Commuting - Calling it quits

The distance from my new home to my new job measures out to 13.2 miles, yet that is not the reason for quiting commuting. The reason lies in there being 5 miles on a 55 mph road with little or no shoulder. I moved to Northern California and the drivers here scare me in a car. I have enjoyed commuting for more than 2 years and this is heart-breaking. I like seeing my bike through the day and knowing it won't break down on me like most of my cars have. I will miss the independence, freedom, smugness, and absence of road rage.

No alternative route? No off-road option?

There's got to be a way around the 55mph road... if not, sorry for your loss.

There's got to be a way around the 55mph road... if not, sorry for your loss.

Maybe not... in some places in the west, there are NO alternative roads... just freeways and "near freeways."

Yeah, I at first thought the same thing: what, there's no alternative? Until I noticed the OP's location. I grew up in Wheatland and know the area well. So it doesn't surprise me that she's S.O.L.

That certainly is sad to hear. :cry:

Partial bike commute?

The distance from my new home to my new job measures out to 13.2 miles, yet that is not the reason for quiting commuting. The reason lies in there being 5 miles on a 55 mph road with little or no shoulder. I moved to Northern California and the drivers here scare me in a car. I have enjoyed commuting for more than 2 years and this is heart-breaking. I like seeing my bike through the day and knowing it won't break down on me like most of my cars have. I will miss the independence, freedom, smugness, and absence of road rage.

I used to have a commute where I had about 1/4 mile of that. Hated every second of it so I get where you're coming from. Five miles would be too much for me too.

That certainly is sad to hear. :cry:

Partial bike commute?


I was about to suggest that as well.

I have a coworker that catches the bus to within 6 miles of the office, then rides his bike the rest of the way.

Another option is to drive to a commuter parking lot or some other relatively safe place, park, then pull your bike out and ride the rest of the way.

The distance from my new home to my new job measures out to 13.2 miles, yet that is not the reason for quiting commuting. The reason lies in there being 5 miles on a 55 mph road with little or no shoulder. I moved to Northern California and the drivers here scare me in a car. I have enjoyed commuting for more than 2 years and this is heart-breaking. I like seeing my bike through the day and knowing it won't break down on me like most of my cars have. I will miss the independence, freedom, smugness, and absence of road rage.
174798

Bugly64, do you mind saying generally what that route is? I mean like do you have to use Hwy 65?

i've often wondered what I would do if i switched jobs and there was no place to shower. i'm addicted to commuting by bike and would be devastated.

hopefully you can find a way to do a partial commute or maybe blaze a dirt path alongside the highway and take up mountainbiking ;)

I am closing on a house in Linda, CA in a housing suburb of Edgewater. When I start living in our new house I would have traveled 5 miles on Hammonton Smartville Rd. I retired from the Air Force and started a civil service job on Beale AFB.

Is this an intentional tie-in to Yehuda Moon? (http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2010-10-20)

Can you take Earl Road to the South Beale Gate, south of the flightline?

i've often wondered what I would do if i switched jobs and there was no place to shower. i'm addicted to commuting by bike and would be devastated.

hopefully you can find a way to do a partial commute or maybe blaze a dirt path alongside the highway and take up mountainbiking ;)


I commute in Chicago every day. I have no place to shower at work. There are, however, countless threads here that explain how to successfully commute by bike without having a shower. I assume that what you are saying is there is a lack of shower at your place of work. Take a shower before you leave, then superficially cleanup at the office. It has never done me wrong through several years of bike commuting at a couple different places of white collar employment.

i've often wondered what I would do if i switched jobs and there was no place to shower. i'm addicted to commuting by bike and would be devastated.
I'd just start stinking. The people around me would be more devastated.

Couldn't you have found some other place to live that would have facilitated bike-commuting?

I will look into it. Thanks

Can I have your bike?

At this point, I wouldn't move someplace if I couldn't commute by bicycle.

At this point, I wouldn't move someplace if I couldn't commute by bicycle.

You might if it meant a job in this tough economy.

Wheatland is a ****hole. Go back from where you came while there is still time ;)

I retired from the Air Force Thank you for your service!

You don't have to quit cycling. Lots of folks cycle for pleasure. Check out the Road Forums. Alot of riders there are weekend riders. Works for them.

not quiting cycling; my Dummy will get plenty of grocery runs and bike path adventures.

I assume that what you are saying is there is a lack of shower at your place of work. Take a shower before you leave, then superficially cleanup at the office.
no, i have a shower here. i've tried to do the 'sink bath' on days I was in a hurry, but could smell myself by 10am. I'm a sopping mess of sweat when i arrive. if i stop to gossip with the receptionist, i leave a puddle.

I think your ride is doable. You need to develop confidence to ride on that sort of road.

My 25miles commute has 5 miles on 70mph road, but there is a 18" hard shoulder I can ride on. The next 5miles is a 50mph limit without any hard shoulder. I wouldn't call those 10miles pleasant, but they are endurable. I'd rather ride them than miss out the ride completely.

Really good rear lights and highly-visible clothing, you should be ok.

I think your ride is doable. You need to develop confidence to ride on that sort of road.

My 25miles commute has 5 miles on 70mph road, but there is a 18" hard shoulder I can ride on. The next 5miles is a 50mph limit without any hard shoulder. I wouldn't call those 10miles pleasant, but they are endurable. I'd rather ride them than miss out the ride completely.

Really good rear lights and highly-visible clothing, you should be ok.

+1

light yourself up like a christmas tree!!!!

You might if it meant a job in this tough economy.

I didn't say I wouldn't work. I said I wouldn't move someplace where I couldn't commute by bicycle.

From mapquest it looks like there might be a gate on Beale road too.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Linda&state=CA&country=US&latitude=39.1278&longitude=-121.549698&geocode=CITY

But you're the one doing the ride so only you can decide what you're comfortable with.

Lunch rides are fun. I doubt I would appreciate that route either.

Is this an intentional tie-in to Yehuda Moon? (http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2010-10-20)

Good one. :) Love Yehuda. Too bad about Thistle. Hope she'll still be around...

Good news, maybe, I found another route with less 55 mph and more shoulder room. The bad news is that some of the shoulder is gravel for about 1 mile. I will post when I try the route after we close this week.

Thank you for your service!

+1

At least consider partial-commutes if possible, where maybe you drive halfway and ride in the rest of the way. I do that now and it's still plenty fun.

Good news, maybe, I found another route with less 55 mph and more shoulder room. The bad news is that some of the shoulder is gravel for about 1 mile. I will post when I try the route after we close this week.

Nice. If there's a will, there's a way. You can figure it out if you want to!

First off, be happy you have a job.

My commute used to be on a 50 mph road with no shoulder and heavy truck traffic. it can be done, like others have said, light yourself up like a Christmas tree, get a mirror, ride assertively and smart.

Good news, maybe, I found another route with less 55 mph and more shoulder room. The bad news is that some of the shoulder is gravel for about 1 mile. I will post when I try the route after we close this week.

Sounds good. A one mile stretch of gravel shoulder is not too long to walk if it proves difficult to ride. If you can ride it at 15 mph and walk it at 5 mph it will only add 8 minutes to your one-way trip time to walk. I make exactly this trade off on my commute when I walk through a tunnel.

There's got to be a way around the 55mph road... if not, sorry for your loss.

I'd hope so. Even if it added another 7 miles to make it 19, so what.. That is still reasonable.. Think if I were to buy another home, i'd take bike commuting into consideration.

Thank you for your service!
I thought he said Air Force.:):p