How many different ways are there to bike commute? Let’s review the experiences shared by our guest bike commuters.
Ted bike commutes most days that aren’t icy or snowy.
Robert learned to bike commute in rain, floods and snow. Then he moved to Idaho – nice!
Brian bike commutes from home to train, and changes from bike clothes to work clothes at the station. He makes good use of a bike locker at Princeton Junction. Melinda is another year-round bike to the train station commuter with a bike locker, and her 1.5 mile commute is on an el-cheapo bike.
Carol drives to work with her bike and work clothes for the next day, then bikes back home in the evening and back to work next morning.
Jenny takes the bus with the bike on the front rack to work, then bikes back home after work.
Kiyomi rides seven hilly miles on good days, in bike clothes with her work clothes carried on the bike.
Jim rides to work directly on CR518, but takes the long way home, as the mood suits him.
Mike commutes year-round, 25 miles round trip between Allentown (NJ) and Trenton.
Steve bike commuted from Princeton to Plainsboro for years.
Twice a week, Don bikes 35 miles to work in Mt. Laurel, but coming home rides 8 miles, hops on the River Line to Trenton, then bikes another 8 miles home.
Whit bikes 4 or 5 times per week year-round, from Hopewell to Plainsboro on CR518 and next to the D&R Canal, and enjoys the bike locker provided by his employer.
Other strategies – another Jim carpools with his wife to her work, then bikes to his work and back home afterwards – 2 miles biking there, 8 miles back to home. I’ve seen bike commuters who’ve gotten off the train in Princeton Jct and biked to their office in Carnegie Center, one had a folding bike with him on the train, another kept a bike locked to the racks near the Dinky. Folding bikes are allowed at all times on NJ Transit, unlike full size bikes, which are subject to rush hour restrictions.
Bike commuting with children adds other possible strategies – Curt bikes with his son to Hopewell elementary, then continues on to work in Skillman. Denis’s child is too small to bike, so rides on the bikeseat to daycare before he continues on to work. Georgette somehow lives car-free with her 4 children under the age of four – maybe someday she’ll post her strategies.
Have we covered all the possibilities? Not at all – we’d love to hear from someone who uses Princeton University’s Tiger Transit and bikes, and/or the new Zagster bike share for commuting!
Please contact jfoster@gmtma.org if you’d like to share your bike commuting experiences.