199
 

This morning was my 199th commute of the year and 200 is in sight. I just had to tell somebody! :) When I passed 100 in late June I knew I had a shot at 200 this year.

I lost a bunch of wieght 3 years ago and took up biking to help keep it off. I made a few commutes (5 miles each way) that year but it wasn't till the next year I set up a reliable bike and became a fair weather commuter and hit 135 commutes. Last year I added lights and fenders and made 165 commutes. This year I added a winter bike with studded tires and a decent light. I only drive in heavy rain, below - 5 F or if I have to drive for work. We had a real mild winter last year and so far this year. I've yet to be late for work as my 3 flats have all come on the trip home. When I do have to drive it seems like an incomplete day.

How's everone else doing on thir goal?

I don't have any real goal, but since starting to commute in late August, I only miss around a day a month, so hopefully I'll hit 200 next year, looking at changing up my route also, tack in an extra 8 miles each way.

And whats with everybody having fenders, I don't see their use if you have to bring a change of clothes with you anyways for work.

Oh, and congrats by the way, don't know why I forgot that one on the first post...

The fenders don't do much in the rain, but come in handy after a rain. I don't have a place to change so my work clothes are my commuting clothes.

Bent

Ah, that sucks, I even get a shower.

Congrats on the steady commuting rhythm!

Since starting to regularly commute the last week of October of this year, I've logged 31 commutes (8 miles RT home to office to home). The commute has become the highlight of my day, regardless of weather. Like you, I'm always disappointed and feel like the day is incomplete if I have to drive to work.

I don't get to talk about it much at home to my wife. She's too far from the hospital to ride to her job and it gets dark too early for her to ride after work so hearing my endorphin-induced enthusiasm gets to be too much for her.

As to whether I have a goal, I think it would be to ride at least 25 days a month (I often go in to the office on weekends, too). We'll see how this works out but so far I'm really loving it. With my bike fully pimped out as a commuter with Arkel commuter bag, Specialized 'Fireball' headlights, 2 rear blinkies, I can ride home cautiously but pleasurably after our 5:30 pm sunsets.

same here re: riding clothes = work clothes and it's going to be hard in our hot weather because I don't have a shower available at work...

Wow. Great, awesome year.

I can't begin to reach that, since with leave and all, I only come to work 217 days. I also travel some, dropping that further. The other that hurts is golf--I drove on those days. My goal was 100 days and 1300 miles, and I'm just about there. I need to get 4 of the 5 days next week and I make it. I might come up 30 miles short of 1300. I'm bummed about that, but I sure hope I get the 100 days of commuting in.

With my anticipated Christmas gifts, which includes better rain gear, coupled with my new (to me) Nokian snow tires I bought from Identity Crisis, I'm setting a higher goal next year.

Fenders are great. I enjoy riding in wet weather much more and me and my bike stays cleaner and dryer.

Without fenders, even light sprinkles turn into ugly rides.

I saw a great picture of a bike I think in Europe, with a pull cart like fixure (no wheels) attatched to the front of a bike for carrying a bag of golf clubs. It can be done!

Bent

In the morning, my goal is to get to work. In the evening my goal is to go home, possibly stopping by a store on the way. What more could you want?

I used to have a goal of riding everyday, 30 miles. I've done it for a week, but after that, I sort of slack off again. I haven't given it up, but now my goal is mostly to ride as long as I can until I turn into a dusty old man. :D

Kid schedules are a killer. If I have to take them to school and/or pick them up, there is no time to bike. It's a sorry state of affairs when one absolutely must get to work in the absolutely shortest amount of time possible.

However, I have managed to hit my target of 135 days. That is my target because it averages out to three days out of five working days over the calendar year. If I do something other than drive for three days out of five, I get a free "guaranteed ride home" card from the Minnesota Metro Commuter Services organization. It is a card that, in an emergency, can be used as a bus pass, or can be mailed in, with a receipt, for reimbursement for taxi fare. (They give out the card anyway on the honor system, but I use the three-out-of-five goal as a personal motivator.)

Excellent job!

I am doing very well on my three day a week commute (I only go to the office that often, pardon me for refusing to go just to bike...)

What a difference in how I look and feel after 4 months or so. Now I am starting to go on fun tours on my days off. Sort of guilt free exploring. I can go pedaling along for hours and not worry about gas prices, repair to cars or anything. Food costs are another thing though.

That's pretty good. I'm only going to hit 170 -aiming for 195 -this year which is the highest I've ever done. Guess I'll just have to be satisfied with hitting 2884 lifetime commutes, 56768 miles, saving 39 tons of carbon dioxide and around $6500 on gas ;) But then I'm a stubborn old fart that been doing this for decades ;)

Congrats, by the way.

fenders: the rain from the sky is clean, the stuff that kick up from the street is DIRTY. i enjoy any form of damp commuting much more now that i have fenders. they also rule for dirt roads with muddy patches. if i know it won't be bone dry i am takin the bike with fenders.

Why fenders?
 

Your bike will last a lot longer with fenders - that road grime isn't so good for your headset, bottom-bracket, chain, etc...

Also, I don't always bring a change of clothes. In the rain, I wear waterproof jacket and pants, and they don't need to be washed afterwards, since they only have rainwater on them, rather than rainwater plus water splashed up from the ground.

But, it is obvious that you've never ridden a bicycle with a complete set of fenders before - otherwise you wouldn't be asking this question!

My goal for this year was also 200...exercise periods rather than commuting days. Some have been on a bike, most hiking some days in the woods hunting. I didn't get hung up on what the exercise was, just that it met the minimum threshold for an exercise period. The threshold was purely subjective, but a 5 minute walk around the block wouldn't cut it. I'm at 189 for the year so far. Looks like I'll make it!!!!
Congrats to you also.

I've missed 2 days since returning to work on June 27th after suffering a heart attack and undergoing quad bypass surgery. That was last week when we got 18" of snow and I wore my snowshoes and walked to work through the ESA between home and work. Took me 2 hours to do 3 miles, breaking trail the whole way. Ha, beat that! :)

Haven't set a specific goal, but since I got rid of my personal car about this time last year, and haven't regretted it, I guess that constitutes a goal met.

:beer:, everyone!