Even my subconscious is ready for the Car-Free Challenge to start

Submitted by Leila Bengali on Tue, 06/01/2010 - 06:31

You know your ready to hop on the bike, the train and the bart when you dream about public transit... maybe it's a mix of anxiety and excitement.

It's a little foggy outside today, and the ground damp, but that won't stop me.  My family gave me a couple of raised eyebrows this morning when I said that I was going to bike to the bart station.  So what if the ground is a bit wet?  We are blessed to live in an area where walking and biking are usually viable options to get to work (in the summer at least).  I have completely taken for granted how much the weather might influence car-free or car-light commutes.  I depend heavily on biking and walking (along with public transit) to get to work.  So far I've only had to commute during the summer for various internships, so I have yet to face the predicament of how to get to work it is raining, cold and windy.  The weather-dependancy of my car-free commute did not really hit me until last week when it actually rained.  And what did I do?  I drove, not all the way - only to the bart station, but I still drove.  I guess I could have driven all the way, but just the fact that my car-free commute pivots on the weather being nice makes me wonder what I will do when I have to work year-round in the winter when it does rain and it is a lot colder.

Any tips for dealing with wet weather?  For those bike-commuters out there, how do you get to work if it's rainy? 

Comments

Good question! I have yet to

by Jessica - 06/01/2010 - 10:26

Good question! I have yet to figure out car-free commuting in the rain myself. Luckily the weather in this area is (usually) nice more often than not!

Hola Leila, I don't own a

by yosarab - 06/02/2010 - 19:56
Hola Leila, I don't own a car, so wet weather is a fact of life I've come to deal with pretty well. My tips for dealing with wet weather: 1. There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad equipment. My bike has fenders (to keep water and muck from splashing up), and I pedal (or walk) in wet weather wearing water proof boots, pants, rain coat, and gloves. Yes, it's a bit much when I walk into the office or class with all my gear, but it's also not a big deal. The bigger deal for me is finding protected bike parking (as I don't like to leave my ride out in the rain all day). 2. Be flexible. I actually just don't like biking in the rain. I'll do it, but I'd rather walk. So I just plan on taking more time to walk in rainy weather (once again, equipment is key) or if I'm in a hurry I take transit. In summation: the keys to being car-free in 'bad' weather are appropriate equipment, planning, and flexibility. Hope that helps a lil bit!