tarwheel 

I am retiring from work after today, and yesterday was my last bike commute. Although I would have liked to ride until the bitter end, I have to clear out my office and other tasks that require me to drive today.

I started bike commuting about 10 years ago, and it definitely helped make working more enjoyable over the last decade. Riding to work put me in better spirits at work and at home. It helped me lose weight and improve my overall fitness. Here are my final stats:

1,484 bike commutes
40,456.5 miles
15.1 mph average speed
839 hours
1,618 gallons of gas saved

Keep up the good fight, fellow cyclists!

Tarwheel
Bike Commuter Emeritus

mcours2006

Congratulations on your retirement I think you've earned the right to hang out here after those stats. Hall of Fame caliber, I'd say. You've got my vote.

That average speed is pretty impressive for year-round commute. Lately I've been averaging 12 mph. But in my defense, I've got those damn studded tires and a heavy, bulky bike. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

10 Wheels

Enjoy the rest of your Life.

tjspiel

Congratulations tarwheel. I do hope you stick around. Just because you no longer ride to work doesn't mean your knowledge and experience won't be valuable to others.

And just because you no longer ride to work doesn't mean you no longer ride.

Do you have any particular plans or are just going to kick back for awhile?

I've got a decade and change left but I don't think my average will ever reach yours.

tarwheel 

I don't have any immediate plans for retirement, other than sleeping late. I've got a couple of bike trips/tours planned for later this spring, and my wife and I will be doing some traveling later in the year. I still plan to do a lot of cycling, but it will be hard to maintain the mileage I've racked up from commuting 32 miles round trip 3-4 days/week. Down the road, I would like to cycle across the USA if I can talk my wife into letting me go.

RidingMatthew

Congrats and I think you are more than welcome. I have learned a lot from you and your posts. Since we live in NC perhaps we can even take a ride together sometime! plenty of cool rail trails in the state.


Stay around my friend!

HardyWeinberg

Congrats! Enjoy your retirement! And yes at that point you can hang out pretty much anywhere can't you.

pdlamb

We'll give you a year to contribute for free. After that, you'll need to start each post with a disclaimer: "Back when I was commuting..."





Congratulations!

bigbenaugust 

Guys, visit Chapel Hill!

essiemyra

Congratulations on your retirement!! Now you get to ride wherever and whenever you want. That is what I am looking forward to when I retire (hopefully in 4 years).

RidingMatthew

okay sounds like a plan.. Since @tarwheel has the most free time perhaps he plans a ride for us all

no motor?

I think you should stay, you've been here about as long as I have and it wouldn't be the same without you.

tarwheel 

I am not very familiar with the roads around Chapel Hill, although I used to ride around there many years ago. The best suggestion that I could come up with would be the Bikefest route out of Hillsborough that the Carolina Tarwheels sponsor every year. I generally ride the full metric route (about 65 miles) but they probably have a half-metric route as well. It's a nice route on rolling country roads, and Hillsborough is a nice town to visit with some great restaurants. The only drawback to the route is that you need to carry plenty of water and snacks because there are few places to stop once you leave Hillsborough.

Moe Zhoost

Congrats on the retirement. My own days at work are numbered and I think I will miss the commuting part the most. Although I do complain about the weather, traffic, etc. It's just that commuting by bike is a productive thing, i.e. a contribution to myself and the community. I am sure that you and I will enjoy recreational riding a lot, maybe more, but it's not the same.

CrankyOne

Congratulations and welcome to the retired (or semi in my case) side of life. My primary daily commute is now to a café with great cappuccinos and my corner table 'office'.

AlmostTrick

I don't think you're allowed to leave after 10+ years.


Yeah, bicycle commuting to work is likely the biggest thing I'll miss when I retire. Maybe ride to work now and then just for the fun of it?

Atvar

Congratulations on your retirement!

BobbyG

Please stay. Maybe we can hire you back as a consultant.

noglider 

Maybe you can get a job as a bike courier so you can stay on the bike.

JanMM

Well done and have fun!

FBinNY 

Once a bike commuter, always a bike commuter (unless you start driving to a regular job). Now you'll have more time for pleasure riding, but I'll venture that you'll still use the bike for various errands.

So, don't go away yet, especially because you can be helpful to noobs wanting info, motivation, or support.

wphamilton

Of course! But you'll likely want to move on eventually to bigger and better bike tours and such.

RubeRad

That's pretty impressive. I'm about 20 years from retirement, and every time I check my average speed, it always says 10.5!

That's why I never lose any weight; I bike commute almost every day, but with only as much effort as a casual walk.

bigbenaugust 

I did the full century at BikeFest last year, and the metric in '14 and '15 (I did that it on my SS that year). That's a nice ride. Each included a 11mi bonus ride either to or from the start from the house.

Archwhorides 

Congratulations @tarwheel! Bike commuting is wonderful, but your freedom from work will be wonderfuller .