angelica j.

Hi there,

I'm a 46 year old from the SF East Bay. I've been lurking here for a really long time. I commute via bike and rapid transit now. My round trip commute is close to 38 miles, and the bike portion adds up to between 4.5 - 9 miles per day depending upon which BART station I use.

I couldn't handle that same commute in my car anymore. I dreaded it so much.

I quit driving in February, and started walking to and from the BART station. As of April, I gradually started adding the bike commute. As of late April, I switched over completely. We had two cars, and one just broke down. We're having it towed and we aren't going to replace it. I much prefer getting the exercise, and I really enjoy reading a book or listening to music on BART. I now drive about once a month, and only if I can't figure out a better way. I use it for all of my errands.

I use a SpeedPro Dahon folding bike (fast and fun), but my main commuter is an old Specialized Hardrock circa 1990. She's as heavy as hell, looks like a mom-bike, but is indestructible. I'm going to replace the mtn bike tires with kevlar slicks today.

I like your car-free, folding bike, and commuting forums. You guys helped me build up the nerve to make this big change.

Thanks!

donnamb 

Welcome, Angelica. Multi-modal commuters rock!

Joe Dog

Welcome, angelica j. I expect we'll be seeing you over in the Commuting forum soon********** Congrats on the kevlar slicks - you'll probably be smoking roadies in no time!!

tomg

cool, and welcome!!
my car battery died (under warrenty) from non-use. here on the east coast, i've been "lucky" to have a new public transit service that takes me to work, a starter of from 1/8 mile walk p/up point and a 1.5 mile walk to 1/32 miler, depending on my interest at drop off points. sometimes the walk is good pre/post work.
it's been years since i was on the BART (1982). good to see you're able to incorporate it in your routing!
i also have been exploring buying a dahon. how does that hold up?
welcome x 2!!
t

angelica j.

Thanks!

angelica j.

You bet. I'll be over there a lot. Thanks!

...and those roadies fly past me in a blur of bright color. It's so cool to see how fast they can move.

angelica j.

Hi there,

You are lucky to have easy access to good public transit. We moved in January, and easy access was a must. Do you have to deal with rush hour crowds on your public transit?

I love that Dahon. It's very nicely made. The only reason it isn't my main bike is that my route takes me through lots of broken glass and potholes, and the skinny wheels/tires are a bit more vulnerable. Other than that, it's so light, I don't have to deal with rush hour restrictions on the train, and folks on crowded trains don't hate me as much.

However, when I ride my bombproof mom-bike, it's so big that I sometimes get squeezed off of crowded trains, and sometimes I can't get on at all.

East Hill

Hello angelica_j., you have plenty of fellow commuters in the Bay Area, some of them are probably doing exactly what you are doing too. Stop by the Northern California regional forum and see just how many BF members are out there.

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

angelica j.

Thanks! How cool! I've probably already seen some of you on BART.