Area's bicycle commuters roll on

For some of us, the morning commute requires a cup holder-busting thermos of coffee to mentally prepare for the workday ahead. Others crank the dial to their favorite morning talk show, letting sports talk or liberal/conservative rhetoric ease them into the day.

But for southern Maine's year-around bicycle commuters, the ride to work is all the wake-up they need.

"It's nice to get to work and already have feeling of being energized for the day” said Jody Desjardins, who commutes around 40 minutes each morning from his home on Stevens Ave. to his job in Falmouth.

Maine ranks 11th among states in terms of commuters who leave the car in the garage, and find an alternate way to get to work, whether it be cycling or walking. But most of those use feet not pedals: Overall only .4 percent of Mainers commute by to work by bike, and 4.1 percent make the journey on foot.

The bike commuter gets plenty of focus during the warmer months, with May bringing special focus on riding to schools, jobs and entertainment. Over the past year, Portland has expanded bike lanes and promoted two-wheeled transport. But the year-round bicyclist remains among the elite of the non-auto commuters.

Like Desjardins.

Year-round, he saddles up for his five-and-a-half mile ride to work via Route 100, braving slush-covered bike lanes which can be tricky to navigate in the days following a storm.

“The bike lanes are still sort of half covered, they are really just plowing to get roads clear,” said Desjardins.

Bicycle commuting might cut down on gas consumption, but it brings about a whole other set of problems, including corrosive road salt that threatens to rust out the bikes, some of which cost more than some cars. “If it's a pretty nasty day, i'll get home and put bike in the shower and sponge everything down,” said Desjardins.

The year-round bike commuter also has to deal with the distracted car driver who may not be familiar with the rules of the road when it comes to dealing with cyclists, or who might not expect a bicycle forging through the snow.

Desjardins said a lack of formalized education on how motorists should interact with cyclists can contribute to a lot of confusion on the road.

Much of the confusion extends from the notion that cyclists are meant to stick to the bike lanes, and out of the normal flow of traffic. “People think, 'why is he in traffic with cars?' In actuality, you are part of the traffic.”

Bike lanes are laid down as a means of protecting cyclists from regular automobile traffic on busier routes, but bikers are by no means required to stay within the lanes, and often have to merge with regular traffic on narrower routes without bike lanes.

“If there's enough room, i'll try to stay to the right,” said Desjardins “I just try to stay away from cars as much as possible.”

Desjardins has noticed improvements on the bike routes around Greater Portland, but thinks a more earnest investment in cycling infrastructure would encourage people to change their commuting habits.

“There are all these pit stops for cars, because we're run by cars,” he said “If we had more for cyclists, I think it would get people out there.”

John Brooking said he started commuting by bicycle eight years ago primarily for environmental reasons. “Long distance car commuting is not very sustainable, and it gets into political question of our reliance on oil” said Brooking, who runs a group for local bicycle commuters on Meetup.org.

Brooking said the social networking site “facilitates people with common interests meeting in real life,” although with so many commuters taking so many different routes, the site has become more of a forum for commuters to share ideas, tips, and a calendar of meetings that might be of interest to the bicycle commuter.

Unlike Desjardins, Brooking is not a recreational cyclist, saddling up only for his commute to work and to do the odd errand. But he likes the level of freedom cycling provides.

“I find it to be great feeling of independence to be able to get anywhere I want to go under my own power, you don't have to concern yourself with gas prices,” said Brooking.

Brooking echoed that cyclist education is the key toward creating a more bike friendly community.

“I believe that in the long term, bike commuters are best served by educating themselves with riding with traffic, being visible and predictable,” said Brooking.

“Bikes do best when they operate as vehicles; staying on the right side of road, stopping at lights, slowing down for stop signs, signaling,” said Brooking, who adds that as a cyclist, you need to “consider yourself vehicle driver.”