A couple of weeks ago, I posted a note about my new job working on a town concert series. It turns out that before the shows actually begin, I need to report everyday to a town park that's a 12-minute bicycle ride from my house. This has given me the opportunity to live out a lifelong dream of commuting to work by bicycle.

All I can say is that my first ride this morning was a pleasure. I started out at 6:45am, just a short while before the cars hit the road. 'Took the back road that brings me by a 100-year-old convent and orphanage, an old farm that dates back to the 1600s, a duck pond, and a sprawling golf course built on an old Gatsby Era estate. I've ridden this route hundreds of times before, but today, it felt super special and looked more awesome than ever.

When I got to the park (about an hour earlier than I needed to be), I was so full of energy that I just kept on riding. The highlight for me was a little bitty rolling bike path that I used to zip through on my Schwinn Orange Crate when I was a kid in the 60s and 70s.

Best of all, my work clothing didn't get too badly crunched in my pannier, and changing was a breeze. Needless to say, I had an entire community park in which to safely store my bike. I chose the old stable in which I ran my bicycle recycling program from 1997 to 2003. This was one frigging nostalgic day.

Anyway, while I realize that commuting to work out here in the suburbs is nowhere near as admirable and exhilarating as riding over the Brooklyn Bridge every morning and braving New York City traffic to get to work, I'd like to officially declare myself a bicycle commuter (for the next month, at least) and say that I'm proud to be one of yooz guys.

Sounds wonderful.

Sounds like a nice commute. Where's the destination?
Maybe some NYC bike commuters avoid the subway and save that cost, but you avoid buring fuel, carrying additional benefits.
Congrats and note that it's time to start shopping for a high octane lighting system as the days will soon get short.

that's effing great. i just hope that when i'm as old as you i'd be still commuting on my bike.

awesome! welcome to the pack. did you know there was a commuting forum here?

Welcome to the club! I love commuting to work as it gives me the opportunity to have a change of scenery from 9W and I get to meet up with other commuters who come into NYC from NJ. Often people think of commuting as a slow paced affair but I use it to do intervals so I keep my speed and cadence up for weekend rides, plus the base that you build comes in really handy.

for me commuting in NYC is just flat out faster. I'm a personal trainer, I need to schedule appts close together and travel around to get to different clients. I am now able to expand my business reach outside of just the immediate area of the upper east side because I know I can get to anywhere within a 50block radius under 15 minutes. It's great. I use the subway sparingly now and I just wish there was a way to mount my golf clubs to my bike so I could ride to the golf course!

Congrats! Sounds like this new job is really working out for you!

CPFITNESS - my nephew who lives in CT is a fitness instructor at the Y and hopes to become independent. would you recommend this a a good career choice? what can he gross per year?

I sometimes commute to work, about a mile to a mile and a half, depending on where I'm working. It's usually faster than the subway, but if I'm working nights in the Time Square area I prefer the subway. The traffic, both cars and pedestrians down there can be ridiculous on a Friday or Saturday night.

I commute, few times a week from NJ to NYC via GWB, it is about 25 miles round trip, and a great workout.

ppt,
now a bike commuter, great!!!

looking outside "the box" will open doors (or at least change your perception).

welcome to commuting by bicycle. check out the commuting page here at BF. lots of insight/tips!

i can feel your exitement (have felt simular)!
welcome x2!!
tomg

Ha Ha! I don't know how old Papa Tom is But I'm sure I am at least as old if not older. I just got back into my 15 mi. Sayville to Babylon commute last week. You might slow down a bit but if you stay fit it is not a problem.

Papa Tom, Glad to hear the new job is working out.

"Ya got a way with words Tom, as you make this sound like Connecticut and this is LONG ISLAND after all, home of the worlds longest parking lot (the L.I.E.) and an abundance of idiots in Chevy Subdivison SUV's talking on the cell phone. The best thing about bike commuting is the smug feeling of knowing you are ENJOYING the commute, while all those poor souls in cars can't !. (grin).

And for a fellow L.I.'er, you've left cryptic clues for me to follow. The Convent and Oprhanage might be Convent Rd. in Syosett ?. The old farm is tough as there's a bunch of those. Great Gatsby sounds like Oheka Castle on Jericho ?. Where are the concerts, BTW ?.

Steve B.

>>>>you've left cryptic clues for me to follow. The Convent and Oprhanage might be Convent Rd. in Syosett ?. The old farm is tough as there's a bunch of those. Great Gatsby sounds like Oheka Castle on Jericho ?. Where are the concerts, BTW ?.<<<<<

Convent Road is correct. The old farm is what is more commonly known as the Schenck home across from the convent itself. The Gatsby-era estate is the old David & Ailsa Bruce estate on Southwoods Road, now the Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course.

The concerts are at various parks in the Town of Oyster Bay. This coming week, our biggest show is Al Jardine of The Beach Boys. The following week, we've got Gary US Bonds, The Cast of Beatlemania and The Cast of Jersey Boys, and Felix Cavaliere's Rascals (Groovin', Good Lovin', etc.). On the 28th of June, we've got The Bacon Brothers (Kevin Bacon & Bro.) Not as spectacular a line-up as last year, but the economy is a little worse, too!

PS: I sort of lost track of this thread once I re-entered the working-away-from-home world. Thanks for all the good wishes, everyone. Unfortunately, the pre-concert series work in June involved a lot of traveling between my home base in Syosset to various town facilities up and down Rt. 135. For that reason, I only got to commute by bike about half a dozen times, as I needed to have my car handy throughout the day. Now that the shows have begun, I need to be on site by 8am most mornings and I don't get finished until 10-11pm. I also need to bring various equipment and tools from home most days, so cycling just isn't practical for the rest of the series.

If the job becomes permanent, I will certainly be using the bike a whole lot, though.

'Hope everyone's summer is off to a good start. I miss my nightly rides down the Wantagh Parkway to Zack's Bay, though, so please ride one or two laps for me this summer!

I've always wanted to ride the Wantagh. I'll have to bring a bike with me when I go out there. We have Flatbush Avenue out to Rockaway in Brooklyn for the same type of ride and I do that all the time.

>>>>We have Flatbush Avenue out to Rockaway in Brooklyn for the same type of ride and I do that all the time.<<<<

No offense, but this is a little nicer, as it's mostly water (rather than an airport, etc) on the sides of the path. For directions, go to https://nyrides.freehosting.net .

No doubt it's nicer. The airport on Flatbush is long closed and is part of Gateway NRA. The other side is mostly just marsh.

I hit a large snake on the trail along Flatbush a year or two ago with my bike. There is definitely some wildlife along there, and not just the human kind.