Ever since a Ford GoBike station appeared a couple blocks from my house, I’ve been musing about whether this could help me get more exercise into my daily routine — especially right now when walking is painful (plantar fasciitis!). It’s less than a mile to the nearest BART station, but that ride up a busy street was a little daunting. It was only when it occurred to me that I could ride down to the West Oakland BART station — about 15 minutes away and a nicer ride, to boot — that I finally decided to give the GoBikes a try. Also, it was one of those Mondays when street sweeping makes parking spaces scarce near the BART station. So, clearly, this was the day for a bike ride… and off I went!

After three rides, I was enjoying it so much that I opted for a monthly membership. After five rides, I had learned a few things:

• First, these bikes are heavy and clumsy. They’re perfect for their intended purpose — short commutes — but not at all tempting for longer rides. The gear shift does make riding reasonably comfortable, though. And, on the plus side, I imagine I get a better workout on a heavier bike!
• The height of the seat is adjustable, though the mechanism is stiff and hard to work on some of the bikes. There’s also a bell to warn other traffic of your arrival. And a kickstand. And lights, front and back — excellent.
• I bought an extra helmet, which I keep in the trunk of my car, so I can easily grab it on my way to the bike station. That works perfectly. The downside: helmet head. Not much I can do about that, alas.
• Ditto working up a sweat — definitely a mixed blessing. But I’m more than willing to trade a red face and a little perspiration for the advantage of 35 minutes more exercise each day.
• By riding to the West Oakland station, instead of the nearer BART stop, I save fifty cents each way on my commute  — which more than pays for the cost of biking! And if the train is jammed and I don’t get a seat, it doesn’t matter so much because I’m only going two stops.
• Here’s the part I hadn’t anticipated: bikes are limited and, worse, docks are limited! The bike station nearest my house is often largely depleted by the end of the morning commute, so I need to get myself out the door at a reasonable hour or miss getting a bike. The other end is a bigger problem: in the morning the 23 docks at the West Oakland BART station fill up. Twice I only just managed to snag the very last one. Had I missed out, I would have had to go several blocks out of my way to be able to secure my bike. So this requires a bit of planning.
• Fortunately, the Ford GoBike app is excellent. You can look up the nearest bike stations and see how many bikes and docks are available at each. And unlocking a bike is simple: once you arrive at a station, the app provides a code. Punch it in and the bike unlocks. Usually. I had a little initial trouble getting a bike to unlock — and even more difficulty getting the dock to lock up the bike at the end of the ride. (One needs to be quite firm!) But these were temporary inconveniences and I’m getting the feel of things.

One unexpected benefit of riding a bike is that I notice things that I miss when I’m driving. Like the little improvised garden outside an industrial building. Or the purple glory of the jacaranda trees. And the amazing murals. How can I not have seen these before?

All in all, I’m enjoying this way of commuting — for now. But the truth is that I’m a fair-weather rider. While the days are sunny and long, I plan to keep riding. I might even use a bike to run errands around town now and then. But when the mornings or evenings are dark — or the days turn windy or rainy — then I’ll doubtless be back in my car!

Do you know this round?

Bike to work through the park:
Deep breath and happy heart!
Drive in traffic — anxious stop and start!
When it rains there’s always the train…

NOTE: This was an experiment in singing a round with myself. It turned out to be harder than I’d imagined, and the result proves my theory that a variety of voices make for better harmony. I need to locate some more singers!

Biking to BART saves money,
decreases carbon emissions,
gets me more exercise, 

and gives me a chance to see more…
so here’s a toast to win-win-win-win propositions!

Connections

• Ford GoBikes
• I just discovered that Norman Vogue did the dragon mural, as well as several other murals in my neighborhood. I’m going to see if I can interview him… stay tuned!
• I looked through my various books of rounds and couldn’t find the biking song. Does anyone know its origin? I don’t remember where I learned it.