Anything Goes Commute Challenge: Group Bike Trip

There are many avid cyclists at my workplace—many commute daily, some over long distances. It has become a tradition for me to lead a group of riders to the office on Bike To Work Day, but that rolls around once a year. What if we biked together once a week?

On most Thursdays, a plan starts to form: who's in, where and when to rendezvous. Riders meet over the first few miles: four guys and me, today. They are stronger and faster and more fit; I rode my heart out to keep up. A sampling of our morning chatter: a fierce-but-friendly competition between two colleagues to establish who can complete more commutes by bicycle this quarter; the recent Boston Marathon (one of our riders had run it, luckily finishing well ahead of the chaos); bridging and nearest neighbors; the n Queens problem. [Yes, these are engineers; this is, after all, Silicon Valley.]

The Stats:

Route: surface streets, bike/pedestrian trail
Distance: 19.9 miles
Elapsed time: 92:34
Average moving speed: 13.7 mph
Exercise time: 87:51
Reading/relaxing time: 0
Bliss factor: 7
Cost per trip: $1.00
Enables: Exercise, camaraderie, Plus3Network and company-sponsored fundraising for charity, two breakfasts.

Yogurt with granola. Shrimp with grits. Slices of melon, and roasted tomatoes. I burned more than 600 calories on the way to work; if I fail to refuel, I will fade before lunchtime.

Here is a common question from solo drivers: What happens when you have an urgent, unexpected need for a car, but you did not drive to work? Today was such a day.

In the event of an emergency, many employers (mine included) will provide a ride home. But this was not my emergency, and home is not where I needed to go.

Mid-day, a colleague reached out for help: Her husband had suddenly fallen ill, she was following the paramedics to the local hospital. She could not leave their dog in the car (for who knows how long); could I meet her and take him? Of course—I did not hesitate to say "yes."

Now what?

Three of my four nearest neighbors had not driven to work; the fourth, with a dog-friendly car, said "Let's go." Dogs are a common sight at work—they are welcome, so long as they are well-behaved. This dog knows the drill; after some reassurances, he settled right in.

Next challenge: This was an open-ended commitment. I had expected to bike home around 5 p.m.

1. I always have a bike headlight with me; it isn't powerful, but it is serviceable. If I had to finish the ride after sunset, I could.
2. The last commuter shuttle home would depart around 8 p.m. I could load the bike onto the shuttle, leaving me with a short ride home in the dark.
3. Later than that, I could bike to the light rail and get most of the way home, finishing with a few miles on the bike in the dark.

Don't worry about me or the dog, I said. We will stay at the office as long as needed. [Till 5:45 p.m., as it turned out.]

Contingency plans are highly recommended.