'I have a streak going and that's a big motivator for me'

By Philip Crotwell, systems programmer, geological sciences

I have bicycled to work every day since November 2000 and I'll keep the streak going as long as I can. Not breaking the streak has been a big motivator for me, but I don't really have a goal other than to ride tomorrow.

There are many reasons to bicycle commute: for exercise, for the environment, not to buy imported gasoline, to burn off a little stress at the beginning and end of the day. I have lost weight, even though that wasn't my goal. My stamina certainly has increased and I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life at age 37. But when you get down to it, I ride my bicycle because I like to ride my bicycle.

My wife and I were married about a year ago and she bikes to work with me about 80 percent of the time. We've moved to Blythewood, but we don't ride the bikes from there (ok, I did once, but it took two hours and rained the whole way!). Instead, we drive to our daughters' school, park the car, unload the bikes, and ride to the University. In the afternoon, we ride back to the school, put the bikes on the bike rack, pick up the kids, and drive home.

My bicycle commute is just under six miles one way and takes about 20 to 25 minutes depending on traffic, it would probably take longer to drive plus walking from the parking lot. It's mostly through neighborhoods, with no busy streets. I commute on a touring bike--a Trek 520. It looks like a road bike but is a bit sturdier. I wear my helmet every time I ride the bicycle. A brain bucket is cheap insurance.

When I first started the commute, I had just moved downtown from Irmo and my intention was just to start cycling to work, not to start a streak. I had been a infrequent recreational cyclist before that. After I started commuting by bicycle, I became more serious about cycling. I bought a regular road bike and started doing 20- to 30-mile rides and then worked my way up to riding centuries. I usually ride in one or two centuries a year.

By not driving those 12 miles a day, I save about a gallon of gas every two days. But I've long since given up on any real economic rewar--I spend way more on my bicycles than I save in gas.

A good idea for anyone who wants to try bike commuting but thinks they live too far away is to drive part of the way to their destination, park the car, and then bicycle the rest of the way into work. You'll still get plenty of benefit from even a shorter ride.

2/08