It has been quite a year getting from Pt A to Pt B

When I started the Bike2Work Challenge back in June, I never expected it to have the impact that it did.

This is a catch-up for the last 6 months:

• in the middle of July, the clutch went on my car of 17 years ... my old faithful Toyota Corolla.  I was between a rock and a hard place, financially (at that precise time) so I decided it was time to "let go" and so I had it towed away to the car graveyard.

• I continued my easy commute (5 minutes) of 1K one-way on a regular basis to City Hall and my every other day commute (8K one-way) to the Kitchener Operations Facility throughout the summer.
• I cycled to Sobey's and Central Market for groceries, Swanson's for hardware, and followed the Iron Horse Trail to church most Sundays up in Waterloo.  It was 4K to my fiance's place across town.
• I didn't need to "work out" - commuting everywhere was giving me all the exercise I needed!  Cycling in 0-10C weather was actually more efficient. As the weather cooled off, it became easier to get from point A to point B without having to enlist the services of a shower  ;-) 
• In September, I joined CarShare and opened a corporate and personal account.  With the onset of more back-to-back meetings at City Hall and the Kitchener Operations Facility, I found it more timely to use the CarShare to zip back and forth.
• I have continued to cycle most days through balmy September through December but with the road conditions, I'm going to hold off on buying the winter treads and just walk to work for now and use CarShare for the trips to the KOF and running personal errands.
• Can't wait to hop back on the bike as winter thaws permit.
• I send a big thank you to Ziggy's for being so generous at the onset and for continually "being there" for tune-ups and keeping the tires at the right pressure ever since!  You guys rock!
• Finally, a big thank you to Josh for helping us all explore new ways of getting from point A to point B.

Greg Kay
Business Systems Project Manager,
City of Kitchener.

Sticking with it

I wondered if I would truly keep with cycling like I said I would... and so far so good.  I just eclipsed 550 km of total commuting by bike this summer, including 250 km in July (post-challenge).  I think I can now say that its part of my daily routine.

Thanks again to Ziggy's.  I was having a 'clicking' sound near my handlebars and they were able to fix it up with a little grease.

- Alan P, Google

May the Cycle be Unbroken

Unless something very surprising happens, tomorrow will be my 23rd and final (for now) business day in a row biking to work. I am on vacation next week, and only that can break my streak. When I get back, I will continue cycling to and from work, but the streak is broken and the counter resets. I am taking a few days off at the end of July, but perhaps I will try for every day in August?

Yesterday, the heat hit me as a miserable wall on the way out of the Tannery. Even with my short commute, I will likely have to alter my current commute strategy if the heat continues like this. So far, I have been able to avoid all of this business of a bringing a change of clothes and showering when I get here. That will change pretty quickly if there is a morning as hot as yesterday afternoon. You could feel the heat in your teeth as you inhaled, and the pavement seemed to be rising up underneath me.

One thing I am realizing is that if I continue to bike to work, I need to add a calendar reminder each week or so to start up my car and drive it around the block a few times. Mostly to discourage the squirrels from filling my muffler with walnuts. I don't think I have turned over the engine since June 9th.

- Eric M
Google

The end? or just the beginning?

It's been a great month of cycling and none of it would have been possible without the generous support of Ziggy's Cycle - thank you for the bikes, the advice and for helping to grow the cycling community in Kitchener.

Also a big thank you to Josh for organizing the challenge - I can't imagine how much time he put in setting up the blog and making the video.

I ended the month on a high, having cycled every work day for the past 15 days.  In June I spent over 15 hours commuting by bike, and cycled over 300 km in the process.

I feel great and am looking forward to continuing to ride through the rest of the summer and fall.  This past week I've started getting more comfortable riding on busier roads like King and Weber, which has helped me to take a more direct route.  I am also excited to tackle the big hill near my house, which I had shied away from earlier in the month.

Lastly, to all the people that have supported me and all 12 of us through this challenge - thank you!  It's been great that so many people have been interested in how we are doing and if you've been thinking about cycling but haven't done it in a while, just go for it, you'll be glad you did.

- Alan P, Google

Bike2Work Challenge Video & Lessons Learned!

