Grumpypilgrim and I are both big advocates of bicycle use, including bicycle commuting.
In my own case, I started using bicycle to commute to work in 1999 (I live in St. Louis). I’ve accrued more than 10,000 miles bicycle commuting since that time. I’m about five miles from my place of work and it takes me about 22 minutes to make the trip, which is only 5 minutes longer than it takes to drive a car.
Using a bicycle is an excellent way to relieve stress, save gas and build exercise into your routine. Before I started commuting by bike, I couldn’t imagine I would have become so committed. Before I started commuting, I thought of a bicycle as most Americans do: as a recreational toy. Bicycles certainly are wonderful “toys.” But they are much more, too. Now I see my bicycle (I ride a Trek 4900 that cost about $500) as a finely designed machine that gets an important job done in an earth-friendly way.
In case any readers want to catch the fever, here are some bicycling-related websites to get you started. If anyone wants to add to this list, by all means, share your information by adding a comment. Thanks!
General bicycle info:
Sheldon Brown http://www.sheldonbrown.com [1] (lots of tips and bike repair info)
Bicycle commuting and safety:
- Adventure Cycling Association – www.adventurecycling.org [2]
- America Bikes – www.americabikes.org [3]
- Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals – www.apbp.org [4]
- Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute – www.bhsi.org [5]
- Bicycle Safe – www.bicyclesafe.com [6]
- Bicycling Street Smarts – www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa [7]
- Bikes Belong – www.bikesbelong.org [8]
- International Mountain Bike Association – www.imba.com [9]
- League of American Bicyclists – www.bikeleague.org [10]
- National Center for Bicycling and Walking – www.bikewalk.org [11]
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center – www.bicyclinginfo.org [12]
- Trailnet – http://www.trailnet.org/ [13]
Bicycle touring
- Bikelist http://www.bikelist.org/ [14] (excellent user lists for bike touring and
other bike-related topics; searchable database) - Bicycle Touring 101 http://www.biketouring101.com [15] (great place to start for information about bike touring; lots of basic info)
- Adventure Cycling Association. http://www.adventurecycling.org [2] (lots of bike touring info; fabulous touring-specific maps)
- Ken Kifer. http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/index.htm [16] (homemade touring gear, stealth camping, more)
Bike touring on-line journals:
- Crazyguyonabike http://www.crazyguyonabike.com [17] (more bike touring journals than anyone could read in a lifetime)
- China Bicycle Touring Travelogues http://www.bikechina.com/spoke.html [18] (tips for bike touring in developing countries)
- Down the Road. http://www.downtheroad.org/ [19] (around the world on a bike)
Winter biking:
- Ice Bike http://www.icebike.com [20] (this one is grumpypilgrim’s recommendation. You can tell that he doesn’t live in a warm state! You can do it, by the way! You too can ride when it’s ten below!)
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