Bright idea...

So much is happening in the world of cycling and bike commuting...so many wonderful ideas! Nathan Wills has one of these great ideas. I hope you will join me in supporting him and his bright idea.



In the mean time ride safe and keep the bright ideas coming!

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/ )

A few changes - Day 21

I have one more week to go before the recovery week. Today was a rest day and my wife and I took the time to get ready for the upcoming week and to get a tree for the holidays.

I'm still working on some ideas for getting enough calories and keeping my body fueled for this Insanity workout program. Tomorrow will be a hard workout with Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs on the schedule.

I purchased a Biggest Loser workout DVD from Costco yesterday...it's called the Last Chance Workout. I watched it today and my wife tried it out. It looks good for people starting a program, and maybe for some others if you get the timing down and increase the speed of the workout. Anyway, a nice addition to our collection of home workout videos and definitely worth the $8-$11 it sells for depending on where you purchase it.

This brings me to my next subject...Buzz Commuter will see a few changes over the next few weeks. I find that I have less to say at the moment about bikes and bike commuting in general. Originally I wanted this blog to follow my days as a bike commuter while I lived in Colorado. More recently it has evolved into my desire to get and stay fit (a nice result of bike commuting) and now my journey on the Insanity workout program. I want this blog to get back to the world of bikes and bike commuting. After all it was a Novara Buzz V and my chance to use a bike exclusively for transportation. Even thought some of my circumstances have changed my desire to bike commute and support cycling not only for exercise, but also a superior means of community transportation.

I also have a desire to climb a few mountains, enjoy the outdoors as much as possible and hopefully do some good in this world. As much as I want Buzz Commuter to be a part of this I want a place to share these adventures, hits and misses, opinions and maybe just some general griping.

To this end I will soon be adding Fortunes Fare. My journey with Insanity will transfer over the Fortunes Fare as will some other information. I will continue to write on Buzz Commuter as I ride to work and keep pedaling.

I hope to have Fortunes Fare up this week. I will not remove any of the current posts from Buzz Commuter and will start fresh on Fortunes Fare.

Here's to self-expression and digital media.

Day 10

It's been over a week now on the 'Insanity' program. Today was Plyometric Cardio Circuit. I felt really good and worked to power through, but I couldn't hold it this time...I had to take a break in the middle toward the end of the workout during the level 1 drills: basically going into a plank from a standing position, four push-ups and then four 'climbers' (that's what I call them) and finish by standing back up. Next time!

On a better note...even at 38 degrees outside I decided to ride my bike to work. It was great and felt wonderful. I have noticed I'm running out of gears...I may have to look into getting a different from gear-set. Maybe a two chain-ring or something.

Riding my bike to work and doing really well during the workout felt really good and made for a great day!

Bike to Work Day Tri-Cities

Friday was an absolutely beautiful day after wind, rain and cloudy skies in Eastern Washington. A perfect day to bike to work.

I have spent the last year living and working in the Denver, Colorado area where Bike to Work day is a pretty big deal. Break stations are set up along the bike paths and routes to serve a little breakfast or energy to continue to work. Vendors come out to connect with new or veteran commuters. Best of all you get a chance to interact with a lot of people who commute, even if it's just that one day or week a year. That makes a difference.

As I biked to work last Friday (May 15th) I did not see any other commuters and there was no celebration for Bike to Work day. Now I do not make this observation to condemn the Tri-Cities for not making a big deal out of Bike to Work or even urban commuting. It is an observation, rather, of a different area that is growing and changing.

Just a year ago there were fewer commuters and cyclists in the Tri-City area of Eastern Washington. With at least two clubs, a 20 mile bike path along the great Columbia River and more bike paths surfacing every year, the Tri-Cities (that is Richland, Pasco and Kennewick, Washington) are poised to make a very big deal out of commuting if not Bike to Work day and/or week.

Yes, this area has a long way to go to become more bike friendly and aware, but the first step is getting more cyclists out there to let the citizens know this is not a fad but a fundimental change in the way people are choosing to commute even if it's just one day a week, month or year.

As of this moment I am dedicating myself to helping Bike to Work Month (May), week and day become more prominent in the Tri-City area. Here's to Bike to Work Week Tri-Cities 2010!

Not a buzz commuter, but a novara commuter!

Found this on the Bike Commute Tips Blog. Thanks to Paul Dorn for allowing me to reprint this story.

Love the photo of loading the Novara bike (looks like a Randonee) on the rail! Note the Novara Commuter panniers as well.

From the Sacramento Bee, 04.30.09:
Commuter: A 'multi-modal' journey

In 1992, Paul Dorn sold his car, which wouldn't be such a big deal, except he never bought another one. Now he has written a book showing others how to get by with less car use or no car use at all.

"The Bike to Work Guide: What You Need to Know to Save Gas, Go Green, Get Fit" (Adams Media, $7.95, 218 pages) focuses on helping the 57 million cyclists in the United States "extend the fun they have bicycling on weekends to their daily commute."

"I didn't set out to become a bike commuting expert. I had a modest goal of creating a Web site, and that led me to have an ongoing conversation with bicyclists," said Dorn.

Dorn is not a bike rider fixated on speed. He equips his touring-style bike with a rear rack. He usually rides wearing loose-fitting hiking shorts instead of tight-fitting Lycra. "People should ride whatever they are comfortable in and whatever suits their style," he said.

Read more about this story, Paul Dorn and his new book on the Bike Commute Tips Blog.

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.