First Commute!
#1
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First Commute!
This morning was my first bike commute to work. I live in South Jersey and take the train to work in Philly. I previously walked from home to my local train station (it's less than a mile), and then I walked from the station in Philly to my job (even shorter), but starting today I'll be biking instead of walking.
I know it's so short as to be barely a ride, but it's still more fun to ride than walk.
I work in an office and I wear a suit & tie. I'd rather not wear my suit while I bike, so this weekend I drove to the office and dropped off several suits and shoes. When I got in this monring I changed into my work cloths. There's a shower here if I need it, but I don't expect that I will.
My bike is a Breezer Villager, which I bought about a month ago. It's perfect for me.
One other thing--for the first leg starting out on the way from my home to the train station, I rode along with my wife and our 8-year-old son, on his way to school. My wife usually bikes with our son to take him to school (except in bad weather). It was very satisfying for the three of us to ride together first thing in the morning.
I know it's so short as to be barely a ride, but it's still more fun to ride than walk.
I work in an office and I wear a suit & tie. I'd rather not wear my suit while I bike, so this weekend I drove to the office and dropped off several suits and shoes. When I got in this monring I changed into my work cloths. There's a shower here if I need it, but I don't expect that I will.
My bike is a Breezer Villager, which I bought about a month ago. It's perfect for me.
One other thing--for the first leg starting out on the way from my home to the train station, I rode along with my wife and our 8-year-old son, on his way to school. My wife usually bikes with our son to take him to school (except in bad weather). It was very satisfying for the three of us to ride together first thing in the morning.

Last edited by golftdi; 01-16-07 at 09:56 AM.
#2
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Awesome...I so wish my wife and kid would consider biking. Alas, I have 14 year old daughter who is completely absorbed with her image amongst her fellow high schoolers, and my wife won't even get near a bike. Apparently she feels she rode enough in her elementary school and middle school days.
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#3
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Welcome to the HHCMF (Happy Healthy Commuting MuthaF*ckers) Club! You will be pleased to know that your awesomeness factor has just increased by 100 and you are now the envy of all men and lusted after by an equal amount of women. Treat yourself to a donut while enjoying the admiring looks of your co-workers.
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Excellent! Many congrats and smiles for you and a big grin for your wife


. If I read that right, you are biking just short of a mile, to the train station?
Even though it's short--I suspect you'll love it and it will spur on more riding.
Congrats on your bike--it sounds a lot like mine!




Even though it's short--I suspect you'll love it and it will spur on more riding.
Congrats on your bike--it sounds a lot like mine!
#6
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Good job. The only thing I wonder (and I don't mean this to be negative or to discourage you) is if it wouldn't still be better to just walk? For such a small distance to cover it sounds like a lot of work having to drive extra stuff up there, change clothes and possibly shower. Keep it up though if you enjoy it, and that's cool that you get to ride with your family a little bit each morning.
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Good for you, hope you have a blast on the bike. I would really like to have a bike like the villager.
My commute is also very short. But the logical reaction for me is not to walk, but to ride a longer route. My "commute" is usually 2-7 times longer than the shortest route (although I use that one occasionally).
Originally Posted by straightedge
Good job. The only thing I wonder (and I don't mean this to be negative or to discourage you) is if it wouldn't still be better to just walk? For such a small distance to cover it sounds like a lot of work having to drive extra stuff up there, change clothes and possibly shower. Keep it up though if you enjoy it, and that's cool that you get to ride with your family a little bit each morning.
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#8
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Thread Starter
Thanks for all of the encouraging words and warm welcome! I am so glad I stumbled across this site when I was researching buying a new bike last year--I've learned a tremendous amount (mostly lurking) and have been very motivated by the posters here.
It is indeed a short commute, but as I said it's more fun to ride than walk, and I may indeed stretch it out a bit going home. And the more I ride the more I'll want to ride, I'm sure.
I also have a 12-year old daughter who likes to ride, but not as much as the rest of the family--it messes up her hair, you know?
It's been about 10 years since I last rode regularly and I'm glad to be doing it again. It brings back many good memories. When my wife and I first met we used to go riding together in the evenings after work along Lake Champlain in Burlington, VT (far cry from Jersy and PHilly, I know!), and for several years when I was in college and then law school (no lawyer wise cracks please) I rode my old Fuji Royale as my primary transport. And I used to love riding when I was a kid.
It is indeed a short commute, but as I said it's more fun to ride than walk, and I may indeed stretch it out a bit going home. And the more I ride the more I'll want to ride, I'm sure.
I also have a 12-year old daughter who likes to ride, but not as much as the rest of the family--it messes up her hair, you know?

