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01-10-02, 03:44 PM
The following article appeared in the January 10, 2002 edition of our local newspaper, The New Orleans Times Picayune. There was a picture of Daniel, but the world was spared a picture of me.
Regards,
Raymond
Health and Fitness News
The road less pedaled
For most commuters, the routine goes something like this: Drive from
climate-controlled home to climate-controlled office in climate-controlled
vehicle. But for a few dedicated bicycle enthusiasts, getting to work and back
again isn't a drudgery. ...
01/10/02
By Chris Bynum Health and fitness writer
On the coldest day of the year, Daniel Swords did what he does on the
hottest day of the year: He got on his bike and pedaled 10 miles to work. He's
been a bicycle commuter for more than three years now, and he wouldn't have it
any other way.
Raymond Perry started riding his bike from his home in Metairie to his
office downtown only last year. But he's committed. Perry even sold his family's
second car.
Swords, 50, is the manager of the environmental program at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in eastern New Orleans. His commute down Highway 90 is
something he does not only for his own well-being, but also for the good of the
planet. Cycling to him is a way to reduce pollution, lower the consumption of
fuel and reduce traffic congestion.
Since Perry began riding to work, he has lost 40 pounds. Riders like
Swords provide the role model for Perry, 51, a national accounts manager for the
U.S. Customs Service.
Just before Christmas, Swords wrote a letter to the editor of The
Times-Picayune addressing the problem of obesity as a leading cause of
preventable death among Americans.
"In an age where television is marketing personal scooters so people can
avoid even the effort of having to walk," he wrote, "I would suggest a weight
control program that I have found to be very effective -- bicycle commuting."
Swords has heard all the excuses people use for not commuting by bike.
"It's too hot." "It's too far." "It's too dangerous."
At worst, Swords argues, weather is merely an inconvenience. Distance, he
said, "can be controlled by driving to a convenient starting point and bicycling
only a portion of the commute." And safety concerns, says the expert, are
addressed by learning the rules of the road. Local bicycle organizations can
provide that information.
But the fitness benefits are not to be ignored. Since Swords started
commuting by bike, he has lowered his heart rate, improved his endurance and
kept his weight at a trim 140 pounds for his 5-foot-8 frame. When he started his
program, Swords had edged up to what he described as a "soft-in-the-middle 152
pounds."
"Cycling burns 700 calories an hour at a 14- to 16 mile-per-hour pace," he
said. "An hour of jogging burns about 500 calories."
Although Swords' office is 33 miles from his Slidell home, the cyclist
starts his winter commute at the Chef Pass Bridge at Venetian Isles and heads up Highway 90 to eastern New Orleans for a nine-mile commute. He leaves at sunrise
and returns at sunset. But Swords is equipped with the necessary reflectors and
lights in case the darkness overtakes him.
In the summer months when days are longer, Swords parks his car at Fort
Pike for a 20-mile commute each way. He allows one hour in the morning and
evening. Swords' commute takes him through the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife
Refuge where he gets a bird's-eye view of egrets, ibis, hawks and an occasional
eagle. He also sees plenty of road debris and litter, a disheartening reminder
of what he views as a disregard for the planet. Clutter on roads is also a
reminder to a cyclist to stay focused on the route. And, yes, focusing on a
workout is a stress-reliever.
Some days are 104 degrees in the August humidity, and others are freezing
temperatures on a January day. But weather is a way to feel connected to the
Earth, said Swords, who actually added an hour to his commute on the coldest day of the year "because it felt so good to ride in the cold." New Orleanians, he
said, are lucky to live in such a mild climate.
Perry, too, is not finicky when it comes to weather. He recalls riding
home in Tropical Storm Allison and finding the trip exhilarating. Perry takes a
shorter route of nine miles to work in the morning, then extends his trip home
to 13 miles by biking along the lakefront.
"Appropriately dressed human beings can actually survive in the Earth's
atmosphere without being enclosed in an air-conditioned (or heated) capsule,"
Swords said. Too many people, he complained, go from their climate-controlled
homes to their climate-controlled SUVs to their climate-controlled offices and
malls. "They only experience the weather by seeing it through plate glass."
Swords prefers a physical connection with the environment.
"Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's cold, sometimes the wind is amazing, sometimes it is pouring-down rain, and sometimes the weather is perfect," he
said. "Those who avoid the weather are missing out on the wonderful experience
of the great outdoors."
But proper gear is vital for successful bicycle commuting. Helmet and
proper shoes are musts, as well as padded bicycle shorts for a comfortable ride.
Layering for the heat or the cold is an individual thing, learned by experience
and with advice from the pros. The options are endless -- wicking layers,
thermal shirts, utilitarian bicycle shirts, windbreakers, rain gear, booties,
gloves, ear covers, goggles, sunglasses, gloves.
But surprisingly, an expensive, high-tech bike with the latest innovations
in aerodynamic design is not high on the list for Swords or for Perry. Swords
rides a 1983 Peugeot with high-grade tubular tires (he thinks they lower the
risk for flats) on his daily commute. His other two bikes are 1974 models. Perry
rides what he calls "a hybrid comfort bike turned into a road bike."
The trend toward mountain bikes, said Swords, confused many people wanting
to take their mountain bikes off trails and onto the roads. Riding a true
mountain bike on the road is "like trying to jog in shrimp boots," Swords said.
Find a bike, he advises, that is tailored for the road you travel.
Mapping out a route to work is laying the groundwork for commuting. Swords
has become a Louisiana highway specialist, knowing the traffic patterns of
certain highways and roads, and which highways have shoulders generous enough
and maintained well enough for cyclists.
While the number of bike paths that are segregated from the roads traveled
by automobiles is growing for recreational riders, Swords is of the
share-the-road mentality. He knows there are not enough funds to create separate
roads for both cars and bicycles. But he thinks that as long as cyclists and
drivers know and obey the road rules, the two can commute harmoniously along the same paths. A cyclist riding against traffic is always a reminder that many
people on bikes do not know that both cars and bikes should observe the same
traffic rules.
Hygiene is another reason many people shun the bicycle commuting option,
says Swords. But he has a system. When he had to wear a suit and tie to work,
Swords kept his attire folded neatly inside zip-lock storage bags and in a
backpack on his bike. He kept his work shoes, his belt, deodorant, clean towels
and towelettes at the office. The last five minutes of his commute were used as
a cool-down before arriving at the office.
"Sweat from an outdoor workout seldom causes odor," said Swords, who
thinks that a European attitude about the body's natural sweat is not a bad
thing. Whether one's office has a shower or not, basic hygiene after a ride is
all that is needed. "As far as I know, I have never offended anyone."
Both Swords and Perry belong to health clubs, but making a workout part of the daily commute is what Perry calls "free exercise." It doesn't take away from
family time. And they know that once they ride into work with a bike as their
vehicle of choice, they will also be riding home on it. With weekend riding and
daily commutes, Swords says his summer mileage is about 250 miles a week, his
winter mileage between 100 and 150.
And every trek is an opportunity for a breathtaking sunrise, a sunset
reflecting off the water on the Rigolets and maybe an unexpected challenge
provided by the wind. All that, and a strong heartbeat. But don't think that a
bike commuter doesn't give pause on a dark and damp day.
"There's an old bicycle axiom: The hardest part of any ride is getting on
the bike," Swords said. "But I've never gotten off wishing I hadn't gotten on
it."
. . . . . . .
Health and fitness writer Chris Bynum can be reached at
cbynum@timespicayune.com or at (504) 826-3458.
_________________________
BIKE TO WORK
Veteran cyclist Daniel Swords recommends these local sources to help steer
potential bicycle commuters in the right direction:
-- The New Orleans Regional Bicycle Awareness Committee, a nonprofit
organization founded in 1987 to promote cycling as transportation as well as
recreation and to sponsor safety education, public awareness and government
responsiveness. NORBAC also sponsors a New Orleans Bike-To-Work Day. Contact
NORBAC at www.bicyclesafety.com.
-- Crescent City Cyclists, a social club of cyclists sponsoring city and
country rides and bicycle safety sources and information. CCC can be reached at
its Web site, www.crescentcitycyclists.org, or by calling the club's
informational hotline, 276-2601.
