By Lauren Spatafore

Lauren is a lifelong rider and guest contributor to ZappaWheels.

Bicycle commuting isn’t just for urban dwellers.  With an open mindset and a bit of pre-planning, anyone can do it! I started bike commuting to work in September almost two years ago. It's a quick, easy ride for me, less than 10 miles round-trip. Now, regardless of what the day will bring, I begin each day with the satisfaction of knowing I've already exercised.  

​It wasn’t always this way. Before 2015, I worked at a school across town, about a 25 minute commute by car. There was not a direct or safe route for me to travel by bicycle.  Often, I would take my bike with me so I could get in a ride after work, while it was still daylight and still before rush hour. However, I wasn’t getting in the miles that I wanted. So, when a position opened up at a school closer to home, I jumped at the opportunity for less travel time and the ability to ride to work.

Before retiring, Carl Zvanut was an active bike commuter although admittedly he had some restrictions. These included only riding during good weather and days with no activities after work. His commute was 30 miles round-trip mostly along hilly, rural roads. At work he had access to decent facilities including showers and bike parking. It was a manageable setup for him.

Today, Carl pursues a different kind of biking. Each week, along with fellow retirees who are members of the Lehigh Wheelmen Association, he rides to different locations in the Lehigh Valley of Eastern Pennsylvania, culminating in a group lunch. Typically the rides are 40 miles long. It's a way for Carl to stay connected and active while exploring the beauty of the countryside. 

It's time to head home from work and I look out the window to see a rain storm moving into the area. Since I commute by bike, I have three choices: ride home - mostly likely in the rain, take the bus and put the bike on the front of the bus, or leave the bike at the office and take a train. I opt for the first and head out the door hoping to beat the worst of the storm.. 

This is is not the first time I've taken a chance with the rain, nor will it be the last. And through the years, I've tweaked my bike commuting setup to deal with the weather. So the hopeful part of me is thinking, it may not rain too hard so how wet can I get? 

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. 

This week's story comes to us from guest author Annie F. Adams. A dedicated commuter, Annie shares her recent experience riding under a full prairie moon to get ice cream. 

Destination: Sidney Dairy Barn
​As a person interested in "all things bike” as well as place-making, planning and design my ears perked up when I heard local cyclists discuss the Full Moon bike ride. It seemed like some kind of dream to think of cyclists gathering under the full moon and riding en masse on rural roads to obtain ice cream. “Why not?” “It’s fun!” cyclists would say to me with a gleam in their eyes. ​The round-trip would easily be 30 miles. But this was not something I told my husband who reluctantly agreed to the adventure

Cynthia Hoyle has over 30 years of transportation planning experience at the local, state, and national levels.  An active bike commuter, she helps to raise awareness for creating bike and pedestrian friendly infrastructure both in her adopted home of Urbana, IL and across the nation. During our interview, she shared her perspective on bike commuting, transportation planning, and lessons for the future.   

Cynthia works with Alta Planning and Design, which started as a design firm to help municipalities create walking and bicycling-friendly communities. One way this is accomplished is through the design of Complete Streets, which provide safe, comfortable, and convenient travel for everyone including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transportation riders. For example, a Complete Street may include separated biking and driving lanes to support multiple modes of transportation. 

Cynthia explains that people want to bike more however they are scared of cars. She cites survey after survey showing that Americans want to spend less time driving and Millennials look for places to live that do not require driving. ​For communities that want to position themselves well for the future, one the best things to implement are Complete Streets that accommodate everybody. 

In a recent engagement in Wichita, KS, Cynthia and the Alta team created education materials to support new biking infrastructure. She points out that drivers don't automatically know what to do when riders are present and need training. The same holds true for bike riders. Through education and modeling the correct behavior a culture of what's expected from others is created. A similar social change for instance occurred through education to build awareness on the benefits of wearing seat belts. 

Just starting out with bike commuting? Here are some of the lessons I've learned over a dozen years of bike commuting in Barcelona, Pittsburgh and Chicago. 

Emily Thornton is a confident young woman making her way in Chicago - literally by bicycle. Last summer, she relocated to Chicago from central Missouri and has embraced bike commuting. This past winter she averaged 20 miles per day biking to her job in the Streeterville neighborhood.

Her no-nonsense approach to biking "it's a great way to maintain a budget" reflects the practical attitude of the Midwestern city she now calls home.  I recently met with Emily at a nearby Whole Foods coffee bar to hear her story. 

As the Publicity Coordinator for the  Prairie Cycle Club, Daniella Birch is always thinking about how to get more people involved in riding. A biker for 10 years, she has expanded her notion of what's possible on a bike as her confidence has grown. Today, as a member of a Community Support Agriculture (CSA), she does not hesitate to ride 20 miles to buy eggs from a local farmer.  

As her confidence and love of biking has grown, so has her commitment to helping others see and experience the benefits of biking.  Daniella recent.y shared with me her motivation for riding and her efforts to share this with others.