Article written for local commuter newsletter

The following is an article I wrote for my companies' Commute Solutions newsletter. They're using me as their first "featured commuter" and wanted a few paragraphs, so I rambled on about my commuting experiences. I'm sure it'll get edited heavily but here's what I managed to crank out on a 30 minute bus ride earlier this week:

A Year on a Bike

As of this October I've been bicycle commuting for a year. In the past year I've ridden throughout winters' chilly cold (and requisite one day of ice), the ubiquitous (and hot) Texas sun, the rather uncharacteristic summer rain, and even an inattentive CRV-drivers windshield. To say that cycle commuting has changed nearly every aspect of my life would be an understatement. In the past year I've lost nearly 70lbs and have more energy and stamina for everyday activities even after my 32-mile round-trip commute. To illustrate how incredible this is for me I must mention that a year and a half ago I weighed nearly 300lbs. I've never been one to work out, my gym membership was a sham, and the idea of wearing an athletic uniform makes me cringe. Bicycle commuting has given me a way to exercise, burn calories and "work out" without the hassle or narcissism of going to the gym for an hour or two a day. My mood has improved since the addition of daily exercise and I love getting to tell people who ask about the recent change that I don't exercise or work out, I just commute. Since changing my diet and bicycling I've dropped to 190lbs, somewhere I hadn't been in over a decade. Since starting the commute solutions program I've gone from biking to work 1-2 days a week to biking every single day, commuting to work, running errands and riding nearly everywhere I go.

These days I get to work in a good mood and actually enjoy my morning commute which was something I've never experienced before. Previously when I was driving a car my commute was something to be endured and suffered through. Maybe a radio station would play something to make it less miserable but thanks to conglomeration the odds were against me. Now I throw a few good fast-paced tunes on the mp3 player (I've found that listening to DragonForce shaves 3-5 minutes off my commute), hop on my bike and spend the next hour riding from north Austin through Hyde Park, campus, the capital area, downtown, and into the deep east side to get to the AMD B312 location. Instead of spending my ride looking at all the other poor souls slowly and begrudgingly flowing through the concrete arteries that supply our city's employers while sitting in a climate-controlled box I get to enjoy scenic neighborhoods, beautiful old-Austin buildings and a twice-daily ride around our state capitol building.

Another thing I've noticed about my commute is the amount of "connectedness" I get to experience. When in a car I was so isolated from everything around me, the most interaction I'd get was a wave when I let someone in and another gesture when I occasionally didn't. Now I say "good morning" while passing other cycle commuters and morning joggers, I get to chat with people on the same route as mine, I get to FEEL my surrounding environment (which is both a blessing and a curse) and I have come to possess intimate knowledge of the bumps and cracks in our fair cities streets. My main commuter bikes are fixed-gear single-speeds which limit the amount of maintenance I need to do to stay on the street as well as simplifying the ride so that I can practically ignore the bike and enjoy everything else that's out there. I'd never taken a detour in a car so that I'll have a LONGER commute but thanks to all the local parks, trails and scenery I usually add another 5-10 miles onto my home commute just running laps around the hike and bike trail or exploring the east side.

It's not all wine and roses (the former is still illegal on a bicycle) though. A lot of mornings I don't want to get up and ride. There's a lot of forcing myself for that first mile or so, but once I get going my mood improves, I start to feel better, and I'm always glad I did it. Inclement weather can also make me long for the confines of an automobile, but the showers at work and my waterproof panniers have removed any real excuse I may have besides my temporary comfort. Even on the rainy and ugly days I've found myself enjoying the ride (sometimes against my better judgment) and still ending up at work with a smile on my face.

I've experienced many positive improvements, both physical and mental, due to cycle commuting. I could go on and on but at this point I've probably already lost nearly everyone (hi Leo!). The Commute Solutions Program has been instrumental in my early success by providing bus passes and other support for AMD commuters. If not for their help and specifically the support of Justin Murrill I don't know if I'd have been able to adjust from cycling/bussing 1-2 times a week to riding every single day through the hot Texas August and September. Cycle commuting comes with a multitude of benefits and while it's definitely not for everyone if you can stand exerting yourself and maybe having a little fun while on your way, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

And I didn't even mention the environment. ;)