Bike People

Portland is famous for its bike culture. It's been voted the most bicycle friendly place in North America and tops the charts for bike commuters with 3.5% of employees pedaling to work daily and more than 12,000 people crossing the four bridges on two wheels. There are festivals, dance troupes, and craft fairs all dedicated to biking, not to mention the largest naked bike ride in North America.

While all of this sounds cool, it's a little intimidating for the casual rider. I don't have road shoes and platform pedals; I don't have conversations about rear derailleurs and grip shifts; and I don't own spandex. So when I got a new job a mere 1.3 miles from my house, I was a little anxious about how the bike commute would go.

I started commuting on Monday, and each day has brought new lessons to file away. Find the covered bike parking. Carry a plastic bag for the seat if you need to park in the open. Apply makeup AFTER arriving at work. If it's raining, don't bike in the same shoes you plan to work in.
Bike defensively. Make sure you have your lock with you BEFORE you get all the way there.

It's been a fun adventure so far. And as it turns out, it's not so intimidating. There are resources for those of us with a little bike shyness. On Wednesday, I stopped in at the Women and Transgender Repair Workshop at North Portland Bike Works. This is a weekly event where women and transgendered people are invited to come in with projects for their bike and get free repair assistance.

I picked a great night to go, because I was the only one needing help for the first hour. During the summer, there is usually a line. A girl named Leslie helped me to install pink fenders and a rack on my bike. I did the work - she talked me through it. It took me two hours, but I did it myself. I also walked out of there with oil and my own Allen wrenches. I plan to go back to get some help learning how to tune up and maintain my bike.

Two of my new coworkers also commute by bike, and they are always offering friendly advice, but are also quick to say there's no right or wrong way to do it. I feel like I'm becoming part of a close-knit community now. I'm not ready for naked bike-riding just yet. But I did buy some spandex!