-Sally Bell, Advertising Manager
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s September Bike Commuter Challenge was an all-out success. Thousands of Oregonians made first-time commutes and some committed themselves to more consistent ridership, for the sake of healthy competition, the wonders of bike commuting and good old-fashioned fun. This year’s Brian Reynold’s distance award winner happens to also be my husband, Chris Bell.
Chris is the most modest super commuter you’ll ever meet and he logged well over 1800 miles in the month of September, making the trek from our home in SE Portland to Salem, every day and back.
The alarm goes off at 4:34am, and Chris sneaks out of bed in the dark so as to not wake his bride. He dons spandex and Showers Pass from top to bottom. We figure if he bikes 110 miles AND works an 8-hour day, the cost savings alone in a week of not driving justifies the outerwear splurge. He’s out the door by 4:50am and I’m still zonked for hours. What brings me shame is that Chris makes it to his desk at ODOT in Salem before I do in downtown Portland!
Bike commuting at this rate has proven to not only grow Chris’ quadricep size at an impressive rate but also grown his voracious calorie intake. Those that know Chris and his passion for food won’t be surprised to find out that he was making nightly batches of rice krispie treats (all organic, of course) not for his office mates, but for his personal hourly snack.
As any sane person would ask: Why?! When Chris sets his mind to something, he does it with unwavering determination. He wanted to see if he could do the commute every working day for a month. Well, he did it and when he greets me with a smile after a rainy and dark 55 miles home, he is always glad for the journey and thrilled to be home. His intense month of biking has made us seriously consider our transportation choices and going carless. This time of year it takes motivation to get in the seat. A little planning goes a long way and you can’t find a better cup of nature’s coffee than in the form of the brisk morning ride.