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One Man's Commute
by Witold
Chrabaszcz
"So what's this deal with you commuting by bicycle nowadays?” my friends questioned when
they found out about my new hobby. “You’re not a bike messenger. You have a respectable
job, a schedule to keep, and you’re in decent shape as it is. Why bother? You don’t need
it. You'’ll arrive at work sweaty and exhausted, if you get eehre at all!" they said,
alluding to the infamous Washington, DC traffic. “It will be no fun.”
For me, nothing could be further from the truth.
Since I started my commute more than a year ago, I discovered a whole cadre of people, from
all walks of life, who bike to work, just as I do. And contrary to popular belief, they
don’t to it to annoy drivers or to save money. They do it because they find it enjoyable,
gratifying, and—most importantly—fun. And that is why I do it: my 30-mile (15
one-way) commute is often an out and out blast!
I don’t ride my bike every day, and I usually don’t bike in bad weather. I take it one day
at a time, depending on how motivated I feel on a given morning. But last year, I logged
more than 3500 miles on my Giant OCR3 road bike. Not too shabby.
At first, my rides were limited to local bike paths. But after too many close calls with
squirrels, rabbits, and other vermin, I decided to take a much safer route instead: the Lee
Highway. I live in Vienna, VA and take Lee Highway all the way to Key Bridge, then run down
Georgetown’s M street, pass in front of the White House, and ride Pennsylvania Avenue all
the way to Capitol Hill, where I work.
As I take this relatively hilly and congested route each morning, I can see some of the
frustrated and often angry faces of drivers who are stuck in traffic. That always makes me
chuckle. The only stress I have from commuting comes from negligent drivers who do not
share the road, or who think they own the road because they are on a 4000 lb vehicle while I
am on 20 lb one.
Still, there is pleasure to be found. The daily thrill of racing down the street approaching
40mph (and above!) is hard to beat. Likewise, the daily challenge of climbing multiple
hills can be exhausting but, in the end, very rewarding.
My daily ride is a race between the tortoise and the hare, but as I squeeze between endless
rows of impacted vehicles, I hope the drivers notice that the usual roles are often reversed
- I am the hare and they are the tortoises. It takes me about 55 minutes to get to work,
about 10 minutes longer than it would take me had I taken the metro, my only other option,
as I don’t own a car.
I believe that those of us who commute by bicycle are members of a privileged minority. We
have been lucky enough to have found a way to transform one the ugliest experiences in
modern western world, "The Commute" from a stressful and annoying chore into something that
is both enjoyable and gratifying. Each day, I arrive at work relaxed, refreshed, and
awake. Not many people I know can say the same thing.
Bike Commute Advice
Washington, DC Area Bike Clubs
Washington, DC Area Bike Trails
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