14 years since I have been on a bike.
Some time in the last three years…
As a walker I have watched many bikers whiz by. I wonder where they live, who they are and where they work. I don’t really have any biker friends and haven’t regularly ridden a bike for 14 years. Frankly I am scared to get on a bike in the city. If I do I hope I remember to roll up my pant leg because that’s what bikers do.
August 31
Bike Commute Challenge starts tomorrow. My new co-workers are really into this event. I really don’t know what this entails. I must go pick up my sister’s old bike tonight.
September 3
Today was my first ride, which started nervously and with a helmet on backwards. I’ve got a nice adrenaline rush. Really I am just out of breath. I don’t think everything is working properly on the bike.
September 4
My bike went in the shop today. I hope my team record doesn’t drop because of me. Melody Emerick my boss just walked in. It will take her about ten minutes to get into her work attire and then she will make her rounds. She just headed over to Geno’s desk (our bike commute challenge captain) and he say’s “I’m not talking to you until you login”.
September 8
I’m on Maui for a week. Last night I told someone about the Bike Commute Challenge and my concerns on biking. Her words of wisdom were, “if all else fails, be a car.” I can just imagine myself next week hopping into traffic repeating to myself “I’m a car, I’m a car, I’m a car.” Now that I think about it, that’s just what I needed to hear.
September 14
Today I had my first conflict with a driver. I felt as though he was taunting me. I’ve seen many bikers give drivers the finger and I want to avoid this at all cost. Really, at this point if I tried to give someone a decent finger I would probably lose control of the bike and make an idiot of myself.
September 17
Greer is showing us some stretches for ligaments that bikers should do regularly. I have been in various work environments, and looking around the office I have to say that having multiple bikes in the room makes it kind of cozy.
September 22
Diane just pointed out that she is saving $10 a week on gas and $20 dollars a week on parking which means her and Bill can go out and eat more. Dining out and shopping! Note: Biking is good for the economy.
September 28
Dana just announced that it’s raining and I joined in a group sigh.
September 29
We have been teetering in second place with Sweet Pea Baking company for the past month. Diane just found out they are offering 50 cent cups of coffee for riders of the bike commute challenge. I just looked at their website and saw they have a blog titled “We Will Crush You” with a picture of their employee’s bikes. Crushing humans doesn’t seem very vegan of them. I just announced this blog title to the office. From the reaction of my team mates I think they may have just started a bike war, whatever that means I’m in for the ride.
Dana just put in some Queen
“Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle, I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike…..this song now has new meaning to me.
September 30
We are headed to Sweet Pea Baking Company. On Second and Burnside my sweats got snagged again in my chain. I told Greer about it and she let me know that sweats are not good to wear biking. Thanks Greer. I also learned that I could just buy a chain guard and not have to worry about it. Is there a Biking for Dummies book?
9:00 pm
Wow, we are in second place. I have heard that it can all change tonight. People could log in at the last minute and bam we could be in eighth place. I can’t wait to go to the Bike Commute Challenge Party. I can further add to my list of where bikers come from and who they are. I have had a month of becoming apart of a community I have only seen from the sidewalk or at my desk. Thanks Bike Commute Challenge!
Members of the Emerick Architects Team enjoying some coffee at rival Sweetpea Baking Co.
Team Emerick Architects
Aug 31: What it entails… well, Freddy Mercury said it best: “Get on your bikes and ride!”
Sep 3: Uh-oh.
Sep 4: Good move (fixing the bike). You can’t hurt your team’s percentage – you can only help it.
Sep 8: (I got nothin’ here – I don’t get it
Sep 14: I’ve been trying to see if I can’t just keep my finger to myself lately, but to tell the truth, it still gets whipped out too much.
Sep 17: Other than the ligaments in my middle finger…
Sep 22: Tip: Spend it on some wool bike clothes now. You’ll be so glad you did come January.
Sep 28: You can only get so wet. Water is life. Joy is like the rain.
Sep 29: The Bike Commute Challenge: A Friendly Competition…
Sep 30: There are no shortage of things you just kind of have to learn the hard way. Maybe “Frank ‘N Fred” at http://www.bicyclinglife.com
Welcome, Jen, to where it’s at.
Oh my this was quite entertaining, what a good chuckle I got out of it.. riding sure brings out the best in people.
BCC 2009 was my first time on a bicycle in 24 years. I was terrified the first day, but I managed to bike every day I worked in September except for one, and I feel guilty about that because I was just being lazy that day!
Good job Jen, I can empathize with you all the way!
Jen, you are a hoot! *smiles and laughs out loud at work** I’m glad you did the bike challenge. It sounds like you had fun. *deep sigh* It’s very unfortunate that I live 25 miles away, or you know I would bike, too. [end sarcasm]
You’ll just have to carry the torch for both of us. Next time I get the finger from a biker, I’ll think of you.
Good Job, Jen. I so enjoyed reading your journal. It made me laugh. It sounds like you had a good time during the Bike Commute Challenge. I just started commuting by bike myself last summer. I have yet to try commuting in the winter. It is a little scary to me with the rain and the dark, but Imay try it one day and see how it goes.
crushing humans is totally vegan. after all, we’re the ones exploiting the environment the most : )
ESTOU A procura dos Emericks pelo mundo. Manter contato para uma aproximação familiar.
Moro em Brasilia, capital Brasil. Gostaria de saber mais sobre essa grnade familia. Obrigada
Roseane Emerick
Thanks for sharing this information all this are of extreme use.