*Warning Explicit*
Commuting, For Real?
My name is Mark Neupert, and I am one of the owners of Wheel Sport. I also have a “day” job as the CFO for Quanta Subsurface, LLC. For about 10 years, I have thought about commuting to work by bike, and tried it about 2-3 times per year. However, something always seemed to keep me from getting started. I had kids under the age of 16 at home, who needed rides to activities. I traveled for work quite a bit, blah, blah blah. I always had an excuse. If you are reading this blog, you likely have the same fantasy, and have used the same excuses. Or you are really bored. The great COVID slowdown of 2020 has given me the opportunity to give this a real try. My youngest just turned 16, and work travel is non-existent. My excuses are dwindling to the point I have to face my fantasy.
- Do I really want to commute by bike?
- Can I overcome the obstacles of the commute and will the benefits come to fruition?
- When it gets hard, will I have the fortitude to stick it out?
Do I really want to commute by bike?
I love to ride bikes. However, I have ridden to work enough to know that commuting by bike is not all fun. This is not a joyous afternoon ride in the sun on the trails with friends. The weather changes. The wind blows. You have to ride on the road. Lots of drivers are ignorant assholes, in a hurry to get to work or get home. Finally, my ride will always be bound by time. I need to be at work by a specific time, and I like to hit the snooze button. I have a job that is never done at the end of the day, and my wife and kids don’t want to wait forever to have dinner, which is important family time for us. I know the sound of the second hand will always be in my head.
So what do I hope to get out of this?
1. I need to get regular exercise. I have a BMI of 31, which, you guessed it, makes me obese. I am hoping to lose 31 lbs. I am 231 lbs today, so shooting for an even 200.
2. I want to be a better cyclist. As I said, I love to ride. Time to ride has been hard to find. I am hoping this will scratch my itch to ride, and when I do ride for fun, I will be a stronger cyclist and able to enjoy it more.
3. I need time for mental health. One thing I get to do on a long ride is think alone. This can be good, and it can be bad. It is the best way I have found to check in with myself. On a bike, I have laughed alone, cried alone, and been so angry I wanted to fight anyone that came along. To most people, I am an easy-going, affable person. My wife is one of few people that has seen my dark side. She recently made me take an Enneagram test. My Enneagram told me I hide a growing well of rage that likes to explode all at once. Unfortunately, it was right. I need to find a way to regularly deal with this so I know what is feeding this rage, and then deal with it. (Damn, we have a lot to talk about!)
4. I like an excuse to buy new bike shit. If I am riding all the time, I absolutely need the latest gear, right?
5. Save the planet? As much as I would like to tell you this is high on my list, it is not a highly motivating factor for me. Hopefully I can find some items to help me see this as a bigger benefit. Save money? Probably not. I will still have a car, and see #4 above. I will try to track this loosely for those that are interested in potential monetary savings.
Can I overcome the obstacles of the commute?
Only time will tell.
I know the act of carrying clothes, computer, towel/wet-wipes, food and toiletries is a big barrier. I took some of the heavier items and will leave them at the office. Pants, shoes, belt, towel and toiletries will all stay at the office. I will change these out on the one day I do drive to work. I got a tablet that will travel with me, eliminating the need to take my laptop to and from every day. I will also carry socks, shirt and underwear to and from. We have an open office concept, and my neighbors will appreciate that I don’t leave this stuff in my desk. I am fortunate that I have access to a shower at the office.
I also know that sometimes (OK, a lot!) I get tired and lazy. To help me overcome this obstacle, I have chosen to commute by an electric bicycle. You might be saying, “Isn’t this counter-intuitive to goal #1, you idiot/cheater?” Well, I am thinking if an e-bike helps me stick with it, I will actually be riding more, and get more exercise. It will also help with that ticking second clock in my head. Plus, they are so fucking fun.
Throughout this blog, I hope to share with you specifics about various commuting gear, my commuting “system” to try and be as efficient as possible and other aspects of my commuting experience that you may find interesting. I hope you will follow me on this journey and it can help you decide if commuting by bicycle is something you want to take on. Feel free to comment on our Facebook about these blog posts. I would love to hear about your experiences, and if you have gear or commute “system” suggestions, please let us know so we can share that information. Follow me on Strava to cheer me on, see my routes, and possibly see daily comments about the commute.