Ride Harder 

I still mentally hesitate when I wake up and see a thick torrential downpour. Then I focus and resume plans for a commute to work. Time to disregard human weakness and any and all hesitation at the prospect of slicing through rain or snow … on a bicycle. This will be fun! The thought process starts: What is happening before and after work? Any errands to run or community meetings? Family plans or recreational pursuits to fulfill? What needs to be carried for clothing and gear? The bags or the trailer? Which of my vehicles to take to work? Back to work, the plan is devised, time to execute. The clothing-donning process starts. In cool or inclement weather: neoprene socks, leg warmers, shoes, booties over shoes, waterproof pants, top shell, insert clear lens into eyewear.

The final touch is securing the hood of my raincoat into a lid and face cover using my helmet. Solid. Good to go. Tires fully inflated, check. Front and rear lights on and working, check. Spare tube, tire lever, patch kit, pump, water, check. Time for the take off. Initiate downhill cruise, clip—clip … enjoy silence and soulful contemplative moment … control systems calibration: feeling in fingers, wiggle toes, blood flow turned on and synapse relays firing. Oh, shit—are the cables attached? Thank God. Wet brakes functional? Front rear … Check. Shift into high gear. Ah, yes, the feeling of a cog engaging the chain perfectly without a skip or a clank is a thing of beauty.

This is going to be a good day. A steady downhill morning cruise is the perfect start to a day. Add to that a nice smooth surface, and it’s like riding on a magic carpet.

On winter mornings with recent snow, a downhill stretch can be icy and slick, so I have to pay attention. But even on the craziest snow days, the main roads are usually quite manageable. Traction depends more on bike handling and balance than tire surface, although sometimes I do take advantage of studded snow tires.

With snow on the road, I’ll take the lane, staking my safe and legal position on the road. Although it may seem counterintuitive, there is less danger bike-commuting in winter-storm conditions; motorists generally go slower and give you more space.

I can travel faster and safer than a car commuter in some winter conditions. Folks’ funny looks and comments when I arrive someplace dripping wet are always fun to respond to. “Gee, I left my windows down again.”

So much for people thinking I’m normal. With the waterproof shell layers, the only things that can get wet are my feet, hands and face. I have to remember to check my face in the morning, to wash off dirt blobs that landed during the ride. I keep a full wardrobe in my office, waiting dry and warm. We also have a shower for when I take longer mountain rides before work. After changing clothes, I’m ready for coffee or yerba mate. Finally, that gratifying feeling of accomplishment. Nothin’ to it. Riding in nice weather is not as exciting, but just as much fun.

Of Cogs and Chains
Traveling by bicycle is by far the best way to get around town. As a mechanical engineer, my work is to find the most efficient and inexpensive way to make things work. I’m not into idling or filling up at gas stations.

My commute is not affected by accidents or traffic congestion. I just ride right by. In the afternoon, when I see gridlock on Interstate 15 and pass all the cars idling at traffic lights, I’m glad I’m moving and not contributing to that problem.

As an outdoorsman, I prefer to not be confined in a small temperature-controlled box. With the right knowledge, experience and gear, bike commuting has become a major source of inspiration and energy.

Depending on my mood and purpose for the trip, I grab either the mountain bike, commuter/touring bike, trailer bike, racing bike or the cruiser. If I’m in a really good mood, I’ll take the longboard.

While my wife owns a car that we use on family trips when bikes are not an option, I personally have never given up bicycling and skateboarding since I was a kid. Buses and TRAX fill in the gaps nicely when needed.

Bike parking is easy and almost always available, and if not, I bring the bike inside. Open panniers on the bike double as my shopping cart. The other thing convenient about bike commuting is human interaction. I can say “hi” to neighbors and stop and talk to people. I have met many friends while out bike commuting, going the same way for long enough to get to know them. Try that in a car. Unless you really enjoy eating, don’t pursue the bikecommuter lifestyle. I eat as much as I can but still cannot gain weight. My wife thinks I have worms. But the bike commute actually serves a unique and vital purpose for my physical well-being.

In 1992, I suffered a severe lower-back injury requiring disk surgery. Managing chronic lower back pain is a constant challenge, one that I almost have mastered.

Sitting at a computer and standing at a test bench all day would kill me. But sandwich the day with some time in the bike saddle, and I’m fine.

Start Seeing Cyclists
Most active bike riders including avid bicyclists wouldn’t consider using a bike for commuting purposes.

The pedaling lifestyle does require more motivation, more drive and more physical energy. Pedaling obviously has more constraints than the car culture and puts riders at higher risk for injuries and accidents.

Even if you ride properly and follow the rules, there is still the occasional distracted motorist to watch out for, such as the cell-phone distracted driver who hit me in the summer of 2004. This was the classic “left cross,” where a motorist turns left in front on a cyclist who is riding in the opposite direction—a horrific, traumatic experience. After two full years of physical, emotional and financial hardship for my family and me, including multiple surgeries, a staph infection, and being on crutches when both of my children were born, I finally walked away with a fused ankle, courtesy of a titanium rod through leg and heel bones.

Going Dutch
I recently shared a long flight with a couple from the Netherlands who, along with 30 to 40 percent of their countrymen, choose to bike for town travel. Wouter and Karin Lengkeek live in Arnhem, a town made famous in the World War II film A Bridge Too Far. Cities there are designed for bike travel.

Jason Bultman is a longtime bike-safety activist and a driving force behind the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective. He’s been using a bike for his primary means of transportation for most of his life.