First a bad rush hour kept me in my car for 1 hour. It's a 4 mile route between home and office. Then the new Chrysler started groaning in reverse. It took 3 mos to lemon law it back for a refund based on miles driven. So, I stopped driving to work. I rode. It was Winter. I dressed warm and rode. I got looks. It's Atlanta and NOBODY rides on Peachtree without a deeply rooted death wish. Neighbors would drive by, open a window and ask "Are you really riding to work?" Now they honk and smile an done started riding. My appetite, already a problem from running went insane. I started eating more than a linebacker while weighing in the same as one of his legs. But, I loved the buzz heading out early in the morning and riding. Then getting to the gym where I shower and talking bike smack with a trainer who races cat 5 just put icing on the cake. And when I walk into my office at age 51 with a pack on, having just taken a small ride, I'm 51. I'm 26 and life is very good. I've got a million ideas for work and more energy than I know what to do with. This riding is some very good stuff.
Atlanta has a fairly underfunded and limited public transit system but I use it when I need to get around without showering at the destination. I have my standard business lunch/b'fast places on the subway line and people are happy to meet. My wife does have a car and she puts on enough mileage for both of us because we have two kids in school, baseball, gymnastics, piano, violin, art lessons.... you know the drill. When I need wheels and we both need to be in a car, it's Zipcar for me. 1.5 miles from the house is a long walk or short bike ride and off I go. It's very green cool to show up in a Zipcar. People are blown away by how fast, easy and CHEAP ($8/hr for a Prius) it is to use it.
Unintended consequences of a no-car working life: I always ride with someone from the office when we go to meetings. I had 2 mts back to back last week and was driven by 3 different colleagues. They don't even blink and we get great hang-time in the car. My family and I drive around together all weekend, when we're not riding. Given my work schedule, the more I'm with wife and children, the better so the weekend 1 car thing works. Giving up my car has upped the time together and made the time wasted driving to work so much better. I'll ride to work forever as long as it's under 20 miles ("a man's gotta know his limits" Josie Wales) - there's no better way for me to start the day, rain or shine.
Tip: if it's raining, hang the wet stuff on top of the dryer that all gyms have.
Newbie Wrench
Linear Mode
