Commuter Chronicles
 

By Chuck Smith

Submit Commuter Miles

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   Bicycle commuter mileage totals for the Dayton Cycling Club and Cincinnati Cycle Club since 1993       

YearDayton Cycling ClubCincinnati Cycle ClubTotalTons of Pollution not released
199322,696  22,696 0.57
199432,967  32,967 0.82
199533,614 24,924 58,538 1.46
199641,218 33,641 74,859 1.87
199748,243 34,189 82,432 2.06
199855,317 40,659 95,976 2.40
199957,433 24,842 82,275 2.06
200060,874 28,329 89,203 2.23
200161,474 25,892 87,366 2.18
200257,956 22,182 80,138 2.00
200350,064 32,964 83,028 2.08
200451,987 41,814 93,801 2.35
200572,105 31,118 103,223 2.58
200675,394 39,052 114,446 2.86
200782,081 53,240 135,321 3.38
200895,613 66,829 162,442 4.06
200992,615 72,031 164,646 4.12
201077,199 57,262 134,461 3.36
201159,582 49,368 108,950 2.72

        Total

1,128,432 678,336 1,806,768 45.17
   (1 gallon burned =
   1 pound of pollutants.
1 U.S. ton = 2,000 pounds
Based upon 20 mpg)

WINTER COMMUTING

           Many of us continue to ride through the winter, weather permitting.   I do not leave the house in the morning if there is a traction problem (my traction or the motorists’ traction).   But I do not let cold weather alone stop me!

 CLOTHING 

            Our friends in Sweden tell us, “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.”   With the winter weather in Sweden, they should know!  I wear an insulated bright yellow jacket with reflective piping to catch motorists’ headlights.  Good gloves are a must.  Columbia now has gloves insulated with metal foil to retain the heat of our hands.  When the temperatures drop far below freezing, I use my heavily insulated leather snowmobiling mittens which cover me from my fingers to my elbows.   I wear a balaclava under my helmet when temperatures drop.  This insulated fabric keeps my head warm, even in cold weather.  I also use a neck cover.  I wear skiing goggles when temperatures dip well below freezing.   

LIGHTS

            With short daylight hours, we need our lights more than ever in the winter time.  Because the cold reduces the efficiency of batteries, we may want to add more lights to our bike in the winter time.  At Gearfest on October 1, I purchased a new concept in bike light from Links and Kinks.  This included a plastic wire which I strung around my bike frame, and a battery pack.  The plastic illuminates when I turn it on.  When flashing, this plastic wire is easy for motorists to see, particularly those approaching from side streets.  These are the motorists who may not see my headlight or tail light.   It will be difficult for them to miss my flashing frame and the reflective sidewalls on my Continental commuting tires.   As always, be careful when you ride through the winter, but do not allow cold weather to discourage you from bike commuting!

WE NEED YOUR MILES AND COMMUTING TIPS

         Please send your monthly miles by the second of each month to Dennis.L.Pohl@lexisnexis.com.  Remember to include errands, appointments, trips to school, and other trips during which you substituted a bicycle for a motor vehicle.  Please round all figures to the nearest whole number.  Thanks to Dennis for compiling our commuting miles!  You can share your commuting tips with other readers of this column by sending an e-mail to chuck@ohiobike.org.

    DCC Commuting Coordinators (Area Codes are 937)
 

 

Commuter Mileage
Commuter 2011
Commuter 2010
Commuter 2009
Commuter 2008
Commuter 2007
Commuter 2006
Commuter 2005
Commuter 2004
Commuter 2003

 

INTERESTS
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