Bike Commuters

From Bountiful, Utah, Brian Hall is a year round bike commuter who believes that “the more of us who take to the road and show others that a bike is a very safe and reasonable alternative for the commute to work, the more likely we are to see improvements to infrastructure and safety.”

Here’s his commuter profile:

How long have you been a bike commuter?

For almost 2 years. I started slowly, switching between bus and bike, but as my confidence and enjoyment increased I have become much more consistent on the bike. In the winter months when there is snow and ice, or it’s too dark to feel safe on the less-than-ideal segment of my commute, I’ll put my bike on the bus and ride to downtown Salt Lake City, and then ride the bike the last mile to my office.

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

A few years ago our family returned to the SLC area after 3 years of living overseas. I recall gas prices were hovering around $2/gallon at that time. (Ah, those were the good old days.) So instead of buying a second car and incurring all the expenses that go with it, I opted for the bus and bike option. The shortest route to my office is 9.5 miles one way, which takes about 40-minutes. When I have time I ride a longer–and somewhat safer and more scenic– 14 mile route which takes about an hour. I lose a few hundred feet going in, and then get it back on the return trip. I am lucky to have access to a shower when I get to the office. My colleagues think so too.

How does Bike Commuting help you with your lifestyle?

I’ve never tried to put a dollar amount on the savings, but I know it’s significant. I love the good burn my legs feel after my commute. It’s such a great way to start and end the work day. I’ve been a pretty consistent runner for 20-years but as I get older and less motivated to run, I’m pretty sure my bicycle will be my primary mode of exercise and transport in my golden years. My wife has always loved my running legs, and so far she’s not complained about my biking legs.

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

I’m the director of training for a small quasi-government association that supports local government in Utah. I commute from my home in Bountiful to Salt Lake City.

What kind(s) of bike do you have?

I’m not a gear guy (and I’m painfully frugal) and I have just one bike, an older model Gary Fisher Utopia. I bought it used because I didn’t want to spend too much on something new. It’s actually turned out to be a pretty good bike and I’ve learned over time from those in the know that it came with some nice upgrades on it. Just a few weeks ago I finally bought the Banjo Brothers commuter pannier (because it got a good review on this site) and it’s feels very good to not wear a backpack anymore. I’ve got my eye on a pretty sweet touring bike, but need to save my pennies a bit longer before it’s mine.

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

Most find it pretty crazy (or stupid?) that I actually commute on bike because they know there are no reasonable options for getting from where I live into downtown on a bike. The most direct route includes a 1-mile segment that is along a frontage road serving several huge gravel quarries, and then it transitions into a staging area for a large paving company. Needless to say, through this area I’m commonly chewing on dirt, ditching potholes, and avoiding loose gravel and the big trucks that haul it. Once I’m through that, I have a mile of riding on the narrow shoulder of a 3-lane commuter route through a heavy industrial area leading to downtown, with cars and the aforementioned gravel and asphalt trucks passing me at high speeds. Actually, this entire segment is the official bike route that connects SLC to points north. That’s how few options there are. The good news is last fall the city added a few feet to the shoulder of the busy road so I do feel marginally safer. The remainder of my commute is on good roads with plenty of room for bicycles. The last mile to the office is along South Temple Street, which was recently noted by American Planning Association as one of American’s finest streets. It is very nice. So my commute includes one of the worst streets for commuting and one of the most scenic.

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

There are many advocacy groups. This is a very active outdoor community and I appreciate those who are working to improve it for bicycles. To feel like I’m doing my part, I recently invited a spokesman from the advocacy community to make a presentation at a conference of city officials later in the year to talk about issues important to the biking community across the state. I was very committed to having them on the agenda.

Anything else that you want to share with us?

I think some people shy away from trying to commute by bike because they think to do so one must have a pricey carbon bike and a sleek and expensive spandex outfit. I’m proof that such ideas are not remotely true. I like that this site seems to encourage everyone to come as they are and give it a shot. The more of us who take to the road and show others that a bike is a very safe and reasonable alternative for the commute to work, the more likely we are to see improvements to infrastructure and safety. Well, I hope at least.

We thank Brian for sending us his bike commuter profile, I know it was a little while ago since he sent it to us. So if you haven’t seen yours, please be patient.

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