Bike Commuters

Meet Justin Ferrell, he is a bike commuter from Topeka, KS. Here’s his bike commuter profile:

How long have you been a bike commuter?

About 2 years off and on. Really got into this year as gas prices went up and my wife and I started taking more of an eco-friendly approach to things

Why did you start riding your bike to work and how long is your commute?

I started commuting because I love to ride my bike, plus it saves gas, is better for the environment, and it helps keep me in shape.

My commute is about 3.5 miles one way, so roughly 7 miles for roundtrip. Not too long, but it can be treacherous, Topeka drivers can be inattentive and terrifying!

How does Bike Commuting help you with your lifestyle (economics, health, relationships)?

It saves on gas, and helps keep me in shape. My wife and I bike together regularly at night and on the weekends. Plus we are not attempting to teach our dogs to run with us as we bike.

What do you do for a living and in what city do you bike commute?

I am an attorney for an insurance pool (much like an insurance company) we provide insurance coverage for many counties in Kansas. I commute to work in the city of Topeka, KS.

What kind(s) of bike do you have?

I have an Omega Mountain bike. It’s super cheap and pretty lightweight, I have thought about upgrading as I would really like a road bike also, but I can’t bring myself to ditch my cheap Omega. It rides great, and is tough as nails.

Any funny or interesting commuting story that you may want to share?

Man where do I start. I like in Topeka, KS which is not a very bike commuter friendly city. We have to the best of my knowledge zero bike lanes, and very few people with the ability to drive with bikers.

One story that comes to mind is the infamous “Teenager on a cellphone, trying to drive, almost killing me story”

I had just got done on a leisure ride down by one of the creeks in Topeka, I was heading home and as all good bikers do, I was riding in the street and obeying traffic laws. I was at a stop light waiting for it to turn green, when I noticed the car across from me in the turn lane, with no turn signal on. This nice young lady was on her cellphone chatting away, and I thought to myself “Watch out this Chick is going to gun it and turn right in front of me.” Well it turns out I was sort of right, she rolled out a little bit, rolled her eyes (apparently my bike and my mere presence annoyed and interrupted her conversation on the phone) and motioned me on. As I started to ride out into the intersection, she apparently decided I wasn’t going fast enough and she started to go. I mashed on my brakes as she turned in front of me, did I mention she was driving a Suburban…..I’m not a doctor or anything, but I am certain being hit head on by a Suburban when you are on a bike is going to hurt….bad. But I digress, so she barely misses hitting me, and apparently almost hitting another human being with your massive vehicle still does not warrant you getting off your cellphone. So we are both in the intersection now, and she is honking and lurching forward at me!! I am trying to get around her, but her constant lurching forward makes it a tadbit difficult to get around her street legal tank, so I just stand there and put my hands in the air. She flips me off (she is still on the phone by the way, which means she now has no hands on the steering wheel) and I finally see my chance to get around her and keep going straight, this makes her mad as I go around her, and she flips me off for a second time and veers her Suburban at me. Thankfully she missed me and I rode off into the sunset….and hopefully she was able to finish her conversation on her phone without killing anyone.

What do people (coworkers, friends) say when you tell them that you are a bike commuter?

Everyone is impressed, two co-workers would like to commute but say they live too far away. One of my co-workers enjoys taking my bike on a spin around the parking lot as he is having his afternoon smoke….I am not kidding either.

How about bicycling advocacy? Are you active in any local or regional advocacy groups?

I am not aware of any advocacy groups around my area, but I would love to be apart of one.

Anything else that you want to share with us?

Bike commuting rules!

I still have a few more complete Bike commuter profiles to post, if you haven’t seen yours, please be patient, they are coming!

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