A Goal For 2006

While doing my research, I came across a blog called CommuterDude. He wrote about a sport called randonneuring. Randonneuring involves long unsupported rides. The shortest of these rides are 200 km (about 125 miles). I knew that I didn't have the speed to race, but these weren't races. Persistence seemed to be the major quality needed and I have plenty of that. Of course, I was nowhere near ready for these rides yet and knew I wouldn't be ready in the spring when the randonneuring series started. I did set as my goal to do a century (100 mile ride) in 2006.

The Secret Origin of a Cyclist

Just after Hurricane Katrina gas prices were going crazy. At work, I made an idle threat to some of my coworkers, "If gas hits $4.00 a gallon, I'm going to start riding a bicycle to work." I have no idea what possessed me to say this. I was 39 years old and had not ridden a bike since I was a kid. I only knew a couple of people who rode recreationally and didn't know anyone who commuted by bicycle.

I started doing some research about bicycle commuting and discovered that my threat wasn't as crazy as I first thought. Through the magic of the internet I discovered all sorts of information about bicycle commuting. Many people did it and it wasn't as dangerous as most people seemed to think. I am fortunate that I live only nine miles from my office and that my office building has showers.

Even though gas didn't hit $4 a gallon, I decided to buy a bike and start commuting. I talked to Stewart at Maplewood Bicycle and he recommend a Trek 7200 hybrid bike. I took it for a test ride and found that the old saying is true: you never forget how to ride a bicycle. I bought the bike also bought a rack, fenders, and lights.

That was on Wednesday, September 14. Thursday it rained, but on Friday I rode my bike to work for the first time. From that point forward, I was commuting by bicycle the majority of the time.