When I first met Jared Marchiando last summer he had just started bike commuting a few weeks earlier. He was still establishing a regular route and routine. When I asked him why he was riding he said that a friend who had been bike commuting for two years, told him it was time to "man-up". 
What Jared did not tell me at the time was that he was a former motorcycle rider. In effect, a former biker that turned, well biker. 

Elizabeth lives in Rogers Park and bikes to the Quigley Center - a distance of 10 miles one-way mostly along the lakefront bike path. Her goal is to ride 3-5 days/week, year-round. The bike is her go-to form of transportation ​and she integrates it into daily side trips, whether meeting friends for dinner or going to a doctor's appointment. On many days the route varies significantly and she has the opportunity to explore different neighborhoods. 

What would make a mid-career executive at the Archdiocese of Chicago bike to work every day throughout the year? Meet Elizabeth Moriarty, a self-assured, articulate professional who bikes 20 miles a day to her job as Operations Manager for the Vicar General, Moderator of the Curia and COO, Archdiocese of Chicago. 

She is a great example of an individual making an ambitious daily ride and developing her own commuting style to fit the situation - all without the benefit of a background in biking,  Elizabeth recently shared her perspective and lessons learned on the journey from novice bike commuter to experienced rider. Today, she describes herself as a bike ambassador wanting to help and encourage other riders. 

Running a piano tuning service is unusual, but not completely out of the ordinary. Making the house calls by bicycle is truly unique. For the last four years, Lucas Lorang has done just that as part of his business Lorang Piano Service.  I recently met with him to understand this novel approach to earning a livelihood.