Hello all,

I'm very pleased to announce that all 12 participants have met the requirements of the challenge, and are therefore eligible to keep their bicycles as a prize! In total, the 12 participants have cycled nearly 2000 kilometres from home to work!

Numerous participants have expressed an interest in maintaining this blog throughout the year. I'm pleased to announce that this blog will remain active and participants will continue to blog about their cycling experiences. Be sure to subscribe via email (see box to the right) to be kept up to date. For your information, this blog has been visited over 4000 times!

On another note, I have made some interesting observations in regards to this challenge that I believe are worth sharing:

1)      People will adjust their transportation habits when they are provided with the proper incentives and support: Offering a new bicycle, valued at over $700, proved to be an incentive that worked extremely well in engaging people who might not ever have considered cycling. For example, 10 of the 12 participants in this challenge have never cycled to work before. The incentive is what drew them to participate, but their month long experience is what will adjust their transportation habits in the long term. 100% of participants have stated that they will continue cycling to work after the challenge is over.

2)      When people are willing to share their transportation experiences, others take notice: Participants in this challenge were required to blog about their bicycle commuting experiences online at http://bike2work2012.blogspot.ca/. In just one month, the blog has been visited over 4000 times, and many participants have stated that their friends, family, and co-workers have been inspired to try commuting to work by bicycle as well. People trust their friends and family, so the lesson learned here is to motivate people to spread the messaging themselves.

3)      Cycling is truly for people from all age groups and walks of life: The demographics of participants in this challenge was quite diverse, and included younger and older professionals, parents, and both urban and suburban residents. Despite the differences between participants, all were committed to cycling to work, and all shared a common positive experience. This reinforces the fact that cycling is so much more than just a sport in which you wear spandex. It is a sustainable mode of transportation that resonates with a significant majority of people.

4)      Building partnerships with private and public stakeholders plays an important role in changing people’s transportation habits: Without the generous sponsorship of Ziggy’s Cycle, 12 people would have never been exposed to the many benefits of bicycle commuting. Countless other opportunities exist with the many businesses in Downtown Kitchener, and I believe their involvement will be critical in encouraging people to travel more sustainably.

The following quote was included in the video above: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I… I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.” In this context, cycling is the less travelled by option, and yet it has made all the difference in the lives of the 12 participants. Will the City of Kitchener be transformed into a world-class bicycle friendly city? With more initiatives like this one, I do believe it will.

If you have any questions or comments related to the Bike2Work Challenge, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a great weekend and safe cycling!

Regards,

Josh Joseph             

Transportation Demand Management Coordinator

City of Kitchener, Transportation Services

200 King Street West, Kitchener, ON

P.O. Box 1118  |  N2G 4G7

P: 519-741-3400 ext. 3167

F: 519-741-2747

TTY: 1-866-969-9994

E: josh.joseph@kitchener.ca

One Month Down!

I cannot believe that we having been biking for one month. The time really has gone by so quickly and after a conversation yesterday with Alan, a fellow Bike2Work participant, I wish we were doing this all over again. Alan and I ran into one another as we were picking up our bikes to ride home. We were discussing how the challenge has been going and he made mention to a challenge he set for himself that made my ride home and back to work this morning so much fun!
He told me that each day he times himself to see how quickly he can make it to and from work. His goal has been to beat his own time each day and to find new routes to take that have less lights or stop signs to make sure his time keeps improving.
I thought this was such a great idea that I tried it myself. It was such a simple personal challenge and I had so much more fun on my ride home. I actually did not time myself, partly because I had to make a few stops on the ride home, but I felt like I was flying! (Thanks Alan)
At this point it seems appropriate to tell you a few things that I have learnt from riding my bike to work these past few weeks:

1.      Reinvesting in your body feels great;

2.      Not having enough time is an excuse (at least for me);

3.      Gas is expensive…;

4.      You can still go to the LCBO after work to grab a bottle of wine (or three :$);

5.      Biking in the rain is as much fun now as it was when you were a kid;

6.      Biking in lightening is beautiful and incredibly scary;

7.      Bikers scare drivers as much as drivers scare bikers;

Finally, there is a huge need for more bike lanes in KW. I am so excited to continue biking to work, but there are simply some areas that are not safe. As I ride down Ottawa Street or Homer Watson I am constantly reminded of this. Twice now, including this morning, I have been forced by motor vehicles to ride so close to the sidewalk that my bike petal has gotten stuck on the curb. This is the worst feeling I have had so far on my ride to work; not knowing if I am going to get my petal unstuck in time or fall off of my bike into traffic.