-- Check out local bicycle shops and university bookstores for local
cycling maps with safety tips and sources developed by various cycling
organizations and the Office of Environmental Affairs at Tulane University.
Regards,
Raymond
Health and Fitness News
The road less pedaled
For most commuters, the routine goes something like this: Drive from
climate-controlled home to climate-controlled office in climate-controlled
vehicle. But for a few dedicated bicycle enthusiasts, getting to work and back
again isn't a drudgery. ...
01/10/02
By Chris Bynum Health and fitness writer
On the coldest day of the year, Daniel Swords did what he does on the
hottest day of the year: He got on his bike and pedaled 10 miles to work. He's
been a bicycle commuter for more than three years now, and he wouldn't have it
any other way.
Raymond Perry started riding his bike from his home in Metairie to his
office downtown only last year. But he's committed. Perry even sold his family's
second car.
Swords, 50, is the manager of the environmental program at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in eastern New Orleans. His commute down Highway 90 is
something he does not only for his own well-being, but also for the good of the
planet. Cycling to him is a way to reduce pollution, lower the consumption of
fuel and reduce traffic congestion.
Since Perry began riding to work, he has lost 40 pounds. Riders like
Swords provide the role model for Perry, 51, a national accounts manager for the
U.S. Customs Service.
Just before Christmas, Swords wrote a letter to the editor of The
Times-Picayune addressing the problem of obesity as a leading cause of
preventable death among Americans.
"In an age where television is marketing personal scooters so people can
avoid even the effort of having to walk," he wrote, "I would suggest a weight
control program that I have found to be very effective -- bicycle commuting."
Swords has heard all the excuses people use for not commuting by bike.
"It's too hot." "It's too far." "It's too dangerous."
At worst, Swords argues, weather is merely an inconvenience. Distance, he
said, "can be controlled by driving to a convenient starting point and bicycling
only a portion of the commute." And safety concerns, says the expert, are
addressed by learning the rules of the road. Local bicycle organizations can
provide that information.
But the fitness benefits are not to be ignored. Since Swords started
commuting by bike, he has lowered his heart rate, improved his endurance and
kept his weight at a trim 140 pounds for his 5-foot-8 frame. When he started his
program, Swords had edged up to what he described as a "soft-in-the-middle 152
pounds."
"Cycling burns 700 calories an hour at a 14- to 16 mile-per-hour pace," he
said. "An hour of jogging burns about 500 calories."
Although Swords' office is 33 miles from his Slidell home, the cyclist
starts his winter commute at the Chef Pass Bridge at Venetian Isles and heads up Highway 90 to eastern New Orleans for a nine-mile commute. He leaves at sunrise
and returns at sunset. But Swords is equipped with the necessary reflectors and
lights in case the darkness overtakes him.
In the summer months when days are longer, Swords parks his car at Fort
Pike for a 20-mile commute each way. He allows one hour in the morning and
evening. Swords' commute takes him through the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife
Refuge where he gets a bird's-eye view of egrets, ibis, hawks and an occasional
eagle. He also sees plenty of road debris and litter, a disheartening reminder
of what he views as a disregard for the planet. Clutter on roads is also a
reminder to a cyclist to stay focused on the route. And, yes, focusing on a
workout is a stress-reliever.
Some days are 104 degrees in the August humidity, and others are freezing
temperatures on a January day. But weather is a way to feel connected to the
Earth, said Swords, who actually added an hour to his commute on the coldest day of the year "because it felt so good to ride in the cold." New Orleanians, he
said, are lucky to live in such a mild climate.
Perry, too, is not finicky when it comes to weather. He recalls riding
home in Tropical Storm Allison and finding the trip exhilarating. Perry takes a
shorter route of nine miles to work in the morning, then extends his trip home
to 13 miles by biking along the lakefront.
"Appropriately dressed human beings can actually survive in the Earth's
atmosphere without being enclosed in an air-conditioned (or heated) capsule,"
Swords said. Too many people, he complained, go from their climate-controlled
homes to their climate-controlled SUVs to their climate-controlled offices and
malls. "They only experience the weather by seeing it through plate glass."
Swords prefers a physical connection with the environment.
"Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's cold, sometimes the wind is amazing, sometimes it is pouring-down rain, and sometimes the weather is perfect," he
said. "Those who avoid the weather are missing out on the wonderful experience
of the great outdoors."
But proper gear is vital for successful bicycle commuting. Helmet and
proper shoes are musts, as well as padded bicycle shorts for a comfortable ride.
Layering for the heat or the cold is an individual thing, learned by experience
and with advice from the pros. The options are endless -- wicking layers,
thermal shirts, utilitarian bicycle shirts, windbreakers, rain gear, booties,
gloves, ear covers, goggles, sunglasses, gloves.
But surprisingly, an expensive, high-tech bike with the latest innovations
in aerodynamic design is not high on the list for Swords or for Perry. Swords
rides a 1983 Peugeot with high-grade tubular tires (he thinks they lower the
risk for flats) on his daily commute. His other two bikes are 1974 models. Perry
rides what he calls "a hybrid comfort bike turned into a road bike."
The trend toward mountain bikes, said Swords, confused many people wanting
to take their mountain bikes off trails and onto the roads. Riding a true
mountain bike on the road is "like trying to jog in shrimp boots," Swords said.
Find a bike, he advises, that is tailored for the road you travel.
Mapping out a route to work is laying the groundwork for commuting. Swords
has become a Louisiana highway specialist, knowing the traffic patterns of
certain highways and roads, and which highways have shoulders generous enough
and maintained well enough for cyclists.
While the number of bike paths that are segregated from the roads traveled
by automobiles is growing for recreational riders, Swords is of the
share-the-road mentality. He knows there are not enough funds to create separate
roads for both cars and bicycles. But he thinks that as long as cyclists and
drivers know and obey the road rules, the two can commute harmoniously along the same paths. A cyclist riding against traffic is always a reminder that many
people on bikes do not know that both cars and bikes should observe the same
traffic rules.
Hygiene is another reason many people shun the bicycle commuting option,
says Swords. But he has a system. When he had to wear a suit and tie to work,
Swords kept his attire folded neatly inside zip-lock storage bags and in a
backpack on his bike. He kept his work shoes, his belt, deodorant, clean towels
and towelettes at the office. The last five minutes of his commute were used as
a cool-down before arriving at the office.
"Sweat from an outdoor workout seldom causes odor," said Swords, who
thinks that a European attitude about the body's natural sweat is not a bad
thing. Whether one's office has a shower or not, basic hygiene after a ride is
all that is needed. "As far as I know, I have never offended anyone."
Both Swords and Perry belong to health clubs, but making a workout part of the daily commute is what Perry calls "free exercise." It doesn't take away from
family time. And they know that once they ride into work with a bike as their
vehicle of choice, they will also be riding home on it. With weekend riding and
daily commutes, Swords says his summer mileage is about 250 miles a week, his
winter mileage between 100 and 150.
And every trek is an opportunity for a breathtaking sunrise, a sunset
reflecting off the water on the Rigolets and maybe an unexpected challenge
provided by the wind. All that, and a strong heartbeat. But don't think that a
bike commuter doesn't give pause on a dark and damp day.
"There's an old bicycle axiom: The hardest part of any ride is getting on
the bike," Swords said. "But I've never gotten off wishing I hadn't gotten on
it."
. . . . . . .
Health and fitness writer Chris Bynum can be reached at
cbynum@timespicayune.com or at (504) 826-3458.
_________________________
BIKE TO WORK
Veteran cyclist Daniel Swords recommends these local sources to help steer
potential bicycle commuters in the right direction:
-- The New Orleans Regional Bicycle Awareness Committee, a nonprofit
organization founded in 1987 to promote cycling as transportation as well as
recreation and to sponsor safety education, public awareness and government
responsiveness. NORBAC also sponsors a New Orleans Bike-To-Work Day. Contact
NORBAC at www.bicyclesafety.com.
-- Crescent City Cyclists, a social club of cyclists sponsoring city and
country rides and bicycle safety sources and information. CCC can be reached at
its Web site, www.crescentcitycyclists.org, or by calling the club's
informational hotline, 276-2601.
-- Check out local bicycle shops and university bookstores for local
cycling maps with safety tips and sources developed by various cycling
organizations and the Office of Environmental Affairs at Tulane University.