Thanks for pushing the pedals...
 

I just thought I would pass on my thanks now that I have now seen a different side to commuting and can't wait to get back to where I only have to look out for the occasional yahoo on the road. I've been in Iraq since December and have commuted from my tent to work, work to chow hall, etc... I've ridden in 30 degree mornings, drizzling rain, 120 degree days, unbelievable sticky mud, 25 knot winds, and sand/dust storms. There are also the Humvees and 5 Ton military trucks to watch out for. I’ve proven to myself that I can ride in the harshest conditions, so getting around Birmingham, AL will be a piece of cake. Plus I won’t be wearing a flak vest and Kevlar helmet, though some days the M-16 might come in handy... :D So if you are having a bad commute day just remember it could be worse, and together we are saving a barrel or two of oil, so others might not find themselves in these conditions just to protect our oil interests. Thanks everyone and keep it up!

Good to have you back.:)

I'm still here until September... :(

What unit are you with? My brother's unit is over there right now, although he got left behind (along with a few other guys) at Bragg. He had just gotten back from Kuwait anyway.

Hope you'll be back soon!

Oops, should have typed faster. Sorry to hear it's that long... :(.

Thank you for your service!

My son is a Marine stationed in Japan. He bought a bike but doesn't ride it any more -- says he's gotten used to walking everywhere but I think everything is pretty close.

Too bad they don't give out cycling commuting medals! Stay safe and thanks for sharing your very unique experience!

I'm a rare bike commuter right now, aspiring to do it more often. Our troops in Iraq and throughout the Middle East have been my greatest motivation to do it more - get you guys (& gals) home sooner, or at least make it less likely that y'all will be sent to do this again in the future. Now I have an even greater motivation - realizing that even our TROOPS are bike commuting and that my ride is a cake walk compared to what you're doing. Thanks for answering your country's call and thanks for sharing your story. Stay safe.

This is real interesting. Can you give us some more details? What kind of bike? How did you get it there? Are there other cyclists around? What stuff do you see on your commute? Have you ever tried to hook up with Iraqi cyclists? Would a race or organized ride be possible? Can you ride out in the countryside, or just on base? Etc., etc.

It would be cool if CNN or other media would pick up on your story. Thanks for posting!

It’s a Mongoose mountain bike, nothing special at all. They sell them here for $150. What I see on my commute is a mixture of bombed out buildings from Desert Storm, to all the new construction work being done to turn this back into an Iraqi Air Force Base. I’m one of only a couple Air Force guys that ride, but the Army has many. I’ve been able to ride a couple times with the coalition forces, Italian and Australian, which was interesting.

Thank you for getting the job done. Sorry we didn't finish it the first time around, we were certainly willing and able. Welcome back to the world, feels good, don't it?

Thanks for your service jhershbine. We miss you all. Come home safe now, y'hear?

You inspired me during my commute yesterday, jhershbine! Thanks for sharing the photo!