I’ve been riding my bicycle to and from work since I got a temporary job in late January. The job is the reason for my anemic biking mileage, exhausted brain and body, and also my pathetic blog writing. I haven’t even finished last month’s sole entry: Bicycling Formulas: Or Why My Mileage Sucks Nowy My Bicycling Sucks Now. (But I promise I will.) Anyway, I ride on Guadalupe Street, which I once read is the most dangerous road for people on bicycles in Austin. So, here are few thoughts about… HOW I NEARLY DIE EVERY SINGLE DAY! But also the common issues bike commuters have to deal with. If you’re considering doing it where you live, perhaps you’ll find some useful tips here.

Commuting on city streets anywhere is not for the faint at heart. Almost every day there is someone driving a car or truck or bus who comes too close (literally inches–the law is 3 to 6 feet). They veer into or obstruct the bike lane, or otherwise make me wonder if that day will be my last. I’ve had to yell, slap the side of vehicles, and shoot daggers from my eyes with dirty looks. So far, so good. But it is not good for my blood pressure. I really should write a will, not that there’s much stuff of value or anyone to leave it to that would want it, for that matter.

Sure, I could walk, wait, bus, and walk again. Or, I could drive, park, and walk half a mile. I could also take an alternative route, but it would add significant time. Something I don’t have in the mornings thanks to my night owl brain. All three options would take longer than my usual 2.69-mile ride of about 12-15 minutes. Biking straight there is the logical and ecologically sensible thing to do.

It’s only rained significantly once in two and a half months, but I still got wet despite my poncho, rain pants, and baggies on my feet. At lunch I dried my socks in a store bathroom. I need to up my rain gear game, but we are so often in drought in Central Texas, I always forget to do anything about it.until the next rain.

Clothing is an issue; I can never have nice things because biking is not kind to them. Austin is a business casual kind of town, so I’m fine with Goodwill hand-me downs or hand-me ups from my brother. With a pant protector band above my right ankle, I still get chain oil on them.

Parking is great; there are bike racks right outside the office. I take my seat inside, though, because Austin is lousy with bike thieves. I have to remove my pant protector, gloves, hat, helmet, sunglasses. I lock the helmet through the front wheel with a U-lock. The frame and rear wheel also gets a lock. So far, so good: no theft. My ride ends with titling and labeling it Commute in the Strava fitness app.

Once I came out to a flat tire, so walked part way and bused the rest. I couldn’t tell at first if someone had punctured it, but once home it turned out to be an inner side of the tube, so it was probably a hard hit on a pothole, and the force of the impact caused the spoke screw to put enough pressure on the the tube to create a tiny hole.

Which reminds me, I need to get a double-walled wheel for Sonnie, my 24-speed steel GT Arette. The day after the flat, I had to ride Sommar, the Fuji Finest road bike with very skinny tires, because I forgot to fix the flat. It spattered so rain and I thought I was going to wipe out, especially as I was on the sidewalk a lot.

I ride the sidewalk sometimes just because I’m out of position at a stoplight and don’t want to wait to cross. I feel safer on sidewalks in rush hour traffic but they do slow me down of course. The roads and often fading paint and unprotected bike lanes often suck here, despite what the government would have you believe. Buses also ruin the  asphalt. I recall once my father was visiting and while driving he hit several potholes. Each time he uttered a loud “GOD!” followed by a “dammit!” that would soften in volume toward the end. True story: his childhood dog was called Dammit. It had a real name I don’t recall. My brother probably does.

Have I mentioned the Ubers, Lyfts, Waymos (driverless), Amazon, US Post Office, and other vehicles obstructing the bike lane? Not to mention people walking with headphones and clueless through intersections where most crashes (NOT accidents) happen. It’s helpful to take a chill pill or bring a Buddhist or Stoic approach to it all. Easier said than done. Road rage is real when thousands of pounds are close to murdering you.

The point is, the life of a commuter, even a short distance like mine, is fraught with danger, obstacles, and risks. It’s like a video game, EXCEPT YOU MIGHT DIE IN REAL LIFE. One day I reported a driver who had a How Am I Driving? sticker. The douchebag was encroaching into the bike lane, and when I pointed it out to him, there was no mea culpa gesture. That is what really pissed me off. I never heard back. But I do want to make the point that commuting IS doable.

If you’re lucky, you have bike facilities at your workplace. There are no showers, lockers, or even covered bike parking in the nearby at this place. My co-workers and boss seem either impressed or mostly nonplussed that I bike. Especially when they find out I only ride a few miles. A few other workers bike. There are scooters locked at the bike racks most days. One day I reported Lime because they were blocking all of them. Eventually they got moved.

Still, there are some positives. I get a little exercise, Vitamin D, and fresh air. I save gas and time. I get to people watch. And I get to train drivers on how to share the road. OK, I guess that’s it. Well, there are probably other benefits that aren’t coming to mind. I suppose keeping up my streak of riding daily for almost six years and six months is one. I am sure it will end soon, anyway, as I keep saying. Just hopefully not by being away she’s like a bug.

There’s a sticker on a streetlight I see most days at one intersection. It’s Ida B. Wells. She was an American investigative journalist, sociologist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Wells dedicated her career to combating prejudice and violence, and advocating for African-American equality—especially for women. See, you learn things from my blog posts sometimes.

This is not intended to discourage bike commuting; quite the opposite. It’s generally safe if you know what you are doing, ride safely and predictably, use lights (even during the day), and are not a douchebag. A rear-view mirror or a head on a swivel are highly encouraged. So is taking the lane when necessary, such as to avoid debris, pooled water, and hopefully you can avoid the many potholes in the bike lane. Sometimes you may have to force a bus or large truck to change lanes to give you a wide berth. This is perfectly legal in Texas, although most car drivers are clueless about it and get mad. They eventually figure it out; it’s not wall-to-wall traffic anyway. Sometimes just a turn of the head and slight veering of the bike to the left will force them to give you a wide breath.

Here’s a fun fact. According to Stacker, Austin Has the #49 Worst Average Commute | Stacker. With US Emperor Trump’s illegal, immoral, and insanely expensive fucking war in Iran, gas prices are going up, so some people are ditching the drive and choosing cycling to work. If you’re one of them. Be careful. And check your life insurance.

The job ends soon. I’ll go back to searching for another, and hope that if I find one, it is on a safer side street. If I die commuting, don’t be too sad for me. At least I’ll have been doing one of my favorite things. I’ll lose weight–all of it, actually. No more fathlete–I’ll be flatlete. And I won’t have to go to work or pay anymore fucking Austin rent. As Monty Python sang, always look on the bright side of life.

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU READ THIS AND DECIDE TO START COMMUTING TO WORK BY BIKE AND GET HURT OR DIE, A DUDE ABIKES IS NOT LIABLE!

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