A breath of fresh air...

**Preston** · 05-01-2008, 12:47 AM

I've been gone for a while but I'm back.. I keep meaing to swing by and visit but things have been a little hectic.

I finally got around to doing something that I've been putting off.. I fixed my (mountain) bike. One of the old pedals had broken off and it needed air in the tires.. so I got those things. I also scrubbed it down and got rid of the rust, and lubricated everything with WD-40.

I am now biking everywhere in town. Trouble is these are country roads and there aren't sidewalks.. which isn't exactly the best thing.

My wife and I currently work at the same place -- which is 13.2 miles from where we live. Now, our employer has us work 4 days a week (10 hour shifts) however, one of my days I only work 9 hours. We start at the same time and work the same hours so we drive intogether.. now the trouble is Thursdays.. I work from 5:30-3 (and often times get out early) and she works 6-4:30.. leaving me at least an hour and a half afterwards..

On this day of the week we have been driving separately.. but my concerns lie in the fact that I am driving a 10 year old car that is showing signs that it's getting close to quitting. So I am thinking that maybe I should start driving intogether on Thursdays and put my bike in the back of the car and just bike home after work.

Major concerns:

1) I am not in the best shape of my life and this is a 13 mile trip on a bike.
2) All of it would be at night on long country roads.
3) I am obviously going to have to install some kind of headlight on my car along with some kind of rear lighting.. My question being the best way to go about this.... and how much will it cost?
4) Am I out of my mind for not wanting to pay $3.82 a gallon?

My wife's car is in good shape and gets about 22 mpg.. So it costs us about $4 to commute a day, which isn't awful. It's just driving separatelly costs us twice as much.

**Darlene** · 05-01-2008, 06:58 AM

No you aren't out of your mind by not wanting to spend so much on gas. We all have to rethink how much we use our cars.

Any chance of changing your hours so they are more alike?
If you don't want to go the bike route, I'd bring a book, read a while then go for a walk for that 1 1/2 hours or do one of those then walk to a grocery store nearby , do the grocery shopping for the week & she can pick you up when she gets out of work...

Pop the bike in the car and ride home on Thursdays? Lights are inexpensive, still daylight at 3, helmet with some reflective stuff is good too.

Carpool with someone one Thursdays?

How about volunteering at your local school to help tutor or somewhere nearby on Thursdays & she can pick you up on her way home?

**Preston** · 05-01-2008, 02:40 PM

you completely missed it.

We work nights and I would be biking home at 3 AM. I guess I should have put that there.

Our schedules are exactly alike and we carpool 3 nights a week. minus thursday where they are different.. but not by much.

Nothing is open near by other than hotels and I doubt I could hang around there. But I do like the book idea and I think I will try it next week.

**mommy4ever** · 05-01-2008, 02:46 PM

Hehe.. i assumed the same thing. you didn't state you were doing night shifts in the OP.

I'd bring a book and find a place to read. Bring your home paperwork and set and pay the bills. An hour and a holf isn't a big deal. Heck, depending on where you are, you could tage a nap while waiting. I know I wouldn't do well on nights, so I'd be catching some zzz's if the weather permitted it. Biking at night is hazardous at the best of times, so I wouldn't recommend it.

**Darlene** · 05-01-2008, 02:55 PM

Was I at least right about you not being out of your mind?

**mombottoo** · 05-01-2008, 05:02 PM

Nobody is ever out of their mind for not wanting to pay these ridiculous prices for gas. Biking will be a benefit not only to you, but to the environment as well. If you are able to ride your bike and do it safely I say go for it!

**lgw** · 05-03-2008, 08:52 AM

I admire your bike-riding. DH and I also work at the same place, about 6 miles from home. I am trying to get into better shape so riding my bike to work would go a long way in that regard. But I'm not sure I could make the 12-mile round trip, which involves some pretty good-sized hills. *Everyone* around here rides bikes, so I'd have plenty of company on the road, though.