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She’s hooked on the cycling commute

She calls cycling “her morning coffee” that pumps oxygen to the brain and provides a wakeup call for her body
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Michele Fitzgerald (right) and Carol Woolsey enjoy a bike commute.

Michele Fitzgerald has been using her bike as one mode of transport to get herself to and from work for six years.

Fitzgerald lives on Quadra Island, and after a workplace move in September 2006, she realized commuting by car on a daily basis would be an expensive undertaking. Instead, she chose to drive to the ferry terminal on Quadra, walk on the ferry with her bike, and then bike to work – and she’s done this year round and in all weather conditions ever since.

Now she’s completely hooked on cycling to work. She always feels great after her morning and afternoon commute. On the few occasions when she has to use her car to commute, “the whole day just feels wrong,” she says.

Fitzgerald is full of enthusiasm about the benefits she got from biking to work. She calls cycling “her morning coffee,” that pumps oxygen to the brain, and provides a wakeup call for her body, along with time for reflection.

Fitzgerald has a number of tips for new cyclists.

She was lucky when she started commuting that it didn't rain a single day for two months. So, she was hooked before the rain came. She recommends starting in the nicer weather, and then sticking to it. Some days, she admits, it’s a wet ride, but she always brings a complete change of clothes, socks and all, and it's all good!

She also suggests working it into a daily routine so that commuting by bike becomes the norm.

Finally, she suggests getting decent gear so you’re prepared to be comfortable no matter what the weather. “You don’t even have to spend very much,” she says.

Bike to Work Week runs from May 28 to June 3, 2012. For cycling tips, articles and information on the Celebration Stations go to www.biketowork.ca and choose “Campbell River” under the “Locations”  tab or call Linda Nagle at 250-923-7911.