WHY COMMUTE BY BICYCLE?
Just a few years ago I was in pretty poor shape: a pack-a-day smoker, a frequent drinker, a tendency for exercise avoidance, rarely outdoors. Hoping to encourage a healthier lifestyle, my partner (now wife) Marianne gave me an inexpensive mountain bike as a Christmas gift in 1994. After a few short-distance weekend try-out rides, I got the crazy idea to start riding to work. A regular MUNI rider since moving to San Francisco, my seven-mile commute required at least two transfers and could take anywhere from 50 to 90 minutes each way. Considering the crowding and stale air aboard the bus, the lengthy waits between transfers, the cost and aggravation — how could bike commuting not be an improvement? So one Monday morning, I set out early on my bike. Looking back on it now, I’m surprised that I stuck with it. I had no mentors really, no one to advise me or offer suggestions. I had to discover everything the hard way. That first morning I set out fully dressed in my office attire. Now I r
