Tonight when I was at Earl’s Bike Shop, the customer ahead of me was an enthusiastic bike commuter and I could tell he has a few habits like mine and some I should adopt. The first thing I noticed in common was our want of light: his helmet was equiped with a Nite Rider USB chargable light that I was just at Earl’s to pick up. He had the same cheap white Bell helmet from Fred Meyers that I selected. Upon comparing notes: he also picked up a habit for cheap blinkie jogging lights from Fred’s as well. He said he used to have six jogger lights…but he’s given away five of them to people that were riding in the dark without any blinkies at all!

What really impressed me–more than the fact that he was out biking after dark in 20F weather, without studded tires, was when he described his commute from Sudden Valley to Birch Bay. Thats like what–20 miles? Takes him an hour and a half, and he does it every week day. He goes up and down Lakeway east of Woburn–the twisty windy lacking a bike lane or even much shoulder at all. Crazy guts, Tony! I’ve biked up and down Hannegan in the left lane and even done the hill on Division street on a recumbent…but I don’t want to do Lakeway…almost as much as I don’t want to do Merridian.

Tony, I admire how much time you have to commute and how brave you are. Please submit a profile to bikecommuters.com. And Tony–luck and safety stay with you. You are clearly a generous part of the solution and I’m inspired to hand out a blinkie light to someone who needs one.