dschwarz

I should have done this YEARS ago

I live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and work in Jersey City, NJ. My commute is almost a best case scenario for bike commuting - I hop on the Greenway (dedicated bike path alongside the Hudson River), ride a flat 5.5 miles down to World Trade Center , take the PATH train one stop to Exchange Place in New Jersey, and I'm there! My work has a shower and I can stash my bike in my office.

On my ride I noticed that everyone else on the Greenway was smiling as they walked or biked along. No one ever smiles on the NYC subway :-) I beat my subway commute to the office by 5min.

My calves are really stiff now, and I'm wondering if I'll be able to do this tomorrow or if I need to wait a few days before riding again. We'll see.

tomg

congrats!
it'll get easier...keep it up!
(smiles...i have had repeated events on return commute trips from work. wind pushing, sun out, fresh air, pleasant smells... = :-) take them where you can get them!!

bigeasyrider

Congrats!

I just posted a few days ago on my first commute. Feels great, doesn't it! Sounds like your route is nice and smooth and easy. That's great. Keep it up. It does wonders for the disposition.

What sort of bike are you riding?

AdrianFly

Grats bud.

Keep it up and don't end up wimping out or giving up.

Best is yet to come.

bikinpolitico

I think it's best to make a commitment to do it for at least 2 weeks continuously. It takes time to develop habits, and the two week mark will give you and your body time to adapt. It also gives you an exit plan if it doesn't work out.

dschwarz

Almost didn't bike in today then read your post. Good point. I did ride today. A bit harder because my legs are sore and now my back is a little sore (38 yrs old.. last time I rode a bike seriously I was 24...) nothing major though. It's definitely easier now that I know what to expect on my way there and back again. Weather was beautiful today. The wind off the Hudson River made it tougher to pedal on the way home.

dschwarz

I'm temporarily riding my wife's bike, a 1998 Raleigh C40 Works okay.

My bike - a 1992 Fuji Del Rey, is rusty, brake cables are rotted, shift cables are broken, it needs a frame-up rebuild and that's assuming the frame is sound, which I doubt. I was never really comfortable on that bike anyway. And it's heavy. The deal is that if I get used to the commute and enjoy it, I'm going to buy a folding bike. Either a Breezer Zag 8 or a Downtube 8H or 9FS.

coldfeet

Congrats! Keep it up! If you are sore from 5.5 miles, Get a bike that fits, Don't hammer it, it's not a race! If it takes a few minutes more? <shrug> If all those are things you're already doing, you must be pretty out of shape and the cycling is going to have a major effect on your feeling of health once you get used to it!

Grim

Once the bug bites you and you get a couple weeks under the belt you will feel like a looser when you don't bike.

bikinpolitico

I'm glad to have helped. Good luck out there.

Pig_Chaser

Lol, maybe it's a good thing i didn't post earlier, i woulda said there's no shame in taking a day off especially in the begining. Anyways, congrats on the commute and keep it up. Once you get into the groove try not to get out of it. I'm 34 and it only takes about 4 days of not biking to start loosing progress.

dschwarz

Third ride today. Not much to say about it except I almost hit a drunk guy who thought it'd be a good idea to stagger into the Greenway bike path with his back to oncoming traffic :-\ Well, now I know the brakes and steering work!

Podolak

Wow congratulations! How many get to say they bike commute (even if it is only partially by bike) between states!