I would also like to thank the City of Kitchener and Ziggy’s Cycle for putting on this challenge. This has been a life changing experience…one I will keep up with. Thank You!

Laura (Desire2Learn)

Finally feeling local

Downtown Kitchener has a lot of great residential areas, and I have lived in one for over five years. But only very recently have I started to "feel local".

I worked in a Waterloo tech area, seldom went downtown, except walking to the library now and then.

Over the last year, I have realized how great my area is. We started going (and walking) to the symphony, regularly going (again, walking) to the KW|AG¹, and I have just generally walked much, much more. I have discovered parks all over, hidden lane-ways, interesting houses, buildings and gardens.

Part of this was just slowly becoming aware of our surroundings. Part of this was having a baby that finds walking calming. Part of this was switching to a job downtown. And part of this was biking.

Biking puts you right on the streets, exposed to the noises and smells² of downtown. In the car, I would have the radio on; when I walk, I often listen to podcasts. When I am cycling it is just me, the bike and the city. I expected to get bored taking the same short route every day, but there is something new to notice all the time. This morning I was thinking about what I will see if I keep biking this same route until the snow comes.

In late summer, the grasses along the tracks will turn yellow and seedy. In fall the huge maples on Louisa and Wellington will turn yellow and red. The small multiplex at Wellington and Duke is already almost done replacing all the balconies. The redevelopment of industrial spaces seems to be continuing along the tracks towards Krug, I am curious to see what the The Breithaupt Block will look like, and what companies will locate there. The industrial and commercial areas are in the midst of an exciting transition; only blocks away the residential areas seem so green and full of life.

I am excited about the rest of the summer and the fall. I am certainly a much bigger fan of downtown than I was before. Be it resolved that now when someone asks me where I live, I will say "Downtown Kitchener", rather than "Near Uptown Waterloo".

- Eric M
Google

---

1. I remembered the KW Art Gallery from public school as sort of a dusty shrine to Homer Watson. Maybe it was never really like that, but it definitely isn't now. Great contemporary shows, both local and touring.
2. Why can't I smell cakes being baked at the new cake place at Victoria and Duke? I am sure I wouldn't be able to resist if I could smell that on the way home. Or is it the wind direction?

Did the participants survive without their cars? The results may surprise you…

12 bikes. 12 riders. 12 cars left at home.

Did the participants survive without their cars?

The results may surprise you…

Join us for a challenge wrap-up presentation on

Wednesday, June 27^th from 12:00pm – 1:00pm

in Kitchener City Hall Rotunda.

Light refreshments will be provided.

You are welcome to drop in or leave early.

Click here to add this to your calendar (click open, save and close)

What are participants saying about the challenge?

·         "I can't remember the last time I felt so amazingly alive."

·         Since the beginning of June, I've lost 2 lbs and feel great physically.

·         I have a great support group. Thanks to all my peeps for encouraging me and following my blog posts.

·         After cycling in to work in the mornings, I feel awake, energized, and ready to start my day.

·         Shockingly, a side benefit to biking to work has been a decrease in my coffee intake (down from 6-8 cups to just 1-2 cups).

·         Is biking the new yoga? Who knows. All I know is that riding to work lets me clear my head and prepare for the day.

·         I can't say enough how much more energized I feel during the day.  I notice it in my productivity at work and at home.

·         So many positive things have come out of biking to work that I can't see myself ever stopping!

·         and lots more!

If you have any questions or comments regarding the Bike2Work Challenge, please feel free to contact Josh Joseph. I hope to see you out on Wednesday!

