Moving From Baseball to Golf

A "Baseball" Graph of Bike Commuting - Measuring How Many Bike Miles You've Racked Up

Gradually, I've come to the realization that there are two approaches to bicycle commuting. The first is akin to baseball. In baseball, the objective is to rack up a score. You try to ride to work more times than you used to, in more conditions. You REVEL in the numbers of miles you have racked up. You keep statistics galore. My v2 commute to Alliance Airport BEGGED to be a baseball commute. The first full year, I was PROUD to ride more than 5000 miles before counting any non-commute mileage. Whatever else was accomplished, it matured me as a cyclist and reinforced the ways I ride and deal with daily traffic.

However, my v3 commute has, bit by bit, revealed another side to bicycle commuting. This second approach is more akin to golf. Unlike baseball, golf has the objective of putting the ball in the hole with few mistakes. In the case of "golf bicycle commuting," mistakes are the situations that cause you to bail out and drive a motor vehicle to work. Kind of like having to take penalty strokes. I think some of my fellow bloggers are transportational cycling baseballers and some are golfers. One approach is not better or safer than the other, but rather a reflection of individual situations. The golf approach is definitely a different mindset.

Indications of a baseball bicycle commuter:

• One talks about mileage
• One talks about "I rode to work"
• One talks about "It was good to get back on the bike"
• One talks about cool stuff seen while riding to/from work

Indications of a golf bicycle commuter:

• One talks about "another perfect month"
• One talks about "I had to drive the car. The battery was run down."
• One talks about "I'd forgotten how nice AC is."
• One talks about commuting routine, and of dealing with ever more extreme weather

A "Golf" Graph of Bike Commuting - Measuring the Number of Car Commute Trips Over the Last 20 Commutes