It's been about 10 years since I last rode regularly and I'm glad to be doing it again. It brings back many good memories. When my wife and I first met we used to go riding together in the evenings after work along Lake Champlain in Burlington, VT (far cry from Jersy and PHilly, I know!), and for several years when I was in college and then law school (no lawyer wise cracks please) I rode my old Fuji Royale as my primary transport. And I used to love riding when I was a kid.
#9
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Day 2--nice and brisk this morning (for these parts). Around 20 degrees (F). Everybody else in the family kvetching about how cold it is, and the kids get driven to school by my wife because it's "too cold". I hop on the bike and I'm in heaven.
This is addicting, isn't it?
This is addicting, isn't it?

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Originally Posted by golftdi
Day 2--nice and brisk this morning (for these parts). Around 20 degrees (F). Everybody else in the family kvetching about how cold it is, and the kids get driven to school by my wife because it's "too cold". I hop on the bike and I'm in heaven.
This is addicting, isn't it?
This is addicting, isn't it?


#11
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Originally Posted by golftdi
This is addicting, isn't it?


Careful, though. Next thing you know, you'll actually be considering a ride all the way from South Jersey to Philly... You laugh now, but just you wait...
#12
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Originally Posted by golftdi
This morning was my first bike commute to work. I live in South Jersey and take the train to work in Philly. I previously walked from home to my local train station (it's less than a mile), and then I walked from the station in Philly to my job (even shorter), but starting today I'll be biking instead of walking.
I know it's so short as to be barely a ride, but it's still more fun to ride than walk.
I work in an office and I wear a suit & tie. I'd rather not wear my suit while I bike, so this weekend I drove to the office and dropped off several suits and shoes. When I got in this monring I changed into my work cloths. There's a shower here if I need it, but I don't expect that I will.
My bike is a Breezer Villager, which I bought about a month ago. It's perfect for me.
One other thing--for the first leg starting out on the way from my home to the train station, I rode along with my wife and our 8-year-old son, on his way to school. My wife usually bikes with our son to take him to school (except in bad weather). It was very satisfying for the three of us to ride together first thing in the morning.
I know it's so short as to be barely a ride, but it's still more fun to ride than walk.
I work in an office and I wear a suit & tie. I'd rather not wear my suit while I bike, so this weekend I drove to the office and dropped off several suits and shoes. When I got in this monring I changed into my work cloths. There's a shower here if I need it, but I don't expect that I will.
My bike is a Breezer Villager, which I bought about a month ago. It's perfect for me.
One other thing--for the first leg starting out on the way from my home to the train station, I rode along with my wife and our 8-year-old son, on his way to school. My wife usually bikes with our son to take him to school (except in bad weather). It was very satisfying for the three of us to ride together first thing in the morning.

