Surprisingly, after 10 commutes within 4 weeks, 510 miles, and more elevation gain than Mt. Everest from sea level, it isn’t other drivers and their cars that I hate; it’s my own car that I hate.
To put things into perspective, the route I ride, Route 20A, is one of the busiest roads in our neck of Western New York. Why? The fastest route between Toronto, Ontario, or Niagara Falls and New York City cuts through the heart of western and southern New York State, leading to an immense amount of tourist traffic in addition to local traffic. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if half of the vehicles you saw on this stretch of pavement had license plates from outside of New York. Naturally, many of the locals who had heard of my attempt to replace my car thought I was crazy for daring to ride this route every day, but much to my surprise, the vast majority of drivers flying past me are more than happy to move over, slow down, or offer an entire lane between my relatively slow ebike and their 60mph death machine. In fact, it’s given me a small amount of confidence knowing that drivers can be courteous and willing to share the pavement, and it’s even caught the attention of locals who ask me about my commute or give me a happy honk as they wizz past. The problem is that riding a bicycle makes me a worse driver.
When on two wheels, the speed limit isn’t attainable. You are never tailgated, as the shoulder of the road is entirely yours, and you are only ever passed, but never passing. The world slows down as it whips by at arm's length, and saving time suddenly becomes taking time. But when I get behind the wheel of a car, whether because of rain, cold, or a trip I simply cannot manage on a bicycle, I become more impatient and short-fused than ever, with a motor-vehicle god complex that makes me feel embarrassed to have left the house at all. It is a hard fact to ignore that when one discards convenience and comfort for sustainability and affordability, that their perspective and attitude greatly changes. I’ve seen some amazing sunsets, flown down hills at blistering speeds, and seen animals and insects I didn’t even know lived in this region, all because I chose to switch up how I commute.
Let’s Talk Gear…
My ultra-commute is 54.4 miles round-trip, with 4600ft of elevation gain, at a spry 30yo and a dense 260lbs. Now that we have a baseline, let’s talk about what seems to work for me, and maybe what could work for you.
Bike: The ebike I’m using is an Aventon Level 4 ADV. It has great power and performance for an ebike under $3000, and after charging the battery at work, I can easily make the trip on the Automatic power setting with some charge left in the tank upon arrival.
Clothing: Much of my apparel for ultra-commuting has remained the same as what I wear while at work: good hiking socks, Blundstone boots, trekking pants, and a moisture-wicking T-shirt, and I splurged on a good Fjällräven Kaipak fleece and a High Coast wind jacket for the colder mornings. A pair of fleece gloves and a balaclava round out the clothing nicely.
Accessories: Most of my accessories are things I’ve owned for years and finally have a regular use for. A Bontrager Rally Wavecell helmet for my head, a Bontrager Ion Pro taillight for my back, and an old REI Co-op pannier for my laptop and other items.
