Author Topic: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!  (Read 4002 times)

Lord Cashmoney

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Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« on: April 13, 2013, 12:52:06 AM »
Hello Mustacians!

The conclusion of this week marks my 6th week of me cycling to work, and as a result, $439.50 that didn't vaporizing into thin air via parking fees. I won't even factor in the cost of gasoline that I didn't spend because the real figure would be skewed way upwards by the sheer amount of time I would spend idling in traffic. Now, I breeze by all the Seattle gridlock, enjoying the cool rush of fresh air and when I get to my office building, simply zoom down an alley and into the garage. And the results?

- Naturally, an added stack of cash totaling $439.50, which is only growing.
- Increased stamina and strength gains.
- More energy, and a need for less sleep.
- Though the scale doesn't show significant weight loss or anything, people at work have been commenting that I "look more vibrant". Awesome.

You can probably tell by my "stubble" that I'm a very recent discoverer of the Mustachian way. I was shocked into making a big change in my life after feeling utterly sick at just how much money I was throwing away. You can find out a little bit more about me in the huge data-dump of an introduction I did when I finally stopped lurking! ( https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/say-hi-and-introduce-yourself/msg72767/#msg72767 )

Next time, let's talk about how I repaired both my favorite (and only) pair of flip-flops as well as the Cashmoney mobile with a single junk bike tire inner-tube!

~ Lord Cashmoney

SMMcP

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2013, 07:16:19 AM »
Great job, Lord Cashmoney!  Isn't amazing how one small change, one small shift in how we approach things, can have a big impact in multiple areas of life.

Lord Cashmoney

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2013, 09:45:30 AM »
Yes! It really is! I've never considered myself that out of shape... until I started riding my bike up even the slightest upwards grade. Weeks ago, I would be huffing and puffing and resign myself to get off and walk the rest of the way to the Cashmoney Residence. Now, I can ride up all the hills between my office and home with only a few slow-rolling breaks to catch my breath after a big hill.

For you Seattleites on here who are curious - The Cashmoney Residence is 7/8th the way to the top of Queen Anne Hill on the western side, overlooking Elliot Bay, whilst the office where I work is in South Lake Union. Queen Anne Hill... is one -BIG- hill!

Stachsquatch

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2013, 10:11:55 AM »
(Top) Hats off to you LCM! I live across the pond (sound) from Seattle and used to commute up to UW (via public transportation... Don't worry!) and I can attest that you sir have indeed shown a high level of badassity in doing this; those Seattle hills are no joke at all!

+1 (and a bunch more!)

James

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2013, 11:48:14 AM »
That's terrific!  I just moved a mile away from work, so will be walking most of the time, and biking when I want/need to get there fast.

jrs

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2013, 01:08:17 PM »
Congrats! 

gooki

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2013, 01:49:04 PM »
Good stuff.

Did you suffer sore ass syndrome for the first couple of weeks?

Lord Cashmoney

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2013, 05:45:15 PM »
@ Stachquatch: Ha! It's great to see another Washingtonian around here. I've seen quite a number of us hanging around these parts. I wonder just how many participants on these boards are Pacific Northwesterners.

@ gooki: Oh, sweet baby Jesus did I suffer "sore ass syndrome", though in my case, it was more like "Sore Entire-Nether-Region-Blowtorch-like Pain-All-Day" syndrome. I commute with a backpack and, when I started out, it contained all manner of stuff: A heavy bike lock, my pack lunch, rain gear just in case, a change of clothes, extra shoes, stuff for changing a flat, some water, some sunscreen, my gym wear, all in addition to the obligatory company laptop. It made those hills especially excruciating on the crown jewels and just about everything else in those parts.

Digging out an old, disused pair of bike shorts helped considerably, but now that I've toughened up and adjusted the bike to a more comfortable riding position, the pain is mostly a thing of the past!

imustachemystash

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2013, 09:17:27 PM »
That's awesome! You are getting your excercise in and saving money in parking fees at the same time.  My husband works in Seattle but takes the bus from Mountlake Terrace so he doesn''t have to pay for parking. It is pretty hilly in Seattle so kudos for you for tackling those hills.  How is it handling those hills?  Do you have a bike with more gears to make it easier?

Lord Cashmoney

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2013, 01:49:59 PM »
Mountlake Terrace is beautiful! I sometimes head up there with some friends to Cinebarre for their $5 Tuesday movie days. As for my bike, I have very nice, fairly expensive road bike that was a holdover from my days living in New Mexico years ago. The long, rolling desert roads were a real joy to ride on most times of the year, even during the hottest summer days! (If you had enough water!) Like many, I used to be a lot more athletic in my late teens and early twenties than I am now, and the fact that I was more than likely contributed to my attitude of "Pssssh.... I used to ride for miles and miles and miles! Surely I can ride around Seattle's little hills."

What a rude awakening that was. More on that later!

olivia

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2013, 08:55:46 PM »
Awesome!  And saving that much money is huge, congrats!  I just started biking last week, and I huffed and puffed the entire time-glad to know that goes away quickly!

hoppy08520

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Re: Celebrating 6 Weeks of Cycling to Work!
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2013, 07:15:56 PM »
Great job! I started biking to work last year and I feel much better too. I recommend a rack and panniers for more comfort, rather than a heavy backpack. I also leave my bike lock at work, if you can manage that. Three less pounds to lug back and forth.