Nuts Over My New Bike

Some wondered whether I was having a sort of third-life crisis. No, I didn't buy a motorcycle, but you're on the right train of thought.

I bought a bicycle; something that I literally haven't had since I was like twelve years old.

My rationale? Well, it wasn't to recapture my youth if that's what you're thinking (I gave up on that a while ago). It was, in my mind, a practical purchase; a way to cut commuting costs to and from work.

You see, I currently work in an office in Cambridge and the quickest way to get there (that doesn't involve driving) is for me to walk 22 minutes from my house to the bus station, take a 25 minute bus ride to Harvard Station, then hop on the Red Line en route to the Kendall Square T stop. From there, it's another ten minute walk before I reach the office. On average, my commute is about an hour; usually more.

But time isn't the only factor to consider. I'm also thinking about my wallet. Currently, it costs 90¢ to ride the bus and another $1.25 to take the train. That's $2.15 to go from my house to work – one way. So, we're looking at $4.30 per day for a round trip. There are five weekdays in a work week, so $4.30 times five equals $21.50. There are, on average, four weeks to any given month, so by now, we're looking at a minimum cost of $86/month for my commute.

Fortunately, I can get a T-Pass for $71.00 which saves me $15.00 (roughly three “free” days) and my company will then go 50/50 with me thereafter, so when all is said and done, my total cost for a monthly pass is actually only $35.50/month. Not bad, but doing this commute with a bicycle is not only FREE, but it's actually faster!

The sh*tty part of my master money-saving slash exercise plan is that winter is fast approaching, which means snow, ice, slush and all kinds of crap in which one can not safely ride a bike. However, the total costs that I will incur by taking the bus/train route won't exceed the cost of a Combo Bus/Train pass unless I pay regular price for over eight days.

Now, my wife said that when she first moved to Massachusetts, she bought a bike, used it for one week, then wound up giving it to some kid because apparently, she wasn't the bike-ridin' type, so I can only assume that she thought I'd lose interest about as quickly.

Well, on Sunday, October 15th, I bought my very own bike, knowing pretty much nothing about what's good or what sucks. My buddy John, who actually IS quite knowledgeable about bikes, feared that I may have picked out a lemon, so when he asked about it, I e-mailed him a few snapshots. To my great relief, his response was that I'd lucked into picking out a great commuter bike. It's a "black chrome" Trek 7.3FX with a total of what I believe are twenty-four speeds (three on the left, eight on the right). John said that my bike is tough and fast and that he was actually a bit jealous, which reassured me that I hadn't thrown away good money.

Like I briefly mentioned, a perk that I found to be even cooler than commuting for free was that I was now getting to work faster! On my very first outing, I timed myself and even with my geriatric riding (I was a bit freaked out to be sharing the road with cars while I'm bombing down roads on something that I hadn't ridden in almost a score), I managed to make it from home to work in 48 minutes! In just this short interval between the time I bought the bike until today, I've already cut my commute to about 35 minutes, give or take. But it definitely takes a toll on me.

It quickly occurred to me that one thing I did NOT miss about bike-riding was the pain. Like I said, I ain't twelve years old anymore. I'm a thirty-something… and thirty-somethings feel the pain. By the time I got to work those first couple of days, my quads felt like hot pipes, my ass felt like it'd been pummeled with a baseball bat and I was almost certain that I'd never be able to father children again. About a half hour and four cups of ice water into that very first day, my lower back ached and my legs were stiff as boards. Yet, I felt fulfilled; like I had accomplished something and really done something good for my health for a change.

Plus, I actually have more energy when I bike in because my blood is pumping faster. I’m still a bit apprehensive at times, though. Aside from what few riding skills I may now possess, you never know what kinds of idiots you’ll encounter on the road. Some drivers (particularly taxis) will think little of sideswiping your ass if you dare take up too much road. One fool had me so close to the curb that I actually scraped the pedal against it just to avoid him.

I’ve also gained a newer appreciation for smooth roads because, let’s face it, not all roads are created equal. Some of the divots in the roads I’ve traveled are enough to really rattle all hell out of your spine if you don’t see them in time to avoid them. Plus, I’ve also learned where all of the “heartbreak hills” are in my travels. My ride home is quite the b*tch for this very reason. My trips home are fine until I hit Belmont. Then, it’s either shift down to first, pedal for ages and huff/puff my way up the hill or just say “f**k this” and walk the damn thing up.

Overall however, biking to and from work has actually been a lot of fun. I mean, yeah, riding in the rain is unnerving and I won’t even attempt it when the heavy snow hits, but I’m having fun and getting some exercise, so it can’t be all bad.

So, if I can just get my wedding tackle and the bones in my ass to stop hating me, I just might wind up making this new activity of mine a permanent lifestyle change.