Soon you'll be riding down Haddon Ave all the way to the Ben Franklin Bridge.
And feel free to contact me if you have questions about that part. . .
#13
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I've thought about riding all the way down Haddon Ave and then over the bridge--but is it safe riding through Camden?
#14
Prefers Cicero
Wow, you sure picked a weird season to start in!
Congratulations
Congratulations
#15
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I remember distinctly how exhilarating my first commute was. I remember letting out a whoop when I arrived. I've been addicted ever since. Welcome to the club!
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#16
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Originally Posted by golftdi
I've thought about riding all the way down Haddon Ave and then over the bridge--but is it safe riding through Camden?
I've never had a problem. Meaning I've never had a Camden specific problem. I've had problems with drivers not paying atention, etc. that occur pretty much everywhere.
The surface of Haddon Ave. is in pretty rough condtion (even though it's a county road). And once you get past Cooper Hospital it's just a couple of zig-zags over to Rutgers-Camden and that's right at the bridge (walkway now open to 7:00).
#17
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Thread Starter
over the bridge
Originally Posted by BFBridgeguy
I've never had a problem. Meaning I've never had a Camden specific problem. I've had problems with drivers not paying atention, etc. that occur pretty much everywhere.
The surface of Haddon Ave. is in pretty rough condtion (even though it's a county road). And once you get past Cooper Hospital it's just a couple of zig-zags over to Rutgers-Camden and that's right at the bridge (walkway now open to 7:00).
The surface of Haddon Ave. is in pretty rough condtion (even though it's a county road). And once you get past Cooper Hospital it's just a couple of zig-zags over to Rutgers-Camden and that's right at the bridge (walkway now open to 7:00).
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You will be pleasantly surprised how fast you get in shape. Last summer I started intermodal commuting just like you, using the bike to make bus connections over a 35km one way commute. The bike connections just got longer and longer and the bus trips shorter and shorter, until for the last month of summer I was doing the whole route by bike, 70 kms round trip every day.
#19
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How far is it from home to the office?
Hopefully, as others have suggested, someday in the next 6 months, you'll have the thought, "How come I'm interrupting a perfectly good bike ride to stand around and wait for a train."
Hopefully, as others have suggested, someday in the next 6 months, you'll have the thought, "How come I'm interrupting a perfectly good bike ride to stand around and wait for a train."
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Originally Posted by golftdi
Thanks. Right now I get on the train in Haddonfield. Maybe I'll work my way up (down?) the Haddon Ave. PATCO stops and then one day make the leap over the bridge.
That's my commute as well.
At least until the DRPA closed the walkway on the Ben Franklin Bridge because of the light coating of snow we got yesterday. So I had to take my bike home on the train.
#21
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distance
Originally Posted by newbojeff
How far is it from home to the office?
Hopefully, as others have suggested, someday in the next 6 months, you'll have the thought, "How come I'm interrupting a perfectly good bike ride to stand around and wait for a train."
Hopefully, as others have suggested, someday in the next 6 months, you'll have the thought, "How come I'm interrupting a perfectly good bike ride to stand around and wait for a train."
#22
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How do you like your Golf TDI? I have a couple TDI's. One of them is a 2002 Golf.
#23
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I actually sold it several years ago, becuase my wife and I no longer needed 2 cars. It was a 2000. I loved it when I had it, and I was very active at Fred's TDI club (even hosted a few TDI GTGs at my house when I lived in Vermont). It was chipped and ran great, and for the last few months I was running it on 100% biodiesel.
Driving in Vermont was alot of fun. Driving here in Jersey--not so much.
Driving in Vermont was alot of fun. Driving here in Jersey--not so much.

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Congrats! 
Do you mean it would only be 9 miles to do the whole thing by bike? That's still short in some peoples' book! (Mine's only 5, though.)
We've occasionally had a "Very Short Commute Club" thread here, in response to the regular "Very Long Commute Club" threads. One of the all-time funniest posts I've ever read here was a parody of Mars' accounts of his daily competition at the time with someone he called "Hammer Bob", as follows:

Do you mean it would only be 9 miles to do the whole thing by bike? That's still short in some peoples' book! (Mine's only 5, though.)
We've occasionally had a "Very Short Commute Club" thread here, in response to the regular "Very Long Commute Club" threads. One of the all-time funniest posts I've ever read here was a parody of Mars' accounts of his daily competition at the time with someone he called "Hammer Bob", as follows:
Originally Posted by rickagee (4-21-05)
Here is how it went down this afternoon on the way home. I started in the lead, a 1/8 mile flat section. I decided to ride harder than Chisel Phil would like, to tire him for the single hill. I could manage 10 mph on my fat comfort bike wearing my suit, no more no less, but that seemed to be more than he liked since he was sporting a tuxedo. When he led up the hill, his pace was noticeably off. On the descent, I decided to go anaerobic and attacked. I spun out my middle gear and leaned forward a little bit for the best aero profile. Phil was in my slipstream, but I had a plan. Before I could fully implement this plan, my commute had ended. I pulled into the driveway and vowed to continue this for more than a half mile the next time.