Go Geezers Go!

Look at these geezer bicyclists! Yeah geezers!

9 June, 2004
Pedalers evade fuel hikes with 2-wheeled commutes
By Sue Halena
shalena@stcloudtimes.com
PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

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When Jan Peterson's car broke down almost two years ago, she decided to bicycle 10 miles to and from her job at Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Eventually, she got the car fixed. But by then, she was hooked on biking -- so hooked that she got rid of the car.

Peterson cycles mainly for health reasons. This summer, there's an added benefit: She and other biking commuters don't have to worry about gasoline climbing to $2 a gallon.

"I'm aware that we're saving money, not only in gasoline but also in wear and tear on the car," said Ted Sherarts, 70, who has biked to work for 18 years.

Local shops say more customers are buying commuter bikes this summer. Manufacturers make it easier, with models and accessories -- even laptop cases -- that are designed for the ride to work. The St. Cloud-area bus system helps cyclists escape rain or snow, and bike-rack use is growing 8 percent a year.

Whether they're after exercise, pleasure or environmental benefits, bicyclists also are reducing their transportation costs.

A good commuter bike, helmet and lock cost about $500. Based on the tax-deductible rate of 37.5 cents a mile, a 10-mile car commute costs $900 in a year with 240 work days. AAA says it costs 56 cents a mile to operate a car -- or $1,344 in the 240-day scenario.

Gradually, the St. Cloud area is adding bike lanes and off-road trails that encourage two-wheeled commuting. Some riders say the area needs more safe options for bikes and more drivers who are attentive to bicycle traffic. Others say drivers are accommodating.

In 2003, 1.12 percent of crashes reported to the St. Cloud Police Department involved bicycles. Nationwide, bicyclists made up 2 percent of people injured in traffic crashes in 2002.

Bicyclists accounted for 2 percent of traffic fatalities nationwide and 1.1 percent of the total in Minnesota in 2002, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

o license needed

Driving is not an option for Gillian Lee. She grew up in England, where gasoline costs two or three times as high as the U.S. price. She wasn't interested in getting a driver's license or a car.

For the 11 years Lee has lived in St. Cloud, she has relied on a bicycle to go first to classes at St. Cloud State University and more recently to her job. Lee is an administrative assistant at Resource Training & Solutions. She pedals seven miles round trip every work day.

"I love it," she said. "It's much more sociable, really."

She rides throughout the winter, sometimes throwing her bicycle on the bus or in her husband's van when snow is heavy. The van is a recent addition; she and her husband had only bicycles until last year.

Lee, 41, shops for groceries daily and takes them home in her bike basket and string bags. "You can take a fair amount on this bicycle," she said. "If you can chew gum, you can do this."

Lee rides a Raleigh cross-bike, a hybrid between a mountain bike and a racing bike. Manufacturers are making hybrid bikes with lighter tread so they roll faster on pavement, Granite City Schwinn worker Chris Tacl said.

So far, Lee has had no mishaps -- she chooses her routes and watches cars carefully. "I drive pretty defensively, I'll say that."

Multiple motivations

Lee met Peterson, another year-round rider, when both used the Metrobus bike racks.

Peterson appreciates the bus option. She's used the bus for part of her commute this summer to avoid a stretch of major road construction on Minnesota Highway 23.

Peterson, in her late 50s, found that bicycling reduced her problems with varicose veins and left her feeling better in general. "I wouldn't want to give it up now for health reasons."

Biking commuters have a host of reasons for riding:

Mike McGuire has biked eight miles round trip to his St. Cloud Hospital job for 14 years. He likes getting exercise without spending time and money at a fitness club.

McGuire, a computer systems analyst, rides until snow gets heavy and starts up again in March. McGuire, 51, says he generally can reach work just as fast by bike as he can in the car.

Bruce Lake keeps his six-mile round trip interesting by alternating between a mountain bike and a three-wheel bike with a basket for bulky paperwork. The human resources manager at Electrolux Home Products rides about eight months a year.

"It's a lot more peaceful than driving a car to work," said Lake, 52.

Dr. Chris Wenner, 32, calls his bike "an old-fashioned single speed" -- a model that works well for a leisurely six-mile round trip. He started pedaling to work when he lived in Colorado and continued after getting his job in January at Mid-Minnesota Family Practice Center.

"The biggest motivation is for environmental reasons," Wenner said. "It certainly is an added benefit to commuting on a bicycle, not having to pay as much in gasoline prices."

Wenner uses a car for winter, rainy days and late-night emergency calls.

Sherarts, an art professor at St. Cloud State, started cycling to work after he bought a house a mile and a half from campus.

This spring, Sherarts sold his 12-year-old Mazda. It had logged 38,000 miles -- not the 144,000 to 180,000 miles most cars would travel in 12 years.

"I'm conscious that I'm not adding to the pollution, but I'm also aware that when I go to work on a bicycle, I'm often there before people who were driving," he said.

And, he said, there's plenty of parking space at the bike racks.


Bicycle safety tips

Bicycling accidents often happen close to home and usually because of a fall, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

The academy offers these tips:

- Always wear a helmet that fits snugly and does not obstruct your vision.

- Use a bicycle that is the right size.

- Make sure the bicycle is well-maintained.

- Avoid biking at night. If you must, make sure you have a working headlight visible for 500 feet and rear reflectors.

- Ride with traffic and be aware of traffic around you. Obey traffic laws.

- Avoid loose clothing and use appropriate footwear.