Should you consider a bicycle commute?
Listen to a radio interview about bicycle commuting
Bike riding can save money and help you combine your workout with your commute. (Be sure to always wear a helmet; Upstate's Trauma Service sells them for about $10.)
Meet three Upstate people who have decades of experience as bike riders:
Teresa Hargrave MD rides a blue Cannondale 21 speed hybrid.
Assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences
What she rides:
A blue Cannondale 21 speed hybrid
How long she has been commuting:
“It‘s been more than 20 years. I rode a bike as a kid, but I‘ve become a lot more avid biker in my adult life, particularly since I married a biker.”
Where she lives:
The Westcott area of Syracuse, a little more than a mile from Upstate.
Why she rides:
“It‘s good for me, and it‘s good for the planet.”
Once at work:
She removes her backpack, peels off some layers and is ready to see patients.
In bad weather:
“I do not bike in icy weather. If the road is dry, or even wet but above freezing, then I‘m up for biking. Sometimes, if it‘s really nasty I don‘t do it, even though I could. I have rain gear.”
Safety measures:
“I choose my route very carefully. I prefer to take an alternate route other than East Genesee Street. I wear clothing so that people are going to see me. I wear reflective items for the dark. And I always wear a helmet. Always.”
Advice to would-be bicycle commuters:
“Take the plunge and do it. You have to not worry about how you look, and wear whatever clothing you need to stay warm and protected and safe.”
Mike Lyon PhD sometimes rides a recumbent bike.
associate professor of otolaryngology and communication sciences
What he rides:
“Sometimes a recumbent bike, and sometimes a Cannondale or a Giant.”
How long he has been commuting:
“Since 1995.”
Where he lives:
“Memphis, 18 miles from Upstate.”
Why he rides:
“For pleasure and for fitness. I like to eat, and when I bike I can eat. This does create a problem in the winter when my miles decrease.”
Once at work:
“It is too long a commute to wear work clothes. I shower here.”
In bad weather:
“If it is raining before I leave the house I tend to avoid it, but I have ridden in some really bad rain. Snow, I also try to avoid. That is when I ride the Giant, my ‘winter rat.‘ Coming in to work, I frequently leave before the sun is up, but this is not like leaving late from work. I can‘t always leave here early enough in the winter to avoid the dark. That is not my favorite time to ride.”
Safety measures:
“I have a number of lights and reflective clothing items. I always try to let the cars know well in advance what I plan on doing.”
Advice to would-be bicycle commuters:
“Just do it.”
Rich O'Neill PhD rides his son's old mountain bike.
Associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences
What he rides:
“An inexpensive mountain bike, a hand-me-down from my son when he went off to college.”
How long he has been commuting:
“Four or five years. I was running back and forth before that.”
Where he lives:
“Exactly four miles from campus. I go through Thornden Park and then across Westcott. I try to stay off the main roads so I have less traffic.”
Why he rides:
“I‘m a runner. I started to bike ride to work because I wanted to get in some more training, and I didn‘t want to spend more time running, and I wanted to have less pounding on my joints.”
Once at work:
“I have a closet in my office, and I keep several sets of clothes in my closet. And I have curly hair, so I just fluff it up after I take off my helmet.”
In bad weather:
“With the right kind of gear you can manage virtually any kind of weather. I ride in the rain and the cold. The Syracuse Public Works plow people do a great job keeping the streets plowed and salted. There are very few days when you can't actually ride your bike. Two winters ago, there were only about 15 days when I couldn't ride -- and on those days I run.”
Safety measures:
“Ninety-five percent of bicycle fatalities happen to people who are not wearing a helmet. So you have to wear a helmet.” He also wears clear ultraviolet goggles to protect his eyes from the sun and any flying road debris.
“I have two headlights, one that blinks and one that‘s a constant on for riding in the dark, and a flashing red light in the rear.”
Advice to would-be bicycle commuters:
“You will get very good at minimizing the amount of stuff that you have to carry. You will get very good very quickly about how to dress and how many layers. It takes a little time, but if you start in the summer, by the time winter rolls around you‘ve learned how to ride in virtually any kind of weather."
Buy a helmet from Upstate's Trauma Service for about $10.
Listen to Health Link on Air about bicycle commuting.
