When it comes to bicycling, I am not ashamed to say that I am hardcore. In the fall of 2007, when I was living in the suburbs north of Chicago, I decided to go bike all the way, so I sold my car and made preparations to commute the 7 plus miles, one way, to work during the Chicago winter on my bicycle. Of course, everyone thought I was crazy and some were genuinely concerned for my health and safety. I assured them that I had biked through the winter, before and knew what I was doing.
I am proud to say that I made it through that winter and the following winter of 2008/2009 on a bicycle and all without owning a car; that is saying a lot, given those winters were some of the worst on Chicago record for snowfall. I could write a book on how I did this and, heck, I may just do that, but, before you decide to sell your car and ride a bike through snowstorms and subzero cold, let me tell you that the snow and cold were not the worst things I faced as a bike-only commuter, those two years, nor were the hazards of heavy traffic and riding the bike in the dark. I dealt with those as best I could, but I was nearly forced to by a car by something I had overlooked when I formed my plan.
One thing I assumed that would be constant was my health and, as we all know, your health is never something you can take for granted. What to do when you are sick and have no car? I got the flu, both winters, even though I had gotten flu shots and, due to an injury caused by a fall on the ice, I was forced to ride with a bruised leg for a couple of months. Let me tell you, riding to the drugstore when you have the flu or a cold to get a prescription filled is anything but a romantic adventure. Almost as bad, is facing a long commute on a bicycle when you have one bruised and sore leg and you are facing a headwind of thirty plus miles per hour.
Those experiences had me looking for solutions, though I refused to accept anything but a bike solution. I would not turn traitor and get a car. One of the solutions I considered was an electric bike or an add-on electric motor kit for a bike, just for those situations when I needed a little help. I know the concept of an electric bike offends some bike purists and I was once of the same mind when I was not solely dependent on a bike. However, the reality of living completely on a bike made an electric bike a serious option when my health was not in its usual top form. There simply was no car to fall back on.
Life has a funny way of surprising you. I would still be riding a bike in the winter and living my bike, only, lifestyle, today, if my Bill hadn’t walked into my life. It’s one thing to take chances riding in the dark or a snowstorm in traffic when there is no one else in your life, but your perspective on safety changes when you love and are loved. Then, too, I work from our home, now, so there is no need to commute in the winter. I never did get that electric bike
Electric bike? Actually, there is still an electric bike in my plans, or, should I say, our life. Bill and I do bike, together, but Bill has some old back and foot injuries that limit his speed and range on a bike. That's a shame, because there are so many good bike trails near our home that begged to be explored. That electric bike may just be the answer to keep him biking, in the years, ahead, and keep us biking, together, over greater distances. If an electric bike can do that, I would be proud to own an electric bike.