Regards,

Josh Joseph             

Transportation Demand Management Coordinator

City of Kitchener, Transportation Services

200 King Street West, Kitchener, ON

P.O. Box 1118  |  N2G 4G7

P: 519-741-3400 ext. 3167

F: 519-741-2747

TTY: 1-866-969-9994

E: josh.joseph@kitchener.ca

Bikers Still Need to Obey All Traffic Laws

On my bike ride in to work this morning I passed by a cyclist that was stopped on the other side of the road on Lancaster just past the Union St. traffic lights.   It looked like the cyclist had been  stopped by a Police Officer as the cruiser lights were flashing and it appeared that the officer was writing out a ticket.   There were no other vehicles or pedestrians, or anyone else around and the cyclist was just waiting on the sidewalk and did not look very happy.   I’m not sure what he did wrong, whether he was riding on the sidewalk or had gone through a red light, or what, but it was clear that he was getting a ticket for something.     

I Just wanted to remind other cyclists out there that when you are biking you are considered a vehicle under the Highway Traffic Act and you still have to obey all traffic laws just like the cars do.   Red lights...... that's a given - you just have to wait till it goes green.    Drivers are not expecting cyclists on the sidewalks and even if the driver does look before backing out of their laneway or turning at an intersection, cyclists move much faster than a pedestrian  and can catch the driver off guard.   The safest place for bikers is on the side of the road where drivers will be looking for other vehicles.   Now, having said that, cyclists need to take that extra bit of caution to make sure that they are seen by traffic in all directions, including traffic approaching them from behind.     I have seen a number of bikers out there dressed in black or with a dark back pack on and they just blend in and are hard to see.   I try to wear something bright while I am biking, to make me feel more confident that the other vehicles will see me and I will make it there safely.   

Terri R.

Warm. Warmer. Disco!

This is an updated (and slightly less harsh) version of a previous post I did for Waterloobikes.ca

PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE MY OBSERVATIONS ONLY!!!
This is my Top 6 List of road hogs! Sometimes it seems like a contest on who can come closest to me. Well, time to be named and shamed!! These are in order of furthest away from me as they go around me to the closest brush encounters:

#6 - School Buses

Big Yellow Menace

Don't get me wrong, they aren't terrible, but they have to make the list. For some reason these buses feel it necessary to speed around you wide, but cut back as quickly as possible, almost forgetting that the bus extends beyond the 3rd row of students. If the bus is empty? Even worse!

 #5 - Men in older model Mini-Vans
I don't know what it is, but this is a crazy phenomenon that I have witnessed countless times. Women in mini-vans steer well clear and give plenty of room, doesn't matter if the model is new or old. They seem to have respect. Toss a dude in that same seat and they turn into some sort of bitter crank-pot who is angry they have to drive said mini-van I suppose and therefore feel it necessary to take out their aggression on us poor cyclists by shading ever closer to the side we are on.

#4 - City Buses

GRRRRRT

I think every cyclist out there would agree that it is very dependent on the driver of each City transit behemouth whether or not you are going to feel death coming on.




#3 - Oversized Trucks
See"Monster Truck" but street legal sort-of. Anything with big tires and a big ego along with it are clear winners in the "i'm bigger than you and I can squish you so get outta my way" race. Clearly I, the cycle-commuter, am a much less superior being than you who drives a gigantic, nuclear weapon of a truck. Kudos to  you on coming ever so close.

#2 - Lowend mid-sized vehicles

Low End Indeed!

I'm not sure why, but this is a crazy phenomenon. I think it might have to do with the age of the drivers of these cars. Typically this is an older model Grand-Prix, Ford Taurus or Chevy Cavalier driven by a 20-30ish aged person. Usually females drive closer than males from my observation. It could be that the car is just so junky they figure that if they hit something they can just bang out the dent my head makes without much issue or they can just dump the car and get a new one for a cheap price.



 
#1 - Cabs
Without question, the WORST for coming close, for speeding by and for just plain being annoying. Do these guys drive all day and not actually look in their mirrors? Are they so sleep deprived that they cannot see me and my 2 red flashing lights and reflective jacket? I have had more close calls with these people than any of the above combined.

Some honorable mentions:
Dump Trucks and Cement Trucks: Not consistent, but can be too close if it is late in the day and they are probably on overtime.
Late Model SUV's and Pickup Trucks: Has to be a specific type of driver.'


-- Brendan L., Communitech

Be careful what you wish for ...

