What is it like to commute 11 miles by bike in Charlotte? Let’s try it for a week
I’ve had this idea for a while now. I actually pitched it way back when I applied for this job. It centers around this question: What is it like to be car-less in Charlotte?
More specifically: What is it like to commute by bike in Charlotte?
The subject has come up in many conversations recently, like when I talked to Joe Frey for my story about the Cross Charlotte Trail, and when I talked to Sustain Charlotte Bike Program Director Jordan Moore.
Last week — with events like the N.C. Bike Summit and Biketoberfest in town — I started thinking more seriously about bike commuting.
This is what we like to see during #pedestrian & #bicycle week in CLT! #bikeclt #walkclt @CharlotteDOT @AARPCLT pic.twitter.com/pIiW8buWoQ
— Sustain Charlotte (@Sustain_CLT) October 14, 2015
I’ve always loved the idea of biking to work. I enjoy riding my bike and I like the idea of incorporating a workout into my daily commute. I want to be less car-dependent, and I hope that I’ll feel more energized and refreshed at work after a ride.
But it’s not like I live in an easy-to-bike, close-in area like South End or NoDa or Dilworth. I live near East Mecklenburg High and work uptown, and the route to work isn’t exactly obvious. Biking 10 miles down Independence doesn’t seem like a good idea.
Sitting around Sunday morning, waiting for football to start, I looked at the weather and saw that it is supposed to be sunny and 60-70 all this week. What the hell, I thought, let’s do it this week before it gets all cold and dark early.
That shows you how much I’ve prepared for this.
Here’s the plan:
– I mapped out an 11-ish mile route that takes me from my house, over to Myers Park and up Little Sugar Creek Greenway, mostly avoiding major roads.
– I plan to bike to and from work every day from Monday to Thursday, using my trusty 1990s Specialized Sirrus bike that I bought a little over a year ago.
– If for some reason biking isn’t an option (I get stuck at work too late or it decides to unexpectedly pour), I plan on taking the bus. (Sidenote: Are there instructions on how to use the bike rack on the front of city buses? This is something that has quietly stressed me out for years.)
– I’ll be tweeting and Instagramming about this all week, and plan to write about my experiences here at least once, probably twice this week.
Saturday bike ride with @cpinscoe812
A post shared by Corey (@coreyinscoe) on Sep 19, 2015 at 3:43pm PDT
If you have any tips/advice/guidance you want to share, send me a tweet or an email. I’ll need all the help I can get.
Photos: Corey Inscoe; Courtney Inscoe
This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 12:15 AM with the headline "What is it like to commute 11 miles by bike in Charlotte? Let’s try it for a week."