Mega-Commuting with a Folder
Several months ago, I began my odyssey of embarking on a mega-commute each day from the suburbs of Washington, DC to my downtown office. I started out driving to the train station, taking a train into the city, getting off near the Hill, and walking to my office. This whole journey took me anywhere from 60-90 minutes each way and left me feeling antsy, under-exercised, and just generally lazy. In addition, I was stuck having to return to whatever Amtrak station I left my car at; if the train broke down or was running very late, I was at the mercy of getting back to wherever I left my car. I hated it. And then, one day, I was purusing on the train system’s Web site and saw that folding bikes were allowed on the train at all times. I had recently seen several people with folders and thought, "Hmmm, those don’t look as dorky as I thought they would." I also recalled a coworker who had this awesome folding bike that basically went as fast as your ordinary road bike.
After doing much research, I selected a Dahon Speed Pro TT (2008 model). I had to wait 4 weeks for the bike because it was on back-order, but this thing has been worth every dime I spent and day I waited. Not only is it just a great all-around bike, but the flexibility it has added to my commute is infinite. Oh, and this HAS to be helping the planet.
Now, my commute is actually fun! I get up, get showered, walk the dog, and then head out on my little folder. I either ride to the Amtrak station (which is about a mile from my house) or to a Metro station (about 5 miles from my house). I fold my bike up and board either the Metro or the train. Once in the city, I can get off at any station and then bike the rest of the way to my office. I can get in anywhere from 4 to 10 miles on my morning ride. When I leave the office at the end of the day, I can head to the Amtrak station or I can opt for Metro. If one is running late, I opt for the other. Regardless, I have my wheels with me, so I am free to do whatever I want. I can also easily board any bus and get home too.
Folders are extremely popular in Europe, especially the UK, where homes are small and riding trains is a must for just about everyone. However, they are gaining in popularity here too as more people ditch their cars for trains, buses, and subways. In the past several months, I have noticed more and more people on folding bikes taking to the streets of DC and the surrounding ‘burbs. Amtrak officials told me that more and more passengers are bringing folders onto trains and while this has created some space issues, they are readily complying with their "folder friendly" policy to promote the use of these bikes. Yesterday, in the span of five minutes, I saw two other people on Dahon folders riding along Rhode Island Ave NW. I get stopped all the time with inquiries about my bike and have even had people write down the model of my bike and the name of the company. Hopefully, I will be seeing a few of those on folders in the near future.