After the humidity of last week, I was wishing for a cool break.   Well, we certainly got that today!
It was 14C when I hopped on the bike this morning but, thankfully, sunny.   I was just in black shorts and T-shirt and it really forced me to pick up the pace to generate some warmth.  I arrived at my destination 8 km later in record time (18 minutes) and here is how it looked:

As I stepped outside of the Kitchener Operations Facility after my meetings, I soon realized why my trip there had gone so quickly.  Here I thought I was getting in good shape - it was the WIND at my back that made all the difference.

However, the trek back to Kitchener City Hall, took more like 40 minutes instead of my normal 20 going against the wind.  I rarely managed to get past 3rd gear.  I had to get off the major roads and find more sheltered passage on side-streets and The Iron Horse Trail. 

Going slower surely allows you to see more.  Here is a sample of some of the beautiful gardens as I was passing by Rockway.

A key bonus, however, is that because of the chilly and windy conditions, I had absolutely no need for a shower when I returned to City Hall - maybe I shouldn't confess to such achievements ;-)

Greg K., City of Kitchener

"I can't remember the last time I felt so amazingly alive."

Happy Sunday, friends!

A kitty lost in the rain, being rescued
by two friendly girls.

Let's do the time warp and remember Thursday evening. The weather report called for thunderstorms, hail, rain: basically, all the sorts of precipitation and atmospheric happenings that put a sad face on the pedestrian-cyclist folk. Naturally, I decided to bike that day.

Graffiti: "Remember Your Mother"

[Enter sports sports announcer] Ding ding ding, the ultimate showdown begins! The two competitors enter the ring. In the red corner corner, weighing 130 lbs, with little-to-no athletic ability and general inability to do anything requiring balance or grace, hailing from organic veggieland Guelph, please welcome Cccchhhhaaaaaantal! [Awkward crickets.] And in the green corner, weighing an immeasurable amount, with lightning, thunder and a variety of displeasing weather antics at her disposal, please welcome Mooooother Naaaaature! [Audience cheers wildly.]

Rainbow bike tracks.

Despite the odds being against me, I gave 'er my all. I was viciously hailed on, I was brutally soaked, I was harshly scratched and I got a little muddy, too. But guys, I survived, and it felt awesome.  Riding through the rain, taking all that Mother Nature could throw at me, and making it through was so incredibly invigorating. When I got home, despite being drenched, despite being out of breath, despite everything, I felt like I could take on the world. I can't remember the last time I felt so amazingly alive.

Iron Horse Trail.

And it wasn't just that. It wasn't just the awesome feelings of independence that surged through me, but the sense of affinity. As I pedalled through the intense rain and hail, I saw so many in my position, both pedestrians and cyclists. And here's the thing: I smiled at every one of them, and every one smiled back. It was like the miserable weather was some kind of secret joke that only we were aware of, that only we understood. We chatted a bit, we laughed, we joked. Insta-bond, just add torrents of water.

Had I gone home in a car or a bus or some other motored vehicle, the experience would have been so different. I would have sat in my car, gone from A to B, without anything of particular remark happening. Instead, I was flooded with so many emotions and had such an amazing experience. Yeah, I got wet and yeah, I had to be extra careful, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

- Chantal J. from Desire2Learn

Things I learned in week 3

I keep learning new things about my commute, and I thought these ones were worth sharing.

• I can decrease my overall commute distance by riding on weber or king for extended periods.  But the trails and side streets produce a slightly faster commute because I don't get stuck at traffic lights.
• Not all drivers are watching for cyclists.  I narrowly avoided an accident with a vehicle that pulled right out in front of me as I was coming down a hill.
• If you have flexibility in the time that you leave work, waiting out a storm can be worth it.  It was pouring when i went to leave on Thursday, but waiting 30 minutes allowed me to avoid almost all the rain.
• Since the beginning of June, I've lost 2 lbs and feel great physically.
• Having a shower available at work makes a huge difference to my attitude towards commuting by bike.  All employers should provide showers.

