of a photo. We apologize for any inconvenience this could have possibly caused.

Bike Parking -- at a High School Soccer Match

Summary

Round Trip Distance: 7.3
Number of Cyclists seen: 9
Route: Georgia Tech/Winn Park
Weather: Sunny, mild, breezy

There's a recent poll on Commute By Bike that asks where we park our bike. There were many categories, but nothing matched parking your bike in a stadium.

After work today, I swung by my daughter's high school (Grady High) to watch the girls play Region rival Druid Hills for seeding in the State Tournament. This match determined 3rd and 4th seeds. Grady won 2-0; same as their last meeting. My daughter left the game right before half with a badly sprained left wrist, but she'll be able to play in the tournament.

The panorama below is for Apertome. He has asked how I put together the panoramas. My Canon PowerShot S400 has a "stitch" mode that helps you align sequential shots. I then use the Canon stitching software to join them all together. Digital Magic. These images were taken as the teams were warming up so I had a better chance of getting the images to merge well.

Several years ago, there was a colorful character who lived Intown Atlanta named Panorama Ray. He had one of the old Kodak Cirkut cameras that took panoramas by exposing the film while it slowly revolved around the scene, using a slit for the aperature. He had taken many panoramas in and around our neighborhood. Although I won't be able to reproduce what he had done, I'd like to do what I can to keep his memory alive.

Cycling Karma

There was a car commercial that showed people being nice to each other and upon receiving that kindness, passing kindness along to another. This chain repeated several times, creating good feeling out of almost nothing, then time reversed back up to the beginning of the chain which, in TV land of course, was the car.

This is in Winn Park along my Georgia Tech route. For me, it's a few moments spent in places like the one pictured here that trigger a chain reaction of good feelings that ripple through my slice of the world.

I hope this post can make ripples in your slice of the world.

April 16th Commute

Summary

Round Trip Distance: 15.8
Number of Cyclists seen: 12
Route: Georgia Tech/Winn Park
Weather: Sunny, but cool and windy

Georgia Tech's new east campus is one of the few places around where there are plenty of bike racks and most of them are occupied. (I had thought I had gotten a better image, but apparently lost it; this one will have to do.)

On my ride home, I inhaled an insect through my mouth. It bounced off my tongue and hit the back of my throat. I thought I had swallowed it until it started biting me. It was still in my windpipe. I was beginning to consider if this might qualify as a good time to panic, but slowly took a deep breath and coughed him out on the first try. I think a wing or a leg got left behind