It’s almost here!  A guide for everyone interested in bike commuting.  You can visit the Bike To Work Web Site to get more information or to download the Bike To Work Podcast.

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. 

Visit this great Web site for some cool gear to send a great message while cycling.  Want to show people what you pay for gas while on a bike?  Get one of these cool patches and brag away while they stare at your lycra-clad self while burning gas that costs $4 (and soon maybe more) per gallon!

The personal vehicle is one of the primary culprits of global warming.  It is also one of the primary culprits of traffic, pollution, energy consumption, and obesity.  Every time we get in our cars, no matter for how long, we are spewing carbon dioxide into our atmosphere.  We are also just sitting there, burning few calories and thus causing our waist lines (and our health care expenditures to grow).

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  This guy has some great t-shirts and patches that really send a message.  Click on the picture to visit his site. 

It’s amazing to see the press really starting to pay attention to these grass-roots efforts, especially as it pertains to cycling.  Click here for a great article in the NY Times about the cycling community in Portland, OR.  I was in Portland last year and I can attest that the efforts this city has taken to make cycling a viable form of daily transportation is amazing.  It is still far from perfect, but I saw hundreds of people cycling to work and stores in the town.  Every road seemed to have sharrows or bike lanes, and there was ample sheltered parking opportunities for cyclists.  All cities should be following this model. 

We could make great strides in reducing dependency on foreign oil and greenhouse gas emissions if we all just hopped on bicycles each day instead of getting into our cars.  More cities than ever are creating bicycle lanes, installing public-use bicycle racks, and passing legislation that makes it safer than ever to bike.  DC, where I live, is a prime example of this new trend.  Under DC’s current master plan, the city is supposed to have 40 miles of new bike lanes striped by the end of 2007 (of course, there are some problems with implementing this master plan). 

As someone who has used just about every bike lane in the city and surrounding suburbs, I can attest to the benefits of bike lanes.  Bike lanes and sharrows (see pictures) are essential for safe cycling.  Contact your local legislators and city council members and tell them that bike lanes and sharrows are critical infrastructure that will help reduce traffic, obesity, and pollution. 

 If you’ve never cycled before and want to start, begin by visiting your local bike store and finding a bike that’s right for you.  Be sure to purchase a bike that matches the kind of riding you’ll be doing.  There are plenty of stores that carry used bikes.  Some of my favorite local bike stores include

• College Park Bikes (College Park, MD)
• Proteus Bicycles (College Park, MD)
  
• Silver Cycles (Silver Spring, MD)
• The Bicycle Place (Silver Spring, MD)
• City Bikes (Chevy Chase, Adams Morgan)
• Capitol Hill Bikes
  

 Finally, check out your local bicycling advocacy group.  The Washington Area Bicyclists Association (WABA) is a great source of information for cyclists in the DC-metro region
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Critical Mass is a movement of bicycles through the streets, an "unorganized coincidence."  It’s a movement against the use of fossil fuels, for the environment, and for the support of safe cycling on streets.   Critical Mass events take place on every continent except Antarctica and are growing steadily.   Just show up to show your support!