- Alan P, Google

Ride the Lightning

Week 3 for me was a very enjoyable one. Despite a forecast of storms, the week started off with a number of sunny and very hot days. I've noticed that my muscles get a lot less sore from the biking now. On Tuesday evening I had a soccer game and felt that I was able to run for a much longer period of time without getting tired. Overall, I felt energized and alert throughout the week, which is something that I haven't had in a long time. On Thursday evening, the stormy forecast finally had some truth to it. There were deep puddles of water all over the roads and the rain was still coming down hard despite the forecast of less than 1mm. On top of that, there were extreme weather alerts warning for the possibility of hail and tornadoes. Thankfully none of that actually happened. I wasn't looking forward to the ride home in the rain, but once I got going, I really enjoyed it. After the humidity of the previous days, I was glad I could bike without feeling like I was in an oven! Thanks to the gear that I mentioned in my last post, I was still very comfortable during the commute and all of my stuff stayed dry! I definitely won't let the forecast have that much of an influence on my transportation choices in the future and would gladly venture out into the rain once again.

Keeping Things Dry :)

"I have gained confidence in my riding…"

My observations for week 3 of cycling commuting:

·         I don’t keep track of how many road crossings I have left anymore. I’m home before I even think about how much further I have to ride.

·         If a bell rings in the forest, everybody hears it!  My bell is small but mighty.

·         I have gained confidence in my riding… I now pedal while riding downhill rather than coasting or braking. My top speed so far is 38km/hr…(psst, mom, don’t read this out loud, just tell dad I don’t go over 15 km/hr)

·         The kids have stopped whining about walking to school and just ask which days they are walking now. This means I am winning. I like winning.

·         I have a great support group. Thanks to all my peeps for encouraging me and following my blog posts.

- Brenda V. from the City of Kitchener

Hey, this is getting to be a GOOD habit ...

Funny how the efficiencies start to evolve as I am creating this "cycle-to-work-everyday-no-matter-what" habit!   Few minutes saved here, more direct routes there, picking up the pace ... they all combine.

Here is what I see on final approach to City Hall from Victoria Park.

The lion's share of the week was incredibly hot and quite windy at times.  Still, it was fun to increase the pace and see the results on the bike computer.

Today (Friday) was so gorgeous.  I can't wait to take this bike out into the country-side for some loops out to Bamburg or Elora.  With a hybrid, I hope to connect with other cyclists and have a hope of being able to keep up with them!

Greg K, from City of Kitchener

Where has the time gone?

Already, we have reached the end of Week 3 in this challenge – I just can’t believe how fast it has gone by, but I guess… time flies when you are having fun….  

Having made it through heavy traffic, an almost record-breaking heat wave, and even severe thundershowers I am happy to say that I am still very much enjoying this!   Biking to work has so many benefits, regular exercise (over 165 kms and still counting….), saving money, reducing my carbon footprint and less wear and tear on my vehicle to name just a few.    

All those benefits aside, I would have to say that what I have enjoyed about this challenge the most is just being out there listening to the birds and watching the playful squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits as I ride past them.    It is a great stress reliever.   After cycling in to work in the mornings, I feel awake, energized, and ready to start my day.  At the end of the day, cycling gives me a chance to wind down on my way home from work so that I can start my evenings with a clear head. 

I have established a routine that I am comfortable with and built up enough confidence that I look forward to my bike rides each day.     I feel confident that I can continue this throughout the rest of the summer and into the fall.   Who knows, if we have a mild enough winter like last year, perhaps even into the winter months……   I already know a few people that do commute throughout the winter months on their bikes……perhaps I will be able to join that circle as well..………hmmmmmm……     

Terri R.   City of Kitchener

How biking to work is making me less of a coffee addict, less high maintenance, and less neurotic

There have been some surprising benefits to biking to work that I was not expecting…

Side Benefit – Less Coffee Intake

I depend heavily on coffee to help me get going in the morning. It’s partially a dependence on the caffeine boost and partially just a habit. I really like coffee: the smell of it brewing, the first hot gulp from a pretty cup in the morning, and the buzz of energy I feel after a cup. Shockingly, a side benefit to biking to work has been a decrease in my coffee intake. I still have my regular one cup of java at home; however, I no longer have the desire to have the three cups I normally have while at work. By the time I get to work I find that I am wide-awake, my heart is beating, and all I crave is a drink of water.  I just don’t FEEL like another cup of coffee.  I don’t NEED another cup of coffee. And somewhere close by my family doctor is rejoicing.

