Our Interview with Steve Weeks

Since our inaugural issue of the Dahon Dispatch focuses on bicycle commuting, our first interviewee is Steve Weeks, a University of Illinois at Chicago Dentistry professor who rides his bike to work, rain or shine or snow.

Q: Steve, thanks for taking the time to join us. Our first question is when and why you made the decision to commute to work by bicycle?

SW: Almost 3 years ago when the price of a shuttle-bus ticket went from $1.00 to $1.50. I have since discovered better reasons for commuting by bike! My first folder was a Strida 2, which I rode for 1,000 miles but did a huge amount of maintenance on. Its successor is a Dahon Helios XL, which has proved much more suitable to the task.

Q: Thanks for that product plug! Can you tell us what effect commuting has had on your lifestyle?

SW: Well, I think that cycling even 7 miles a day, 5 days a week, has been good for me from a physical point of view. I don't seem to lose as much strength over the winter; however, it probably doesn't count as "cardiovascular" exercise, since the longest segment is only about 15 minutes long. Cycle commuting has also made my life more interesting. I read somewhere that commuting by bike means getting two "mini-vacations" a day, and I find this is true: I look forward to going to work and the rides energize me in both directions. Another effect on my lifestyle is that I am more aware of my ability to get around without depending on a car, bus or cab... anywhere within about 5 miles of Union Station is fair game. I've gone to lectures downtown, eaten at fancy restaurants, visited stores on my lunch hour, gone to other parts of the UIC campus. Last February I was a speaker at a dental convention at McCormick Place, and arrived there, in a suit, on my folder. Probably the most significant influence is that I have begun to question the need to use my car... I always think of the alternative to burning gas. Don't get me started on the greenhouse effect and our cultural dependence on energy!

Q: And how about the effect of commuting on your transportation budget?

SW:The shuttle-bus rides that I've eliminated from my commute cost $1.50 each way, $3.00 a day, $15.00 a week, roughly $60.00 a month. I've been doing this long enough to have paid off my first folder (Strida 2) and the Helios XL, PLUS all the "extras" I've added to the bike (new tires, removable pedals, lights...). I'm now several hundred dollars in the black, and that's not counting potential car parking fees and the intangible yet real physical and psychological benefits of this form of transportation. Short answer: "Positive"!

Q: Your commute combines cycling with mass transit: could you describe your route to work in more detail?

SW: My commute starts with a 1-mile section from home in Mundelein to the local METRA station. A 1-hour train ride later gets me to Union Station in Chicago; more recently, I get off early and ride a bit more. After a 2.5 mile stretch of city streets, about 30% on bike lanes, I get to my work neighborhood. By getting off the train early, there's time to swing by the local coffee spot. In the afternoon, I head straight to Union Station, about 2 miles east, and head home. The whole day's ride is about 7 miles. Once a year, on "Bike-to-Work Day", I ride in from home... a 100-mile trip! I generally do this on my non-folding road bike (Airborne "Carpe Diem"), but it has occurred to me that I could do it easily on the Helios XL.

Q: That commute sounds a lot more interesting than sitting in a car for an hour and a half each way. Can you tell us how Chicago is developing as a cycling city?

SW: My impression is that fairly good progress is being made in the area of bicycle accommodation here. Mayor Daley is very pro-cycling, and quite a few streets have bike lanes. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is very active in promoting bike transportation and works closely with the city and the various local transportation sectors (heavy rail, light rail, bus...). Over the last three years, I've felt a noticeable increase in motorists' tolerance for my presence on the street.

Q: We've all heard about Chicago winters. Could you describe your typical commute weather conditions and the equipment you use? What are your favorite accessories?

SW: Here in Chicago we get quite a range of weather: temperatures from the low teens (sometimes lower) to upper nineties (sometimes higher). We get an average 36" of rain and about the same amount of snow every year. It's not particularly hard to ride in inclement weather with the right equipment. This starts with the bike. The Helios XL is all aluminum, stainless steel and plastic... only a few parts capable of corroding seriously when ridden in salty slush.

Clothing is important, as I learned from riding a motorcycle year-'round in my younger days. Two pieces of equipment stand out as requirements: a good, thin balaclava that fits under the helmet, and a good set of gloves. There are lots of balaclavas around, but most have a single seam down the center (sagittal plane), which leaves a mark like Harry Potter's scar. Nike makes one that has two seams off to the sides. Pearl Izumi "lobster mitts" work in cold and wet weather. I've used them in minus-15-degree weather and stayed warm. On longer winter rides, I've come back with sweating hands, gloves soaked through, and still not felt cold.

On the body, a long-sleeved polar fleece shirt covered by a water-resistant shell does it in almost all cold weather. When it gets below about 10 degrees F, I'll add a polar fleece vest, wind and water-resistant nylon pants and put the shell's hood up over the balaclava (under the helmet). I have nylon shoe covers, but rarely use them unless it's pouring rain.

Q: You ride to work year round. Isn't it difficult to ride in snow and slush during the dark winter months?

SW: Not as bad as you'd think. The small wheels seem to cut through slush and snow better than larger diameter wheels. The streets around Chicago are pretty well salted and/or plowed, so unless there's a sudden heavy snowfall during rush hour, it's not too bad. Visibility is important, as is positioning the bike on the road. I just rode through my third winter, and only missed two days' riding.

The down side of this kind of riding is that the bike accumulates all kinds of salt and muck, which I like to hose off every week or so. The DoublePlay bag collects salt and dirt, and needs washing once or twice a month.

Q: Have you had any confrontations with motorists?

SW: This morning (4/18) a woman motorist told me to "get your a** over" when I stayed in a straight-ahead lane instead of going all the way to the right into a right-turn-only lane (I was going straight). Doing as she requested would have pissed off the motorists in that lane. I would have liked to explain the rules of the road to her, but she was gone. In general, I've found motorists quite accommodating. Oh, sure, I'll have the occasional driver blast around me with lots of aggressiveness (these tend to be SUV drivers) and noise and gas fumes, but not very often... and only rarely will anyone blow the horn. I'm grateful, in a way, for the cars, because they sweep most of the debris off the road. For my part, I try to follow the "rules" so as not to inconvenience or unnecessarily irritate motorists.

Q: What facilities does your work place have for bicyclists? Showers? Parking?

SW: There is a bike rack out in front of the College of Dentistry, but I never use it. The Helios comes into my office, where it's well-accepted and doesn't get in anyone's way. We do not have showers... how nice would THAT be?? With my normal short segmented commute, I generally don't work up too much of a sweat. When I ride all the way, I'll give myself a "bird-bath" in the men's room. Improved facilities for bikes is definitely an area for future development.

Well thanks a lot Steve for taking the time to answer all of our questions. We wish you many more happy miles on the road!

Editor's note: Steve has been product testing the BioLogic™ Joule dynamo hub and Hella lights through the Chicago winter!