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Bicycling commuters sound off

Written by Renee Lepreau

Everyone who works has to get to work. For some people that means throwing on a bathrobe as they shuffle to their home office. For most of us, it’s not that easy. In 2003, the average commuter in Minnesota spent about 22 minutes on the daily commute. A lot of those minutes were in the car — 77 percent of Americans drove to work alone in 2006. Yet many make a different choice. This article profiles two people who live or work in St. Anthony Park and commute in an unusual way.

Tara King

Where do you live, and where do you work? I live in Uptown (Lowry Hill East), and I work in the Court International Building (at the intersection of Franklin and 280).

How much of the year do you bike commute, and how often do you walk? I bike commute as often as possible, year-round. Practically speaking, this means 5 days a week in spring/summer/fall, and 3-4 days a week in the winter.

How long is the commute? What route do you take? The commute is 5.5 miles and takes about 30 minutes. My route is quiet and scenic. I spend most of my time on the 29th/Midtown Greenway, take a quick tour of the Seward neighborhood and then have a long climb up Franklin through Prospect Park — seriously, is this the biggest hill in all of Minnesota? It’s beautiful right now. A lot of flowers are blooming on the Greenway.

What motivates you? The biggest motivator is how great I feel when I’ve been biking to work regularly. I have more energy and feel healthier and happier. It’s good for the environment and really cheap. Biking to work is the kind of thing that creates more solutions, not more problems.

What’s your favorite piece of gear? The rack on my bike combined with a cargo net. I can strap nearly anything onto the back of my bike. I have hauled home huge amounts of groceries, four-foot garden stakes, blankets, picnics, library books. It really expanded the usefulness of my bike. I do have to admit a certain fondness for my cycle computer, too, and my rain jacket.

What’s the best part? It’s all the best part! I love riding my bike. I love getting exercise before work. I’m not a morning person, so this helps me cope with getting to work at 8 a.m. every day. I love seeing other bikers on the Greenway and smiling or saying hello. I like getting a bit of fresh air and sunshine in the winter, when the days are so short.

What could be better? I’d love it if there were showers at work. I’ve found other solutions, but a shower would really be perfect. Adding bike lanes would be great, too. But in general, I can’t complain. Drivers tend to be friendly and respectful, and the weather is good more often than not, even in winter.

Any words of wisdom to new bicycling/walking commuters? Start slowly. Don’t assume that you can start out commuting both ways, five days a week, blizzard or shine. Don’t tell yourself when you start that you’re going to do the whole thing at full speed every single day. Try taking the bus to work (with your bike on the front rack), then riding home. Do practice commutes so you know how long it takes and whether you’ll need a change of clothes or a shower when you get there. Don’t expect a quick and easy transition. After a lifetime of getting in a car every morning, it was hard for me to make this change, so go easy on yourself and work up to your goal gradually. A slow start is better than a quick burnout. But most of all, enjoy it! There is so much to see when you’re riding your bicycle.

Chris Woodall

Where do you live and where do you work? I live on Manvel Street in south St. Anthony Park. I work for the USDA Forest Service on the U of M’s St. Paul campus.

How much of the year do you bike commute, and how often do you walk? I commute by bike April through October. The remainder of the year I trudge by foot through swollen snow banks and puddles.

How long is the commute? What route do you take? My commute is 1.2 miles along the Raymond/Cleveland thoroughfare.

What motivates you? I call it the “dual offset.” My commuting by foot/bike reduces my carbon footprint and displays an example to others to take their foot off the gas and put it on the pavement. The added bonus is that walking and biking keep me in shape and offset my homebrew indulgences.

What’s your favorite piece of gear? My stallion — a 1973 Fuji road bike retrofitted with a single-speed hub and velodrome rims.

What’s the best part? The best part of alternative commuting is gliding downhill on spring afternoons with only the sound of wind in my ears. Runner up is walking through piles of leaves in October.

What could be better? Unless someone can contact God and ask him to turn down the headwinds a little, I would say it’s the fact that Cleveland Avenue north of Como is in major need of a bike lane. It’s a major north/ south commuter route and there is no room for a bike. Runner-up is the “tunnel of death” where Raymond dips under the bus line and railway bridges.

Any words of wisdom to new bicycling/walking commuters? Bikers: Wear a helmet, follow the rules and watch out for cars that don’t follow the rules. Walkers: Pedestrians have the right of way at crosswalks; use that right of way.