All Your Green Blog

So, Dan is really our in-house cyclist. He doesn't participate in races or anything, but he is by far the most dedicated bicycle commuter of the three of us. I telecommute when I can, and Dieter, well... he's got that Segway. But as it turns out, cycling to work is even easier than I thought!

And I don't mean it in a sort of "it's so easy, anyone can do it!" way. That's silly, it's riding a bike; there are plenty of cliches already. No, I mean the physical act of riding it requires less effort than I previously believed. And why was I under this misconception? I, like many of you, rode my trusty old mountain bike everywhere.

While great on trails, mountain bikes tend to be heavier, and have larger, softer tires. All that translates into you putting more work into getting it to move when you're on flat pavement trying to get to work. That's bad news if it's a hot summer, and you prefer avoiding being dubbed "Sweat Monster" at work or some such.

There are two fantastic ways to simplify things. First, make sure your tires are fully inflated, and have your bicycle professionally serviced. They're not as complicated as cars, but bike shops have all the best tools and stuff to do the job, and it's usually dirt cheap. If your tires were low, and your chain was getting sticky, this could make a huge difference in your commute.

The other thing you can do is upgrade to a commuter bike. They come in a variety of sizes and styles, of course, and which one you pick is going to be a matter of preference. You can easily spend $650 on one if you're not careful. The one in the picture here is my new beauty, which set me back only $350. That's a full $100 less than the other bike shop was trying to get from me, so shop around.

$350 sound like a lot? Well, you haven't ridden it. It's amazing! The harder, narrower tires (than my mountain bike) give it a smooth coast. It's much lighter, has new bearings, new chain, etc., so it takes so very little work to get going. I find myself going pretty fast, just because I can. If I were to slow down a hair, I wouldn't even break a sweat on it. Also, on the price issue, at about $60 per tank, the car starts sound a lot more expensive, really, really quick. If your environmental motivations aren't as strong as your financial motivations, bicycle commuting is still the best way to go.