One of the things...

You may know, or not, that I work for the outdoor retailer REI. To be honest I never thought I would be in the same job for more than 5 years let alone a retailer.

The year I started Buzz Commuter I moved to Colorado to continue working at REI, and ended up bike commuting for an entire year. I've been back home for over 3 years now (still with REI) and that experience stays with me even when life changes make it more challenging to commute. I am pleased to say that the place I work keeps challenging me by supporting alternative commuting and the extraordinary experience that is cycling.

I digress, but here is a short video that says as much or more than I can offer...thanks, REI, for being such a great place to work and share my passion for cycling.

 
Until tomorrow...or later today...

It's been a long time comin' - Bike Month

May is Bike Month and in celebration I am working to bring Buzz Commuter back. Every day this month I will post at least once (if not more) as I get back in the saddle and on track.

First is a short film I really enjoyed and wish to share...the time has come!

Thank you, Abhishek, for such a great film.


The Convert from Abhishek Mukherjee on Vimeo.
This is a short film promoting Jacksonville's Bike Month in May. Please visit http://jacksonvillebikemonth.com for more information.

Starring (in order of appearance):
Jacquelyn Mills, Abhishek Mukherjee, Katie Smith, Chris Jackson and Corey Callahan

Original Music by Goliath Flores
Directed and Produced by Abhishek Mukherjee and Katie Smith
Cinematography and Editing by Abhishek Mukherjee
Audio Mastering by Eric Jenkins

Jacquelyn's Pashley bicycle provided by Koula Redmond
Chris's bicycle provided by ZenCog Bicycle Company

Shot on location in Jacksonville, FL.
Shot entirely with a Nikon D90, 18mm-105mm f/3.5-5.6, 50mm f/2.4

This video uses these sounds from freesound.org:
bicycle by Klankbleed ( http://www.freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/sounds/107776/ )
freewheel by Corsica_S ( http://www.freesound.org/people/Corsica_S/sounds/74792/ )
beeps by junggle ( http://www.freesound.org/people/junggle/sounds/26777/ )

The New Commitment

Do you ever look back and wonder why you started to commute by bike? Was it because gas prices were high, or letting go of a car meant enough to get a bike and start riding? Did you challenge yourself to be more healthy and make a difference in the world you lived in?

I love that there can be so many reasons for getting on a bike and making that commute. It's frustrating I can find just as many reasons not to get on my bike each day.

I started this blog a year ago to record my new adventure in bike commuting. Now I find I am commuting less and still have a passion for using my bike(s) for commuting and recreation.

Originally I got on a bike to save money and because I had the time and ability to ride everyday. I found, too, that as a result of riding all the time I was getting into great physical shape. Now, as I ride less I need to work harder to stay in shape.

So, not to beleaguer my point, I have a new commitment for the buzz commuter: continue to commute when possible, find new ways to get out and ride, never stop riding and dedicate myself to being in the best shape in my life.

Today my wife and I begin a 60-day workout program and I will report my progress here...including pictures. Monday I'm going on a ride in the mountains (I'll have pics on Flickr), and beginning next week I am trying to get a breakfast ride together.

That's it; my commitment to myself and my bike - continue to be a buzz commuter.

Bike Your Drive and more...

Since May is bike to work month I thought I would offer some of the great resources available to begin bike commuting.

The first is one I believe I've mentioned before: the Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge. This is a great first step. Most household errands are within 2 miles of home and the majority of those are done with a car. If we could bike even one of these per week, just 2 miles, we can be a bit more healthy and reduce our impact on the environment.

The next is REI's Bike Your Drive. This is a challenge and a resource for anyone just beginning to commute, a current commuter, or even those of you simply interested in bike commuting an d looking for more information.

Last is a blog and site I started reading a year ago when I started bike commuting: Bike Commute Tips Blog. This blog has been listed, along with a couple others, on my favorite blogs. The blog offers info for those interested in bike commuting, but wonder about the tight bike pants. Commuting can be for anyone and everyone. The Bike Commute Tips Blog offers information for those curious and currently commuting.