Side Benefit – Less Stuff

I’m that girl that takes the kitchen sink to work every day. Need a bandaid? I have that in my bag. Need a snack? I have that in my bag. Want a cup of tea? I have three different kinds of loose tea in my bag. Yes I am a compulsive over-packer, and consistently bring at least two bags with me to work every day. And yes, I’m just as bad when I travel long distances. Traveling lightly is not something I do well.  Clearly I tried to over pack the first couple of days while biking. It made sense to me because now I need even MORE items because I need to bring a change of clothes, extra shoes, and toiletries to work on a daily basis.

After a week of my back hurting from trying to load my entire life into my backpack I decided to simplify (a little). I streamlined the toiletry bag, brought only one pair of shoes instead of two, and decided to only carry one hardcover book. Last week was a better ride, but my back was still stiff and frankly sweaty. I gave those pretty, but seemingly small- in-size pannier bags that Ziggy’s gave us a once over. Could I actually fit everything I needed into these tiny little pockets that balanced on the rear of my bike? Shockingly, the answer is YES. My back did not hurt during my ride on Monday, nor did I feel unbalanced with the amount of weight on my bike.

Side Benefit – Inner Peace

Is biking the new yoga? Who knows. All I know is that riding to work without any loud noises (like my ipod if I run or my radio if I drive) lets me clear my head and prepare for the day. Biking without any distractions lets me focus on my thoughts and the sights and sounds around me. There is something to be said for focus on the present and your immediate surroundings. By biking instead of driving I get to wave to an adorably friendly puppy dog on my way to work, chat with a crossing guard, watch gardens bloom, and feel my body work to propel me to and from work. These experiences are far more valuable to me and how I feel each day than I ever imagined. After all, it’s hard to stop and smell the roses when you are speeding by singing badly to the new Beiber song.

All images via Pinterest

By Kayleigh P

Holy Heritage

Rumpel Felt Building, facing Duke

The downside of having the shortest commute is that my stats aren't impressive. I am at the bottom of the mileage heap, but it isn't for lack of commuting. In fact, I have commuted every single day. I haven't commuted by car or foot a single time, either direction, since the moment the bike was handed to me. Though with such a short distance, that isn't hard to achieve. I have to admit, I am looking at the folks who have broken 100km with shame and envy, but it hardly makes sense to regularly commute farther than point A to B, particularly in this weather.

Rumpel Felt is another great old listed industrial building on my route, and since I cross Victoria at Duke Street, I have plenty of time to contemplate the pictured side of the building while waiting for the incredibly slow lights. There is a rusty dump-chute of some sort (to the left of the pictured area) that is so interesting that at first I didn't notice the inexplicable garage-style door that opens to nothing on the third floor. My first guess here is that it was an opening cut for installing or removing heavy equipment. Alternate guess: steampunk shuttle bay door? The traffic light here really is slow.

Lang Tannery, facing Joseph

Back at the Lang Tannery, there is a square patched hole facing Joseph on the second floor. Walking back from a lunch in Victoria park with some co-workers last week, one of them wondered what the hole was from. It took me a minute, but I remembered that this was roughly where the overhead link was from the now-demolished boiler house (only the chimney remains). There are old drawings of the complex near the bike racks, and we were able to confirm that was in fact where the junction was. Of the dozens of bricked up openings on this building, I was pleased to be able to explain the history of one of them.

The curb along this stretch is an example of my new pet peeve since I have been bike commuting: non-flush curbs. The pavement here is about an inch and a half lower than the curb base, just enough to make it dangerous to bike tires. Wellington is like this too, and it inserts a dangerous edge 10 inches or so into the roadway. This pushes cyclists further into the road, creating a sort of negative bike lane, and serves no purpose that I can determine. Anyone want to illuminate me here? Why not keep these surfaces flush?

- Eric M
Google

Follow-up from last week - the legacy elevators (two of them apparently) still exist! Thanks to Brendan, I located one of them in a whole section I didn't even know was accessible.

Dreaming

Just for fun....

-- Brendan L, Communitech

Oh the smells…….

When you are driving in your car with the air conditioning on, you don’t realize you are missing out on some of the most appetizing aromas out there…….  When you are commuting to work by bicycle, you get the little extras that you would otherwise miss out on, like the smell of bacon cooking in the morning on your way to work, or the smell of steak on the BBQ on the way home….. or even the fresh baked bread from Weston's when you are near Victoria Street …….sure makes it easy to do meal planning now…..