There they are...a few great resources. A lot more information is available and continues to grow as bike commuting becomes more popular and viable.

Hope any one of these may be an inspiration to get out and add a little pedal power.

Bike to Work

So May is Bike Month and also when bike to work day occurs. Washington's bike to work day is on Friday, May 15th. I hope everyone will get out and do what the can to bike to work on that Friday. I know it is a Hanford Friday off for those located in and around the Tri-Cities. Please get out on that bicycle anyway and show your support for a great alternate, and healthy, form of transportation.

Here in Kennewick and the Tri-Cities the local REI and Ben Franklin Transit host the Commuter Challenge for the month of May. It's great to see a lot of people participate and support urban commuting in the Tri-Cities community.

I have noticed a lot of people commute riding in Richland and Kennewick as opposed to recreational or exercise. Hopefully the number of commuters and the diverse group of participants help bring awareness for such a simple alternative to sitting in a car and burning fuel everyday.

I hope you all decide to take the challenge of riding your bike, or even borrowing a friend/relative's extra bike and get out on May 15.

Buzz commuter moves to Eastern Washington

A little over a year ago I moved to Colorado leaving my wife and home to work. Part of pursuing my career ended up including bike commuting for that year.

Now, for various reasons, I am back in Eastern Washington back with my wife and home...still dedicated to bike commuting.

Over the last couple of weeks, as I ride in this area, I can't help but compare urban commuting and cycling in general to Colorado. So much is different.

Even though traffic and drivers could be challenging in Colorado; here I feel as though drivers do not even care about sharing the road with an alternate and far older form of transportation. Even in the bike lane drivers pass well within three feet. It is challenging.

May is bike to work month and I plan on making the commute as much as possible. I also hope to build urban commuting awareness in this area over the next year.

Rest and Relaxation

I kinda took the day off today. I only rode about 7 miles and went sailing instead of a big ride to let my legs rest a bit. The 7 miles was uphill on the way to my friend's house with the sail boat (catamaran to be more specific), but that meant a nice downhill on the way back after a morning of a little sailing on a local reservoir. The wind was calm...good thing since I've only been sailing once before. It was fun.

I'm including some photos from my ride in downtown Denver yesterday. The first photo is of the BikeDenver bike parking for the Taste of Denver or something like that. This was at round 5 or six in the afternoon. Not as full as earlier in the day, but people were still stopping in...what a great service. Definitely beats trying to park a car. Volunteers would check the bike in and out. Nice...I think I may have to volunteer for that too.

This next photo is of my bike. I like the sign in the background. I was just parking there to make some photographs when I turned around and noticed the sign. You can also see my new big box on the back. I got this so I could store my camera and some other stuff while I'm out and about. It's big (27 liters), but it seems to work ok. I had to use a piece of wood between the box and my rack to keep enough space to have my panniers. I can carry a lot for crap now.

The last photo here is of this cool clock I saw as I was rising past an old industrial building just off Mississippi and Broadway in south Denver. It's broken of course, but a nice subject non-the-less. I hope to get some more photos in better light before it is gone as part of a reconstruction project for the area. It's too bad some of the old parts of the building can't be saved for the new construction. Maybe it will...still pretty cool. I really like the look of the old warehouse/industrial areas. There's something very historic about them like the ruins of a past age.

Day 1 without a car

Yesterday I sent my very fuel-efficient car back to Washington State (this leads to a much longer story I may tell in the coming days).
Today I begin life as a commuter without a car. Not bad. A few months ago I purchased a Novara Buzz V from REI ($449 retail). I have already put over 400 miles on it since I purchased it, but now it is my transportation along with public transportation.
In the coming weeks I hope to report on my progress as a bike commuter.
I did some grocery shopping tonight on the bike...I have some panniers (saddle bags) that I used. Took a little bit to fit everything, but it worked out fine (though my bananas were a little bruised).
I'll continue to update the blog as time goes on, but for now...my first day without a car!

4 official miles today