    

Terri R.,

...a little bit easier and a little bit faster.

Today marks the third week of biking and I still love it!

Each day I bike to work it gets a little bit easier and I get a little bit faster. My first bike ride to work took me approximately 45 minutes and now it takes about 30 minutes to make it to work. Part of the reason it was taking me so long was that I did not really have any idea as to how to use the gears on my bike. Now that I have figured that out, things are going much smoother…except for the hills.

I have yet to get off my bike to walk it up any hills (a goal I set for myself as the challenge began). Even if I am exhausted, I just change the gears to the very lowest that I can and mosey along. The hill that gets me the most isn’t even the one that is the biggest. It’s the hill at the end of my ride that I live on the top of. It’s a little like torture getting up that last leg, knowing that I am so close to the finish line, but it's so rewarding when I finally make it!

I spent my lunch yesterday with Kayleigh Platz, a fellow Bike2Work participant. Our conversation quickly evolved to highlight how wonderful we both feel as a direct reflection of this challenge. We both agreed that we feel healthier, more fit and much less guilty when we do not make it to the gym after work. By the end of our lunch we decided that we are going to hold each other to this challenge even after it is all over.

I hope that some of you have started biking to work with us!

- Laura M. from Desire2Learn

More white lines please!

It’s amazing the comfort that comes from a bike lane.
As a driver, I have always felt more comfortable when I have a clear end to my lane, and a clear start to the bike lane. And I can now say for sure that I feel the same as a cyclist.

Safe biking practices state that you should not hug the curb, to avoid grates and debris. However, on those busy streets with no bike lanes I feel safer braving the debris than being out too far into traffic. While many drivers are understanding and give you room, others rev their engines and mutter words of anger when they feel you’re too far into ‘their’ lane.

I was a little nervous last week to lengthen my ride from a mere 2kms to my Kitchener office to 10kms to my Waterloo office. However, between trails, I was only on Caroline—a busy commuter road, yes, but with a large bike lane. I felt safer on this road than I do on any without the white line separating me from traffic.

In my experience, the comfort level of—and mutual respect between—cyclists and drivers increases significantly with a bike lane. I guess, in short what I’m saying is … more white lines please!!

- Meghan

Some Interesting Numbers

We're just past the halfway mark of the bike2work challenge and I thought it would be fun to go over some numbers. In the month of June...

• I've biked 157 km
• My fastest commute by bike was 23 minutes
• I've completed eight roundtrips by bike
• I've seen three rabbits
• I almost ran over one squirrel
• I've filed up my car with gas zero times

One thing that I've learned is that having the right equipment makes all the difference.  The bikes that we are using are great.  Mine weighs about a third less than my old mountain bike, and with the same energy, it seems to go about 50% faster.  Also, having sandle bags on the bike and not having to wear a backpack is a lot more comfortable, especially in the heat.  Speaking of heat, this week will be a good test!

- Alan P, Google

Nearly 1000 kilometers cycled to work so far!

955.1 kilometers. That's the total distance cycled from home to work by participants in the 2012 Bike2Work Challenge so far. Guess what? We'll surpass 1000 kilometers by tomorrow!

What does 955.1 kilometers by bike really mean?

- Over 25,000+ calories burned among the 12 participants *
- Over 575 lbs of emissions avoided * (cycling emits ZERO emissions)
- Over $500 saved in fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, etc. *

From Home to Work: Commuting Statistics for the 12 Participants **

Participant Name	KM Traveled to Date
Alan P.	139.3
Ashok R.	49.2
Brenda V.	50.4
Brendan L.	108
Chantal J.	89.6
Eric M.	33.7
Greg K.	56
Kayleigh P.	54
Kyle A.	71.9
Laura M.	130
Meghan K.	40
Terri R.	133

** Please note that the commute distance (from home to work) varies among each participant; therefore, the statistics above cannot be compared fairly between participants. All participants have been commuting to work by bicycle an average of 3 times per week, and are well on their way to keeping the bicycle as a prize!

Keep up the great commuting habits everyone!